Belva Gooden

Belva Gooden, 94, of Chicora passed away at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday surrounded by her family at the VNA Inpatient Hospice, Butler.

She was born Aug. 27, 1917, in Tucker County, St. George, W.Va., and was the daughter of the late Charles Moore and Myrtle Martin Moore.

On Sept. 10, 1938, she married Thomas Otto Gooden, who died Aug. 25, 1978.

She worked as a caregiver, housekeeper, server at a soft freeze ice cream store in Clarion and as a presser for Hutchinson's Dry Cleaners in Butler from 1965 to 1990. She enjoyed spending time with her family, cooking, yearly trips to camp in West Virginia, gardening, fishing, bingo, crocheting and playing cards.

When her health permitted, Belva attended the Chicora Christian and Missionary Alliance Church.

Surviving are her daughter, V. Joann Holly Ritzert of East Brady; foster daughter, Donna Knotts of Rimersburg; 20 grandchildren; 40 great-grandchildren; 16 great-great-grandchildren; sisters, Edna Auvil of Elkins, W.Va., Mary Shingleton of Sunbury, Ohio, and Eva and Ken Phillips of Parsons, W.Va.; brother, Howard Moore of Parsons, W.Va.; and several nieces and nephews.

In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her daughters, Delores Ealy and Betty McGinnis; foster daughter, Linda Forsyth; foster son, Richard Knotts; grandson, Joseph Holly; great-grandson, Christopher Douglass; sister, Dessie Jones; and brothers, Earl Moore, Walt Moore and Brown Moore.

GOODEN — Friends of Belva Gooden, who passed away Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2012, will be received from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday at STEIGHNER FUNERAL HOME, 111 E. Slippery Rock and Main streets, Chicora.Funeral services will be at the funeral home at 2:30 p.m. Sunday with the Rev. David DeWitt officiating. The interment will follow in Hemphill Cemetery, Chicora.For directions, information and to extend condolences to her family, go to www.steighnerfuneralhome.com