English
Amy Jo Ward, 48
Died February 9, 2021.
Crooksville Middle School, Crooksville, OH
Language Arts, Science
Amy Jo Ward, 48 of Crooksville, Ohio died suddenly at approximately 12:30 Pm, Tuesday, February 9, 2021 at her home due to complications of COVID 19.
She was born February 23, 1972 in Zanesville, the daughter of Thomas Fell of Crooksville and the late Leona Kaye (nee: King) Fell who died November 17, 2007.
Amy was a 1990 graduate of Crooksville High School and later received her Bachelors’ degree from Ohio University-Zanesville. She was a beloved and dedicated middle school teacher in the Crooksville School System. She enjoyed reading and posting on Facebook. Amy was very active in the Crooksville Band Boosters while her son was a member of the band and, more recently, she had served as the junior high cheerleader advisor. She attended Pleasant Grove United Methodist Church. She will be greatly missed by her family, her colleagues, her students and friends.
In addition to her father, left behind to mourn her passing is her son, Collen Ward; her brother and sister-in-law, Jason and Jodie Fell; her step-mother, Susan Fell; her furbabies, Katie and Moonshine and a host of friends.
Due to the COVID pandemic, the family will hold private services for Amy at Goebel Funeral Home, 36 N. Buckeye St., Crooksville. She will be laid to rest next to her mother in Zanesville Memorial Park.
Contributions may be made in Amy’s memory to Pleasant Gove United Methodist Church or Crooksville Band Boosters.
Michael Moore, 48
Died January 3, 2020.
Cleveland Middle School, Cleveland, TX
English
A Cleveland ISD teacher who died as a result of COVID-19 and other health issues is being remembered as the “epitome of a true educator.” Michael Moore, a Cleveland Middle School teacher, died on Jan. 3 at the age of 48.
CMS Principal Chris McCurry called Moore “a dedicated teacher who was always willing to help a student or a fellow teacher.” For the last two years of his 11 years in education, Moore taught English-Language Arts to sixth-grade students at Cleveland Middle School.
In a phone interview on Wednesday, Cleveland ISD Superintendent Chris Trotter said his thoughts and prayers are with Moore’s family as they cope with his tragic loss. Grief counselors will be available for students and staff this week at Cleveland Middle School.
Trotter said fortunately there hasn’t been an outbreak of COVID-19 cases among Moore’s students. The last time Moore was with them was prior to the Christmas break, more than two weeks ago.
Also on Wednesday, Trotter responded to concerns about the District’s handling of COVID-19 cases in his “In the Know” Facebook video series. Since the pandemic began last March, Trotter has posted 32 videos, many with COVID-19 as the main topic.
“We are doing everything we can, even throughout the break,” Trotter said.
The District has asked all students and staff to wear masks to avoid spreading the illness and custodial staff members are spraying every room at each campus three times a week to avoid the virus lingering on desks or other surfaces.
“We have plenty of cleaning solution to get us through Spring Break. Our purchasing department is getting us more spray for after Spring Break,” Trotter said. “We absolutely do not want to get kids or staff sick.”
Trotter said that masks, social distancing and cleaning protocols are the best defenses right now against COVID-19, and he is frequently in touch with Liberty County Office of Emergency Management and county officials to stay informed on the latest information about vaccines and case numbers.
“The District has a plan and I want to reassure the public that, if we were to change with information from the County, we could go to virtual learning with an overnight switch,” said Trotter.
He said he is working with local and state authorities, and other school district superintendents in the area to monitor vaccine rollouts.
“As the federal and state governments come out with opportunities, we are anticipating vaccines for teaching staff and employees in the Phase 2A and 2B rollout,” he said.
With the virus able to quickly spread from person to person, Trotter said it has been challenging to safeguard the health and safety of 9,000 students and 1,000 staff members, but he is confident in the safety protocols established by the District.
“We are going to continue following CDC guidelines. We have quarantined when we’ve needed it. We set up testing protocols with Texas Emergency Hospital. Thankfully we have had a low number of cases proportionately, but even one case is too many for me,” he said.
