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- [S927] Obituary.
Mary E. Townsend
Mary "Eloise" Townsend, 84, of Parkersburg passed away June 4, 2007, at Eagle Pointe Nursing Home in Parkersburg.
She was born Feb. 14, 1922, at the Five Mile, Rockport area of West Virginia, a daughter of the late Stella Pfalzgraf Balser and Floyd Kelly.
Eloise grew up on the family farm and attended school at Five Mile and later at Mineral Wells Grade School. She married Lawrence Warren Vandergrift on Nov. 5, 1938, and they had one daughter, Shirley Jean. Later, she married Charles "Charlie" L. Townsend on July 3, 1948. Eloise and Charles made their home together on the south side of Parkersburg for 34 years until Charles passed away on Aug. 8, 1982. Eloise stayed in their home until moving to Eagle Pointe Nursing Home in 2005.
Eloise worked as a cake decorator for more than 50 years at various bakeries in the Parkersburg area. She was employed and retired from Storck Bakery in Parkersburg for many years and then went to work for Enlow?s Bakery as a cake decorator in Belpre until 1970, when she went to work for Darrell?s IGA as a cake decorator in Vienna. She decorated cakes for many years at home for many people in the area while helping out her friend Janet at The Specialty Cake Shop in Belpre. While she was employed as a cake decorator with Darrell?s IGA, she and her cake decorating co-worker for many years, Janet Lipscomb, made and decorated the inaugural cake for Governor J.D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia and delivered it to the Capitol in Charleston, W.Va. The Governor?s cake was 4x8 feet and served 5,000 people.
Eloise was a member and past matron of Clara Edna Chapter 140 Order of the Eastern Star. She was also a member of the Bethany White Shrine and past officer of the White Shrine Patrol Girls and served as captain of the drill team. She devoted many long hours to her favorite organizations through the years. She enjoyed working in her garden, canning in the summer, was an avid quilter and spent many long days sewing and working on crafts. She made numerous beautiful quilts through the years and passed them down to the family. One of her favorite things to do was to go out to the family farm in Rockport and enjoy the quiet, peaceful days.
Surviving is one daughter, Shirley Ayers Smith of Parkersburg; a son-in-law, James Ayers of Newark; four grandchildren, Cheryl Ann Ayers of Parkersburg, James L. Ayers (Linda) of Burgettstown, Pa., Mike Ayers of Parkersburg and Kim Ayers Vilhauer (Doug) of Parkston, S.D.; six great-grandsons, Brian, Joshua, Michael, Hunter, Logan and Justin Ayers; one great-granddaughter, Jamie L. Ayers; four great-great-grandchildren; one brother, Walter "Creed" Balser (Helen) of Ravenswood; and many nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles in 1982; her parents; her stepparents, Marshall "Shorty" Balser and Edna Balser Hale; three half-sisters, Betty Loraine Balser, Thelma Dale Balser and Patsy Ann Balser Daley; one half-brother, Marshall Ray Balser; one nephew, Richard Creed Balser; and brothers and sisters-in-law.
The funeral service will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Kimes Funeral Home, 521 Fifth St., Parkersburg, with the Rev. Rufus Hoalcraft of the Big Tygart Baptist Church officiating. Burial will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. The family will be present for visitation from 1-8 p.m. today at the funeral home, where an Eastern Star Memorial Service will be at 7 p.m. There will also be visitation from 11 a.m. until service time Wednesday at the funeral home.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.kimesfh.com
In honor of Eloise and Charles Townsend, the pall bearers for Eloise will be Masonic members of the Parkersburg Chapter 14 of the Order of the Eastern Star. A meal will be served at the funeral home following the committal service at the cemetery. Covered dishes can be dropped off after 9:30 a.m. Wednesday morning at the funeral home.
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1922 - 2007 (85 years)