Hector Alers, 47, of Mechanicsville, went to be with the Lord on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010. He was preceded in death by his father, Rafael Alers. He is survived by his wife, Marisol Alers; a son, Ivan Alers; a daughter, Yvonne Alers; a granddaughter, Gabriella Stoddard; his mother, Irma Torres; and his brothers, Rafael and Alberto Alers. A funeral service was held on Friday, Jan. 15, 2010 at the Mechanicsville Chapel of the Bennett Funeral Home.

Evelyn Ruth Allen, 71, of Beaverdam, died Jan. 16, 2010. She was preceded in death by her loving husband of 43 years, James H. Allen. She is survived by her daughters, Karen Allen and Melissa Bonilla (Miguel); one brother, and four sisters; two grandchildren, Alizabeth Hernandez and Jacob Bonilla; great-grandchildren; Angel Tenorio and Yoselin Hernandez. Evelyn was a member of the Ashland Church of God. She was very active in her church and the Ladies Ministries. She was an avid sports fan and especially loved her Washington Redskins and sewing. Visitation was held on Monday, Jan. 18, 2010 at the Ashland Church of God. Services were held Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010 at the Ashland Church of God. Rev. Rick Dill and Rev. Ernest Cary officiated. Memorial contributions can be made to the Ashland Church of God Women’s Ministry.

Richard Irby Bell Jr., “Billy”, 80, of Mechanicsville, went to be with the Lord Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009. He was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Marian Bell; and two sons, Richard “Dick” and Ricky. He is survived by his devoted, loving wife of 45 years, Ellen Pizzeck Bell; four children, Tad E. Bell Sr. (Cathe), Kimberly B. Evans (Renaldo), Tammy Ellington (Cliff), and Pansy Lathrop (Mike); 10 grandchildren, Tad Jr., Stephanie, Joshua, Kristy, Danielle, Travis, Russell, Amber, Skyler, and Ashley; three great-grandchildren, Alyssa, Abigail, and Dylan; brother, Wayne “Joe” Bell (Judy); devoted mother-in-law, Hazel Pizzeck; and many devoted friends and neighbors. Billy owned and operated R.I. Bell Jr. Floor Sanding in Mechanicsville for 40 years. The family received friends Tuesday, Dec. 29, 2009 at the Mechanicsville Chapel of Bennett Funeral Home, 8014 Lee-Davis Rd., where funeral services were held Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2009. Graveside services were held at Forest Lawn Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Earnie C. Carroll, 88, of Powhatan, formerly of Mechanicsville, son of the late Sturgil and Ollie Carroll, died Jan. 1, 2010. He is survived by his wife, Shirley, three daughters, Susan Carter and husband Brent; Linda Mitterer and husband David; all of Mechanicsville, and Patty Miller and husband Jack of Powhatan. Three sisters, Louis, Betty and Cathy; three brothers Raymond, William and Clyde and four step-children. Also surviving is the mother of his children Gloria Fussell; six grand-children and eleven great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one daughter, Bonnie Faye Carroll, four brothers and two sisters. Mr. Carroll was a veteran of WWII in Normandy at Omaha Beach and a member of VFW Post 10570 Powhatan. Bennett and Barden Funeral Home in Powhatan handled funeral services on Jan. 4, 2010. Pastor Herbert Short and Pastor Mose Short officiated the service. Graveside services were here held at Grove Cemetery in Cumberland.

Kathleen Louise Cunningham, 53, of Mechanicsville, passed away Jan. 12, 2010. She is survived by her husband, Cecil C. Watson Jr.; daughter, Anna Marie Watson; son, Cecil C. Watson III; brothers, Frederick Cunningham and wife, Elizabeth, all of Mechanicsville, and James Cunningham and wife, Lynne, of Spotsylvania; sister-in-law, Betsy Young and husband, Preston, of Goochland; nieces, nephews and a great-nephew. The family received friends at the Mechanicsville Chapel of Bennett Funeral Home, 8014 Lee-Davis Road, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010 with a Christian Wake Service. A Memorial Mass was celebrated Friday, Jan. 15, 2010 at the Church of the Redeemer. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.

