ARTHUR
EDWARD DUTY, age 97, from the
Deskins area of Vansant, VA, passed away Tuesday, March 5, 2013,
at the Wellmont-Holston Valley Medical
Center, Kingsport, TN, following a brief illness. Born November 28, 1915, on
Poplar Creek in Buchanan County, he was the son of the late Jonah Duty and
Orpha Stiltner Duty.
He was a lifelong resident of Buchanan County and
had been a member of the Old Regular Baptist Church since 1953 and a member
of Little Martha Old Regular Baptist Church since 1974, serving as deacon
for the past 45 years.
He worked in the coal mines at Harman for
34 years. Arthur served in the United States Army during World War II. In
the early years, he was well-known among friends and neighbors as one who
helped heal sick livestock and vaccinated their dogs and cats.
He enjoyed living close to the earth,
beekeeping, gardening, and teaching his family, friends and neighbors about
the world of nature and life in general.
He set an example for us all to follow.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of
sixty-two years – Stella Smith Duty; three daughters - Mary Duty Looney,
Lena Sue Duty Street, and Elizabeth Ann Duty; stepmother - Kelsey Childress
Duty; three sisters – Lou Stiltner, Pearl Layne, and Virginia Duty; seven
brothers - Harmon, Bunyon, Ira, Ellis,Truman, Kennis and Keister Duty.
He is survived by one daughter,
Reta and husband Onsby Yates, Vansant, VA;
one son Charles E. and wife Charlotte Duty, Lebanon, VA; two brothers -
James Duty, Corbin, KY and Lloyd Duty, Abingdon, VA; three sisters – Wadie
Mae Shelley of Williamsburg, KY; Sadie Stidham; and Adalene Yates
of Troy, MI; seven grandchildren - Pamela
Yates, Lisa Yates McClanahan, Dwayne Looney, Nancy Looney Gruber, Cheryl
Duty Martin, Chad Duty, and
Michelle
Street Fuller; fifteen
great-grandchildren; two step great-grandchildren one great-great grandchild
and a host of relatives and friends.
Funeral Services for
ARTHUR EDWARD DUTY
will be conducted Saturday, March 9,
2013 at 1:00 P.M. at the Little Martha Old Regular Baptist Church on
Leemaster, Vansant, VA, with Elders: Roger Coleman, Mark Justice and A.B.
Thacker officiating with burial to follow in Mountain Valley Memorial Park,
Big Rock, VA.
Friends may call at the Grundy Funeral Home Chapel Friday evening at 6:00
P.M. with a song service at 8:00 P.M.
Active Pallbearers - Dwayne Looney, Chad Duty,
William McClanahan, Jr., Keith Gruber and
Karl Martin, Anthony Stiltner, James Shortridge,
Tyler Looney.
Honorary Pallbearers will be Bill Owens and the Deacons of Little Martha
Old Regular Baptist Church, neighbors, the "Dairy Queen Breakfast Club",
nieces and nephews.
Full Military Rites will be conducted at the
cemetery by members of Childs Gentry
Post No. 7360 of the Veterans of Foreign
Wars.
The family suggests that expressions of sympathy be made in the form of
donations to: Little Martha Old Regular Baptist Church, 1020 Coleman Curve
Road, Vansant, VA 24656 , Buchanan County Relay for Life, P.O. Box 1016,
Grundy, VA, 24614, or Juvenile Diabetes Awareness Camp, P.O. Box 1016,
Grundy, VA 24614.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.grundyfuneralhome.com
Grundy Funeral Home of Grundy, Virginia is in
charge of all arrangements.
