Updike Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Bedford, VA (2025)

12/24/2025

To all of you who are grieving this Christmas season, we offer our heartfelt love and support.
Your Updike family....Katrina, Tim, Pat, Lisa, and Janet our amazing support team, Ricky, Rixey, Dale & JK.

12/23/2025

Jon Edward Willdigg, age 65 passed away at his home in Bedford, VA on Wednesday, December 17, 2025. Formerly of Northport, New York, he was preceded in death by his mother, Hilma Weston Willdigg; father, John Arthur Willdigg; and niece, Sara Piña.

He is survived by his wife, Kathy McElroy; sister, Mildred Piña; brother-in-law, Mike Piña; mother-in-law, Shirley McElroy and brother-in-law, Eric McElroy. He leaves behind many family and friends, including but not limited to those of his his childhood and youth as well as the Roanoke City Fire Department, the Lancelot, New Leaf Farm and the Lakeside Singers.

Jon was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church and graduated from Northport High School. He loved music and hockey. He was a dedicated fan of the New York Rangers and played locally for the Rusty Blades and the Ducks. He loved animals and was a farrier throughout his adult life.

A service will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Roanoke Firefighters Charitable Foundation, 240 Timberlake Drive, Hardy, VA 24101.

Arrangements are being handled by Updike Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Bedford.

12/20/2025

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Linda Darnell Langford Evans, of Forest who went home to be with the Lord on December 18, 2025.

Linda was born on October 11, 1946, to the late Morris Langford and Esther Langford. She was preceded in death by her beloved son, Jeffrey Scott Anderson; her half-sisters, Debbie and Tina; and her cherished dog, Bolt.

Linda will be lovingly remembered by her devoted husband, Charles “Chuck” Evans; her children, Robert (Jennifer) Anderson, David (Pam) Anderson, Rayna (Troy) Williams, Richard (Cherie) Evans, and Mike (Tiffany) Evans; her brother, Ray (Karen) Langford; her sister, Joanne Hepler; and her half-siblings, Mark (Cindy), Valerie (John), and Judy (Tony). She also leaves behind numerous nieces and nephews, along with 19 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren, all of whom brought her immense joy.

Linda’s greatest passion was people. She treasured the many friendships she formed throughout her life and never met a stranger, always welcoming new connections with an open heart. She took great pride in caring for her yard and beautiful flower beds, finding joy in the simple rhythms of each day—starting her mornings with a cup of coffee, a Dr Pepper, and her New York Times crossword puzzle. Evenings often found her curled up with a James Patterson or John Grisham novel, enjoying a bowl of ice cream. Linda also dearly loved the beach and cherished time spent on family vacations.

Though our hearts grieve her loss, we find comfort in knowing that Linda loved the Lord and is now resting in the glory of His eternal kingdom.

The family extends heartfelt gratitude to Cardinal Senior Living for their compassionate care and support during Linda’s final months, with special thanks to Hollie and Sabrina for their kindness and dedication.

Linda’s warmth, love, and joyful spirit will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

The family will receive friends from 1 PM until 3 PM on Sunday, December 21, 2025 at Updike Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Bedford.

12/19/2025

Robert Harold Thompson, Sr., 98 of Thaxton, VA passed away Wednesday, December 17, 2025 at his residence. He was born on Wednesday, September 7, 1927 in Pennsylvania, a son of the late Ted Thompson and Mary Scudder Thompson. He was also preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth Dorothy Morrison Thompson.

He was a retired Merchant Marine and was a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church.

He is survived by his sons, Robert Harold Thompson, Jr. (Joyce), William Rawdon Thompson (Sue), David Gaunt Thompson (Pamela); his daughters, Cynthia Elizabeth Bartholomew (Nicholas), Linda D. Thompson-Tressler (Romy), Colleen Goodman Thompson; numerous grandchildren & great grandchildren.

The family requests that those wishing to make memorials consider Heartland Hospice , 7806 Timberlake Road, Lynchburg, VA 24502.

A service will be held at a later date. Arrangements are being handled by Updike Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Bedford.

12/17/2025

Thinking of everyone who is missing their loved one this Christmas season. We are lifting you in prayer for strength and comfort.

12/16/2025

Margaret Lucille Creasey Holland, 88, of Bedford, passed away Monday, December 15th, 2025. She was born on March 20th, 1937 in Bedford County, a daughter of the late Samuel B. Creasey and Nellie Daniels Creasey. She was a devoted and loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt and friend.

Margaret was married to the late Oren Douglas "Doug" Holland, Jr. for 67 years. While in high school, Margaret was a member of the basketball team and May Court, was nicknamed "Dimples", and was voted "Best Looking" during her senior year. She was a dedicated member of Pecks Baptist Church her entire adult life and was heavily involved in the WMU and GA programs. Margaret was an amazing southern cook...her fried chicken, mac & cheese, and pound cake could not be beat! Margaret always had a great sense of humor, she loved laughing and telling funny little stories, always cracking us up around the kitchen table.