Cleveland ISD has set up several email accounts to address concerns and answer questions. To reach your child’s campus, send email to the proper email address listed below:
- cottonwood.info@clevelandisd.org
- eastside.info@clevelandisd.org
- southside.info@clevelandisd.org
- northside.info@clevelandisd.org
- middleschool.info@clevelandisd.org
- highschool.info@clevelandisd.org
- douglass.info@clevelandisd.org
Jennifer Cunningham, 42
Died December 28, 2020.
Bluejacket High School, Bluejacket, OK
English
Jennifer Christina Shaffer Cunningham, 42, of Grove died on Monday, Dec. 28, 2020, from COVID-19 related complications at INTEGRIS Grove Hospital, Grove.
She was born on April 16, 1978 in Vinita, to Clyde and Karin Shaffer. In November 1978 the family moved to Rohrbach, in Hessen, Germany where they remained until 1991, when they returned to northeast Oklahoma.
She attended Bluejacket Public Schools seventh grade until graduating in 1996. German was her first language and she taught herself English after returning to the states.
A graduate of Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College in Miami with an associates degree in business administration; Jennifer completed a degree in meetings and destinations in hotel management with a minor in marketing at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah.
While a student at NSU, she met Wes Cunningham in 2001. The pair married July 19, 2003 and have two daughters: Victoria, 17, and Annaliese, 11.
A career in child welfare first in Ottawa, then later Delaware County gave Jennifer a desire to help children on a deeper level; leading her to pursue an alternative Oklahoma teaching license.
She began teaching middle school science in 2013 at Fairland Public Schools; before transferring to teach the same at Will Rogers Middle School in Miami in the fall of 2014.
In fall 2019 a chance to return to her alma mater, Bluejacket, led Jennifer to teach ninth to 12th grade English and yearbook. She was completing a master’s degree in education administration at Western Govenor’s University, having just finished her Praxis test and LEC comprehensive exam.
She strived to make the world a better place for both her students and her daughters. Outside of education, she was involved first as a stage mom, then actress and later board member with The Playmakers Community Theatre in Grove.
Inspired by her grandmother Erika Poeschl’s own writing career, Jennifer often contributed her own poems to Rural Oklahoma Museum of Poetry contests. Her first published work, I Remember, is part of Word Daubers, an anthology published after the 2019 Summer Poetry Challenge.
She was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Erika and Alfred Poeschl; paternal grandparents Goldie and Thurman Shaffer Sr.; uncle Carl Shaffer and great uncle Joseph Poeschl.
Survivors include her parents of Bluejacket; her husband Wes and daughters Victoria and Annaliese of Grove; her brother Marc (Joelle), three nephews Parker, Achilles and Elijah, and one niece Sophia, all of Bluejacket; as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
Services will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, family members established a GoFundMe account to help Wes and the girls at https://gofund.me/9c1642d5. Services are under the direction of Worley-Luginbuel Funeral Home, Grove.
Natalie Sabrena Reveles
Died November 6, 2020.
Parkland High School, El Paso, TX
English
Parkland High School is also mourning the loss of longtime beloved English teacher Natalie Sabrena Reveles. She contracted COVID in late October and passed away Friday. Condolences and memories of Reveles began pouring in on social media Saturday from current and former students, along with colleagues.
“She was such a kind and beautiful soul. She was one of those teachers that the students clung to and couldn’t wait to go to her class. They loved her so much. One of the best. When she talked to you, she always made you feel special because she genuinely cared to hear how you were feeling and doing. She was a ray of light in what sometimes felt like a dark and stressful work environment. She will be greatly missed by everyone who knew her,” said Alejandra Villanueva on Facebook.
“Mrs. Reveles was such a lovely teacher. She genuinely cared for all of her students. In a time of great despair, it is disappointing to lose her. I will always remember her for being a great teacher that strived for our success,” Erick Sanchez said on a GoFundMe post.
KTSM 9 News spoke with Reveles’s friend and colleague Maribel Sifuentes-Perez. Perez said she knew Reveles had COVID-19 and was checking on her regularly but on Friday she didn’t receive a text back.
“Even on Friday when she passed away she sent me a text in the morning and I responded but she never saw it,” said Maribel Sifuentes-Perez
Perez heartbroken by the loss of Reveles, saying she was a kind person, who listened and respected all people. One thing she say’s she’ll never forget is Reveles’s sense of style.
