Valerie Dawn McDonald Musgrove, 63, died unexpectedly on Monday, February 28, 2022, at Pheasant Ridge Nursing Home.  She was born on November 15, 1958, in Lynchburg Virginia, the daughter of Kyle Reid McDonald and Martha Claire Ramsey. She worked as a home health care nurse and loved every minute of it.  She was dedicated to her job and made sure they had the best care in the world. Surviving to her son, Kyle Reid Owen and his wife Carolyn Owen; daughter, Amanda Lee Musgrove (Brian Collie); seven grandchildren, Nicole Owen, James Owen, Nolan Owen, Grace Owen, Addie Owen, Kylie Owen, and Ryker Musgrove; one sister, Patricia Dinkins and her husband Gary Dinkins; two nieces, Michelle and Jacqueline and two nephews, Chris and Joe; along with many other family members and friends. A service of remembrance will be held at 4:00 p.m., on Sunday, March 13, 2022, at Norwood Baptist Church, 1045 Random Way, Forest Virginia 24551, with Pastor Sam Stump officiating. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Go Fund Me page set up to help assist the family with funeral arrangements. Arrangements by Burch-Messier Funeral Home, Bedford, 540-586-7360.

Thomas Bernard “Tommy” Stanley, Jr., 81, of Bedford, died Monday, February 28, 2022.  He was born in Bedford County on September 18, 1940, a son of the late Thomas Bernard Stanley, Sr. and Ruby Lee Thomas Temples.  In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Sarah White Stanley; his sister-in-law, Linda Stanley; step-father, Sam Temples and his first wife, Nancy P. Stanley; his favorite cat, Angel. Tommy retired from Babcock and Wilcox with 35 years’ service and went on to work at Bedford Supply and retired after 19 years.  He was most proud of being a Christian and his Family, also enjoying woodworking in his spare time and was a long-time member of the Bedford Life Saving Crew. He is survived by his brother, Howard Earl Stanley; his sister, Virginia Temples; two sons, Malcolm L. Parker and his wife, Ann; Douglas G. Parker and his wife, Sheryl; eight grandchildren, Malcolm T. Parker, Brian M. Parker and his wife, Laura, Nicholas T. Parker, Melissa P. Beatty and her husband, Jim, William C. Edwards, Dana M. Evans and her husband, Brian, Neal E. Parker and Emily K. Parker; five great-grandchildren, Callie, Chase, Hannah, Kayla, Chanelle and great-granddaughter due in June, Skylar. A funeral service will be held 3:00 p.m. Friday, March 4, 2022 at Burch-Messier Walnut Street Chapel, 1235 Walnut St., Bedford with Rev. Earl Ragland officiating.  The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service beginning at 2:00 pm.  Burial will follow in the Greenwood Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Bedford Life Saving Crew, 311 Bedford Avenue, Bedford, VA 24523. The family wishes to thank the staff of Oakwood Manor for their excellent care of Tommy. Arrangements by Burch-Messier Funeral Home, Bedford, 540-586-7360.

Maria Magdalena Ptakowski (née Lewandowski) most recently of Forest, VA died at the age of 92, surrounded by local family on Monday, February 28, 2022. She was born in Dortmund, Germany and emigrated in November 1949 to the United States from the American Zone of Germany created in the aftermath of World War II. She became a long-time resident of Jamaica, NY. Maria had a love of learning. After raising her 7 children to adulthood, she was able to further her own formal education earning a BA in Liberal Studies and MS in Library and Information Science from St. John’s University where she worked as a Librarian for many years. Following this, she worked as a Law Librarian at Pace University also in New York City. She was the beloved wife of the late Jerzy Ptakowski and devoted mother to Roman and his wife Diane, Richard and his wife Margaret, George and his wife Barbara, John and his wife Tina, Krystyna, Mark and his wife Susan, and Anne Marie. She was preceded in death by her father, Jan Lewandowski; her mother, Stanislawa Lewandowski; and her sisters, Irene Piatas and Cecile Marek. She was blessed with 18 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren and will be missed by all. Her passing leaves a lasting void in the lives of her loved ones. A Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m on Monday, March 7, 2022 at Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church Bedford, VA with Father Nixon Negparanon presiding. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church beginning at 10:00 a.m.  Mrs. Ptakowski will be taken to Our Lady of Czestochowa Cemetery in Doylestown, PA for a Chapel Service at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 10, 2022 and then a burial will follow at 2:00 p.m. in the cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s association. Arrangements by Burch-Messier Funeral Home, Bedford, 540-586-7360

