Todd Hartford Muse, son of Frederick Hartford Washington passed away on December 9, 2018 in Waldorf, Maryland. Todd was born on October 15, 1964 in Washington, DC.
He worked at WMATA as an instructor and was loved and respected by his coworkers.
Todd is survived by his wife Lisa, his sons Todd, Trent, and Travis, and many loving family members ho will miss him greatly.

Ronald Teel Cole, age 74, passed away peacefully on October 29, 2018 at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.  He was born November 4, 1943 in Moorefield, West Virginia, to Angus and Christine (Kent) Cole.

"Ron" was a proud U.S. Marine and served his country bravely in Vietnam. He retired from Ford Motor Company in Lorain, Ohio after 30 years of employment.

He is survived by his beloved wife, Betty; sons, Eric (Marena), Kevin (Debbie); daughters, Alicia and Christine; one brother, James (Carole) Cole; three sisters, Naomi Hughes, Mary (John) Darr, and Esther (Wilmer) Clifford; five grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Ron was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Charlie, Tom, Kenneth; and sisters, Molly and Betty.

The memorial service was held in Worthington, OH on Wednesday, November 7, 2018  and officiated by Pastor Stephen Talbert.

The Reverend Donald Spiller, 86, died Saturday, September 15, 2018 at Geisinger Medical Center, Danville. He was born on January 1, 1932 in Cumberland, Maryland and was the son of the late Maynard D. and Viola C. (Kent) Spiller.  Donald was married to Frances Jane (Harmon) of Dewart, who survives.

Donald served his country proudly, earning the rank of Corporal in the United States Army during the Korean War. He was awarded the Good Conduct Medal and the National Defense Service Medal while enlisted and was honorably discharged after 8 years of service.  When he returned home, he found employment at Reed’s Cleaners where he worked as dry cleaning manager and spotter for many years.  Later he worked at International Paper in Lewisburg, as a dock supervisor at Interstate Trucking Company in New Columbia, and finally as an aide at the Laurelton Center until he retired.

He was a member of St. Paul A.M.E. Church, Milton where he served as pastor for 11 years.  He enjoyed serving in the church, ministering to the congregation and participating in the Milton Ministerium as the representative of St. Paul.  Donald was a gun enthusiast and enjoyed target shooting, an activity that he shared with both his daughter and granddaughter.  He also enjoyed traveling, and collecting classic model cars, but most of all he loved serving the Lord and spending time with his family.

In addition to his wife, Donald is survived by one daughter; Elizabeth Cash of Washington, DC, four grandchildren; Dawn Spiller, Krystal Taylor, Umar Cash and Miriam Cash, three great grandchildren, one brother; John Spiller of Bridgeport, CT, two sisters-in-law; Helen Williams of Milton and Gloria Spiller of St. Augustine, Fla along with numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
In addition to his parents, Donald was preceded in death by two sons; Doug and Donnie Spiller and one brother; Clarence Spiller.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or to St. Paul A.M.E. Church, Milton.

A public viewing was held on Sunday, September 23, 2018 at Dale Ranck Cremation & Funeral Care, 125 N. Front St., Milton and again on Monday, September 24, 2018 at St. Paul A.M.E. Church, 231 Willow Street, Milton followed by the funeral with the Reverend Cynthia Kirk officiating.  The service was followed with a burial at Harmony Cemetery Milton with full military honors.

Joseph Clifford of John Glen  High School takes first place in 2 of 3 events at Jessie Owens Track in June 2018.

Christopher Neil Clifford, 51, of Lorain, passed away unexpectedly on September 11, 2018. He was born December 23, 1967 in Lorain, Ohio and was a lifelong resident. He was a graduate of Admiral King High School, a self-taught guitarist, and a health enthusiast.

He is survived by his mother, Loretta Clifford (nee Morgan); two children, Christopher Clifford and Dorothy Zigmund-Robinson; one grandchild, Freya Robinson; siblings, Charles Clifford, Cathy Nicholson, Lisa Patterson, and Corey Clifford; and a host of other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his father, Neil Irvin Clifford; brother, Craig Clifford; maternal grandparents, Charles and Pecola Morgan; paternal grandparents, Irvin and Ruth Clifford; and an aunt, Shirley Morgan.
Funeral service was held Saturday, September 22, 2018 at Friendship Baptist Church, 2160 Reeves Ave. officiated by Pastor John Jackson. Chris was interred in Elmwood Cemetery in Lorain, OH.