Margaret is survived by her son, Oren Douglas “O.D.” Holland III; her daughters, Mary Beth Lynch (Gary) and Julie Cullum (Jerry); her grandsons, Oren Douglas “Douglas” Holland IV (Katalin) and Sam Lynch; her granddaughters, Holly Lynch and Hannah Lynch; a great grandson, Oren Douglas “Oren” Holland V; two sisters, Fern C. Hargis (George) and Joyce Hawkins; and a brother, Billy Creasey; as well as many beloved nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends beginning at 12:30 on Thursday, December 18, 2025 at Pecks Baptist Church and a funeral service will follow at 2 PM with Pastor Brandon Palmer officiating. Interment will follow in Pecks Baptist Church Cemetery.

As a family, we take joy in the fact that mom and dad are reunited in heaven.

Arrangements are being handled by Updike Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Bedford

12/11/2025

**** The Scammers continue to look for ways to prey on you. ****

These scams in which families have reported receiving phone calls from individuals falsely claiming that insurance funds cannot be released until a death certificate has been filed. The caller pressures the family to make an immediate “deposit” to speed up the process.

We want to remind our families that these calls are not legitimate. We will NEVER contact you unexpectedly to demand payment.

Scammers have also been known to review published obituaries and then contact families with false claims, including:

• Demanding a deposit to ensure a scheduled service would take place the next day.

• Requiring payment to supposedly prevent the state from taking possession of the remains.

• Using the names of actual funeral home staff to claim insurance had not been paid and a deposit was needed to “guarantee” the service time.

Your safety and peace of mind are extremely important to us. Please contact us if you receive any of these calls and DO NOT give your credit card information to anyone calling in regards to this.

Please help spread the word.

12/08/2025

Christine B. Wertz Patane passed away in her home on Thursday Dec. 4, 2025 at the age of 76 after a long struggle fighting stage four lung cancer.

She is survived by her husband John William Patane, her brother Will Wertz, her sister Joanne Wertz, her sister-in-law Carmen Cota-Wertz, her nephews and nieces, Carlos Cota-Wertz, Ardena Cota, Fernando Cota Wertz, Cassie Cota-Wertz, Barbara Jannah, Shekar Jannah, Bob Patane, Patti Keith, Dean Keith, great nephews and nieces, Gabriel Cota-Wertz, Callie Cota-Wertz, Julian Cota-Wertz, Logan Cota-Wertz, Branden Jannah, Nicole Jannah, Patrick Patane, Trevor Jannah, Hunter Keith, Bradley Keith, Jonathan Patane and, cousins Jackie Kramer (and daughters) and Cindi Falker and by her beloved cat, Missy. She is also survived by her good friends and neighbors, Cindi O’Connor and Jim and Joyce Beavers, who have stood by her and helped her in her need.

Chris grew up in New Jersey where she attended West Morris Regional High School. She graduated from Centenary College and gained her masters degree in Marketing Research from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She worked in a number of large companies such as Warner Lambert, Tampax and Nestles as a marketing research analyst.

She and her husband moved to Smith Mountain Lake in Moneta, VA from Southampton, Long Island, New York in the 1990s. They were active at Resurrection Roman Catholic Church. In Moneta, she participated every year in the fall craft bazaar at Resurrection Catholic Church. As a member of the Secret Ministry she was a Counter of donations after Mass for years. She did volunteer work for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s Thanks & Giving campaign. Chris also volunteered for the International Scleroderma Network (ISN) for a period of time when our sister, Joanne, served on the Board of Directors. The ISN mission was to provide stellar research, support, education, and awareness for scleroderma and related illnesses. The site at sclero.org (now retired) featured over 2,000 web pages in 22 languages. Chris maintained records of donations and distribution lists for the Voices of Scleroderma book series.

Chris was a loving, generous, strong woman who provided for her husband and family even when she herself was the one who was in need. She was the bedrock of her family. When conventional cancer treatments failed, she participated in a cancer treatment clinical trial
for several months. Although the trial failed to help her, by participating she hoped that it would help others.

A memorial celebration of her life will be held at the Updike Funeral Home & Cremation Service located at 1140 West Lynchburg-Salem Turnpike, Route 460 West, Bedford, VA 4523 on Saturday, Dec. 13 at 12:30 p.m. She will be buried at Resurrection Roman Catholic Church at 15353 Moneta Rd, Moneta, VA 24121 at 3:15 p.m. A reception will follow at 44 Halls Lane, Moneta, Va.

In lieu of flowers, please consider giving to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Arrangements are being handled by Updike Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Bedford.

12/07/2025

PLEASE BE AWARE 👀 The crooks are trying to prey on your grief.

Across Virginia, a scammer is impersonating funeral home employees, and is contacting families and demanding payment over the phone. They are very convincing and insistent.

They are using a funeral home name and funeral home employees names. Please know that we will never call you and ask for payment over the phone. Do NOT give the caller your information or money! HANG UP !

Please let other family members know. Let the funeral home know.