George M. Hagerman, Retired U. S. Navy Captain, died in his sleep on Jan. 6, 2010, at the Atlantic Shores continuing care community where he and his wife, Ruth, have lived for the past five years.  He was 93 years old and lived a good, long life. George M. Hagerman was born in Chambersburg, Penn. on July 14, 1917.  His family moved to Hagerstown, MD, Woodstock, VA, and then finally Richmond where he met his bride-to-be, Ruth Keppel. He entered the United States Naval Academy in June 1938, graduating in Feb. 1941. During World War II, he served on two destroyers during World War II, on North Atlantic convoy duty aboard the USS LEA (1941-1943) and in the Caribbean and Pacific theatres aboard the USS WADSWORTH (1943-1945).  While in the Pacific, he received a Bronze Star during the Bougainville campaign and a Silver Star during the Okinawa campaign.  USS WADSWORTH (DD-516) received a Presidential Unit Citation for her actions off Okinawa. Following the war, he served as executive officer on the USS O’HARE (1945-1946), operations officer on the USS BOSTON (1956-1958), and commanding officer of the USS HAMBLETON (1946-1947), USS WREN (1951-1953), and USS HYADES (1962-1963), providing underway replenishment to our naval blockade during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and evacuating military dependents from Guantanamo Bay to Norfolk, Virginia. He was an associate professor of Naval Science (NROTC) at the University of Virginia from 1947-1949, aide and flag secretary to the Commander Amphibious Training Command, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (1949-1951), and head of Functional Training Section, Bureau of Personnel, Washington, D.C. (1953-1956). He was also involved in European defense planning (1960-1962) and helped organize Operation Sea Spray (1963). Overseas duty took him and his family to Europe, first to Bremerhaven, Germany, where he served in the Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) from 1958 to 1959, after which he was assigned to the NATO Defense College in Paris, France (1959-1960). He and his family also lived in Korea (1965-1967), where he served as assistant chief of staff of the United Nations Command concerned with military and political affairs.  He ended his military career as director of the Navy’s Foreign Military Assistance Division (1967-1971), service for which he received the Legion of Merit. Married to his beloved wife Ruth for 67 years, the couple had three children:  Polly, Peggy, and George Jr.  Polly resides with her husband David Long in Mt. Airy, NC.  Peggy resides with her husband Wayne Wadlington in Mechanicsville.  George Jr. resides in Alexandria.  He is also survived by two grandsons, David and Patrick Long; by a granddaughter, Keppel Wood; and by four great-grandchildren:  William, Alex, Victoria, and Katia. A graveside service was conducted on Friday, Jan. 15, 2010 at Hollywood Cemetery, 412 South Cherry Street, in Richmond. A memorial service was conducted on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010 at First Presbyterian Church, 300 Thirty-Sixth Street, in Virginia Beach, followed by a reception in the church’s fellowship hall. H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts., Laskin Road Chapel is handling arrangements.  Online condolences may be made at http://www.hdoliver.com. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that those wishing to send memorial donations please contribute to the charity of their choice or to the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation, P.O. Box 64740, Baltimore, MD 21298-8903.

Mary Lee Marshal, 83, of Mechanicsville, went to be with the Lord Jan. 9, 2010. She was preceded in death by her husband, John W. Marshall Jr., and her daughter, Barbara L. Marshall. She is survived by two sons, A. William “Bill” Marshall and his wife, Sondra, and David A. Marshall; two daughters, JoAnn M. Hill and her husband, Ivy, and Hope Childress; daughter-in-law, Theresa Weaver; four sisters, Shirley Cash, Joyce Guilford, Betty Hawks, and Brenda Leach; two brothers, Warren Kenney Sr. and Robert Kenney; eight grandchildren, Scott, Jaison, Michelle, Ivy Jr., David Jr., Christopher, D.J., and Heather; four great-grandchildren, Brittany, Austin, Hailey, and Jacob. Mrs. Marshall was a devoted wife and mother who loved being a fulltime homemaker, and she will be missed by all those whose lives she touched. She was a member of Meadowood Church of God for 42 years. The family received friends Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010 at the Atlee Chapel, Woody Funeral Home, 9271 Shady Grove Road, where services were held Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010. Graveside services were held in Washington Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the Meadowood Church of God.

