Mary Katherine "Katie" Bellew
(September 27, 1989 - December 11, 2010)

Mary Katherine "Katie" Bellew, 21, of Hurricane, WV, formerly of Huntington, WV, passed away Saturday, December 11, 2010. She fought a long and courageous battle against Juvenile Diabetes. A celebration of her life will be held 11:00 AM Thursday, December 16, 2010, at Chapman's Mortuary, Huntington, with Gary L. Patton, PhD officiating. Burial will be in Woodmere Memorial Park, Huntington. She was born September 27, 1989 in Huntington, WV, a daughter of Katherine L. Heishman of Hurricane and the late Bruce Allen Bellew II. She was a high school graduate, having attended schools in Hurricane, Huntington, and Marshall, Michigan. She attended Everest Institute in Cross Lanes, WV in pursuit of a lifelong dream of becoming a pediatric intensive care nurse, following the example of her mother who is a RN and the nurses who cared for her the past 7 years. She attended Trinity Church of God while living in Huntington and First Baptist Church while living in Hurricane. She would want us not to be afraid, to remember her with laughter instead of tears, with sunshine instead of shadows, with warmth instead of cold, with music and not silence, and most of all with hope and dignity. Yes, with great dignity because, despite all the obstacles she faced during her short life, she never surrendered, never retreated, never accepted defeat, and fought right down to the end. In addition to her father, she was preceded in death by her paternal grandfather, Bruce A. Bellew I. Survivors include her mother, Katherine L. Heishman of Hurricane; her brother and best friend, Adam Bellew of Huntington; maternal grandparents, Bill "Jr" and Nancy Heishman of Hurricane; paternal grandmother, Frances Bellew of Huntington; her auntie Beth Nixon and her husband, Russ of Beckley, WV; her uncle, Mark Heishman of Hurricane; her special cousins, Jacob and Kelly Heishman of Ashland, KY, Blake and Morgan Nixon of Beckley, Robert , Teri, and Chris Bailey of Scott Depot, WV; a special great aunt, Joyce Holley; her godparents, Gary L. Patton, PhD and Mabel Patton; her lovable Yorkies, Chanel "Nellie" and Annie; and two very special friends, Dr. Daniel Macias of Huntington and Dr. Scott Henson of Hurricane. The family would like to extend a special thanks to the medical and nursing staff at CAMC General and the Putnam County EMS. The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 PM Wednesday and after 10:00 AM Thursday at Chapman's Mortuary.