Velma McDaniel

Velma R. McDaniel, 90, a resident of Newhaven Court at Clearview in Butler passed away Oct. 2 after an extended period of declining health.

She was born Oct. 26, 1919, in Malvern Hill, Va., on Poindexter's Farm, the site of the infamous July 1, 1862, final battle of the Seven Days Battles of the Civil War, the daughter of Harry Rathien and Bertha Cornelia Foster Rathien.

She was preceded in death by her devoted husband of 30 years, Henry Curtis McDaniel Sr., who died Nov. 20, 1981; and twin sons, Mark and Scott, who died shortly after birth in 1960.

Velma graduated from Hopewell High School, Hopewell, Va., in 1936. She then attended Spotswood Secretarial School under the sponsorship of Dr. Joseph Osborne before working for 17 years at Allimac Stamping Co. in Petersburg, Va. For more than 23 years, she worked at Continental Can Co. in Hopewell as a production secretary until her retirement in November 1983.

Babs, her affectionate nickname, was a member of Woodlawn Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Va., from the late 1920s until the late 1940s. In 1950, she united with West End Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Hopewell. For more than 50 years, she served her Lord and the congregation as a children's Sunday school teacher, women's council president and circle Bible teacher, secretary for the World Missions Committee, active member of the hospitality and mercy committees, Christian day school commission and as a faithful prayer warrior on the prayer chain.

She is survived by a daughter, Ellen M. Garrett and her husband, Frank, in Glen Allen, Va.; a son, the Rev. Dr. H. Curtis McDaniel and his wife, Karen, in Butler; six grandchildren, the Rev. H. Curtis McDaniel III and his wife, Margaret, in Savannah, Ga., Megan E. McDaniel and Heather P. McDaniel in Butler and U.S. Army Lt. B. Camm Garrett, Laura B. Garrett and F. McEnery Garrett "Mac" in Glen Allen, Va.; a sister, Doris R. Hubbard in Fairfax, Va.; a brother, John Rathien in Chester, Va.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

<B>MCDANIEL</B> — Visitation for Velma R. McDaniel, who died Saturday, Oct. 2, 2010, was Oct. 6 at the Hopewell Chapel of <B>J.T. Morriss & Son Funeral Home</B>. The funeral service was Oct. 7 at West End Presbyterian Church, Hopewell, with a subsequent graveside service and interment at the Bermuda Memorial Park in Enon, Va.The family encourages memorials for the missions ministry of West End Presbyterian Church, 1600 Atlantic St., Hopewell, VA 23860-3761.Arrangements are under the direction of <B>Young Funeral Home</B>, Butler, and information also is available at www.youngfuneralhomes.com.