Ralph Clinton Durst

Ralph Clinton Durst, 75, departed life Saturday at Arbors of Gallipolis after a courageous battle with cancer. He was born Oct. 2, 1929 in Leon, W.Va., the son of the late Sidney and Iva See Durst.

He attended Point Pleasant High School and was a retired Pharmacy Technician with forty years of service at Holzer Medical Center.

He was a U.S. Army Veteran of the Korean War and belonged to the following veteran organizations: VFW Post 4464 where he has served as adjunct and junior commander; AmVets-DAV; and the American Legion Lafayette Post 27. He also belonged to the Conservation Club, Friends of the Library, Gallia County Animal Welfare League, a volunteer with RSVP and has served as a 4-H advisor in Gallia County for 25 years. He was inducted into the 4-H Hall of Fame in 2004. He was a member of the Pathway Community Church.

He was preceded in death by dear VFW friend Robert Steinbrunner.

Ralph is survived by his wife, Naomi Overturf Durst, and three daughters and two sons-in-law, Mary Ann Durst, Judy (Kevin) Halley and Julie (Max) Ours, all of Gallipolis; one granddaughter, Amy Ours, who he loved dearly; a brother, Paul (Diana) Durst, of Charleston, W.Va.

The family will receive friends from 2-4 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Tuesday at McCoy-Moore Funeral Home.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday in the McCoy-Moore Funeral Home, Wetherholt Chapel, at 420 First Avenue, Gallipolis, with Pastors Thom Mollohan, Cliff Curry, Ron Nicholas and Todd Leathers officiating. Burial will follow in the Gravel Hill Cemetery, in Cheshire.

Graveside military rites will be conducted by the Gallia County Veterans Service Organizations. Casketbearers will be Bryan Carlson, Steve Moore, Keith Moore, Kevin Moore, Fred Deel, Dan Miller, Keith Jeffers and Porter Emmert. Honorary casket bearers will be Congressman Tedd Strickland, Harold Duty, Billy Barton, Oscar Bastiani, Clair Lambert (a 4-H friend of South Dakota) and Paul Overturf.

Following the graveside service, the family will request that all family members and friends share a time of fellowship with them at the Cheshire Baptist Church.

The family wishes to thank the employees and friends of Kmart, Wal Mart, Ohio Valley Bank, RSVP, Bossard Memorial Library and Arbors of Gallipolis for the kindness and friendship that they have shown Ralph.

Flowers will be accepted and appreciated and memorial contributions may be made to the Ohio Valley Christian School, at 455 Third Avenue, Gallipolis, Ohio 45631 or the Bossard Memorial Library, at 7 Spruce Street, Gallipolis.

Gallipolis Daily Tribune
July 30, 2005.