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Dr. Mary L. Wiss, 88, of Pikeville, died Aug. 2.
Born Aug. 7, 1925, in Chicago, Illinois, she moved with her family at age 10 to Ohio, where she completed her elementary and secondary education.
She attended Ohio State University for three years and she joined the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, making her vows on July 19, 1947.
She completed her undergraduate work at two Catholic institutions of higher learning: Spalding University in Louisville and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
She missioned at Georgetown University Hospital, earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1947 and graduated cum laude from Georgetown University School of Medicine in 1953.
Dr. Wiss completed her internship and surgical residency at St. Joseph's Infirmary in Louisville (1953-1958). After finishing her board exams in early 1959, she became medical director at Nazareth Hospital in India.
Following some serious illness, she returned to the U.S. in 1964.
Because of her health, she left the religious community in 1965 and became Medical Director at Frontier Nursing Service in Hyden, where she served until 1969 when she joined Dr. Ballard Cassady in private practice in Pikeville.
If you were one of Dr. Wiss's patients, you knew that prayer covered everything she did.
She prayed with her patients before an examination or surgery. As a surgeon, she shared life and death with her patients. She told Elizabeth Bishop for her CrossRoads article that she believed "in order to cope with death, one must be comfortable with his own mortality." Speaking of her own career, she said, "The longest mile is the death of a child during surgery. Faith is all you've got to sustain you. I don't know how doctors do it who don't have faith."
After serving the people of eastern Kentucky for 21 years, she retired from private practice in August 1990.
Dr. Wiss joined St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in 1969. She was the first woman accepted for membership in the Pikeville Rotary Club in 1981. She later served as club president.
She was a long-time member of Delta Kappa Gamma, the teachers' honorary society; GFWC/KFWC - Pikeville (Woman's Club) and Daughters of the American Revolution, of which she was local regent.
A member of the Pike County Medical Society, she was the only female chief of staff at Pikeville Methodist Hospital, now Pikeville Medical Center, from 1982-1983.
She held memberships in the Kentucky and American Medical Associations, was a Fellow, American College of Surgeons, Kentucky Chapter; Diplomate, American Board of Surgery; Fellow, Royal College of Surgeons of Canada; and a Fellow, International College of Surgeons.
She was the first female surgeon in Kentucky certified by the American Board of Surgery and the first female president of the Kentucky Chapter, American College of Surgeons.
On November 20, 2012, the Pike County Fiscal Court honored Dr. Wiss for her "important and numerous contributions" to Pike County.
She was well known in the region and state for her hobbies as well as her medical service. She won a state award for her needlework during the 1976 American Bicentennial at the Capitol Expo-Homecoming's Needlework Fair in Frankfort. She raised exotic orchids in her greenhouse. And for several years she taught basket-weaving and donated many of her own basket creations for various community fundraising projects.
Dr. Wiss was preceded in death by her parents, Lucille Manny Wiss and John Edgar Wiss.
She is survived by her beloved Christian sister of 48 years, Dr. Mary Pauline Fox; her special Christian sister, Lucille Howell; her brother, John Wiss of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; two sisters: Martha (Bill) Blakeman of Ohio and Margaret (Dexter) Thornton of Michigan; and several nieces and nephews.
Catholic Funeral Mass for Dr. Mary Wiss was conducted by Father Richard Watson on Aug. 6, at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Pikeville.
Graveside services were held at Barbourville City Cemetery, Barbourville, under direction of Hopper Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, Dr. Wiss hoped that her friends would make contributions in her memory to the St. Francis Catholic Church Building Fund, 132 Bryan Street, Pikeville, Kentucky.
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PIKEVILLE - Pike County is mourning the loss of a dedicated public servant this month.
Ernest "Ernie" Cecil Rhoten, Jr., 42, died July 29 at the Holston Valley Medical Center in Kingsport, Tennessee, where he was being treated for injuries he sustained in a horse accident on July 3.
A native of Virginia, Rhoten was employed as a bailiff at the Pike County Judicial Center.
A member of the Fraternal Order of Police, he was working toward becoming a Kentucky State Trooper.
His father Ernest Rhoten Sr., maternal grandparents Elizabeth Widner Sweet and Wilton Sweet, paternal grandparents Ashley Rhoten and Dolly Greer Rhoten and his niece Heather Baldwin Johnson preceded him in death.
Survivors include his mother Virginia Price of Abington, Va., stepfather Hubert Price; finance Dianna Newsome of Robinson Creek; children Alex Rhoten and Amber Rhoten, both of Glade Spring, Va., three sisters; four nieces and other family members and friends.