Nancy Estelle Walker Ouzounis,“Sassy”, 57, of Topsham, Maine, formerly of Mechanicsville, went home to be with the Lord with her family by her side on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010 after suffering an aneurysm. She is survived by her life partner, Karl E. Schlebusch of Topsham, Maine; son, Matthew Ouzounis of Highland Springs; daughter, Sara Ouzounis and her fiancé, Joshua Holder, both of Highland Springs; two sisters, Susan W. Fowlkes of Richmond and Ruth W. (Lewis) Porter of Freeport, Maine; three brothers, Eugene W. (Susan) Walker Jr. of Brunswick, Maine, John F. (Tracy) Walker of Montpelier and James M. Walker Sr. of Richmond; 11 nieces and nephews, several great-nieces and nephews; uncle, Robert H. (Carole) Walker Sr. of Richmond; and many good friends. Nancy was the daughter of the late Eugene W. and Lucille H. Walker. She was born May 31, 1952 in Richmond and graduated from Freeport High School, Freeport, Maine, class of 1970. She enlisted in the Navy, serving as a corpsman at Great Lakes Naval Hospital. After leaving the service, Nancy returned to the Richmond area, where she attended college and eventually worked in the restaurant business. At one restaurant, she met her life partner and future business partner, Karl. They owned The Parkway in Mechanicsville for many years before selling it and moving to Topsham, Maine, where they celebrated “retirement” and opened The Village Restaurant. Family received friends Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010 at Nelsen Funeral Home and Crematory, 4650 S. Laburnum Ave., Richmond. Funeral services were held Monday, Jan. 18, 2010 at Sandston Baptist Church, 100 W. Williamsburg Rd., Sandston. Graveside services followed in Washington Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Nancy E. Walker Memorial Fund and at any First Market Bank location. “Very truly I tell you whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” John 5:24.

Margaret Hartman Powell, 84, of Mechanicsville, entered eternal rest on Jan. 12, 2010. She was predeceased by her husband, Linwood Page Powell Jr. Survivors include her son, Duane Powell and wife, Vicky; daughters, Paula Jones and husband, Bobby, Wanda Souther and Sherri Powell; grandchildren, Angela Carpenter, Bryan Morris, Michael Powell and Sarah Brightwell; step-grandchildren, Robbie and Chris Jones; great-grandchildren, Zoe, McKenzi and Izaac Brightwell; as well as step-great-grandchildren, Austin, Ella and Charlie Jones; and sister-in-law, Louise Moorefield and husband, Wallace Moorefield. Margaret resided at Christian Village of Central Virginia in Mechanicsville from its inception and was very active in her tenants association. A memorial service will be held Jan. 30, 2010 at 3 p.m. at New Hanover Presbyterian Church, Hanover, Va. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Christian Village Tenants Association, c/o Duane Powell, 9108 Hudnalls Road, Mechanicsville, Va. 23116.

Charlotte Jennie Reynolds, of Ashland, died Jan. 7, 2010, after battling a brain tumor. She was four years old. She was preceded in death by her grandmothers, Donna Swift and Diane Reynolds. She is survived by parents, Roger and Rachel Reynolds of Ashland; godparents, Loretta and Alfred Walker of Richmond; grandparents, John and Gayellen Wagner of Daytona Beach, Fla., and Robert Reynolds and Juanita Brewer of Morristown, Tenn.; great-grandmother, Jenny Day of Farmington N.M., as well as numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Charlotte was a precocious, inquisitive and musical preschooler. She enjoyed reading, singing and chocolate milk. Her favorite colors were pink and purple and her favorite song was Frosty the Snowman. She was an honorary student at Three Oaks Montessori in Mechanicsville. Her story can be followed at http://www.cjstuf.org. Memorial services were held on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2010 at Blackwell Auditorium on the Randolph-Macon College campus in Ashland. A reception followed at Duncan Memorial United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to CJ’s Thumbs Up Foundation (CJSTUF), Make-A-Wish Foundation, ASK Clinic at MCV, or Noah’s Children.

Helen Goodloe Verlander, 82, of Richmond, went to be with the Lord Jan. 13, 2010. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert H. Verlander; brother, Raymond Goodloe; and sister, Shirley Thurston. She is survived by her children, Glenn Verlander and wife, Karen, Wayne Verlander and wife, Helen, James Verlander and wife, Nancy; sister, Gene McDaniel; brother, Edward Goodloe; and seven grandchildren. The family received friends Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010 at the Mechanicsville Chapel of Bennett Funeral Home, 8014 Lee-Davis Road, where funeral services were held Friday, Jan. 15, 2010. Graveside services were held in Forest Lawn Cemetery.