Witten Sr., James Alexander

James Alexander Witten Sr., 94, of Pearisburg, Va., went to be with the Lord on Sunday, July 25, 2010 at his home. Mr. Witten was born on August 22, 1915, in Pearisburg and was a son of the late Tyler Frazier Witten and Ida Painter Witten. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by one brother, Roy F. Witten and two sisters, Margaret Whitten Snidow and Ann Witten Van Pelt. Mr. Whitten was a World War II Navy Veteran, a member of the First United Methodist Church in Pearisburg since 1925, a life member of the Pearisburg Lions Club, member of the Chamber of Commerce and was presented the Chamber’s Distinguished Citizens Award in 1995. He was a member of the Giles County Historical Society and the Men’s Prayer Breakfast since 1975. He received a Key to the Town of Pearisburg presented by Mayor John Harvey Givens Jr. on November 7 1998, it was only the third key ever presented. Mr. Witten owned and operated Witten’s Men Shop for 22 years and was the owner of Witten Real Estate for 15 years. He was the President of the Giles County Club for two years when the club bought the present Club House. He was the Chairman of the fund raising drive for the Pearisburg Town Swimming Pool in 1955 and was the Co-Chairman of the Fund Raising Drive for the Giles County Historical Museum in 1985. He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Love Parr Witten, of Pearisburg; one daughter, Jane Witten Koontz, of Sarasota, Fla.; one son, Dr. James Alexander Witten Jr. of Roanoke; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Funeral services will be conducted Wednesday, July 28, 2010, at 11 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Pearisburg with Dr. Brad Scott and Dr. Fred L. Austin officiating with burial following in the Birchlawn Burial Park in Pearisburg. The family will receive friends at the First United Methodist Church Tuesday evening from 6 to 8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the First United Methodist Church in Pearisburg or the Giles County Historical Society in Pearisburg. Online condolences can be sent to the family at givensfuneralhome.com.