Funeral services were held at Frost Funeral Home in Abington, Va. and a special visitation was held on July 31 at Lucas & Son Funeral Home. Burial followed at the Forest Hills Memory Gardens.
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Glorice G. Robinette, 76, died July 30. Survivors: brother John L. (Sharon) Robinette of Pinsonfork; sister Joyce Gilliam of Winchester; other family members. Funeral: Aug. 2 at R.E. Rogers Funeral Home. Burial: Alfred Young Cemetery
Franklin D. McPeek, 77, of Fort Peirce, Fla., formerly of Pike County, died July 23. He was a U.S. Air Force veteran, having served two tours of duty in Vietnam. Survivors: children Gary McPeek, Stoney McPeek, Diane Petro, Christy McPeek and Melinda McPeek; other family members. Funeral: Memorial service Aug. 4 at Pilgrims Prayer Church at Dorton. Burial: Sanders Cemetery at Sycamore Creek under the direction of Hall and Jones Funeral Home
Ray Edward Collier, 64, of Lick Branch, died July 31. Survivors: wife Delphialene Mullins Collier; daughter Raylene Collins of Long Fork; other family members. Funeral: Aug. 4 at Hall and Jones Funeral Home. Burial: family cemetery at Booker Fork
Gary Lee Adams, 39, of Raccoon, died Aug. 3. Survivors: wife Maria Crum Adams; children Laken Adams and Leanna Adams, both of Meally; other family members. Funeral: Aug. 6 at Community Funeral Home. Burial: Adams Cemetery on Lower Johns Creek
Betty Adams Moore, 75, of Robinson Creek, died Aug. 1. Survivors: children Paul Moore of Virgie, Rick Moore of Pikeville, Jennifer Newsome of Penny Road, Patricia Ousley of Harold and Dwonna Milam of Robinson Creek; other family members. Funeral: Aug. 5 at Energyville Freewill Baptist Church. Burial: Sabastian Johnson Cemetery at Virgie under the direction of Community Funeral Home
John Hickman, 73, of Phelps, died Aug. 2. He was a U.S. Army veteran. Survivors: wife Justine Stump Hickman; daughter Mirhonda Page of Phelps; other family members. Funeral: Aug. 5 at Church of God in Jesus' Name at Phelps. Burial: Annie E. Young Cemetery at East Shelbaiana
Robert Dean Blair, 79, of Prestonsburg, died Aug. 3. Survivors: wife Esther Mae Blair; son William Blair of Prestonsburg; other family members. Funeral: Aug. 6 at Cow Creek Freewill Baptist Church. Burial: Hunter Cemetery, Prestonsburg
Hank Williams, 59, of Grethel, died Aug. 1. Survivors: wife Joyce Rogers Williams; children Hank Williams, Jr., Brenda West and Christie Newsome, all of Harold; other family members. Funeral: Aug. 4 at Zion Old Regular Baptist Church. Burial: Evans Cemetery at Grethel under the direction of Nelson Frazier Funeral Home
Darlene Endicott, 49, Allen, died July 27. Survivors: husband John Endicott; several siblings. Funeral: Aug. 2 at Nelson Frazier Funeral Home. Burial: Goble Cemetery, Endicott
Sophie Leah Hammonds, infant daughter of Dennis Hammonds and Tracey Nickles, both of Banner, died July 29. Other survivors: siblings Dakota Slone of Banner and Susan Slone of Hindman; other family members. Funeral: Aug. 2 at Nelson Frazier Funeral Home. Burial: Davidson Memorial Gardens in Ivel
Robert Brandon Powers, 27, of Georgetown, died Aug. 3. Survivors: Shane and Freda Stephens Powers of Auxier; son Jakson R. Meek of Georgetown; other family members. Funeral: Aug. 6 at Auxier Freewill Baptist Church. Burial: Auxier Relocation Cemetery, Auxier
Jeffery "Trey" Aldrich III, 16, of Prestonsburg, died Aug. 5. Survivors: parents Jeff and Danielle Aldrich and Tiffany and Charles Butler; siblings Drew Dunham, Dustan Aldrich, Danielle Dunham, Grace Butler; other family members. Funeral: Aug. 9 at Allen Central High School. Burial: Davidson Memorial Gardens
Joe R. Browning, 77, of Thacker, W.Va., died Aug. 4. Survivors: wife Shirley Browning; children Kathy Jackson, Chris Browning, Joann Looney, Carrie Hager; other family members. Funeral: Aug. 8 at Chambers Funeral Services. Burial: Browning Family Cemetery, Thacker