Jewell Roach

Jewell Roach, 99, of Chillicothe, died Friday, January 22, 2010 at Valley View Care Center, Frankfort. She was born January 11, 1911 in Gallia Co., OH to John and Sylvia Barry Thornton. On December 3, 1932 she was married to Ernest A. Roach, who died October 3, 2005. She attended school in a one-room schoolhouse and in the lower grades rode her horse, Old Jim, to school. When she arrived at school, she sent the horse home. In 1921 she moved with her maternal grandparents, John and Nevada Barry to Willow Wood, in Lawrence Co., OH. In 1925 her uncles built a dairy barn on the property. The barn was dedicated, in August 2002, as the Ohio bicentennial barn for Lawrence County. Jewell was graduated in 1929 from Windsor High School. A former resident of Ironton, she and her family moved to Chillicothe in 1945. She worked at the US Shoe Corp. 1945-1951. She was a former member of the Ross Co. Senior Citizens. A lifelong devoted fan of the Cincinnati Reds, she also loved the OSU Buckeyes and playing Scrabble. Surviving are daughters, Leila Martin and LaVersa (John) Motes, of Chillicothe; six grandchildren, Dr. Jeffrey Kim Martin, of Chillicothe, Gregory Kent Martin, of Columbus, John Barry Motes, of Louisville, KY, Joseph Ernest Motes, of Chillicothe, LaVersa Lee Wood, of Athens, and Laura Jean Hill, of Chillicothe; eight great-grandchildren; and a special friend, Mike Neal. She was predeceased by a son-in-law, Donald "Pepper" Martin. Funeral services will be held 12:00 pm Monday at the Haller Funeral Home. Entombment will follow in Valley View Memory Garden, Beavercreek. Friends may call one hour prior to the funeral at Haller's.
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