Lodema June Clay

Lodema June Clay (née Arthur), age 80, of Beckley, WV, went to be with our Lord and Savior on January 6, 2025. She was born May 19, 1944, to Golden William Arthur, a local miner, tradesman, and proprietor of Stonewall Construction, and Esther “Easter” Marie Arthur (née Reid), a dedicated mother and homemaker.  In addition to her parents, Lodema is preceded in death by Robert Clay and her siblings Golden William “Bill” Arthur, Rudolph “Rudy” Arthur, Harold Arthur, Betty Johnson (née Arthur), Geneva “Genny” Clay (née Arthur), and Shirley Arthur.  Lodema, whose name means ‘no tears’ in Hebrew, was born and spent formative years on the family farm in Maple Fork, where she enjoyed riding her horse. Then, they moved to the Bradley area of Raleigh County, where her parents helped establish the local church where she learned to play the piano and sing. As a youth, Lodema journeyed with friends such as Buzzy Keller and ‘Jackie’ Gialdella, singing and playing piano in the Appalachians to praise our heavenly Father.  She faced sorrow quickly as a young adult, losing her husband, Robert, in a workplace accident soon after expecting their first child. But life moved on, and she remarried. The family moved to Detroit, Michigan, for several years before moving back to West Virginia and settling in Beckley. When the last of her children started school, she entered the workforce and soon began working at Raleigh General Hospital as a PBX operator. During this time, her marriage ended, and she began again, eventually buying her dream home. In 2006, with over 30 years of dedicated service, she retired.   She spent her remaining years doing crafts, crocheting, sewing quilts, gardening, collecting family stories and pictures, camping at the state fair, going on vacation with family members, and spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandson. Lodema was a lifelong Christian of the Church of God; she loved reading her Bible, sharing scriptures, praising God’s goodness, and worshipping through song. She will be remembered for her practice of faith, patience, generosity, and love for her family.   Those left to cherish her memory include her children Monica (née Clay) Gibson (C. Lloyd) from Robert Clay (deceased), then Larry Clay Jr., Terry Clay (Cindy), and Crystal (née Clay) Bishop (Michael) from Larry Clay, Sr.; sister Deana “Dena” Sue Chapman (née Arthur); grandchildren Christopher Clay, Corey Clay-Suarez (Caroline), Amanda Clay, B. Kyle Clay, Tamika (née Harold-Clay) Cook (David), M. Jacob Bishop, Patrick Kordusky, and Joseph Kordusky; and a great-grandchildren Corrine Clay-Suarez and Emerson Cook along with the extended Arthur and Clay families.  Services for Lodema will be held at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at High Lawn Funeral Home. Mr. Jimmy Matheny will preside over the funeral sermon, followed by the musical arrangements of One Day at a Time, In the Garden, and Wings of a Dove. Interment will follow at High Lawn Memorial Park in Oak Hill.   Friends may call on the family from 12 pm on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, until the time of the service.  Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.highlawnfuneralhome.com