Katharine Hewitt Barringer

Katharine Hewitt Barringer of Bramwell was born August 2, 1916, and died August 17, 2013, at age 97. She was the mother of two children: Katharine Barringer Dean of Gladys, Va., and John William (Jay) Barringer of Bluefield. Katharine was devoted to the Town of Bramwell, where she was born and raised. She was a 1933 graduate of Bramwell High School and a graduate of Marshall. Later she taught for many years at Bramwell High School, teaching English and Math and serving as an advisor to the senior classes. Wherever she went, she almost always ran into a former student who seemed delighted to see her again. After her retirement, she served as the Town Clerk of Bramwell. Her grandparents, John Davis Hewitt and Katharine Reedy Hewitt, were Bramwell pioneers – John Hewitt was the Town’s first Mayor in 1888. Her father was a member of the Bramwell Town Council, and Katharine was the first woman elected to the Town’s government as a Council member in the 1960’s. She served for various terms into her 90’s. Her son Jay has served as the Town Attorney for 35 years. She was active in the Bramwell Garden Club Tours, sharing childhood memories of the “glory days” when coal was booming, trains were running, and millionaires were spending. For many years she was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma (retired teachers), Bramwell Bridge Club, and Bramwell Garden Club, as well as a faithful member of the Bramwell Presbyterian Church. She was a volunteer at St. Luke’s Hospital in Bluefield in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Her hobbies included her flower gardens and sports. She was an avid fan of Bramwell High School basketball, Virginia Tech basketball (where she attended games up to age 95), and Atlanta Braves baseball. She was preceded in death by her parents, Susan Wheeler Hewitt and John Davis Hewitt, Jr., and a brother John Davis Hewitt III (Jack). She is survived by her daughter Kit and son-in-law Robert M. Dean III, her son Jay and daughter-in-law Teresa Blankenship Barringer; four grandchildren to whom she was known as Granny B: Robert M. Dean IV and wife Megan Dean of Falls Church, Va., Katharine Deacon and husband Jeff Deacon of Concord, New Hampshire, William B. Dean and wife Christine Dean of Minneapolis, Minn., and Susan E. Dean of Chester, Maryland; and four great grandchildren: Heather Deacon, Julie Deacon, Jake Dean and Charlie Dean; and a nephew, John Davis Hewitt, IV, and two nieces, Anne Hewitt and Jodie Barringer. 97 years is a wonderfully long time, and Granny B enjoyed them all. Her many friends and especially her family will miss her. Friends may call at Cravens-Shires Funeral Home on Friday, August 23, 2013, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be conducted on Saturday, August 24, 2013, at 1:00 p.m. at Bramwell Presbyterian Church. Burial will follow at Roselawn Memorial Gardens on Courthouse Road in Princeton where Family and friends will serve as pallbearers. Friends and family may call one hour prior to the service at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Bramwell Presbyterian Church, Box 97, Bramwell, WV 24715. Cravens-Shires Funeral Home, 3431 Coal Heritage Road (Bluewell), Bluefield, WV 24701, is serving the family. Online condolences will be accepted at www.cravens-shires.com