Blanche
Marie Hill Tabor:
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -
Blanche Marie Hill Tabor,
resident of Bramwell for
most of her life, died
suddenly on June 5, 2004
in Knoxville where she
has resided for the past
15 months.
Mrs. Tabor was born on
Nov. 20, 1913, in
Bramwell, the eldest
daughter of Robert Wilson
Hill and Beulah Belcher
Hill. She was a graduate
of Bramwell High School
in 1932 where she had
been a member of the
girl's basketball team,
amongst other activities.
Following marriage to
Marvin Alvin Tabor in
1932, she worked with him
in his business, Tabor
Coal and Hauling, as a
bookkeeper and driver.
From the late 1930's to
the 1960's, she devoted
her efforts to raising
her three children, Jean
Carol Tabor Sykes, Marvin
Wilson Tabor and Marilyn
Marie Tabor Parsons, then
returned to the work
force as a food
preparation associate at
the Bramwell Schools
cafeteria. Mrs. Tabor
became a member of the
"Cradle Club"
at the Elizabeth Bowen
Jones Memorial United
Methodist Church in
December 1913, and was an
active member of the
Church her whole life. In
the 1930's she
participated in numerous
Methodist Holston
Conference young adult
training and outreach
activities as a teacher
and participant. She sang
in the church choir for
over 70 years, was active
in the United Methodist
Women as Treasurer for
numerous years, the Cora
Johnson Circle, and many
additional church
activities. These
included preparing food
for the Bramwell Kiwanis
Club for over 30 years,
cooking and running an
eatery at the Bramwell
Street fair and other
venues as fundraisers for
the Church. She was named
the State of West
Virginia Hot Roll Queen
in 1990. In 1969 she was
made a lifetime member of
the Bramwell Kiwanis Club
in recognition for her
many contributions to the
organization. Also Mrs.
Tabor was a member of the
Bramwell Band Boosters
Association for over 20
years where she was an
active fundraiser. She
served as an election
poll clerk in Bramwell
for many years and was
honored by both Mercer
County and the State of
West Virginia in the late
1980's for her
contributions.
Mrs. Tabor was preceded
in death by her husband,
MARVIN ALVIN TABOR in 1969. She is survived
by her children, Marilyn
Tabor Parsons and
husband, Jack of
Knoxville, Marvin Wilson
Tabor (MARIE TABOR'S SON: MARVIN WILSON TABOR ) and wife, WenXuan
of Cincinnati, Ohio, and
Jean Tabor Sykes and
husband, Gerald of
Lincolnton N.C.; and two
sisters, Dorothy Hill
Edmunds ( living in a
nursing home in Texas
died 5 Feb. 2005) of
Huntington and Lois Hill
Dudash of Orlando, Fla.
She was proud grandmother
of Jeanne Sykes Marsh of
Marietta, Ga., Paul
Wilson Sykes of
Lincolnton, Heather Sykes
Brannum of East Hampton,
Mass., Samantha Tabor of
Fairfield, Ohio, Shannon
Tabor Cleghorn of Bright,
Ind.; and
step-granddaughter
XiaoYun Shi of West
Chester, Ohio. Also Mrs.
Tabor leaves her
great-grandchildren,
Abbey Marsh, Cade Marsh,
Emily Sykes, Tabor Sykes,
Nicholas Tabor and Hope
Cleghorn; and many
special nieces, nephews,
grandnieces and
grandnephews.
(Article on Marie Hill Tabor
from the Bluefield Daily
Telegraph - 7 June 04 ) |