Obituary

Edna Marie Snyder Wilfong, 95, of Huntington, was led by the angels home to her Lord and earthly family on Monday, September 21, 2009, at Heartland of Riverview, South Point, OH. Funeral services will be conducted 11:00 am, Saturday, September 26, 2009, at Ridgelawn Chapel, with Dr Paul Russell, First United Methodist Church, officiating. Burial will follow at Ridgelawn Memorial Park. Marie was born November 17, 1913, in Cedarville, WV the fifth of seven children of the late John Noah and Carrie Belle Cheuvront Snyder. She was preceded in death by her husband, John Earl Wilfong; a daughter, Lola Jean Wilfong McClure; a son, Kenneth Nelson Wilfong; three brothers, Mapel, Mendelle, and Melvin Snyder; three sisters, Mildred Furr, Madaline Burk, and Manoka Divers. She is survived by a son-in-law, Claire S. McClure of Huntington; a daughter-in-law, Janice Waugh Wilfong of Huntington; a granddaughter, Lisa Lynn McClure-Donnelly (Tom) of Kissimmee, FL; two grandsons, Kent Wilfong of Huntington, and Ryan Wilfong (Terrie) of Louisville, KY and Greenville, SC; and a great-granddaughter, Kayla Wilfong of Greenville, SC. She is also survived by three sisters-in-law, Evelyn Wright and Mary Ellen Stoneking (Denzil), both of Parkersburg, W’vç and Gladys Snyder of Avon, OH, as well as Dorothy Burk Rodgers (Joe) of Colorado Springs, CU, and Michael Snyder (Sue) of Avon, OH; Caroly Lowey (Michael) and Kimberly Zajac (David), both of Avon Lake, OH; Cynthia (David) Stuart of Huntington; and numerous nieces and nephews; Marie grew up in Gilmer County, WV on her family farm and graduated from a one-room schoolhouse; she later married her teacher’s son. Her favorite childhood pets were her white lamb, Betsy, and the family cat, Old Tom. In her adulthood, she had two dogs, Midget and Melanie; she always had a special place for animals. When she moved to Huntington, she worked at WT Grant Company, where she met many of her lifelong friends (“The Grant Girls”), who affectionately called her “Willie.” She also had a church family at Walnut Hills Baptist Church. Marie’s home was the center of all her family’s holidays; she cooked sumptuous dinners, but she was always the one who sampled the Russell Stover’s Chocolates before the meal was served. She kept an impressive vegetable garden and was well known for making her own grape juice from her grape arbor. She enjoyed travel and had some memorable trips including a train ride to Washington, DC; Amish Country in Lancaster, PA; Ravenswood and Glenville, WV; Avon, OH; Dallas, TX (her first airplane trip); an RV trip to Gettysburg and York, PA; and most recently to Orlando, FL, including St. Augustine and Clearwater Beach. She loved to see new sights and meet new people; and she would say “Now I’ve seen things I’ve never seen before, and I’ll never forget ‘em!” and “Aren’t we making some happy memories?” She was an accomplished seamstress and needle worker, teaching her five- year-old granddaughter to embroider and cross stitch. Mimi, as her grandchildren called her, had flower gardens that were famous -- she had TWO green thumbs and could literally coax any plant to grow. She was always raising flowers to give to her Mends and neighbors. She also had the uncanny ability to find four-leafed clovers wherever she went. While floral contributions are appreciated, Mends are invited to plant a flower or tree in Marie’s honor and to think of her whenever you see it. Memorial contributions may be made to Community Hospice, 1538 Central Avenue, Ashland, KY 41101; Little Victories Animal Rescue Group, 3589 Wire Branch Road, Ona, WV 25545, in honor of Marie’s love of animals; or to another charity of one’s choosing. Visitation will be from 6:00 to 8:00 pm on Friday, September 25, 2009, at Beard Mortuary.