Irene (Lillian) Shields Mahon died on Friday, February 25, 2022, 3 days shy of her 89th birthday. What we will all remember most of Irene was her love for us and that we truly loved her. We will also remember Irene’s genuine interest and compassion for each of us as individuals, her refusal to be ignored or to turn away from challenges, her constant pursuit of knowledge about all things, and her gift for understanding and connecting with all manner of people. Shaped by her experiences in childhood and those in early adult life as a wife and mother of three children, Irene was passionate about equality, fairness, and recognition for women and women’s issues in our society. While Irene’s thirst for knowledge was one of her trademarks, her formal education began only later in life. She took her first college course at age 40, first pursuing an Associate’s Degree at Suffolk Community College, and later earning a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Counseling at St. Joseph’s College on Long Island, NY. Irene went on to teach at St. Joseph’s, focusing on courses dealing with the special needs of counseling people dealing with death and dying. In addition to teaching, Irene’s calling in life was as a counselor. Professionally, Irene counseled families, couples, and individuals in stress. Practically everyone Irene counseled came to her from referrals. The rest were friends, family, colleagues, and people whose lives, sometimes uncannily, crossed with hers. An incredibly empathetic and understanding listener, Irene helped so many people through issues and crises in their lives, even in her last days. Highly intelligent and well informed on a wide range of issues, Irene was a person of strong opinions and never shrank from making those opinions known to those around her. However, her wisdom, gained through years of personal experience, gave her an abiding respect for other’s opinions. A lifelong devout Catholic, Irene was an early contributor to the Charismatic Catholic movement. She spent much of her life serving as a Eucharistic Minister, leading prayer groups, and worshipping God and Jesus as a member of the Saints Phillip and James Roman Catholic parish in St. James, NY, and more recently as a parishioner at Holy Name of Mary in Bedford, VA. Keenly interested in the world and its people, Irene was well-travelled, frequently supporting her husband Jim as a traveling companion on his many business trips around the world. The two continued their travels for pleasure well into their retirement. Born on February 28, 1933 in New York City to John Francis Shields and Irene Veronica Byrnes, Irene was the last surviving member of her immediate family that included three brothers, John (Jack), Thomas, and Francis (Frank), and her only sister Janet Cerney. Irene was married to the late James Francis Mahon Jr., her lifelong companion of 64 years, and is survived by daughters: Colleen Mahon, Sharon Mahon, and her husband James Padowicz; son: James F. Mahon III; grandchildren: Lindsay Grindo and her husband Thomas Grindo, David Padowicz and his wife Katia Kobayashi Avanzini, Kevin Padowicz, and Rachel Padowicz and her husband Dane Anker; great grandchildren: Claire and Nicholas Grindo; devoted and special nieces and nephews, a collection of cousins, and her countless close friends. The family extends a special thank you to all of Irene’s special caregivers including: Vicki, Becky, and Sarah, and all the supportive staff at Runk & Pratt at Liberty Ridge and Generations Solutions. A funeral mass will be held at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at Resurrection Catholic Church, 15353 Moneta Road, Moneta, VA with Father Salvador Añonuevo presiding. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, Irene’s family requests that you make a donation to the charity of your choice in her memory. Arrangements by Burch-Messier Funeral Home, Bedford, 540-586-7360.

