Obituary for Rodney Allen Watring
Rodney Allen Watring, 69, of Hedgesville, WV, departed this world for his new home in heaven Monday, April 18, 2022. Our family had been caring for Rodney at home but was transported to the Hospice of the Panhandle Inpatient Facility Easter Sunday evening. His wife, Linda, accompanied him to the facility and stayed with him until he comfortably passed away early Monday morning while sleeping.
Born November 9, 1952, in Philippi, WV, he was the son of the late Elmer Hubert Watring, Sr., and Betty Lou Mayles Watring. Rodney is survived by his wife, Linda Cheryl Walters Watring; one son, Mark A. Watring; a daughter, Lori A. Watring; and one granddaughter, Destiny J. Watring; two brothers, Edward M. Watring (Pat) and Hubert E. Watring, Jr., (Sandy); one sister-in-law, Karen D. Deaner (Alan), along with Rodney’s mother-in-law, Ruby Madeline Walters Powell; nieces and nephews Kim Wilder, Tom Watring, Hube Watring, Joe Watring, Susan Watring, and Keith Deaner; and numerous great nieces and great nephews.
He was preceded in death by a nephew, Edgar Watring.
A memorial service is planned for Saturday, April 23, at 11 am. The location is Independent Bible Church of Martinsburg, WV. Interment is private and will take place prior to his memorial service. Arrangements were made through Brown’s Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Independent Bible Church Missions Fund or Hospice of the Eastern Panhandle.
Rodney was an avid deer hunter and fed his family well for many of those 49 years of marriage. He was gifted with calling the deer out into the open for a good shot. When he was a young lad, he successfully hunted with his faithful dog, Tiger, and then Sport. He often trapped pelts in the winter and had the furs stretched across his family storage building. Then off to school he would go, and the students would be in awe of his trapping abilities as they passed right by his home, via the school bus, and could see those pelts.
There’s a sign in Rodney’s man cave that states, “Fish tremble at the mention of my name,” and oh, how true. Rodney earned numerous fish citations for WV state records. He shared his love of fishing with several people, teaching them how to fish for that all-elusive WV Native Brook Trout. Fly tying was another hobby he enjoyed, making the same hatch that was coming off the water. He had a special fly he tied that he dubbed, “the Gold Fly,” and shared the lure with many. Our son learned to love all nature, hunting, and fishing because of his dad.
Rodney and Linda shared a love of vegetable gardening and planted a huge garden every year. They tended it together, teaching Mark and Lori to be excellent workers. Canning and freezing the produce, Rodney freely shared his vegetables with visitors.
The real fun began when Rodney’s mom taught Rodney to dig up and replant flowers for herself, neighbors, and the relatives. She taught him the love of flowers, so Rodney was an expert when I became a part of the Watring family. Always digging up the wildflowers I wanted, he successfully planted them in my flower beds. Betty Lou’s pride and joy were the teacup-and-saucer plant. Rodney brought the perennial to our home and faithfully babied those flowers for years. Not doing well at the top of our road, Rodney transplanted them to the front flower bed at the house. They flourished there and have bloomed every year since. Lori wanted a piece. Ever willing to share, Rodney told her she had to wait until they stopped blooming. I didn’t wait but proceeded to chop a piece off the mother plant & replanted it myself in a different flower bed when Rodney wasn’t home. Luckily for me, the plant not only survived, but thrived and is now ready to transplant.
Betty Lou also taught Rodney about the Christ Flower. His memories of this gorgeous white flower bloomed during his childhood, bloomed only at night, had a heavenly scent that filled the house, and the center of the flower reminded you of the Nativity Scene with Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, and the angel. He was excited our Christ Flower bloomed for us.
Rodney trimmed the Yellow Rose of Texas bush for his mother. He always cut the rosebush back further than his mother wanted, but once it’s cut off, you cannot put it back, still her rosebush thrived. Rodney faithfully transplanted one to our home garden-it had wicked, long thorns. Rodney faithfully tended our flower beds, weeding, watering & planting whatever flowers I wanted. We had planted the infamous pink coneflower which grew very tall and took over my flowerbeds.
Every Easter Rodney and our children bought me an Easter flower, a perennial that was faithfully planted. When Rodney was taken to Hospice on Easter Sunday, they gave him a beautiful hyacinth. Rodney’s last Easter with me, he faithfully shared his Easter flower.
Destiny, our grandchild entered our lives and Rodney spoiled her rotten; that’s what grandparents do. Nicknamed Half-Pint, they spent many hours & years together, changing her diaper & feeding her as a baby, then taking her for 4-wheeler rides & sharing his love of WV mountains. A favorite game of hide-&-seek always brought fun & giggles. Only once PapPap couldn’t find Destiny & she never showed him that special hiding place.
Rodney had a remarkable work ethic. No matter what job, he worked every day, rarely missing no matter the weather or his health. He started his working career as a young lad setting pins in a bowling alley, collected bottles for pennies, cut lawns, and painted homes. As an adult, he worked with O’Sullivan’s, Ziegler, Coke-a-Cola, and GTE. He loved his numerous jobs with GTE Telephone Co, and switched to working outdoors as a cable splicer was a perfect match for Rodney. If Rodney made it to work, the theory was everyone else should make it to work as well, as Rodney travelled the most distance on more treacherous, country roads.
