Elmer Collier 1917-2011

Elmer Collier, 94, of Baltimore, Maryland, formerly of Greene County, Virginia, died on Friday, July 1, 2011.

He was a World War II verteran serving in the United States Army.

He is survived by his wife, June; eight children, eight grandchildren, numerous nieces, and nephews, all of Baltimore, Maryland; and one brother, Norman, of Charlottesville, Virginia.

He was a loving father and grandfather and will surely be missed by all that knew him.

Hysel Nicholson, Sr. 1934-2011

 Hysel Nicholson, Sr., age 77, of Stanardsville died Sunday, July 31, 2011 at Evergreen Nursing Home. He was born January 2, 1934 in Madison County to the late Albert and Mamie Corbin Nicholson.

Mr. Nicholson loved to play guitar and was an excellent story teller at heart. He cherished his time spent with his family and had many loving friends at Evergreen Manor House.

He is survived by his wife, Judith Ann Nicholson; nine children, Robin Morris and her husband, Ray, Henry Cox and his wife, Birgit, Hysel Nicholson, Jr. and his wife, Elaine, Joe Nicholson, Irene Cooper and her husband, Kenneth, Adam Nicholson, Mary Hapke and her husband, Tommy, Elizabeth Yarborough and her husband, Emmanuel and Barbara Starr and her husband, Chad; one sister, Virginia "Peggy" Nicholson, his wife's son, Bobby Clickner, and numerous grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one brother, Adam Nicholson and one sister, Beulah Clore.

A funeral service will be held on Thursday, August 4, 2011 at 11 a.m. at New Life Baptist Church, 12302 Alum Springs Rd., Culpeper, Va. with Pastor Rick Simpson officiating. A one hour visitation will be held prior to the service.

Interment will follow in the church cemetery.

Geneva Rose Buracker Cave 1939 - 2007

Geneva Rose Buracker Cave, 67, of Alexandria, died on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2007, at Inova. She was born on September 2, 1939, in Stanley and was a daughter of the late Ozzie Lee and Blanche Virginia Aleshire Buracker. Mrs. Cave was a home maker and a member of the Mount Clavary Comm.Church in Alexandria, Va. On Aug. 31, 1958, she married Arthur Floyd Cave, who survives.Surviving in addition to her husband are a son, Arthur F. Cave Jr. of Woodbridge; a daughter,Faye Elizabeth Cave Yager of Stanley; two sisters, Carolyn A. Buracker of Luray, and EllenYoung of Rileyville; four brothers, Dwight T. Haskell, William Thomas and Harry G. Burackerall of Stanley; and five grandchildren. She was proceded in death by a brother, Freeman Buracker.

Grover Elwood Buracker 1946 - 2011

Grover Elwood Buracker, 65, of White Post, died Thursday, March 3, 2011 at his home.

He was born January 26, 1946 in Augusta, VA; the son of Grover Wilson Buracker and Virgie Calhoun Buracker. He retired from the Frederick County Landfill. He was a member of Stephens City Mennonite Church.

He married Judy K. Buracker on August 15, 1965 in Hagerstown, MD.

Along with his wife, he is survived by his sons, Grover Eric Buracker of White Post, James Derek Buracker of White Post and Jack William Miller of Bluffton, SC; his brothers, Lynwood Buracker and Jerry Buracker; his sisters, Audrey See, Groveen Neff, Nancy Vaughn, Doris Clark and Brenda Pack.

A funeral service will be held on Saturday, March 5, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. at Jones Funeral Home Chapel in Stephens City with Rev. Al Huyard and Rev. Glen Horst officiating. Interment will be in Fairview Church Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Chris See, Alan See, Jeff Neff, Todd Neff, Joey Neff and Jay Neff. An honorary pallbearer will be Thomas Buracker.

The family will receive friends on Friday evening from 7-9 p.m. at the funeral home.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, 811 W. Evergreen Ave., Suite 303, Chicago, IL 60642.

Online condolences may be left at www.jonesfuneralhomes.com

Evelyn Marie Corbin Minnick 1927-2011

Mrs. Evelyn Marie Corbin Minnick, 83, a resident of McGaheysville, passed away Saturday evening, March 19, 2011 at her home.

