William Parnell

William Clarence 'Bill' Parnell, 72, of Mansfield died Tuesday, February 10, 2004, at MedCentral Mansfield Hospital after an extended illness. He was born February 8, 1932 in Shorts Creek, Virginia to Carl Franklin and Elva Rotenizer Parnell. William attended Dean Road Freewill Baptist Church and was a member of I.U.E. Local 719. In later years he enjoyed tinkering and repairing lawn mowers. Until his retirement, he was employed at Borg Warner. He proudly served during the Korean War with the U.S. Army.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Velva Gravely Parnell; five daughters and their spouses, Betty Parnell and her fiancé Andre Carr of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Judy & Harold Jones, Jeannie & Jeff Bosko, Jeannette Parnell, and Wanda & Julio Rodriguez, all of Mansfield; three sons and a daughter-in-law, Jamie & Cheryl Parnell, Matthew Parnell and Coy Parnell, all of Mansfield; a stepdaughter, Cathy Baker of Tennessee; seventeen grandchildren, Christa and husband Victory Pounds, Daniel Parnell, Desirae Wyllie, William and Amanda Vollmer, Kevin Gieseman and fiancé Carrie Drye, Dorthea and Jason Cole, Onnetta, Christian, Jamie and Benjamin Parnell, Jeanna Sadowski, and Luka, DelVilo, Milan and Juan Rodriguez; great-grandchildren, Tyree Sigers, Victoria, Elizabeth, Victory Jr., and William C. Pounds, Anthony Parnell, Dakota, Tyler, and Paige Wyllie, Keatha and Jalana Gieseman, and Vanessa, Keira and Ciera Cole; three sisters and two brothers-in-law, Eileen & Eugene Lawson, Carol & Curtis Dalton and Joyce Workman & her fiance' William Lodell, all Austinville, Virginia; four brothers and sisters-in-law, J.R. & Velma Parnell of Austinville, Virginia, Foster & Dorothy Parnell of Draper, Virginia, Stanley & Patsy Parnell of Maryland and Arlis & Carolyn Parnell of Sylvalis, Virginia; a brother-in-law, Robert Caviness of Austinville, Virginia; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Margaret Caviness; an infant son, William Terry Parnell; two grandsons; and two brothers.

Friends may call at the Diamond Street Home of Wappner Funeral Directors Sunday from 2-5 p.m. Funeral services will be held Monday at 1:00 p.m. at the funeral home conducted by Rev. Mark Cobb and assisted by Pastor Bruce Copley. Military graveside services will be held at Mansfield Memorial Park. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.