Obituaries – Their Stories Live On

On December 18, 2021, Dorothy Marie Denson peacefully received her heavenly wings, entering eternal rest in Beckley, WV, surrounded by loved ones. On April 17, 1938, she was born as the fourth child to the late Leonard Evans, Sr., and Martha Susie Carey Evans, in Ingram Branch, WV, and affectionately called “Dot” by her family and friends. In school, she was called Dorothy. She attended Ingram Branch Elementary School and was privileged to spend time in Farmville, VA, attending Prince Edward County public schools while living with her maternal grandmother, Susie Carey. Upon her return to WV, she attended Beards Fork Junior High School. As a teenager, the family relocated to Beckley, WV, where she enrolled in Stratton High School, graduating with the class of 1957, along with her brother, Leonard Irie.

Dot attended Ingram Grove Baptist Church at an early age, where she accepted Christ as her personal savior and was baptized. After moving to Beckley, the family joined Welcome Baptist Church. She was active in Sunday School and the Baptist Young People’s Union. Dot loved singing with her siblings as a group, who called themselves “The Evans Family.” They would accompany their next-door neighbor in East Park, Rev. Charlie Edwards, and his wife when he preached at neighborhood churches. Dot loved seniors and was drawn to them at an early age. Some of the senior ladies in the community would later become her best friends. As an adult, she served as a trustee, usher, and member of the Missionary Society at Welcome Baptist Church. She also participated in special events, including planning, and sometimes chairing the Church’s and Pastor David and First Lady Gloria Allen’s Anniversary Celebrations. She also loved working in the kitchen with the crew preparing meals for church functions. She found her greatest mission in the community when she offered a helping hand to those in need. She gave willingly, unselfishly, and never talked about it afterward.

In her later years, she became a member of Heart of God Ministries Church, where she loved worshipping and would remain a faithful member until her passing. Dot loved serving God. She supported her church financially and cared deeply for her family and friends. She enjoyed being a mother and homemaker. She spent her happy times doing her hobby—cooking special dishes, like pig feet, potato salad, and sweet potato pies. She would then invite friends and family to come and enjoy a home-cooked meal, listen to some music, and have a ball talking about the good times.

Dot’s home was welcoming to all. It was always clean and neat as she was constantly changing the décor to make it comfortable. If she visited, the first thing she would do was look around to see how she could help you with your chores. She was known as a fashion diva who loved dressing up, matching head to with her fancy hats. She was like a mother hen, protective of her children, always providing for them, even as a single mother, making sure they came first. She was the only child in her family who left Beckley but chose to return, after a short time away, to be close to her parents and look after them in their golden years.

Dot became the neighborhood mom and auntie that was always ready to entertain. She always had time to talk with you, listen to you, and then offer her advice. She visited the sick in hospitals and nursing homes and provided clothing and food to the hungry. She was a true friend who would give you the shirt off her back, but she didn’t hold her tongue back when and if she had to tell you off, in a good old-fashioned way, but always with love.

In 1957, while still a senior in high school Dot met Fred Neal when he came home on leave while serving in the United States Armed Services. After graduating from high school and a short courtship, they married on December 21, 1957. Although that marriage ended in divorce, Dot welcomed the challenges of motherhood as a single mom. She turned her loving attention to raising the loves of her life, two wonderful sons, Fred Joseph and Clyde Ellis, and a darling daughter, Teresa Marie. Along the way, she would eventually meet Willie White, Sr. and found love again. Willie and Dot were married, and he stepped in to help raise and provide for her and her children until his death. Years later, with her children grown, out of the house, Cupid’s arrow struck once again. In 2010 she was united in holy matrimony to Elder James Denson. She remained in WV, supporting him in his ministry until he retired from pastoring in North Carolina, relocating back to WV. Their love story was featured on the local TV station, highlighting how finding love is still possible, even in your senior years. Dot’s passion for children would lead her to become a childcare provider. She was employed by the Webb family, assisting in rearing their children, John and Joseph, until her retirement. In April of this year, she went to live with her son, Clyde, and his family in GA, and although he begged her to stay, her love for her independence and the city of Beckley caused him to bring her back home in August. She was delighted to be back in West Virginia in familiar surroundings.

In addition to her parents, Dot was preceded in death by her daughter, Teresa Neal Staunton, husbands, Willie White, Sr., and Elder James Denson, her sisters Hazel Evans Harris (Lee, Sr., deceased), Josephine Evans Wright (John, Sr., deceased), and Bernice Evans Taylor, brother, Leonard Irie Evans, Jr., and her stepson Willie (Bill) White, Jr.

Left to mourn her passing are sons, Fred Joseph Neal (Sharon), New Orleans, LA, and Clyde Ellis Neal, Lawrenceville, GA, grandchildren, Ashley Neal, Frederick D’Angelo Neal, Vaneshka Staunton, Damesha Staunton, Omari Neal, and Ameera Neal, a great-grandson, DeMarian Kingston Staunton, sister, Martha Evans Montgomery (William), Washington, DC, sister-in-Law, Queen Evans, Columbus, GA, son-in-law, Martin Staunton, Beckley, WV, a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins, and Dot’s special family, Dr. and Mrs. Michael Webb, Nancy Webb, and Dot’s heart chosen sons, John Webb and Joseph Webb. Dot also leaves a multitude of dear friends and neighbors, along with her Welcome Baptist Church and Heart of God Ministries Church families.

We wish to offer sincere thanks to the doctors and staff for providing compassionate care and a special thank you to Clyde’s dedicated and loving support team in Georgia, Shantyal Terrell, and her son, Azeem Terrell, and daughter, Zari (Littlebit) Taylor, and Hawa Dillon, and her daughter, Fredell Garswah.

Funeral service will be 12:00PM Tuesday, December 28, 2021 at Heart of God Ministries 1703 S. Kanawha St. Beckley, with Bishop Fred T. Simms officiating. Burial will follow in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens, Prosperity.

Friends, while wearing masks and observing social distancing, may view and visit with the family one hour prior to the funeral service.

Email condolences to ritchie-johnson@suddenlinkmail.com.

Arrangements entrusted to Ritchie & Johnson Funeral Parlor, Beckley.