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Frances Ellen (Ledbetter) Varner, 90, of Ravenswood, WV, passed away peacefully on October 30, 2026. Frances was born April 3, 1936 near Clear Creek in Raleigh County, WV to Herman Hutson Ledbetter and Darlie Arvilla (Shields) Ledbetter. She grew up in Jackson County with much of the time concentrated in the Sandyville, Cottageville, Meadowdale and Liverpool areas. The family briefly relocated to Livingston, TN where her father was born and raised before returning to Jackson County.
She graduated from Ripley High School in 1954 after transferring in the middle of her junior year, but most of her time in school was spent at Gilmore. She always claimed Gilmore High School as her alma mater (after all, green was her favorite color). Among her fondest memories were attending the one room schoolhouse at Meadowdale, where as a 3-year-old she went with her sister Georgie on picture day and she had her first school photo taken. She also recalled it being the first time she tasted mustard.
She married Thomas Franklin Varner in October 1959 at the First Baptist Church of Ravenswood, and together they were the very proud parents of two children, Steven Thomas and Ellen Marie. She and Tom met at Kaiser Aluminum in 1957 where she was one of the early secretaries, working in Labor Relations, and he was a telephone installer, working for C&P Telephone Company.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband Tom and son Steven; two sisters, Clarice Jean Ledbetter and Georgie Marie (Ledbetter) Aschenbach; two brothers, Earl Hutson Ledbetter and Clifford Marion Ledbetter; and brother and sister in laws: Joe Aschenbach, Dick & Mary Lohr (Varner) Lantz, John & Joyce (Varner) Fletcher, and Paulette (Fisher) Ledbetter.
Left to honor and cherish her memory are her daughter Ellen Marie Varner of Ravenswood, brother James Dalton Ledbetter of Sandyville, grandsons Charles Thomas Varner (Tempest), Curtis Steven Varner (Hannah), great-granddaughter Iyla Marie Varner, and several nieces and nephews.
The family would like to extend thanks to the staff at Jackson General Hospital and the Hubbard Hospice House for their care and attention during her brief illness, as well as a very special thanks to her niece Jeanie (Ledbetter) Kibble and family friend Angie (Boggess) Braniff whose support was immeasurable.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution to your favorite charity, or to the Jackson County Animal Shelter or to First Baptist Church of Ravenswood.
Final service details are pending.
Condolences may be expressed to the family on Roush Funeral Home’s facebook page or website www.roushfuneralhome.net.