Rodney has finished his journey well, blessing many with his generosity. Loving his family, he will be there to greet us when we join him in Heaven with Jesus and other family members.
Born November 9, 1952, in Philippi, WV, he was the son of the late Elmer Hubert Watring, Sr., and Betty Lou Mayles Watring. Rodney is survived by his wife, Linda Cheryl Walters Watring; one son, Mark A. Watring; a daughter, Lori A. Watring; and one granddaughter, Destiny J. Watring; two brothers, Edward M. Watring (Pat) and Hubert E. Watring, Jr., (Sandy); one sister-in-law, Karen D. Deaner (Alan), along with Rodney’s mother-in-law, Ruby Madeline Walters Powell; nieces and nephews Kim Wilder, Tom Watring, Hube Watring, Joe Watring, Susan Watring, and Keith Deaner; and numerous great nieces and great nephews.
He was preceded in death by a nephew, Edgar Watring.
A memorial service is planned for Saturday, April 23, at 11 am. The location is Independent Bible Church of Martinsburg, WV. Interment is private and will take place prior to his memorial service. Arrangements were made through Brown’s Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to Independent Bible Church Missions Fund or Hospice of the Eastern Panhandle.
Rodney was an avid deer hunter and fed his family well for many of those 49 years of marriage. He was gifted with calling the deer out into the open for a good shot. When he was a young lad, he successfully hunted with his faithful dog, Tiger, and then Sport. He often trapped pelts in the winter and had the furs stretched across his family storage building. Then off to school he would go, and the students would be in awe of his trapping abilities as they passed right by his home, via the school bus, and could see those pelts.
There’s a sign in Rodney’s man cave that states, “Fish tremble at the mention of my name,” and oh, how true. Rodney earned numerous fish citations for WV state records. He shared his love of fishing with several people, teaching them how to fish for that all-elusive WV Native Brook Trout. Fly tying was another hobby he enjoyed, making the same hatch that was coming off the water. He had a special fly he tied that he dubbed, “the Gold Fly,” and shared the lure with many. Our son learned to love all nature, hunting, and fishing because of his dad.
Rodney and Linda shared a love of vegetable gardening and planted a huge garden every year. They tended it together, teaching Mark and Lori to be excellent workers. Canning and freezing the produce, Rodney freely shared his vegetables with visitors.
The real fun began when Rodney’s mom taught Rodney to dig up and replant flowers for herself, neighbors, and the relatives. She taught him the love of flowers, so Rodney was an expert when I became a part of the Watring family. Always digging up the wildflowers I wanted, he successfully planted them in my flower beds. Betty Lou’s pride and joy were the teacup-and-saucer plant. Rodney brought the perennial to our home and faithfully babied those flowers for years. Not doing well at the top of our road, Rodney transplanted them to the front flower bed at the house. They flourished there and have bloomed every year since. Lori wanted a piece. Ever willing to share, Rodney told her she had to wait until they stopped blooming. I didn’t wait but proceeded to chop a piece off the mother plant & replanted it myself in a different flower bed when Rodney wasn’t home. Luckily for me, the plant not only survived, but thrived and is now ready to transplant.
Betty Lou also taught Rodney about the Christ Flower. His memories of this gorgeous white flower bloomed during his childhood, bloomed only at night, had a heavenly scent that filled the house, and the center of the flower reminded you of the Nativity Scene with Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, and the angel. He was excited our Christ Flower bloomed for us.
Rodney trimmed the Yellow Rose of Texas bush for his mother. He always cut the rosebush back further than his mother wanted, but once it’s cut off, you cannot put it back, still her rosebush thrived. Rodney faithfully transplanted one to our home garden-it had wicked, long thorns. Rodney faithfully tended our flower beds, weeding, watering & planting whatever flowers I wanted. We had planted the infamous pink coneflower which grew very tall and took over my flowerbeds.
Every Easter Rodney and our children bought me an Easter flower, a perennial that was faithfully planted. When Rodney was taken to Hospice on Easter Sunday, they gave him a beautiful hyacinth. Rodney’s last Easter with me, he faithfully shared his Easter flower.
Destiny, our grandchild entered our lives and Rodney spoiled her rotten; that’s what grandparents do. Nicknamed Half-Pint, they spent many hours & years together, changing her diaper & feeding her as a baby, then taking her for 4-wheeler rides & sharing his love of WV mountains. A favorite game of hide-&-seek always brought fun & giggles. Only once PapPap couldn’t find Destiny & she never showed him that special hiding place.
Rodney had a remarkable work ethic. No matter what job, he worked every day, rarely missing no matter the weather or his health. He started his working career as a young lad setting pins in a bowling alley, collected bottles for pennies, cut lawns, and painted homes. As an adult, he worked with O’Sullivan’s, Ziegler, Coke-a-Cola, and GTE. He loved his numerous jobs with GTE Telephone Co, and switched to working outdoors as a cable splicer was a perfect match for Rodney. If Rodney made it to work, the theory was everyone else should make it to work as well, as Rodney travelled the most distance on more treacherous, country roads.
Rodney has finished his journey well, blessing many with his generosity. Loving his family, he will be there to greet us when we join him in Heaven with Jesus and other family members.