Maurice “Junior” Earl Witt, Jr, 76, of Forest, died Friday, February 25, 2022. He was born in Bedford, VA on March 20, 1945, a son of the late Maurice Earl Witt, Sr. and Arleene May Witt. In addition to his parents Junior was preceded in death by his wife Dianne Burnette Witt; a son, Kevin M. Witt and a daughter, Kristy Witt Durham; sister, Susie Buckley. Maurice is survived by his daughter, Lisa Jones; grandchildren, Leighann Jones, Lindsey Jones, Lacey Jones, Bubba Jones, Chance Witt, Rosa Durham, Quin Durham; great-grandchildren, Sadie Lee, Sawyer Lee, River Maner; brothers, Tim Witt (Nancy), Gary Witt (Joyce); sisters, Sharon Hogan, Marla Blanks (George); special Aunt, Jean May; sons-in-law, Ronnie Durham, Barry Jones; Numerous other family and friends. A graveside service will be held 1:00 p.m., Wednesday March 2, 2022 at Terrace View Baptist Church Cemetery with Rev. Brian Taylor officiating. Friends are welcome to come by Burch-Messier Funeral Home, 317 W. Main Street location to pay their respects to Mr. Witt and sign the register book anytime between 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March1, 2022. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Terrace View Baptist Church Cemetery Fund. Arrangements by Burch-Messier Funeral Home, Bedford, 540-586-7360.

Gary W. Crizer, age 74, of Roanoke, Virginia, passed away February 18, 2022 in his home surrounded by his wife and children. He was born in May of 1947 in Baltimore, Maryland, to parents Audrey Pauline Ford Crizer and Francis Edward Crizer. Gary attended the University of Maryland while employed by the State Department. He served in the United States Army, 7th Army in Heidelberg, Germany, 1966 – 1969. Gary’s hospitality career covers 50 years with several major hotel chains such as Hilton Hotels, Holiday Inns International, Doubletree Hotels, and several well-known conference centers. His most rewarding hotel experience was playing a key role in the reopening of the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center. After 13 years with Hotel Roanoke, he was instrumental in providing his hotel expertise as General Manager of The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center. The last 5 1/2 years of his career was spent with Concord Hotels as General Manager in opening the Hilton Garden Inn at South Peak. Gary was a charter member of Meeting Planners Int’l in Atlanta, Georgia, and also a charter member of International Association of Conference Centers. Gary’s community involvement outside of work was plentiful. He was a board member for the American Red Cross Roanoke chapter. He volunteered in local sports leagues with his children and supported local outreach organizations. Gary is survived by his wife of 47 years, Eva Bateman Crizer; and their three children, Erin F. Crizer Gates, (LTC(P) Michael E. Gates), Sarah E. Crizer, Micah I. Crizer; and grandson, Ethan D. Gates. Siblings are: Edward Crizer, (Lucille “Lucy”); Leonard Crizer, (Irma “Midge”); Charles Crizer, (Phyllis); Vella Crizer Markowski, (Frank); Barry Crizer, (Wendy); and Rosalee Crizer Tiesi (Bernard “Will”). Gary became a faithful member of Christian Life International Church, Salem, Virginia, in January of 1994. His love for Jesus, and his love for family was evident. His humor and his laughter filled the air. He touched the lives and hearts of everyone who knew him. Our grief is consoled in knowing he is home with Jesus, and knowing we will see him again. A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m., on Saturday, March 12, 2022, at Christian Life International Church, Salem, Virginia. Arrangements by Burch-Messier Funeral Home, Bedford, 540-586-7360.

Jon Lester Preu, Sr., 79, of Moneta, passed away on Thursday, February 17, 2022. He was born in Dade County, FL on December 21, 1942 a son of the late Lester Francis Preu and Elsie Graham Preu. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Suzanne Stinnett. He is survived by his wife, Carol Joy Preu; son, Jon Preu, Jr. and wife, Heather; daughter, Joy Coleman and husband, Chris; grandchildren, Ryan Preu, Shawn Preu, Zachary Preu, David Coleman, Jennifer Coleman; aunt, Dolly Kennedy; and numerous other family and friends. A visitation will be held from 2:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., Saturday, June 18, 2022 at Centra Medical Center, 4830 Rucker Road Moneta, VA 24121. Arrangements by Burch-Messier Funeral Home, Bedford, 540-586-7360.

