Lunsford Benjamin Orcutt (1934 - 2017)

Born 6 Feb 1934 in Richmond, Virginia, United States

Husband of Elizabeth Ann (Wood) Orcutt — married 19 Jun 1955 (to before 1990) in Asheboro Township, Randolph County, North Carolina, United States

Died 27 Nov 2017 at age 83 in Roanoke, Virginia, United States

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Biography

Ben was born in 1934, a son of Jonathan Cheatham Orcutt and Thelma Goode. He passed away in 2017 and is buried in Skinquarter Baptist Church Cemetery, Moseley, Virginia.^[1]

He is listed in the 1940 US Census as living with his parents and older sister in Chesterfield, Virginia^[2]:

Household Role Sex Age Birthplace

J Cheatham Orcutt Head Male 33 Virginia

Thelma G Orcutt Wife Female 33 Virginia

Cecil G Orcutt Daughter Female 8 Virginia

L Benjamin Orcutt Son Male 6 Virginia

He married Betsy Ann Wood on 19 Jun 1955 in Asheboro, North Carolina.^[3] They had at least three, possibly four children together. It is likely that they divorced some time before he re-married to Linda Bradley around 1990.

He has lived in Lexington, North Carolina, Hinsdale, Illinois, overland Park, Kansas, and Laurens, South Carolina, and Martinsville, Virginia in recent years.^[4][5]

His obituary was published in the Richmond Times Dispatch on 1 Dec 2017^[6]:

Lunsford (Benjamin) Orcutt, a man of deep devotion to his savior, Jesus Christ, his family and friends, passed away on Monday, November 27, 2017 at Carillion Hospital in Roanoke, Va. He was born on Tuesday, February 6, 1934 in Richmond, Va. to the late Thelma Goode Orcutt and Jonathan Cheatham Orcutt.

Ben graduated from Hargrave Military Academy and from Mars Hill University. He followed in his father's footsteps and became a Plant Manager for St. Joe Paper Company, International Paper, Box USA and spent most of his career with Stone Container Corporation. He loved the corrugated box industry and the many friends he made through the years. Ben often said, "if you find a job you love, you never work a day in your life". He "officially and finally" retired after 3 tries when he turned 70.

Ben's favorite times were spent with his family and friends remembering the good times they all shared together. He also loved woodworking, gardening, his beloved dogs, Babe, Max, Cotton and Smoke and was a faithful member of Second Baptist Church in Laurens, S.C. and McCabe Baptist Church in Martinsville, Va. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Cecil Orcutt Firesheets; and his brother in-laws, Forest Firesheets and Wilton Ford, all of Richmond, Va.

He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Linda Bradley Orcutt; children, Cindy O'Rear (Bobby), Jon Orcutt (Beth), Mark Orcutt (Kate), all of Laurens, S.C., Kim Thomas, of Greer, S.C. and Mindy Bradley, of Ringgold, Va.; honorary children, Mark Allred, Rev. David Richardson, Zale Ingle and Tony Hammett; sister, Christy Lee Ford, of Richmond, Va.; and thirteen grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

The family will receive friends from 11 to noon on Monday, December 4, 2017 at Morrissett Funeral and Cremation Service, 6500 Iron Bridge Rd. N. Chesterfield, Va. A Celebration of Ben's Life will follow the visitation at noon. Interment will follow at Skinquarter Baptist Church Cemetery, Moseley, Va. A memorial service will be held at a later date in Laurens, S.C.

Ben gave faithfully to the Wounded Warrior Project to honor the men and women who gave us our freedom and to St. Jude Childrens Hospital to aid the research for child related illnesses. Please make memorial contributions to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kan., 66675 or, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, Tenn., 38105.

A remembrance gathering was held at his son's home in Laurens, South Carolina on 30 Dec 2017, as published in the The Laurens County Advertisor on 22 Dec 2017^[7]:

Lunsford Benjamin Orcutt “Ben”

A “Celebration of Life” gathering for family and friends will take place on Saturday, December 30th, 2-17, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Orcutt, 603 Parkview Drive, Laurens, SC. Please join us as we fellowship together in memory of Ben.

Sources

1. ↑ Find A Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 11 October 2019), memorial page for Lunsford “Benjamin” Orcutt (6 Feb 1934–27 Nov 2017), Find A Grave Memorial no. 185612970, citing Skinquarter Baptist Church Cemetery, Skinquarter, Chesterfield County, Virginia, USA; Maintained by Judy Waters (contributor 47094676).
2. ↑ "United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VRYK-7CR : 26 July 2019), L Benjamin Orcutt in household of J Cheatham Orcutt, Manchester Magisterial District, Chesterfield, Virginia, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 21-12, sheet 10B, line 41, family 209, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 4255.
3. ↑ "North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979 ," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F825-C9N : 22 December 2016), Lunsford Benjamin Orcutt and Betsy Wood, 19 Jun 1955; citing Asheboro Township, Randolph, North Carolina, United States, p. p. 339-340, North Carolina State Archives Division of Archives and History; FHL microfilm 475,240.
4. ↑ "United States Public Records, 1970-2009," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2Q52-B67 : 23 May 2014), Lunsford Ben Orcutt, Residence, Laurens, South Carolina, United States; a third party aggregator of publicly available information.
5. ↑ "United States Public Records, 1970-2009," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJJ9-Q5F2 : 16 May 2014), Lunsford B Orcutt, Residence, Martinsville, Virginia, United States; a third party aggregator of publicly available information.
6. ↑ “ORCUTT, LUNSFORD.” Richmond Times-Dispatch, December 1, 2017. https://www.richmond.com/obituaries/orcutt-lunsford/article_94b87170-1960-5342-8377-3ce88d5ad207.html.
7. ↑ Editor. “Lunsford Benjamin Orcutt ‘Ben.’” The Laurens County Advertiser, December 22, 2017. https://www.laurenscountyadvertiser.net/2017/12/22/lunsford-benjamin-orcutt-ben/.