Sada Cline

Sada Ann Cline, 87 of Hatfield Bottom Matewan, died Thursday, Dec. 31, 2009 at the South Williamson, Ky., Appalachian Regional Hospital Hospital.

She was born in Pike County, Ky., July 11, 1922, a daughter of the late Elbert and Rosa Brewer Hatfield.

She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Robert S. Cline; son, Robert Taylor Cline; sister, Edith Blackburn; and two brothers Charles Edward Hatfield and Carl Hatfield; and nephew, Stan Hatfield.

Sada was a graduate of Matewan High School and a self employed entrepreneur having owned her own business, Sada Ann’s Boutique, for many years.

She is survived by her nieces, Robyn Hatfield of Matewan, Hilda Fields of Savannah, Ga., and Rose Sipple of Galipolis, Ohio; a special cousin, Joy Coleman, with whom she was close; dear friend and caretaker, Thelma Williams; and a host of great-nieces and great-nephews

Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010 at the Chambers Funeral Services Chapel with the Rev. Tim Yates of the Sprigg Freewell Baptist Church officiating. Burial will follow in the Mountain View Memory Gardens, Huddy, Ky.

Pallbearers: Family and friends

The family will begin receiving friends at 1 p.m. Sunday in the funeral home chapel until time of service.

You are invited to share expressions of sympathy online at www.chambers funeralservices.com

Arrangements are under the direction of Chambers Funeral Services of Matewan,

Johnny Hall

Johnny Raye Hall, 45 of Williamson, died Wednes-day, Dec. 30, 2009, at his residence.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete and will be announced later by R.E. Rogers Funeral Home of Belfry.

Jim VanZant

Williamson lost one of its best-known and respected citizens, on Dec. 30, 2009. James G. VanZant, a former journalist, teacher, city councilman and leader in local and state sports activities and other community events, passed away at 1:30 a.m., in St. Mary’s Hospital, Huntington, at the age of 81.

His wife of 51 years, Barbara (Oakes) VanZant, and other family members were close by when he departed this earth.

‘Jim’ is remembered by football fans of the area as the man who helped establish the Kiwanis Senior Bowl, a southern West Virginia football classic that was held annually over a long period of years. He has long served the Williamson Kiwanis Club and was president in earlier years.

Jim was inducted into the Williamson High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2000 and he served on the Hall of Fame Committee from 1999 until 2009.

Jim received the King Coal Community Service Award in 2008 and he received the Charley Albert Salvation Army Service Award in 2003. He was awarded the 1981 Belfry High School Community Service Award.

Although retired with wife Barbara at their Fairview Addition home, Jim kept abreast of sports and wrote a popular Daily News column, ‘Van’s Slants,’ for many years. He served the Williamson Corps of the Salvation Army and was a past chairman of the SA Advisory Board.

He joined the Daily News staff about 1949, although he had actually written accounts of such local events as Youth League games while still in high school. Jim did outstanding reporting on sports during his three decades with the Daily News. He also wrote about area development and other articles bearing on this area’s economy and well-being.

He was a graduate of Williamson High School where he played baseball, football and basketball. He served as the editor of the Williamson High School paper, ‘The Beam.’ He earned a master’s degree plus 33 hours at Marshall University. Jim played on the 1946 Marshall University National Championship Basketball Team under Coach Cam Henderson. He also played on the baseball team and was the editor of the school newspaper, the Parthenon.

His journalistic career was interrupted for two years (1953-1955) when he served in the United States Army.

He left the journalistic beat to serve as instructor of Graphic Communica-tions at the Mingo County Vocational-Technical Center at Delbarton for over 12 years.

One of his main interests had to do with sports in this area and he excelled as sports editor at the Daily News. He was a past president of the West Virginia Sportswriters Association and was recipient of that organization’s Gene Morehouse Award for Achievement in 1982. He was associated with the baseball program of Eph Boggs Post No. 49, The American Legion, for many years. Most of the time, he served as coach and accompanied the AL team to distant cities to take part in regional or higher competition. He was credited with molding the characters of many young men who played American Legion baseball. During his active years, ‘Jim’ served as a member of Williamson’s City Council, representing the Fourth Ward (West Williamson). He was a candidate for the House of Delegates from Mingo County in 1992 but lost his bid for that post. His Post 49 teams won the West Virginia American Legion State Champio-nships in 1956, 1960, 1962 and 1979. Jim was also an accomplished basketball and football referee. He was a WVSSAC sports official from 1958 to 1972.

For three years, he served as general manager of the Pikeville, Ky., professional rookie league team, sponsored by the Milwaukee Brewers one year and the Chicago Cubs for two seasons.

‘Jim’ was a teenager at the time, but recalled the Williamson Red Birds baseball team in the Mountain League and Stan Musial, who played with the local team in the 1939-42 era before joining the St. Louis Cardinals in the National League and winning fame and fortune.

‘Jim’ was a member of the West Virginia Education Association for years and a member of the Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Better Roads Committee, which succeeded in several important road construction efforts. During his varied careers, he supported efforts to obtain better roads in this area; sought improved benefits for teachers and retired public employees, and promoted new industry for this area. In whatever endeavor he pursued, he was noted for his honest, dedicated and experienced approach to problems.

He and his wife are longtime active members of the First United Methodist Church.

Born May 5, 1928, he was a son of the late William and Cornelia (Meyer) VanZant of Williamson. He was also preceded in death by a brother, Thomas VanZant, and two sisters, Katharine Robinson and Billie Jean Wells.

Survivors in addition to his wife are a son, Greg VanZant, baseball coach at West Virginia University, and wife, Leslie, Morgan-town; two daughters, Susan VanZant Yablonsky, a Williamson attorney, who resides with her husband Greg and stepchildren, Christian and Emily Yab-lonsky, in Barbours-ville, and Patricia Dun-ham, a WVU graduate who teaches in the Kanawha County school system and resides at Teays Valley with husband Jeff Dunham and sons, Alexan-der and Nathaniel Dunham.

Funeral services are scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 3, 2010 at the First United Methodist Church in Williamson with the Rev. Greg Blair, pastor, officiating. Burial will follow at the Mountain View Memory Gardens, Huddy, Ky. Family members and friends will service as pallbearers.

Visitation will be from 5 p. m. to 7 p.m. Saturday at Weaver Mortuary in West Williamson.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to the Jim VanZant Baseball Scholarship Endowment Fund at West Virginia University, P.O. Box 0877, Morgantown, WV, 26508.

Weaver Mortuary of West Williamson is serving the Van Zant family.