A daughter of the late Abraham and Edith Bowman Corbin, she was born on June 26, 1927 in Broadway, Virginia.

She attended Rockingham County schools and had been employed at Metro Pants in Harrisonburg, for 22 years before retiring.

On May 18, 1943 she married Warren H. Minnick, Sr., who survives. Also surviving are four sons, David Minnick, of Harrisonburg; Warren Minnick, Jr., of McGaheysville; Gary Minnick, of Timberville; Franklin Minnick, of Broadway; nine grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; and seven sisters, Charlotte Baker, Cora Anderson, Shirley Knupp, Ruby Fultz, all of
Harrisonburg; Phyllis Hamaday, of Troper, PA; Anna Sherman and Betty Arehart, both of Timberville.

All services will be private.


Memorial contributions may be made to the RMH Hospice, c/o RMH Foundation, 2010 Health Campus Drive, Harrisonburg, VA 22801, in her memory.

Lindsey Funeral Home in Harrisonburg is handling arrangements and online condolences may be sent to the family at www.lindseyharrisonburg.com.

Jessie Pearl Corbin 1922-2011

Jessie Pearl Corbin, age 88, of Madison died Sunday, March 6, 2011 at Autumn Care of Madison. She was born July 1, 1922 in Madison to the late John and Fannie Dodson Nicholson.

Mrs. Corbin was a member of Maranatha Baptist Church.

She is survived by her children, Anna Deavers and her husband, Edward of Front Royal, Edward Corbin of Culpeper, Linwood Corbin and his wife, Renee of Elkwood, Johnny Corbin and his wife, Connie of Culpeper and Danny Corbin and his wife, Tracy of Madison, one sister, Essie Mae Nicholson, and numerous grandchildren and great grandchildren.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Daniel Lee Corbin, two sons, Joseph Nicholson and Ronnie Corbin, two sisters, one brother and one half brother.

The family will receive friends on Tuesday, March 8, 2011 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Found and Sons Funeral Chapel, 850 Sperryville Pike, Culpeper, Va. A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, March 9, 2011 at 11 a.m. at Found and Sons Funeral Chapel with Rev. John Burke officiating. Interment will follow in Culpeper National Cemetery.

The family will serve as pallbearers. An online guestbook and tribute wall is available at www.foundandsons.com

Found and Sons Funeral Chapel of Culpeper is handling the arrangements

Carroll D. Buracker 1942 - 2009

Carroll D. Buracker, 66, former Chief of the Fairfax County Police Department and CEO of a nationally known public safety consulting firm, died April 22 at the Winchester Medical Center in Winchester, Virginia of complications from a stroke. He lived in Harrisonburg, Virginia for the past 19 years but maintained close personal and business ties to Fairfax County.

Mr. Buracker's company, Carroll Buracker and Associates, Inc. (CBI), based in Harrisonburg, conducted more than 260 in-depth efficiency and management studies of police, sheriffs and fire departments; emergency medical services; 9-1-1 centers; and security services in over 120 major cities and counties around the world. Mr. Buracker served as project manager for the comprehensive assessment of Chicago's new police/fire/EMS communications system; for the emergency dispatch study in Los Angeles; for development of integrated police and security plans for the downtown districts of the cities of Seattle and Cleveland and many more. CBI's recommendations vastly improved public safety operations, drove down crime, and saved taxpayers' money.

Mr. Buracker founded a second, non-profit company, the Center for Public Safety (CPS) which was chosen by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to conduct the first and only nationwide study of policing in public housing in the United States. He became a national leader in setting standards of quality and best practices for community policing in cities and urban counties. Under his leadership, CPS and CBI produced the first nationwide community policing training video for the federal government which was released to 800 municipalities.

Mr. Buracker honed his penchant for excellence and quality while serving 20 years with the Fairfax County Police Department. He joined on New Years Day, 1966 and rose through every rank to become the Chief of Police in 1981, a position he held until his retirement in 1985. Working full time in the police department, Mr. Buracker earned both bachelor's and master's degrees from American University in six-and-a-half years, becoming the first police chief in Virginia to hold a master's degree. Later, he also graduated from the FBI National Academy.

