Annette Stidham Obituary

Annette Stidham

February 25, 1925 -

June 10, 2025

NORTON, VA - Annette Virginia Bolling Stidham, age 100, of Norton, Virginia, went to be with her heavenly Father on June 10, 2025. She was a longtime member of Wilson Chapel Freewill Baptist Church. Born on February 25, 1925, in Flat Gap, Virginia, she was the oldest daughter of ten children to Rufus Bolling and Victoria Sturgill. Her only living sibling is her youngest sister Dolly Dean. Being the eldest daughter, she held many responsibilities at an early age, helping to rear her siblings. Growing up during the depression, she often told stories of how they made nearly everything by hand.

Annette's full-time job was being a mother and wife while raising four boys. She was first married to Woodrow Gardner who died in a mining accident shortly after the birth of their only son, Franklin Delano. After WWII and the return of soldiers, she married Bill Dayton Stidham and had three more sons, twins, James Dayton and Rufus Clayton, and Connie Bill. She and Bill were married 65 years and lived in the same location all those years where she resided to her death. After Bill's retirement, they enjoyed many good times entertaining family and friends at their second residence on Cherokee Lake in Tennessee. "Nanny," as she endearingly became, loved to cook and feed everybody! She also enjoyed crafting, crocheting, and pottery – never one to sit idly.

She is preceded in death by her parents, eight siblings (Vernoy, Keys, Gordie, Peggy, Betty, Jack, Tom, and Evelyn), two husbands, and two sons (Dayton and Clayton).

She is survived by her sister Dolly of Vinson, Virginia, son, Franklin Delano Stidham of Knoxville and son, Connie Bill Stidham of Dahlonega, Georgia. She also leaves behind granddaughters Carmen Stidham, Michelle Lakin (Doug), Katrina Stidham-Linn (Nate), Kim Perry-Hampton (Chad), Andrea Atkinson (Stacy), grandsons Jeff Stidham (Gina) and Scott Stidham, special nephew Roger Walk (Rachel), and nine great grandchildren.

The receiving of friends will be on Saturday, June 14, 2025, from 11:00 AM-1:00 PM at Hagy & Fawbush Funeral Home, 956 Park Ave NW, Norton, VA 2427. Funeral services will be conducted at 1 PM Saturday in the funeral home chapel. Following the service, the family will proceed to the graveside at Powell Valley Memorial Gardens, 5650 Powell Valley Road, Big Stone Gap, VA 24219.