Sarah Leigh Riggle Ward, 95, a resident of Mill Creek and more recently a resident of Colonial Place in Elkins, departed this life early Wednesday morning, Sept. 11, 2002, at Davis Memorial Hospital. She had been in declining health for the past year.
She was born Thursday, July 11, 1907, at Middlebourne, the youngest daughter of six children of the late Christian Beall Riggle and Sally A. Shaw Riggle.
On June 14, 1932, at Middlebourne, she was married to Frank C. Ward, who preceded her in death on Nov. 11, 1973.
Surviving are one daughter and son-in-law, Cecelia and James E. Wallace, Mill Creek; four grandchildren, Jay W. Wallace, Elkins, Sally Decker and husband, Jeffrey, Hickory, N.C., Margaret Woodworth and husband, Rick, Burlington, and Casey Wallace and wife, Denise, Petersburg; 10 great-grandchildren, Ashley and James C. Wallace, Sarah, Kathryn and Christian Decker, Jessica, Don and Will Woodworth, and Matthew and Brendan Wallace; several nieces and nephews; and a companion, Arlene Knick, Valley Bend.
Mrs. Ward was a graduate of Tyler County High School and pursued her education at Fairmont State College. She later transferred to West Virginia University where she graduated with the class of 1929.
Sarah accepted a teaching position at Whitesville, where she remained for two years. Returning home in the spring of 1931, she then accepted a position to Tygarts Valley High School at Mill Creek, where she taught English and journalism, completing the second semester.
She was a member of the Tygarts Valley Presbyterian Church and served on the Board of Trustees of the Brick Church Cemetery.
She was a 71-year member of Alpha Delta Phi Social Sorority, was a 50-year member of the John Hart Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and was an active member of the Randolph Extension Homemakers and served as county president from 1952 to 1954.
A memorial service will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Tygarts Valley Presbyterian Church at Huttonsville. A private interment service for the family will follow at the Brick Church Cemetery at Huttonsville. The family suggests that expressions of sympathy be in the form of contributions to the Brick Church Cemetery, c/o Mountain Valley Bank, P.O. Box 10, Mill Creek, W.Va., 26280, or to the John Hart Chapter Nursing Scholarship Fund, c/o Mary Kay Bidlack, P.O. Box 202, Beverly, W.Va., 26253. The Lohr & Barb Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
