Gayle Patmore Peters

Notes:

Page News and Courier (Luray, VA) - Thursday, August 24, 2017

Gayle P. Emerson, 84, of Luray, died Thursday evening, Aug. 17, 2017, at Winchester Medical Center after a brief illness.

What specialists diagnosed and treated as acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN), a rare variant of Guillian-Barré syndrome, struck her suddenly a week earlier. Until then, she enjoyed excellent health.

She was born Jan. 10, 1933, in Richmond, to the late Dorothy St. John Durrette Peters and the Rev. Harold Beaumont Woodfield Peters.

The family moved to The Plains in 1945, when Mr. Peters started a 19-year tenure as rector of the Episcopal Church's Whittle Parish, which included The Plains, Marshall and Delaplane.

Mrs. Emerson in 1950 graduated from Marshall High School, where her mother taught home economics. She completed three years of study at Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg before eloping with Keith H. Emerson of Luray and marrying June 19, 1953. The couple settled in Luray, where Mr. Emerson had started his four-decade career with Shenandoah National Park.

Mrs. Emerson taught elementary school ? at Grove Hill and Springfield ? for three years before the birth of her elder son. After the birth of her second son, she was active in their school-related activities. She participated in numerous community organizations, including the local VFW post women's auxiliary and a SNP wives' group. The Emersons became charter members of the Town and Country Supper Club. Mrs. Emerson volunteered in the Page Memorial Hospital Auxiliary gift shop and the Page One gift shop, her longest and favorite community involvement.

She was an accomplished seamstress, who made draperies, slipcovers and clothing, mostly for family members and friends. Mrs. Emerson and her husband traveled widely after his retirement in 1986. Favorite trips included Nova Scotia, Alaska, the Panama Canal, the American West and, most specially, one that retraced Mr. Emerson's path from Normandy to Germany with Patton's Third Army in World War II.

She also was a member of the Red Hatters. Many knew Mrs. Emerson, her husband and their dog Lucy because of their twice-daily walks on the Hawksbill Greenway in Luray. An Episcopalian, she attended Luray United Methodist Church from marriage until her death.

She particularly enjoyed watching grandchildren Katherine and Peyton grow into caring, successful young people. In July, she spent two weeks helping the family in Williamsburg as her son Philip began recovery from major ankle surgery.

Along the way, Mrs. Emerson cared for five elderly and infirm family members, including her husband late in his 92-year life. She managed the financial affairs and final arrangements for some, among them an elderly brother and sister who had worked for her late uncle and had no family.

Mr. Emerson died Feb. 7, 2017. Survivors include her sons, Lawrence

K. Emerson and wife Ellen of Warrenton, and Philip G. Emerson and wife Beth of Williamsburg; two grandchildren, Katherine Emerson and Peyton Emerson of Williamsburg; many nieces, nephews and cousins, and a host of close friends.

Her four siblings, Dr. Philip B. Peters, Mary Beaumont "Polly" Peters, Peyton P. Peters (her twin) and Michael C. Peters, also preceded Mrs. Emerson in death.

Pastor Erich Bennett will conduct the memorial service at 2 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, in the pavilion at Beahm's Chapel Cemetery near Luray. A reception will follow at the Mimslyn Inn.

Name:
Twin sister to Payton Patmore Peters

Gayle married Keith H. Emerson 19 Jun 1953, Reidsville, North Carolina. Keith was born 4 Feb 1925, Virginia; died 7 Feb 2017; was buried , Beahms Chapel Cemetery Luray, Virginia. [Group Sheet]

Harold married Dorothy St. John Durrett/Durrette 21 Aug 1926, District of Columbia. Dorothy (daughter of Cecil Beverley Durrett/Durrette and Mary Almedia Leavell) was born 19 Sep 1900, Virginia; died 23 Jun 1980, Fredericksburg, Virginia; was buried , Christ Episcopal Church Cemetery, Spotsylvania County, Virginia. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Information on the Durrett/Jamison family provided by Carter Powell.

Cecil married Mary Almedia Leavell 15 Jan 1878, Spotsylvania County, Virginia. Mary (daughter of Benjamin Long Leavell and Roberta Elizabeth Gayle) was born 20 Apr 1857, Rosemont, Spotsylvania County, Virginia; died 13 Mar 1938; was buried , Leavell Cemetery, on developed land near Spotsylvania County, Virginia. [Group Sheet]

Notes:

Name: C. B. Durrett
Birth Date: 1854
Birthplace: Spotsylvania Co.
Age: 24
Spouse's Name: M. A. Leavell
Spouse's Birth Date: 1858
Spouse's Birthplace: Spotsylvania
Spouse's Age: 20
Event Date: 15 Jan 1878
Event Place: Spotsylvania Co., Virginia
Father's Name: A. L. Durrett
Mother's Name: L.
Spouse's Father's Name: D. L. Leavett
Spouse's Mother's Name: R. S.
Race: White
Marital Status: Single
Spouse's Race: White
Spouse's Marital Status: Single

Indexing Project (Batch) Number: M86868-2 , System Origin: Virginia-EASy , GS Film number: 34096 , Reference ID: P 129

Notes:

.

Eugene B Durrett

United States Census, 1860

Name: Eugene B Durrett
Event Type: Census
Event Year: 1860
Event Place: St Georges Parish, Spotsylvania, Virginia, United States
Gender: Male
Age: 2
Race: White
Race (Original): [Blank]
Birth Year (Estimated): 1858
Birthplace: Virginia
Page: 60
Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Affiliate Publication Number: M653

Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
A L Durrett M 33 Virginia
Mary L Durrett F 25 Virginia
Lewis B Durrett M 8 Virginia
Cecil B Durrett M 6 Virginia
Eugene B Durrett M 2 Virginia

Household ID: 457 , GS Film Number

Addison married Mary Louisa Barton 1850. Mary was born Abt. 1835, Virginia; died 1863. [Group Sheet]

Benjamin married Roberta Elizabeth Gayle 11 Oct 1853, Rosemont Farm in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. Roberta (daughter of Josiah Pitt Gayle Sr and Frances M 'Fannie' Broaddus) was born 13 May 1830; died 21 Dec 1925; was buried , Leavell Family Cemetery, Spotsylvania County, Virginia. [Group Sheet]