David Earl Coleman, 85, passed away at his home on Erin Street, August 19, 2018 in the presence of his family and loved ones.

Born January 24, 1933 in Piedmont, WV, David was the 12th of 13 children born to Paul and Marguerite (Howard) Coleman who preceded him in death, along with four sisters. Infant, Gracie Frances, Pauline (Coleman) Gates, Marguerite (Coleman) Hill and Loretta (Coleman) Stewart of Charleston, WV. Seven brothers, James, Sr., Wilman, Charles, Sr., Philadelphia, PA; Raymond, Paul; Frostburg, Howard, and Alvin Coleman Prairie View, TX.

He is survived by his wife of 42 years Carolyn Victoria (Brown) Coleman, daughter and grandson, Clarissa and Josiah Coleman of Parkersburg, WV and his last surviving sibling, the Reverend Harry A. Coleman, a host of Nieces, Nephews both grand and great, and a special brother-in-law and friend, Barry Brown of Belpre, Ohio.
David graduated from Howard High School in the class of 1950 and later enlisted in the Military serving in the US Air Force until honorably discharged in 1955. He attended Potomac State College, majoring in Journalism and was employed briefly at ABL in the Public Relations Department. He later went to work at Westvaco Pulp & Paper as a courier, and after completing a course in Drafting, was promoted to the position of Draftsman. At the time of his retirement in December 1993 he had received a promotion to that of Roll Coordinator in the Engineering Department.

David was a wonderful husband, "Awesome" father and "Poppers", good brother and friend to many. To his family and friends he was known as "Earlkie" and "Erkie".

David was a man of God and dedicated pastor to Immanuel Church for over 30 years, he was a member of the Tri-Towns Ministerial Association, served as Chairperson of the Tri-Towns Food Pantry for 15 years, and was active in many civic organizations.

David received a special blessing from God the last several months of his life, by being in the care of Mountain Hospice, and Jane Phillips, RN along with Megan and Darla, CNA's and daily caregivers Kathy Jenkins and Laure' Vailancourt who took loving care of him. We were both blessed by having them in our lives.
He served 2 terms as City Councilman in the 1970's, and was the founder of the Don Redman Society of Piedmont, and worked diligently with Todd Bolton, National Park Service, Harper's Ferry, WV to have the sign made and erected entering Piedmont from Westernport, in commemoration of Piedmont being the birthplace of Don Redman "The Little Giant of Jazz".

David loved music, especially jazz, and spent hours listening to it along with Johnny Mathis, Gloria Lynn, and other musicians of that era. He was also an avid hunter and looked forward to each year, when the fall hunting season opened. He would hunt deer and small game, but the small game was his preference, since it presented more of a challenge.

David will be terribly missed by his family and those who knew him well.
Funeral services were held August 25, 2018 at Trinity United Methodist Church in Piedmont with the Rev. Harry A. Coleman officiating. Interment was at the Potomac Memorial Gardens in Keyser.

On Thursday, June 28, 2018 Nancy Todd (Carper) Kent peacefully departed this life. Wife of the late Glenn Dale Kent, Nancy is survived by her devoted daughter, Paula Kent Boone (Percy); granddaughters Melissa Renee Boone and Leah Boone Taylor (Lewis); two great-granddaughters, Victoria Ellyce Taylor and Jacqueline Kent Taylor. Services were held Saturday, July 14, 2018 at the Collington Lifetime Care Community Chapel in , Mitchellville, MD.

Photos from days gone by

Hello Family,

This article was given to us by Reggie Spiller (via Clarence Spiller) published in the Newsletter of the Afro-American Historical Association of the Niagara Frontier. It includes our relative Daniel Clifford and his involvement to  what happened at Harper's Ferry and the John Brown Raid. Enjoy.


Bradford Daily Era
Thursday, May 5, 1887
 
John Brown’s Raiders
 
One of them Says the Slavery Fanatic    
            Was too impatient.
 