“I would look at her and be like man I wish I could dress like that. It was like every day I wonder what she’s wearing today that’s going to make an impact. And on her second year there at Parkland she got a whole spread in the yearbook because of her fashion.”
Her colleagues set up a GoFundMe to assist Reveles’ family with funeral expenses.
Brown and Reveles each had strong ties to the Eastwood High School community, each of them had several children — all of whom attended Eastwood or the Eastwood feeder pattern schools.
Samara Lyric Rand, 25
Died November 19, 2020.
Holmes County Central High School, Lexington, MS
English
Adams County Coroner James Lee said, “COVID-19 has taken on a new meaning” when he lost his 25-year-old granddaughter to the disease Thursday morning.
“COVID-19 has left a big hole in our hearts,” Lee said.
Lee said his granddaughter, Samara Lyric Rand, was pregnant with a now 3-month-old child when she first contracted the virus and had been fighting serious lung problems since then.
Lee said Rand grew up in Holmes County and was a resident of Lexington (Mississippi). Rand graduated summa cum laude from Alcorn State University in Lorman and immediately decided to become a teacher, Lee said.
Rand was in her second year of teaching for Holmes County School District and was just getting her classes ready for virtual learning before she became sick, Lee said.
“She was a perfectly healthy young lady,” Lee said.
Approximately three months ago, Lee said Rand started experiencing, shortness of breath. Her breathing worsened to the point of doctors delivering her baby so she could be treated.
“She went on a ventilator and never came off,” Lee said.
Lee has been reporting COVID-19 deaths in Adams County since the start of the pandemic. At the loss of his young granddaughter, Lee said it is clear that the virus does not discriminate based on age.
“My message to young people, anyone her age or older, is that this pandemic is real and you need to be very cautious as how you adhere to the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines. Regardless of what anyone says, it’s real and you need to protect yourself. More young people are dying from the disease now, nationwide.”
Lee said the family would have a private funeral on Wednesday and said he is grateful to everyone who has reached out to his family and him.
“I thank everybody for their concern and the love they’ve shown to me and my family. Be safe,” he said.
Kenneth Maddox, 69
Died November 21, 2020.
East Middle School, Great Falls, MT
Science / English Teacher and Coach
Kenneth “Ken” Maddox, 69, of Great Falls, passed away on Saturday, November 21, 2020, from a Pulmonary Embolism due to complications of Covid-19.
A visitation will be from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 3, 2020, at O’Connor Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, December 4, 2020, at Manchester Cemetery.
Kenneth Wayne Maddox was born August 18, 1951, the fourth of five children to the late Robert L. and Mamie L. Maddox in Cincinnati, Ohio. Kenneth was affectionately known as “Kenny” or “Ken” by his family and friends.
Ken located to Great Falls in 1975, after graduating with his Bachelors. He then taught in the Great Falls Public School System for over forty years. Ken was a coach and mentor to all and was very giving of his time and had patience with everyone. He always put the needs of others before his own.
He was educated in the public school system and graduated from Robert A. Taft High School in Cincinnati. He attended Knoxville College, and in the fall of 1970, transferred to Montana State University. Ken majored in education and fulfilled his passion of working with children. Ken later achieved his Masters of Education online through MSU.
Ken and Billie met in 1986, at the good ole Gold Rush and on May 27, 1989, they made it official. They were together over 32 years. Although they never had children, he helped raise her children Lea and the late Scott Wetzel. They also raised a grandson, Jake Wetzel since he was the age of 7. Then along came the apple of his eye; KeAynnan “JoJo” Devereaux, who she referred to as “PaPa.”
He received many accomplishments, awards, and honors throughout his lifetime. Ken volunteered his time with various community organizations and programs. Ken was known all over the State of Montana and surrounding areas but made the Great Falls Community his home.
Ken leaves to cherish his memory, his wife, Billie Jo Maddox; children, Lea Wetzel of Great Falls, Kennedy Anderson of North Dakota, Khalin (Anni), and baby girl, Anderson of Butte; siblings, Duffie L. (Marilyn) Maddox, Eddie L. Maddox, and Regina (John) Robinson all of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Gregory (JoAnn) Maddox of Covington, Kentucky; grandson, Jacob Wetzel of Missoula, Robert Wetzel of Helena, JoJo, and Lil Keith Devereaux of Great Falls; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, and acquaintances.