THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, October 4, 1996 TAG: 9610040497
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 47 lines
Erma B. Leatherwood, 87, died Oct. 2, 1996, at Lake Taylor Hospital.
She was the widow, since 1953, of Lt. Cmdr., Howard G. Leatherwood, U.S. Navy (Ret.). She was one of nine children of Nancy Owens and Joseph W. Barco, a southern surfman for 40 years at the old Seatack/Virginia Beach Life-Savings Station, now a museum. Benjamin F. Barco of Virginia Beach is her only surviving sibling.
Mrs. Leatherwood was a native of Virginia Beach and graduated from Oceana High School, Class of 1926. She was one of Virginia Beach's earliest telephone operators and later worked as chief operator until the birth of a second child in 1932. She traveled with her family as her husband was transferred by the Navy to various locations, including 10 years in Washington, D.C. They built a house on 26th street in Virginia Beach in 1949 and settled there permanently.
She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Virginia and the Fidelis Class. Although an inactive member in later years, she still enjoyed attending Fidelis Class parties and fellowship with her friends there.
Mrs. Leatherwood crocheted afgans to pass the time, but especially loved to have visitors.
Mrs. Leatherwood is survived by her two children, Howard G. Leatherwood, and his wife, Suzanne of Bowie, Md., and Mary L. White of Williamsburg, Va. She had six grandchildren, Peter C. White of Virginia Beach, David G. Leatherwood and his wife, Kathy, of Germany, Gregory V. Leatherwood and Stephen Leatherwood of Bowie, Diana Connelly, and her husband, Timothy Connelly of Odenton, Md., and Suzanne Hadden, and her husband, Kenneth of Engelhard, N.C., and four great-grandchildren; Bill White; her nieces who reside locally, Ruth Ann Steenburgh, Carol Pugh, Nancy Griggs, and her nephew, Charles Hooper; her dear sister-in-law, Edna Barco; her dear friends, Dene Lassitter, R.N., Anita Hicks and Valerie Jones; from her church, Willie Sessoms, Ellen and James Warren, Rachel Payton and her husband, Delores Gray, Clarisa Burton, and her pastor, the Rev. Ted James; her neighbor and old friends, Mary Kane and Ruth Ford and Wayne Skinner; and many other faithful friends and relatives.
A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. today in H.D. Oliver Funeral Apts., Laskin Road Chapel, by the Rev. Ted James and Wayne Skinner. Interment will follow at Eastern Shore Chapel Cemetery. In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to the Virginia Beach Rescue Squad, 17th and Arctic Ave., Virginia Beach, Va. 23451, or the ``Outreach For Christ'' c/o Wayne Skinner, P.O. Box 4326, Virginia Beach, Va. 23454-0326. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
KEYWORDS: DEATH OBITUARY by CNB