[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 108 (Wednesday, June 26, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4563-S4564]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING REBA JOY HONAKER

 Mr. MANCHIN. Mr. President, today I wish to honor a proud West 
Virginian, a dedicated public servant, a beloved wife, mother, 
grandmother, and a dear friend to all who had the pleasure of knowing 
her. It is a privilege to recognize the life and legacy of Mayor Reba 
Joy Honaker for her many years of dedicated service to the city of 
Welch and to our home State.
  A lifelong resident of McDowell County, growing up on Belcher 
Mountain, Mayor Honaker graduated from Welch High School and Concord 
College and was also a dedicated member of the Elkhorn Old Regular 
Baptist Church. Upon graduating from college, she taught home economics 
at Big Creek High School until the birth of her son. Later she began 
directing weddings and designing wedding cakes, a skill she taught to 
others. She was active with the American Association of University 
Women's McDowell Chapter, where she took the lead on the yearly arts 
and crafts festival with proceeds benefitting the advancement of women 
in higher education. In 1984,

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Mayor Honaker opened Flowers by Reba, a small business she owned and 
operated until 2006. Her volunteerism spanned the community, from 
helping to start the very successful Coal Camp Creations Company, to 
volunteering with the McDowell County Chamber of Commerce at various 
festivals and events. Mayor Honaker truly wanted the very best for 
McDowell County, helping to recreate events that took place in other 
areas of the State. She assumed her role as mayor of Welch in 2011 and 
was able to put her vision for the community to even greater use. 
Whether working with the Welch Kiwanis Club or the American Legion Post 
8 Ladies Auxiliary, she was able to make a tremendous impact on the 
lives of countless families in the area. Most recently, we celebrated 
the opening of the Jack Caffrey Arts Center, a project near and dear to 
Mayor Honaker's heart that serves as a hub for cultural programs in 
McDowell County.
  Mayor Honaker represented the very best of West Virginia, which is 
saying quite a lot. In the Mountain State, if you are hungry, you will 
be fed. If you are lost, someone will not only give you directions but 
will offer to drive you to your destination. That is just who we are, 
and that is who Mayor Honaker was. We have lost a shining star in 
McDowell County, but her impact, vision, and her passion for this 
special community will last forever. It was an honor to have known her 
and to call her a friend.
  What is most important is that she lived a full life, surrounded by 
dear friends and family. It is my hope that her family and friends are 
able to find peace, strength, and support in one another. I extend my 
condolences to Charles, her loving husband of 57 years; her children, 
Darren and Patty, and Joi and Jeremy; her grandchildren, Christopher, 
Erik, Mason, Wyatt, and Paige; and her numerous extended family members 
and dear friends with the city of Welch. Again, I extend to you my most 
sincere condolences for our loss of this wonderful person. The 
unwavering love she had for her family, friends, community, and our 
home State will live on forever in the hearts of all who knew 
her.

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