| Graduation Year | Class of 1933 |
| Date of Passing | Jan 18, 2018 |
| About | ATHENS — Avanelle Dunham Conrath left this world peacefully on Jan. 5, 2018 at the age of 101 while asleep in her own bed, in her own home on her beloved Skyline Farm. Avanelle was born on May 3, 1916 in Pike County, Ohio to Benjamin Franklin and Lydia Ellen Smith Dunham. She graduated from Piketon High School and attended Ohio University where she earned a teaching certificate and went on to teach in the Pike County school system in a one-room school house. As a young teacher, she made sure that her students were nourished in both mind and body. She and her husband, Francis F. Conrath, co-owned and ran Conrath Electric in Athens and derived immense joy and satisfaction from the many years spent raising and showing Tennessee Walking Horses. She always made time to volunteer in her son Larry’s activities as a P.T.A member, a Cub Scout Den Leader and a 4-H advisor. In her retirement, Avanelle spent countless hours as a volunteer at O’Bleness Memorial Hospital. She had a special fondness for working in the gift shop where her skills in bookkeeping and her natural ability as a kind and compassionate listener were put to good use. As a child raised in Camp Creek during the Depression and working in her family’s general store, Avanelle developed a strong sense of compassion and empathy that would guide her throughout her life. She treated all people with dignity, fairness, respect and generosity. Avanelle’s greatest joy, confidante and Thursday lunch date was her son, Larry. She was a master storyteller, sharing her life experiences and family history with him and the rest of the family. For her granddaughters, she was unconditional love and their soft place to land. For her great-grandchildren, she made the best grilled cheese and her home was a veritable treasure chest with closets and drawers made for exploring. Avanelle is survived by her son and his wife, Larry and Shelley Conrath, three granddaughters, Nicole Conrath (David Moorehead), Jennifer Conrath Mitchell, and Tanya Conrath (Matthew Sweeney), and great-grandchildren Eva, Ellie and Kioni Conrath; Bernard, Quinn, and Braden Mitchell; and Sam and Jack Conrath-Sweeney. She was preceded in death by her husband, Francis, and daughter, Ellen, and each of her seven siblings: Zelma Weeter, and Ray, Earl, Iver, Elmer, Jim and Harold Dunham. The funeral will be held Wednesday, Jan. 10 at 1 p.m. at Jagers and Sons Funeral home in Athens. Friends may call Tuesday, Jan. 9 from 5-8 p.m. and one hour prior to the service at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, Avanelle’s favorite charities were My Sister’s Place and the Southeast Ohio Foodbank. Avanelle Dunham Conrath |
