Michelle Wolford

Michelle Wolford, a journalist who moved her North Central West Virginia community through philanthropic activism and popular columns that revealed her love of music, family and friends, died Friday, July 31. She was 57.Michelle was born in Ravenna, Ohio, the ninth of nine children. She is survived by her sisters Mary Schettler and Sharon (Jerry) Joseph and her brothers Charlie, Tom, Damien and Paul (Jill). She is preceded in death by her parents, Willard and Nellie (Hunter) Wolford, and her sisters Sarah Virginia "Sally" (Bud) Allen and Geraldine Wolford.After graduating from Atwater Waterloo High School in 1975, Michelle attended West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia, and earned a degree in journalism. She stayed in Morgantown for a decade, booking musicians at the Underground Railroad, drawing such bands as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Black Flag, and organizing a dry bar next door where she became a second mom for local youths.In the early '90s she moved to San Francisco and worked as a booking manager and copy writer for another decade. By 2000, she was ready to move closer to home, and she soon put her journalism degree to use. The Dominion Post hired Mich...[more]

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e, and she worked for the newspaper until her recent illness. She was a copy editor and an entertainment reporter, but she became best known as a general-interest columnist, whose "Wolford's Window" writings ranged from humorous takes on pop culture to deeply personal reflections on growing up in rural Ohio.Reporting and living in Preston County, the small community embraced her as their own. Michelle was Rotary Club president for the past two years and traveled to Togo to volunteer with polio eradication and development efforts. She volunteered feeding people during the holidays and helped to start a food drive for hungry schoolchildren called Pack the Bus. The next drive is Aug. 9 (for information, contact Food for Preston at 304-379-3519).After a brief illness, Michelle died Friday morning, July 31, 2015 at Heartland of Preston, where she felt comfortable and at home with their incomparable staff.The Wolford family would like to thank The Dominion Post, and Michelle's friends, readers, caregivers and Preston County residents who adopted our beloved little sister. Your outpouring of support was important to her and to us and will never be forgotten. We always teased her with "why do you want to live out there in the middle of nowhere?" Now we know. Thank you for providing her with such a wonderful home.To the devoted friends who never left her side, thank you from the bottoms of our hearts. Michelle's wishes for cremation are being honored by her family and friends. A gathering to celebrate her life and legacy will be held at the Preston Community Arts Center, 123 S. Price St., Kingwood on Saturday, August 8th. A brief memorial service will be held at 1 PM, immediately followed by visitation with the family to share memories until 3 PM.In Michelle's memory, please send contributions to Food for Preston, Pack the Bus, PO Box 1175 Kingwood, WV 26537.Michelle's professional services have been entrusted to Smith Funeral & Cremation Care, 108 Holland Ave., MorgantownCondolences for the family may be left at www.smithfuneralandcremationcare.com