In 1988, The Centennial History of Hurricane, WV was published to commemorate the town’s 100th anniversary. In 1994, the Centennial Committee published a follow up book which included family histories which were not submitted in time for the 1988 Centennial History. This week’s selection is the 25th history from The Centennial History of Hurricane WV Continued — 1994.

JOHN AND ETTA LOVETT
Submitted by Jackie Hayes

John Lovett and Etta Pifer were married in 1921. Etta had come to Hurricane from Preston County in 1911. She was orphaned there when her parents both died the same week from typhoid fever. She and her five sisters were brought to Davis Child Shelter where William Davis, of Hurricane, brought her to live with their family on Virginia Avenue.

John Lovett, son of C.C. Lovett, lived on what was called Chicken Farm Road. He and his family, sisters, Elizabeth, Florence, Laura, and Ruth farmed there.

Both John and Etta attended Hurricane High School. John Lovett did not graduate but joined the Army in 1917. He played the clarinet in the Army band. Later he went to work for the Army Corp of Engineers. Etta and John six children there at the homeplace on Harbour Lane.

Helen Lovett, their eldest daughter, graduated from Hurricane High as Valedictorian in 1944. She married Darrell Runion, also of Hurricane, who joined the Navy and served from 1943—1946. He is the son of Luther and Cornelia Runion, also natives of Hurricane.

Dick worked for a short time as the city’s taxi driver. In 1950, he went to work at Union Carbide and in 1985, retired with 35 years of service.

Helen and Dick had six children, also raised not far from the homeplace on Chicken Farm. Ron, the oldest son, married Elizabeth DeBruin. They have three children, Matthew, and twins, Annie and Sarah.

Ron works for Union Carbide and the family resides in Hurricane. Liz teaches in Putnam County.

Dan, the next oldest son, married Linda Clay of Milton. They have two children, Jack, a Marshall freshman and Keisha, a ninth grader, and reside just over the Putnam County line in Culloden. Dan is employed at Columbia Gas. Linda at Putnam County Bank.

Jackie, the eldest daughter, married Donald Hayes, son of John and Wilda Hayes, of Hurricane. They reside on Sunnybrook Drive. Jackie teaches at Eastbrook Elementary School and Don is an engineer at Randolph Engineering. Don, also with his twin brother, Ronald, are part owners of Teays River Construction. Don and Jackie have four sons. Stephen, the oldest, graduated as Valedictorian of Hurricane High in 1991. He now attends Marshall University.

Christopher is a freshman at West Virginia Institute of Technology. Jason is a sophomore and plays football for Hurricane High School. John Patrick is an eighth grader at Hurricane Middle School.

Susan Runion is also an employee at Union Carbide, Chemical Division. She, too, lives in Hurricane as does the youngest daughter, Mary Kaye. Kaye works for Multi-CAP, Head Start.

One brother, John Bill, lives with his wife and two daughters in California where he is a career Marine.

We’re all proud to be a part of Hurricane. Our parents, Helen and Dick Runion, their parents, John and Etta Lovett, Cornelia and Luther Runion, and all of their brothers and sisters graduated from Hurricane High.

My brothers and sisters and I graduated from Hurricane High — the first three from old Hurricane High on Midland Trail and the youngest three from the new school on Teays Valley Road.

All but one of us, live and work here. We’ve seen Hurricane grow from a small rural community into the fastest growing area in West Virginia. We’re very proud of our town!