Portia Ann “Annie” Haller Coberly, 71, a resident of Beverly, passed from this life late Thursday afternoon, October 3, 2013 at the Hospice Inpatient Center in Elkins. She was born on Sunday, February 22, 1942 in Moatsville, a daughter of the late James Haller and Dorcas Weaver Haller. She began singing at age 6, and soon after, she learned to play the guitar. Annie had attended the schools of Barbour County and Taylor County. She was twice married. First, to Thomas H. Lemmon, Sr., who’s band she began playing with at age 16. They had played together as the house band at the well-known Ponderosa Park in Salem, OH where they also had opened for many Nashville Stars. Having moved back to Grafton in the 1970’s, Annie worked as a social worker in Taylor and Barbour Counties and as a lobbyist for the Department of Human Services and was honored in the early 1990’s for her work with the department. During 1989, Tom passed away, and Annie became a member of the famous Sagebrush Roundup in Burners Ridge, WV. Performing every weekend, she became known as the “Squirrel Lady” for her song, Mississippi Squirrel made famous by Ray Stevens. While performing at the Harry Acres Family reunion, Annie met John Coberly, and performed with he and his band, Last Hurrah. In 1995, Annie and John started the Crystal Springs Jamboree which brought buses and fans from every state and even some folks from as far away as Scotland. On September 5, 1999, Annie married John Jay Coberly. In 2002, the Crystal Springs Jamboree closed, and John and Annie moved back to Beverly. John and Annie played gospel music at Faith Baptist Chapel for several years and then for Crystal Springs Community Church where they had attended and had started a monthly program called the Crystal Springs Gospel Jubilee. Left to cherish Annie’s memory is her husband, John Jay Coberly, her son, Thomas H. Lemmon, Jr. and wife, Patricia, her daughter, Billie Curtis and husband, Kevin, all of Grafton, three neighborhood children she claimed as her own, Donnie, Lenny, and April Cline, a sister, Juanita Bierlair and husband, Alphonse of Deerfield, OH, three brothers, Stephen Haller and wife, Gloria, Fred Haller, and Eddie Haller all of Grafton, four grandchildren, Hayden “Maxx” Curtis, Mary “Evin” Curtis, Shawn Smallwood, and Sabre Goldman, and many nieces and nephews. Annie was preceded in death by one sister earlier this year, Madge Jones. Visitation will be held at the Randolph Funeral Home on Tuesday, October 8, 2013 from 11AM until 1PM, the funeral hour. Reverend David Collins will officiate, Charles Renue will offer a eulogy, and interment will follow at the American Legion’s Little Arlington Cemetery in Cravensdale.
