Phyllis Schoolcraft McCall, age 81, passed on to her eternal home in Glory Friday, July 5, 2019, at her home in Slaty Fork. Born July 14, 1937, in Fayetteville, she was a daughter of the late Samuel Martin and Ada Pearl Auldridge Schoolcraft. Phyllis attended Marlinton High School and always fondly remembered her friends there. She received her high school diploma from American University. Over the years, she worked many jobs. She was a nurse’s aide at Denmar Hospital and was also employed at the Shoe Factory in Marlinton. She was known by all as “Aunt Phyllis” and loved making and selling her jellies and jams at the local Farmers Market, the Pioneer Days Flea Market and Autumn Harvest Festival each year. She shared her love for Jesus with all she met. She loved to write and was the author of four books, Beneath the Snow, Wildwoods, Purple Mountain Poetry and Precious Memories. She received several awards and recognitions for her poetry. She loved flowers and enjoyed taking pictures of friends and the scenery in her beloved Pocahontas County. Each year, she made sure someone took her across the Scenic Highway. Phyllis was a proud member of Cooktown Church at Buckeye and was instrumental in making sure the church her father started in 1954 remained open after his death. She never missed a chance to share her deep faith in Jesus Christ. From her birth to her death on Friday, she nurtured her family and others with love, encouragement and enthusiasm for life. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her brother, Carlos R. Schoolcraft; two infant babies, Julian G. McLaughlin, and Lily Faith McLaughlin; and a sister-in-law, Drema McCall. S he is survived by her husband of 49 years, Pastor David H. McCall; sons, Daniel M. McLaughlin, and wife, Bonnie, of Hillsboro, and Douglas McCall, and David T. McCall, both of Slaty Fork; granddaughters, Vanessa Lail, and husband, Doug, of North Carolina, and Amanda McLaughlin, of Hillsboro; great-grandchildren, Danielle Stuart, Ashley Stuart, Joshua Stuart and Gavin Walls; sisters, Janice S. Gurley, and husband, Lee, of Charlottesville Virginia, Linda S. Wright, and husband, Willie, of Marlinton, and Wanda S. Harper, and husband, Rick, of Frankford; many nephews and nieces; three special sisters-in-law, Linda Kay Burgess, Peggy McCall and Kathy McCall; and brother-in-law, Joe McCall. Celebration of Life and the impact she had on her family and others was held July 8 at Cooktown Church in Buckeye. Interment was in Mountain View Cemetery in Marlinton. Memorials may be made to Cooktown Community Church, 12004 Seneca Trail, Buckeye, WV 24924 or to Pastor David H. McCall, 764 Crooked Fork Road, Slaty Fork, WV 26291. Online condolences may be made at www.lantzfuneralhome.com
