John Skeen (1920-2016) - John Skeen comes to the Smyth County Jam from his home in Lebanon, VA , where he is retired from the sheriff's office. John plays guitar and was lead singer for the Russell County Boys. He is not playing with a band currently. He has been playing and involved with music about fifty years. John says his father played guitar and piano and could read shape-notes also. This is almost a lost art. One of the early bluegrass musicians John admires was Lester Flatt. John's son and grand son play a variety of instruments, perhaps he can persuade them to come to the Smyth County Jam some Monday evening.
In Memorandum
LEBANON, Va. John Deward Skeen, age 87, went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, October 19, 2016, at Bristol Regional Medical Center, surrounded by his loving family. Deward was born on August 19, 1929, in Castlewood to the late John Haskell and the late Lottie Robinson Skeen. He was a retired jailer with the Russell County Sheriff's Office for 17 years and employed by Pike Electric for 15 years. Deward loved bluegrass, playing with Trigg Fields, and the Russell County Boys for 40 years. He was a member of Green Valley Baptist Church and a member of the Green Valley Boys for more than 20 years. Survivors include his loving wife of 58 years, Bessie Mae Fields Skeen; one son, James Deward (Jimmy) Skeen, and wife, Pamela, Lebanon; one grandson, Tyler Skeen and fiance, Tiffany Hylton, Lebanon; one granddaughter, Kimberly Skeen, Lebanon; six sisters, Dorothy Louthan, Sneedville, Tenn., Wilma Gilliam, Noblesville, Ind., Edith Sluss and husband, Curtis, Coeburn, Va., Jewel Haga and husband, Don, Blountville, Tenn., Phyllis Peacock and husband, Earl, Holden, Mo., and Eliza Williams and husband, Randy, Lebanon, Va.; brothers, George Kyle Skeen, Lebanon, Va. and Larry Skeen and wife, Rhonda, Castlewood Va.; several nieces and nephews, and great nieces and nephews. A special thanks to Dr.Shao and staff of Wellmont Cancer Center and Bristol Regional Medical Center and staff, Shelia Vandyke, Jerry Shortridge, Carlos Garrett, Tim Dawson and Terry Spencer. A funeral service will be conducted at 8 p.m. Friday, October 21, 2016, at the Green Valley Baptist Church with the Rev. Darrell Naff, the Rev. Jim Fuller and Randy Williams officiating. Burial will be conducted at Temple Hill Memorial Park in Castlewood at 11 a.m. Saturday, October 22, 2016. Those wishing to attend are requested to meet at the church by 10:15 a.m. to go in procession to the cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5 until 8 p.m. at Green Valley Baptist Church. Pallbearers will be Tyler Skeen, Tony Skeen, Wayne Sluss, David Sluss, Kevin Williams, Jeff Gilliam, Joey Skeen, and Jerry Shortridge. Honorary pallbearers will be Steve Wallace, Steve Dye and the Russell County Sheriff's Department, Carter Chafin, Kenneth Johnson, and the men of Green Valley Baptist Church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Green Valley Baptist Church, 695 Green Valley Road or to the American Cancer Society, 508 Princeton Road #102, Johnson City, Tenn. Expressions of sympathy may be made to the family online at www.combsfuneralservice.com. Combs Funeral Service, 291 Highway 71, Fincastle Road, Lebanon, VA 24266 (276) 889-4444 is serving the Skeen family.
