James F. Ancell 1920-2002 Obituary
James Franklin Ancell, age 81 years, a resident of the Crystal Springs community, Elkins, West Virginia, departed this life at 8:45 a.m. Tuesday, May 28, 2002, at the Davis Memorial Hospital at Elkins, West Virginia, where he had been a patient for the past five weeks. He had been in declining health for the past nine months and death was attributed to cancer.
He was born August 17, 1920, at Ireland, West Virginia, a son of the late Homer D. Ancell and Evalena Ancell Connors. On July 10, 1971, he was married to the former Cecelia “Cissy” Tarantelli, who survives at Crystal Springs. Also surviving are one son, James B. Ancell and wife Nancy, Davisville, WV; two granddaughters, Heather and Jamie Ancell; one stepdaughter, Jackie Purkey, Vienna, WV; two stepgrandchildren; two stepgreat-grandchildren, one half sister, Ann Greene, Tucson, Arizona; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by one sister, Nell Morse.
He was a graduate of Philippi High School with the Class of 1938, attended Alderson-Broaddus College and received his degree from Davis & Elkins College in 1974. Mr. Ancell was a veteran of World War II, serving with the U.S. Army Air Force in the South Pacific from 1942 to 1945. He also served with the United States Air Force Reserve from 1948 to 1961.
He was a former Deputy Sheriff for the Barbour County Sheriff’s Department from 1949 to 1952, had worked as Advertising Manager for the Barbour Publishing Company from 1958 to 1961, served on the Board of Probation and Parole from 1961 to 1965, was Regional Supervisor for the West Virginia Division of Corrections from 1965 to 1969, was the Acting Director of the West Virginia Division of Corrections from 1969 to 1970, was Regional Supervisor for the West Virginia Division of Corrections from 1970 to 1974, was United States Probation Officer from 1974 to 1981 and served as the Chief Probation Officer for the United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia from 1981 until his retirement in 1994.
He was a life member of the Tygarts Valley Post #3647, Veterans of Foreign Wars, was a member of the Military Order of Cooties, was a life member of the H.W. Daniel’s Post #29, American Legion, was a member of the American Legion 40 & 8, the Seneca Trail Lodge #104, Fraternal Order of Police, was a life member of the Disabled American Veterans, was a member of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees, the Elkins Lodge #1135, B.P.O.E., and attended the Saint Brendan Catholic Church.
Friends will be received at the Lohr & Barb Funeral Home from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday. On Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the funeral home chapel, a prayer service will be recited by the Reverend Father William Anderson. Final Rites will be conducted at the funeral home chapel, Saturday at 11 a.m. The Reverend Father William Anderson will be the Presider and interment will follow at the American Legion’s Little Arlington Cemetery at Cravensdale, West Virginia, where full military rites will be accorded by members of the H.W. Daniel’s Post #29, American Legion and the Tygarts Valley Post #3647, Veterans of Foreign Wars.
The Lohr & Barb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements for James Franklin Ancell.
James F. Ancell 1920-2002 Obituary
