Whitesell-Somers Family Web Project - Person Sheet
Whitesell-Somers Family Web Project - Person Sheet
BirthMay 24, 1935, Burlington, Alamance County, North Carolina [24841]
DeathDec 10, 2020 [24841]
BurialForest Lawn Memorial Park, 3227 Dixie Highway, Erlanger, Kenton County, Kentucky [24841]
FatherOtis Elisha SIMMONS Sr. (1904-1991)
MotherBessie Sarah TATE (1904-1983)
Spouses
MarriageAug 17, 1957, Burlington, Alamance County, North Carolina [24842]
Obituary Online notes for Shirley Matilda SIMMONS
Shirley Matilda Simmons Toadvine departed this earthly life and was welcomed into the arms of her Lord Jesus Christ on December 10, 2020.
Shirley is remembered as a woman of deep faith, enduring kindness, and strong determination. She was a loving wife, sister, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
Shirley was born in Burlington, North Carolina on May 24, 1935. She was preceded in death by her husband, George Kendall Toadvine (originally of Harrison County, Kentucky), after 58 years of devoted marriage.
Also preceding Shirley in death were her parents, Otis Elisha and Bessie (Tate) Simmons, Sr.; her brother Otis Elisha Simmons, Jr,; and her sisters Martha Frances Simmons and Betty (Simmons) Culberson. Shirley’s childhood was spent working on the family farm, learning carpentry skills from her father, excelling at school, and assisting in all the activities of maintaining a household with her parents, three brothers, three sisters, and extended family members.
Shirley was the class valedictorian and a 1953 graduate of Walter Williams High School in Burlington, North Carolina; a 1957 summa cum laude graduate of Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky; and a 1961 gradaute of the University of Cincinnati with a Master’s Degree in Education. Additionally, she completed post-graduate studies in Christian missions at Scarritt College in Nashville, Tennessee, and Spanish language studies at the Instituto Americano in San Jose, Costa Rica. Shirley and George served for four years with the Methodist Board of Missions as teachers at the Instituto Americano is Cochabamba, Bolivia, and shared a thirty-five year career as educators with the Boone County (Kentucky) School System where Shirley predominantly taught upper level Algebra at Boone County High School. Shirley’s students consistently remember her as “one of the best ever,” sincerely caring for her students while pushing them to achieve excellence. Shirley summed up her philosophy of teaching as “Everyone is a teacher, everyone is a learner.” Shirley and George together received the Florence Rotary Club “Citizen of the Year Award” in 2004. Shirley also received the “Golden Apple Achievement Award” from Ashland, Inc. in 1998, and the “Most Respected Teacher of the Year Award” from the Northern Kentucky DeMolay Chapter in 1996. Shirley’s priority was serving God. She served actively across five decades at Florence United Methodist Church in roles including Chair of the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee, Coordinator of Children’s Ministries, Chair of the Prayer Ministry Team, Chair of the Worship Committee, Sunday School Treasurer, Sunday School teacher, officer of various women’s groups, and soprano in the church choir. Shirley thoroughly enjoyed hosting many gathering of friends and family in her home. After their retirement from Boone County Schools, Shirley and George were faithful ministers to others and regularly visited in hospitals and nursing homes, and with families in their times of need. [24841]
Shirley is remembered as a woman of deep faith, enduring kindness, and strong determination. She was a loving wife, sister, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.
Shirley was born in Burlington, North Carolina on May 24, 1935. She was preceded in death by her husband, George Kendall Toadvine (originally of Harrison County, Kentucky), after 58 years of devoted marriage.
Also preceding Shirley in death were her parents, Otis Elisha and Bessie (Tate) Simmons, Sr.; her brother Otis Elisha Simmons, Jr,; and her sisters Martha Frances Simmons and Betty (Simmons) Culberson. Shirley’s childhood was spent working on the family farm, learning carpentry skills from her father, excelling at school, and assisting in all the activities of maintaining a household with her parents, three brothers, three sisters, and extended family members.