Rather a strange but interesting story is narrated by Daniel Clifford, a colored citizen of this place.  Clifford who is now lying sick and does not expect to recover, made the following statement to his physician a few days ago:      “When I was released from the Western penitentiary in the spring of 1855 I went to Canada and enlisted in a company then being organized by John Brown.  After our little band was organized we proceeded to Missouri, where Brown’s son was killed in an attempt to rescue certain slaves who had been sold and were being taken to Texas. In this conflict several of the slave owners’ were also killed.  After this we again returned to Canada, where we remained during the winter.  In the meantime Brown was actively engaged reorganizing our company and increasing our numbers.  In the spring, Brown returned to the United States and left Richard Reall and myself in charge of our organization in Canada.  By September 1859, our company in Canada numbered about seventy five well equipped men, and we were prepared to make our way in squads of ten through Pennsylvania into Virginia to meet Brown and his little army.  Brown was to let us know when and where we should meet him and was to have everything arranged for our attack on Harper’s Ferry.  The plan was that the negroes were, at the proper time, to rise up and come to our assistance.  The inhabitants were to be made prisoners, and were to be exchanged for slaves, and as the arsenal contained about 100,000
stands of guns, we could have equipped enough negroes to have killed every slave owner in Virginia before the United States troops could have been ready to move.”  ‘We were preparing to start for Virginia by the first of October, but on account of some difficulties we were delayed.  Brown was a very passionate, hot-headed man, and as we were to meet him by the 20^th of October, but did not, I presume he thought if negroes in the neighborhood would come to his assistance he could take and hold the arsenal until we arrived.  When the raid proved a failure and there was no rising of the negroes, and Brown was captured, our organization disbanded for want of a leader. But had Brown been prudent enough to have waited until our arrival there is no doubt that our scheme would have been a success.” 
    
Clifford is about sixty years of age, tall, erect and a’most white.  In 1853 he and several other negroes were tried and convicted in this county for the murder of Lily Zimmerman.  Clifford with the rest was sentenced to five years imprisonment.  Although his story is not believed by many, yet there are many things that go to corroborate it.  His description of Brown and many things that occurred while he was in the West are accurately told, and the ho’d  and reckless character as well as the checkered life of Clifford go far toward corroborating his story. -----Pittsburgh            
                   
This 1887 Bradford, Pa. newspaper  article was donated to the Association by Clarence Spiller.

Charles Kenneth Clifford, Jr., age 59 of Zanesville, died Thursday, November 30, 2017 at Genesis Hospital, in Zanesville. He was born December 12, 1957, son of the late Charles and Louise (Harris) Clifford. He was a member of Norval Park Church of Christ. He loved to hunt, fish and enjoyed martial arts. He had a Martial Arts dojo in Cambridge, where he taught many students. He graduated from Cambridge High School and went on to serve our country in the Army. He enjoyed riding his motorcycle.
 
He was a loving father of his beautiful children LaTasha, Charles (Holly) III, Rachel (Manny); he is also survived by Richard (Denise), Matthew (Kathy), Aileen, Mark (Kelly), Luke (Jacki), Theresa, Sheila (Will); he leaves behind 10 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild; and his girlfriend Carol. He was preceded in death by his brother Stanlee.
 
Family and friends may call on the family Wednesday, December 6, 2017 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m., services will follow at 1 p.m at Norval Park Church of Christ 845 Arch Street Zanesville. Minister Keith Kress officiating. BURRELL FUNERAL SERVICES is serving the family.

Published in the Times Recorder on Dec. 3, 2017

Kenneth Cole of Atascocita, Texas, passed away Friday morning, June 12 2015 at his residence. Born and raised in Moorefield, West Virginia. He was the son of the late Angus and Christine(Kent) Cole. Two sisters and two brothers preceded him in death. He is survived by his wife, Joyce, two son, Kenneth, Jr. of Lorain, Ohio, and Mark(Antonia)of Spring, Texas; two brothers: James (Carole)Cole of Lithonia, Georgia and Ronald(Betty)Cole of Columbus, Ohio; three sisters: Naomi Hughes of Altadena, California, Mary(John)Darr of Monroeville, Pennsylvania and Esther(Wilmer)Clifford of Lorain, Ohio, four grandchildren, three step grandchildren, three great grandchildren, and two step great grandchildren.