David Lee Salyer, 74, passed away on February 12, 2022 in Richmond, VA, after a long illness. Born on July 17, 1947, in Bedford, VA, he was the son of the late William H. Salyer and Mary Jane (née Saunders). David graduated from Liberty High School in 1965. Prior to his graduation from Liberty High School, he attended Montvale High School from 1961 to 1964. He was an active student who contributed to his school’s rich history. He was a member of the school’s baseball and basketball programs and he also served as President of the school’s Safe-T-Club, was a member of Keep Virginia Green Crew and held the office of Reporter for his Junior Class. In 1971, he married the love of his life, Marietta Binger and together they had 3 daughters, Summer, Rebecca, and Kimberly. His family meant everything to him and brought him the most joy. Upon graduation from high school, he entered the United States Air Force and went on to faithfully serve his country for the next 20 years.  He had a wonderful career that led him to serve throughout the world, including to places as Japan, Germany, South Korea, Turkey and more. After retiring from the Air Force, David moved back home to Bedford, Va. He obtained his Master Electrician License and started his own business, Old Sawmill Road Electric, where he proudly provided electrical services to the community for over 10 years. Growing up on a farm provided him with a strong work ethic and the ability to build or fix anything.  He was a skilled carpenter and loved working with his hands.  He felt most at home in the outdoors and among nature. David was an eternal optimist who always tried to see the good in everything and everyone. He had a heart of gold and made people feel at ease. He had a wonderful sense of humor and had a gift for making others laugh. David was preceded in death by his parents, Mary Jane and William H. Salyer. He is survived by his wife, Marietta, daughters Summer Salyer of Washington, DC, Rebecca Salyer of Richmond, VA, Kimberly Torres (Tecolote) of Buffalo, NY and grandchildren, Asan, Isis and Bryant. He is also survived by his brother, Joseph M. Salyer (Barbara) of Winchester, VA, sister Nancy K. Salyer of Bedford, VA, numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. The family would like to thank Dr. Rajapillai Bharathan and the staff at the VA Medical Center in Salem, VA for all of the loving care and support that they provided to David throughout the years. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the Wounded Warrior Project. A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m., on Thursday, February 17, 2022 at Thaxton Baptist Church with Rev. Danny Holdren officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Arrangements by Burch-Messier Funeral Home, Bedford, 540-586-7360.

Norma Jean Lawhorn Loyd, 88, of Stewartsville, moved to Heaven on February 8, 2022. She was happily married to the late Aubie Loyd. Norma loved life. She enjoyed beach trips with her family and going on cruises with her sister. When her two sons were kids, she liked building snowmen in the backyard with them. She also enjoyed working in her flower gardens and loved country music tv shows and would sing along if she knew the words. The family would like to say a very special thank you to Becky for her extraordinary care of Norma and also thank you to Jessica and Dottie for their care of her as well. She will be missed by her family and friends. Because we BELIEVE John 3:16, we will see you and ALL our loved ones who went before us. One day we’ll all be together again. Thank you, Jesus, for making this possible. A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m., on Saturday, February 12, 2022 at Lotz Funeral Home Vinton Chapel, with Rev. Steve Miller officiating. A burial will follow in Mountain View Cemetery. Family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. Arrangements by Burch-Messier Funeral Home, Bedford, 540-586-7360.

Elton Maurice “Haney” Waldron, 87, of Bedford, passed away on Tuesday, February 8, 2022. He was born in Bedford, VA on February 18, 1934 a son of the late Halbert Wharton Waldron and Evelyn Anderson Bowyer. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth Trent Waldron; brother, Jimmy Lee Waldron; sister, Betty Jean Waldron; son-in-law, Michael Burford; and step-father, James Mitchell Bowyer. He was retired from the Town of Bedford and proudly served in the United States National Guard. He is survived by his children, Betty Burford, Roger Waldron, Tammy Small (Kenny McKinney); grandchildren, James Rowlett (April), Tim Rowlett, Jesse Burford; great-grandchildren, Jaxon Rowlett, Lucas Penick, Harper Penick; special friends, Brenda and Rex Hammans; sisters-in-law, Marie Brownley (Steve), Marion Trent; and numerous nieces, nephews, and other family and friends. A funeral service will be held at 12:00 Noon, on Saturday, February 12, 2022 at Burch-Messier Walnut Street Chapel with Rev. Danny Holdren officiating. Family will receive friends one hour prior to the service beginning at 11:00 a.m. Arrangements by Burch-Messier Funeral Home, Bedford, 540-586-7360.Elton