Shirley was the class valedictorian and a 1953 graduate of Walter Williams High School in Burlington, North Carolina; a 1957 summa cum laude graduate of Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky; and a 1961 gradaute of the University of Cincinnati with a Master’s Degree in Education. Additionally, she completed post-graduate studies in Christian missions at Scarritt College in Nashville, Tennessee, and Spanish language studies at the Instituto Americano in San Jose, Costa Rica. Shirley and George served for four years with the Methodist Board of Missions as teachers at the Instituto Americano is Cochabamba, Bolivia, and shared a thirty-five year career as educators with the Boone County (Kentucky) School System where Shirley predominantly taught upper level Algebra at Boone County High School. Shirley’s students consistently remember her as “one of the best ever,” sincerely caring for her students while pushing them to achieve excellence. Shirley summed up her philosophy of teaching as “Everyone is a teacher, everyone is a learner.” Shirley and George together received the Florence Rotary Club “Citizen of the Year Award” in 2004. Shirley also received the “Golden Apple Achievement Award” from Ashland, Inc. in 1998, and the “Most Respected Teacher of the Year Award” from the Northern Kentucky DeMolay Chapter in 1996. Shirley’s priority was serving God. She served actively across five decades at Florence United Methodist Church in roles including Chair of the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee, Coordinator of Children’s Ministries, Chair of the Prayer Ministry Team, Chair of the Worship Committee, Sunday School Treasurer, Sunday School teacher, officer of various women’s groups, and soprano in the church choir. Shirley thoroughly enjoyed hosting many gathering of friends and family in her home. After their retirement from Boone County Schools, Shirley and George were faithful ministers to others and regularly visited in hospitals and nursing homes, and with families in their times of need. [24841]
Obituary Online notes for George Kendall (Spouse 1)
George Kendall Toadvine, devoted and loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, was called home by his Heavenly Father the early morning of January 24, 2016. Family and friends remember him as a man of deep faith, great integrity and dedication to his family. Mr. Toadvine was born in Sylvandell, Harrison County, Kentucky, on January 16, 1936. He was a 1953 graduate of Hebron High School, where he was class valedictorian. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Asbury College, in Wilmore, Kentucky, in 1957, and a Master of Education degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1961. Mr. Toadvine also did post-baccalaureate studies in Christian missions at Scarritt College, in Nashville, Tennessee, and completed studies in Spanish language at the Instituto del Idioma Espanol, in San Jose, Costa Rica.
He and his wife, Shirley, served with the Methodist Board of Missions as teachers at Instituto Americano in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and together shared a 35-year career with the Boone County School System. Over the course of his career as an educator, Mr. Toadvine taught multiple subjects, including Spanish, history and political science. He was assistant principal of Ockerman Junior High School for one year and principal of Boone County High School for seven years. Mr. Toadvine is remembered fondly by his former students, a teacher who made the educational process both interesting and enjoyable.
He was co-recipient of the Florence Rotary Club Roy Lutes Citizen of the Year Award in 2004 and is a Kentucky Colonel, having been honored with such designation in 1980. For the past 50 Years, Mr. Toadvine was a faithful member of Florence United Methodist Church. He taught Sunday school for over 40 years and was a lay leader, lay speaker, president of Methodist Men and led the church’s prayer ministry. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Methodist Children’s Home, in Versailles, Kentucky, for many years. Faith and values were extremely important to him. He had a tireless work ethic. He enjoyed reading, gardening, yard work, woodworking and cane weaving.
He was preceded in death by: his parents, Marion Kendall and Mildred Sharp Toadvine; a brother, William P. Toadvine; and a sister, Carol Eleanor Toadvine. He is survived by: his devoted and loving wife of over 58 years, Shirley Matilda Simmons Toadvine, originally of Burlington, North Carolina; three children and their spouses, Dr. Stephen Kendall Toadvine and his wife, Ann Wiese Toadvine, of Nicholasville, Kentucky, James Rene’ Toadvine and his wife, Robin Gaddis Toadvine, of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Cynthia Toadvine Zimmerman and her husband, Kurtis Paul Zimmerman, of Santa Cruz, Bolivia; 17 grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.
Source: The Northern Kentucky Tribune website at nkytribune.com [24843]
He and his wife, Shirley, served with the Methodist Board of Missions as teachers at Instituto Americano in Cochabamba, Bolivia, and together shared a 35-year career with the Boone County School System. Over the course of his career as an educator, Mr. Toadvine taught multiple subjects, including Spanish, history and political science. He was assistant principal of Ockerman Junior High School for one year and principal of Boone County High School for seven years. Mr. Toadvine is remembered fondly by his former students, a teacher who made the educational process both interesting and enjoyable.
He was co-recipient of the Florence Rotary Club Roy Lutes Citizen of the Year Award in 2004 and is a Kentucky Colonel, having been honored with such designation in 1980. For the past 50 Years, Mr. Toadvine was a faithful member of Florence United Methodist Church. He taught Sunday school for over 40 years and was a lay leader, lay speaker, president of Methodist Men and led the church’s prayer ministry. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Methodist Children’s Home, in Versailles, Kentucky, for many years. Faith and values were extremely important to him. He had a tireless work ethic. He enjoyed reading, gardening, yard work, woodworking and cane weaving.
He was preceded in death by: his parents, Marion Kendall and Mildred Sharp Toadvine; a brother, William P. Toadvine; and a sister, Carol Eleanor Toadvine. He is survived by: his devoted and loving wife of over 58 years, Shirley Matilda Simmons Toadvine, originally of Burlington, North Carolina; three children and their spouses, Dr. Stephen Kendall Toadvine and his wife, Ann Wiese Toadvine, of Nicholasville, Kentucky, James Rene’ Toadvine and his wife, Robin Gaddis Toadvine, of Charlotte, North Carolina, and Cynthia Toadvine Zimmerman and her husband, Kurtis Paul Zimmerman, of Santa Cruz, Bolivia; 17 grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.
Source: The Northern Kentucky Tribune website at nkytribune.com [24843]