THELMA ROARK
1916 - 2011

Thelma Adams Roark, 94, departed this life on January 25, 2011, at Wyngate Senior Living Community.

She was born December 24, 1916, in Magoffin County, Ky., the daughter of Raney P. and Della Risner Adams.

In 1943, she and her late husband, Guy G. Roark, who died in 1993, left Kentucky and moved to a farm on Little Ice Creek in Lawrence County, Ohio, were they raised their five children. Beginning in 1953, she and her husband owned and operated the Paramount Dry Cleaners in Kenova for 25 years and where she lived until 2005. She was also the owner of several real estate business properties there, until a major fire consumed them in 1999. Self-educated and a hard worker with strong faith and values, her great interest was in flower gardening and quilting. She was the oldest and long-time member of Westwood United Baptist Church in Ashland.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by two infant children, Deretha Fern and Guy Jr., along with a grandson, Frank E. "Matt" Matthews III, a great-granddaughter, and a son-in-law, Frank E. Mathews Jr., four sisters, Gladys Crace, Audley Hunley, Ivory Crace and Flossie Conley, and a brother, Elmer D. Adams.

She is survived by her five children, Gaylord (Betty) Roark of West Jefferson, Ohio, Jewell Matthews of Huntington, Faye (David) Todd of West Jordan, Utah, Zelda (Lt. Col. Ret. Ed) Mills of Austin, Texas and Corbett "Corky" (Patsy) Roark of Kenova, 10 grandchildren, Donetta (Forrest Jr.) Brock, Deretha (Robert) Hackney, and Guy II (Maggie) Roark, all of West Jefferson, Ohio, Maureen Matthews Songer of New Orleans, La., Samantha Matthews (Steve) Howell of Newport News, Va., and Juliet Matthews (Keith) Felts of Roanoke, Va., Michael (Brenda) Todd and Beth Ann Todd of West Jordan, Utah, Patricia Lynn Mills of Carrollton, TX., Chad (Mindy) Roark of Kenova, 11 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren, one sister, May Schrieber, two brothers, Orville (Cathy) Adams and Ossie Adams, and one sister-in-law, Robertine Adams. The family wishes to thank the staff of Wyngate and Hospice, as well as Dr. Cindy Pinson for all their loving care.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, January 29, 2011, at Rollins Funeral Home, Kenova, W.Va. Burial will follow in Dock's Creek Cemetery.

Visitation will be at the funeral home from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. preceding the service.