If you are ever unsure about anything to do with your loved one, please call the funeral home directly, regardless of the time, and speak with your funeral director.

12/04/2025

Nelson Wilmer III, born in Hopewell NJ passed on December 3, 2025.

He is survived by his wife Venus Wilmer, sons and their wives Chris & Melissa Wilmer, Steve & Sandy Wilmer, grandchildren David, Savannah, Brielle, Daniel, Abigail & Olivia, plus numerous cousins and close friends.

He was well known in Bedford VA for country pattern dancing with his wife and cruising with his Fiero. He had a passion for the online DCS and flight sim community, finding joy and challenge flying formations and trick flying the P51. His sense of humor and technical knowledge will be sincerely missed. He prided himself on being handy.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in his name to Gentle Shepherd Hospice, 6045 Peters Creek Rd, Roanoke, VA 24019.

There will be a Celebration of Life, 11AM-3PM January 17, 2026 at Nelson’s home in Bedford, VA.

Arrangements are being handled by Updike Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Bedford.

12/03/2025

Lowry Dale Stiff, 89, of Moneta passed away at Roanoke Memorial Hospital on Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025. He was born in Thaxton, Virginia, on August 4, 1936, the son of the late Carlisle Stiff and Kathleen Danner Stiff. He was also preceded in death by his sister, Peggy Munsey.

After graduating from Montvale High School, Dale worked at Rubatex in Bedford for 21 years. While working there, he went on a blind date with his future wife and married her ten months later. He and Catherine were married for over 64 years until his passing.

Seeking a different career path, he attended trucking school, earned his CDL license, and worked for several trucking companies before settling at Coca-Cola, where he eventually retired. After retirement, he began working for Bedford County Waste Management, a job he thoroughly enjoyed. He thought so much of his co-workers and loved catching up with old friends and making new ones. He continued working there until the age of 86.

Dale took pride in keeping his yard mowed and neat. He also enjoyed building and working on anything, always finding joy in fixing, creating, and completing projects with his hands. He loved animals, especially the dogs and cats who graced his life over the years. He was a big fan of the Hokies but loved watching all football games. He took up boxing as a teenager and carried a love for the sport throughout his entire adult life.

He was always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone he could. Dale was a past volunteer with the Moneta Rescue Squad and the Agape Center. He also served as a deacon and Sunday school teacher at Radford Baptist Church, where he was an active member for over 60 years until his health declined and he was no longer able to attend.

Dale was a strong person with a gentle spirit. He was a loving and supportive husband, Dad, and PaPa who attended as many sporting events and activities as he could for each grandchild.

Dale loved many things, but most of all he loved Jesus and his family.

Left to cherish his memory are the love of his life, Mary Catherine Tuck Stiff; his son, Derrick Stiff (Robin); and his daughters, Kim Reynolds (Bryan) and Rebecca Divers (Brian). He is also survived by his beloved grandchildren, Adam Reynolds, Landon Reynolds, Jakob Divers (Bailey), Elizabeth Divers; and his great-granddaughter, Hunter Divers. He also leaves behind his sister, Dorothy Bourne; his brother-in-law, Danny Tuck; and many special nieces and nephews.

The family would like to extend a special thank-you to his loving friends and wonderful neighbors, who were so good to him and Catherine, especially over the last several difficult years.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Huddleston Lifesaving and First Aid Crew in memory of Dale.

There will be a floating visitation at his home from 1:00–4:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 6th. Services are private and being handled by Updike Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Bedford.

12/03/2025

Royal Clinton (Clint) Knight went home to be with his Lord and Savior on Sunday, November 30, 2025, surrounded by his family. He was born on Monday, March 17, 1947. He was a faithful member of Grace Memorial Baptist Church, where he enjoyed serving the Lord.

Clint served in the United States Marine Corp as a training NCO and taught Marines how to shoot during the Vietnam War. While attending Virginia Tech, Clint helped build Dietrick Hall. He graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Business Administration. He was a skilled carpenter who built many homes. He had a quick wit about him and loved to crack a joke. He loved to study the Bible and meditate on God's Word.

Clint was preceded in death by several loved ones: his parents, Charles Perry and Myrtle Gaddy Knight; his brothers, Freddy and Roland; his sisters, Helene Knight, Betty Knight and Margie Miller.

He is survived by his wife, Marcia and two sons, Caleb (Brenna) and Andrew (Madison); his brothers, Don and Kent (Billie Jean); two sisters, Barbara Price and Linda Knight. Plus his sister-in-law, Pam Byers (Bill).

A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, December 6, 2025 at Updike Funeral Home Chapel, Bedford with Pastor Greg Rogers officiating. The family will receive friends one hour before the service beginning at 10:00 am. Arrangements are being handled by Updike Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Bedford.

Updike Funeral Home & Cremation Service

12/24/2025

12/23/2025

12/20/2025

12/19/2025

12/17/2025

12/16/2025

12/11/2025

12/08/2025

12/07/2025

12/04/2025

12/03/2025

12/03/2025

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Practice

Shortcuts

Share

Category