Herb was born during the heat wave of August 1931, in a railroad shanty car at Taylor’s Fork in Clay County, West Virginia, the second of his parents’ five children. He started school in 1936 while living at Robinson Fork in Clay County, and at age 7 he began his life-long love of fishing there. Until very recently, Herb could be seen regularly on the lakes and streams always ready to land that next big bass.
At the age of 12, his family moved to the mining town of Widen in Clay County, and when not busy fishing, Herb would collect soda bottles for money to attend the local movie theater where he learned to operate the projector. Around this time, he was also a paper delivery boy, and was rewarded with a trip to Camden Park for winning a contest for the most new customers.
In 1947, Herb and his father came to Charleston and built a house for their family with a handsaw and hammers. Despite the lack of modern power tools, they had the house ready in three weeks for the family to make the move to Charleston. After moving to Charleston, Herb attended Roosevelt Junior High and Charleston High School.
Herb was very mechanically inclined, and he built the engine for the first car he owned, a 1946 Mercury. Over the years, he continued to service and maintain all his vehicles himself, including everything from basic maintenance to complete engine rebuilds.
In 1952, Herb was drafted into the U.S. Army and served for two years during the Korean Conflict. His time included 18 months in Tokyo, Japan, where his duties involved the production of top-secret daily situation maps to aid the United States and its allies during the war. During this time, he also used his skills learned in the Widen movie theater to operate the Company film projectors and helped provide much-needed entertainment for the troops. In 1954, he was honorably discharged.
After leaving the Service, Herb returned to Republic Steel in Massillon, Ohio, where he had worked as a loader from 1949 until being drafted. He married Zenith Mae Campbell in 1956, and they started family life in Dalton, Ohio. They moved with their first-born daughter, Leslie, to Charleston in 1957. Herb worked various jobs, including managing a service station on Patrick Street in Charleston, until he joined the U.S. Postal Service in 1961. He retired in 1987 after 26 years of service.
After beginning work at the Post Office, Herb built a small house in Charleston next door to the house he had helped his father build as a boy. He later built a larger house next to this small house, and raised his four children there. Herb did all the work to build these two houses by himself, including everything from digging and pouring foundations to completing all the masonry, framing, electrical, plumbing, and finish work.
Herb accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior at Maple Hill Baptist Church in Charleston when he was 36 years old. He was always eager to study and learn about the Bible and worked regularly to serve the Church, including as the Treasurer and a bus driver.
Throughout his life, Herb led by example and set the highest standards as a father, a Christian, and an American. He will be dearly missed because his family, friends, and all who knew him understand and appreciate that he is truly irreplaceable.
Herb’s family wishes to extend a very special Thank You to Pat Grimmett and Iva Johnson for their time and dedication in helping Herb in so many ways over the last several months. Their efforts undoubtedly made this time for him much better, and the family truly appreciates their work.
The family also wishes to especially thank Dave Tyler, who was one of Herb’s best fishing buddies and always went the extra mile to help Herb continue to enjoy fishing as long as possible.
Herb was preceded in death by his loving wife, Zenith Ramsey; father and mother, Wilbert O. and Chessie M. Salisbury Ramsey; sister, Jacqueline Wilkinson; grandson, Adam Blount.
Surviving are his daughters, Leslie (Charles) Shannon and Tara “Bootsie” (Keith “Wally”) Blount all of Charleston; sons, Andrew (Ann) Ramsey of Raleigh, NC and Stephen (Trish Kramer) Ramsey of Cincinnati, OH; sisters, Eva Lee (Russell) Skiles of Gandeeville and Patty (Raymond) Bobbitt of Winfield; brother, Curtis (Dora) Ramsey of Charleston; grandchildren, Michael (Jaime) and Stephen (Jessica) Shannon, Aaron (Jordan) Blount and Andrew (Holly and Penelope) Blount; Nathanial (Libby), Kariana and Kendra Ramsey; great grandchildren, Ricci and Nickolas Shannon.
A celebration of Herb’s life will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday February 21, 2020 at Big Bottom Missionary Baptist Church, with Pastor Fred Christian officiating. Entombment with Military Rites will follow at Sunset Memorial Park, South Charleston.
A visitation with family and friends will be held from 6 to 8 PM on Thursday February 20, at Stevens & Grass Funeral Home, Malden.
In lieu of flowers, the family request that donations be made to Hubbard Hospice House, 1001 Curtis Price Way, Charleston, WV 25311.
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