Dora Chaffin, 70, Darlington Heights

We lost Dora Elizabeth Crute Chaffin on September 9, 2014, after a valiant struggle against liver failure.  She was 70 years old.  She and her husband, Wilkie, had a perfect love and a wonderful marriage of nearly 51 years.  The support that Dora and Wilkie received from her family, friends, and sometimes complete strangers during her recent illness was overwhelming.  She is survived by her sister, Carolyn Crute McLemore (John), niece Meg McLemore Eastman (Jeff), who was like a daughter to her, nieces Elizabeth McLemore Kelsey (Jansen), and Cindy Chaffin Waggoner (Harry), and a nephew, William McLemore (Jennie).  She is also survived by grandnieces and nephews Malinda, Elliot, and Ansel Eastman, Cora Kelsey, Agnes and Ely McLemore, and Kelsey Waggoner.  She was also very close to her cousins, Richard Stockton, Bobbie Collins, Albert Lamons, Charles Harris, Coy Lee Harris, Harold Higgins, J. W. Higgins, Gerri Price, Iva Sizemore, Barbara Harris, Cameron Shelton, Jr. and Rhonda Rowland.  Dora was the daughter of William Joseph Crute and Kclell Stockton Crute.

She will also be greatly missed by her best friend, Pat Kennon, and her other quilting friends, as well as her friends in the Just A Mere Club, friends she met through meetings of the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, friends in the Darlington Heights/Five Forks area of Prince Edward County, and friends she made while living in Salem, Virginia in the 1970’s.

Dora was the first winner of the Dolly Childress Award for citizen service to the Darlington Heights Volunteer Fire Department.  She was very smart and knew a lot about many subjects.  She did tole painting and became an accomplished theorem painter.  In her later years, her primary hobby was quilting, and she was an expert at machine embroidery.  Dora loved to travel, and had visited 49 of the 50 states and went to Europe twice.  She wanted to go to Montana again this fall, but she did not make it.  But as she looks down on us in Central Virginia, she probably glances west every now and then.

Dora was very special person and will always be loved and missed by Wilkie and her family and friends.  The family visitation will be Friday, September 12, 2014 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at Shorter Funeral Home in Farmville.  The funeral will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, September 13 at Shorter Funeral Home.  She will rest in the Bethpeor Baptist Church Cemetery, across from her beloved Five Forks Farm.  In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Darlington Heights Volunteer Fire Department.