Losing someone is heavy. Honestly, when you’re looking for Roush Funeral Home Ravenswood WV obituaries, you aren’t just looking for a name and a date. You’re looking for a connection to the community and a way to say goodbye to a neighbor, a friend, or a family member. It’s about more than just a digital record; it’s about the fabric of Jackson County.
Ravenswood is a small town where people know each other’s business, but in the best way possible. When the sirens wail or the flags at the riverfront drop to half-staff, people notice. Roush Funeral Home has been the primary spot for these final tributes for decades, and keeping up with who we’ve lost is how this community stays tight-knit.
The Story Behind the Name
It’s kinda wild to think about how long this place has been around. Most people just know it as Roush, but it has a history that stretches back to before the Civil War. Basically, back in 1860, a guy named John J. Rudman started providing "basic care" for the deceased. Imagine that for a second. That’s 166 years of local history.
The business changed hands a bunch of times—it was Twiggs, then Thorn, then Palmer, and later Chambers. It wasn’t until 1996 that it officially became Roush Funeral Home under Joseph R. Roush. Joe is actually an award-winning embalmer, which might sound a bit clinical, but in this industry, it means he takes a lot of pride in the dignity of the service.
The building itself is at 205 South Ritchie Avenue. You’ve probably driven past it a thousand times if you live in town. It’s an old-school, dignified West Virginia structure that has seen a lot of tears and a lot of shared memories.
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Finding Recent Roush Funeral Home Ravenswood WV Obituaries
If you’re trying to find a recent obituary, you’ve got a few options. Most people head straight to the official website, but sometimes those sites can be a bit clunky to navigate when you’re stressed.
As of mid-January 2026, some of the names the community has recently remembered include:
- Wayne "Roger" Ramsey, who passed in early January.
- Pamela L. Kellam, remembered from the first week of the year.
- Clyde Salser, another early January loss.
- Christeena Mae Caplinger, who started the new year in our thoughts.
Honestly, the "Tribute Wall" on their site is where the real value is. It’s not just the formal obituary text. It’s the place where people post photos of 1970s fishing trips or leave a note about how the deceased always had the best garden on the block. That’s the stuff that matters.
Why Digital Obituaries Matter Now
We used to wait for the Jackson Star News to come out to see who had passed. Now, everything is instant. This is great because it lets out-of-town family members know what's happening immediately, but it also means the information can feel a bit "blink and you miss it."
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If you're searching for older records, sites like Legacy.com or Tribute Archive often mirror the data from Roush. They’re helpful if the main site is down or if you're doing genealogy research. Just a heads-up: sometimes the dates on third-party sites can be off by a day depending on when they "scraped" the data, so always trust the official Roush site or the family's direct word first.
More Than Just a Guestbook
Roush does more than just host a viewing. They’re deeply involved in Ravenswood. They’ve donated to the High School Cross Country team, the Football Boosters, and even the local Octoberfest. When you support them or attend a service there, you're interacting with a business that actually puts money back into the bleacher funds and the local DARE programs.
They also offer some things you might not expect:
- Pet Services: Because losing a dog or cat is a real heartbreak, too.
- Monument Sales: They handle the engravings so you don't have to find a separate stone mason.
- Grief Support: They link people to resources like GriefShare or "365 Days of Healing" emails.
It’s worth noting that Jane C. White, the office manager, has been in the funeral business since 1982. Think about that. She’s likely helped three generations of your family through their hardest days. That kind of institutional knowledge is rare these days.
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Planning and "Pre-Need"
Nobody wants to talk about it. It’s uncomfortable. But "pre-need" arrangements are basically a gift to your kids so they aren't guessing what kind of casket you wanted while they're grieving. Roush has an online planner that lets you sit in your pajamas and pick out your options without the pressure of a salesperson standing over you.
You can specify everything—the music, the specific religious texts, even the food you want served at a reception. If you want a specific story told or a "thank you" message read to the crowd, you can write that down years in advance.
A Quick Reality Check
Funeral costs are rising everywhere. It’s a fact of life. While Roush is known for being compassionate, it’s still a business. If you’re looking at obituaries and thinking about your own future, it’s smart to look into how life insurance or funeral trusts work in West Virginia. The staff there usually helps with processing insurance claims and Social Security benefits, which is a huge weight off your shoulders when you can barely remember to eat, let alone fill out government forms.
What to Do Next
If you are looking for a specific person right now, here is the best way to handle it:
- Check the Official Site: Go to
roushfuneralhome.netfirst. It’s the source of truth for service times and locations. - Check the Tribute Wall: If you can’t make it to the service, leave a comment there. Families actually read those, and it helps them more than you think.
- Call Directly: If you're confused about a service time for someone like Wayne "Roger" Ramsey or Christeena Mae Caplinger, just call (304) 273-2152. They’re used to answering questions from the community.
- Send Flowers Early: If you're going the floral route, try to get the order in at least 24 hours before the first visitation. Local shops like Wildwood Flowers usually know the Roush schedule by heart.
Staying informed about Roush Funeral Home Ravenswood WV obituaries is just part of living in a place where people care about their neighbors. It’s a small way to show respect for a life lived and to support those left behind in the 26164.