[Nfbwv-talk] A Stone for Bud

[Smyth, Charlene R]

This is for those of you who are also alumnus of the West Virginia School for the Blind.



Karen shared this with the alumni list.  I wanted to share this here as well.  What good memories this brings back to me as well as a longing to be there one more time.



Charlene



A stone for Bud. Shaffer's raising money for Nealis marker



ROMNEY



In honor of the memory of Ira Ralph "Bud" Nealis, Shaffer Funeral Home is heading up a fundraiser to place a monument on Nealis's gravesite.



Nealis passed away in 1984, but the community's memories of his Rexall store, and more importantly, of his kind nature, live on still today.



Bud was a veteran and a well-loved community member, whose store was the hangout for locals, and especially so for teenagers. The Rexall store was apparently well-known for its milkshakes and friendly atmosphere.



"Recalling Bud recalls an era that was warm and fuzzy for lots and lots of people. The stories told about him are remarkable," said Carter Wagoner of Shaffer Funeral Home. "Bud was a good guy.



Wagoner told of stories of Nealis extending lines of credit to local teenagers when nobody else would do so, and added, "He made you want to do the right thing.



Another memory Wagoner recalled hearing from locals was of local teens hanging out at the Rexall each morning and reading comics and magazines.



As Shaffer Funeral Home put it on a Facebook post about the fundraiser, "He was as much a part of Romney as the South Branch River.



Nealis is buried at the Ebenezer Cemetery with only a Veteran's Marker to

identify his burial site. While the marker serves as a gesture to his service to the United States, it only says "Ira Ralph Nealis"  which may confuse many who simply knew him as "Bud.



With that in mind, Wagoner and Dan Oates are starting a fundraiser to obtain enough money to purchase a monument for Bud's gravesite. The estimate for the monument is $3,000.



Any funds raised beyond the $3,000 will be given to the Hampshire High Athletic Association in Bud's memory. An annual award is presently given by the athletic department in Bud's name to the community member who gives the most to HHS athletics.



The goal for the monument is to have a design in place that includes Bud's photo, his name, the Rexall logo and a brief epitaph.



Contributions may be made to "Remembering Bud" and dropped off or mailed to Shaffer Funeral Home, 230 E. Main St., Romney, WV  26757.



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