Chief Buracker modernized law enforcement in Fairfax County with the addition of the police helicopter program; the installation of computers in police cruisers; the acquisition of armored vehicles for the SWAT team; the creation of an automated fingerprint identification system; authorization to create the department's own training facility; and standardization of blue lights on police vehicles throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.

He served as chairman of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Government's Police Chiefs' Committee and co-chaired the development of the Area Emergency Disaster Plan. That plan, with updates, has been implemented three times, including the day of the attack on the Pentagon.

As police chief, he was awarded Fairfax County government's two highest honors, the Onthank Leadership and the Unusual Ability Awards. He was also the recipient of more than 50 awards, including the Gold Salute Award bestowed upon him by the United Black Fund of Washington, D.C. for his work in recruiting and promoting blacks and women in law enforcement.

Born in Luray, Virginia on July 3, 1942, Carroll David Buracker was raised by foster parents. He worked on farms while attending school yet managed to excel in sports at Luray High School, becoming the first to letter in four sports. His love of athletics and physical fitness led to a lifelong passion for running. Renowned for covering over 60 miles a week, Mr. Buracker was a marathon runner who completed 12 major marathons, including Boston, the Marine Corps and New York, in less than three hours.

He served in the U.S. Army in Germany and returned to complete a brief stint as a Harrisonburg police officer before moving to Fairfax County. A chance encounter between the officer and a receptionist at the National Bank and Trust Company in McLean culminated in marriage to Patricia Blair Buracker. In addition to his wife of 38 years, survivors include the couple's two sons, David and Brian Buracker.

A visitation will be held at Fairfax Memorial Funeral Home, 9902 Braddock Road, Fairfax, Virginia 22032 on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. where services will begin at 2:00 p.m. Interment to follow at Fairfax Memorial Park.

Click here to watch memorial tribute video: http://obit.fairfaxmemorialfuneralhome.com/obit_video.cgi?task=Current&vid=7850&id=661173&vidext=flv&listing=Current

Buddy Franklin Buracker 1952-2011

Buddy Franklin Buracker, 59, of Harpers Ferry, WV, went home to be with the Lord on Sunday, August 21, 2011 at Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore, after a short illness.

Born on January 6, 1952, in Luray, Virginia, he was the son of the late Ernest and MaeBelle Rossen Buracker.

Buddy was a member of the Worship Center in Leola, Pennsylvania.

He was a devoted husband and loving father who always put family first. He will be surely missed, but will always live in the hearts of those who were privileged to know him.

Buddy is survived by his loving wife of thirty-four years, Cheryl Buracker; one son, Christopher Buracker; and one daughter, Sarah Buracker, all of Harpers Ferry; one brother, Frank Buracker of Golden Beach, MD; two nephews, Jamie Buracker and Brian Greene; and four nieces, Jessica Hagy, Mackenzie Walton, Julie and Kim Greene.

Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 25, 2011 at the Eackles-Spencer & Norton Funeral Home, US 340 at Halltown Road, Charles Town/Harpers Ferry, WV, with Pastor Donald Neff officiating. Interment will be in Mt. Zion Cemetery at Luray, Virginia.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home one hour prior to the service.

Memorial contributions in memory of Buddy may be made to Compassion International, Colorado Springs, CO 80997.

Condolences to the family may be expressed at his obituary at www.eackles-spencerfuneralhome.com/ .

JAMES OSCAR COLLIER 1896-1965

James Oscar Collier, 69,of RFD 2, died today in a Charlottesville hospital. He was a retired farmer. Born in Greene County, he was the son of the late May and Louisa Conley Collier. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Lou Horner Collier; three brothers, Clinton Collier of Eheart, Dewey Collier of Alexandria and William S. Collier of Grottoes; and four sisters, Mrs. Russell Raynor of Ehart, Mrs. William Collier and Mrs. H.B. Frazier, of Charlottesville and Mrs. Chesley Thomas of Louisa. The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Monday in the Hill and Irving Chapel. Burial will be in Mount Pran Church Cemetery in Albemarle County.

From The Daily Progress, Charlottesville, VA, Sat, Aug. 21, 1965

John Pollard Gaines 9/22/1795 – 12/9/1857

John Pollard Gaines
3rd Territorial Governor of Oregon
In office 1850–1853

John Pollard Gaines was a U.S. military and political figure. He was a Whig member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Kentucky from 1847 to 1849, and he served as Governor of the Oregon Territory from 1850 to 1853, stepping down after a turbulent term in office.

Gaines was born September 22, 1795 in Augusta County, VA, (then VIRGINIA now WEST VIRGINIA) to Abner Gaines and Elizabeth Matthews. His grandfathers and great-grandfather served during the American Revolutionary War. He received an education and studied law, and volunteered in the War of 1812. In 1819, Gaines married Elizabeth Kincaid from Kentucky.   He was a lawyer practicing in Boone County, Kentucky, and served as a state legislator in Kentucky during the 1820s and 1830s.

Gaines volunteered and was appointed the rank of "Major" during the Mexican-American War in 1846. During the war in 1847 he was General Winfield Scott’s aide-de-camp.  He and some 80 soldiers were captured at Incarnation in January 1847. They were held captive in Mexico City until August. While a prisoner, he was elected to the 30th United States Congress from Kentucky's 10th Congressional District. He served one term and lost reelection.

At the end of his term as congressman he returned to Boone County, and in October 1849 he accepted the position of Governor of the Territory of Oregon. He was a supporter of President Zachary Taylor, who was elected in 1848. The Taylor administration rewarded Gaines by appointing him to be the Oregon territorial governor. However, Gaines was the President’s second choice, with future President Abraham Lincoln turning down the offer.   He traveled with Territorial Secretary Edward D. Hamilton aboard the sloop Falmouth to Oregon.

From the start, Gaines's tenure in office proved to be difficult. He arrived in the territory by ship, losing two of his daughters to yellow fever along the way in Santa Catarina Island, Brazil. Shortly after arriving in the territory, his wife died in 1851 after falling off a horse. His political life would prove to be just as turbulent.
During his tenure in June 1850 he became a member of an Indian Commission set up by the United States government to negotiate treaties with the Native American tribes west of the Cascade Mountains in the territory.    This commission was created because of the Donation Land Act in 1850 allowed citizens to settle up to 640 acres (2.6 km²) and the government wanted the lands west of the Cascades for settlement and to move the tribes to Eastern Oregon.   However, Gaines and his fellow commissioners Alonzo A. Skinner and Beverly S. Allen were only able to get treaties signed that allowed the tribes to remain on the west side and in the foothills of the Willamette Valley.       The commission ratified 19 treaties and was then disbanded in February 1851.

His tenure was marked with fierce partisanship, facing opposition from the press and the Democrat-controlled territorial legislature. Gaines unsuccessfully tried to keep the territorial capital at Oregon City, Oregon. The governor also pushed for other Whig policies that were often at odds with popular sentiment. These unpopular positions, coupled with fierce partisanship, cemented a perception that Gaines was an Easterner, out of touch with Pacific Coast needs and attitudes.
In 1853, Gaines left office, succeeded by the Democrat Joseph Lane, who assumed the reins of government for three days. Undeterred by the past hostilities of the Oregon electorate, he chose to stay in Oregon, remarrying and settling in a farm just outside Salem, Oregon. His second marriage was to Margaret B. Wands in 1853.    In 1854 he and two of his sons (Archibald & Abner) drove over 200 head of cattle from Kentucky and Arkansas across the plains to Oregon. 35 of these were pure bred Durham.

Gaines ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1855, but lost to Lane.  Governor Gaines' appointment to the governorship cost him the death of several of his family: two daughters (Harriet & Florella) in 1850 in Brazil, his wife (Elizabeth) in 1851 in a fall from a horse, at which time his remaining children were sent back to relatives in the east. His daughter Matilda died in Tennessee in the spring of 1857. He died December 9, 1857 and is interred in the Old Pioneer Cemetery at Salem, Oregon.