Gloria Louise Stoker

BRAMWELL - Gloria Louise “Lou” Dawson Stoker passed away Saturday, July 26, 2025. She was born November 8, 1934, in Freeman, WV, to the late John Rages and Sadie Doss Dawson.

Lou grew up in Bramwell and was educated in the Bramwell schools. She had fond memories of being a majorette in the high school band under the direction of David Richardson and later volunteered as the majorette coordinator and choreographer for the “Millionettes,” who performed during halftime at Millionaire home basketball games.

Lou was a consummate volunteer, artist, author, friend, neighbor and community leader. Her focus was always on children, and she was proud that Bramwell was a “child friendly community” during her tenure as mayor. Lou encouraged children to recognize the importance of their own heritage, as she visited schools throughout Mercer County and conducted hundreds of tours for students and visitors of all ages. She was the Tour Director for the Bramwell Millionaire Garden Club, the organization that introduced public home tours in 1983. Lou and her daughters opened the Bluestone Inn, the first bed & breakfast in southern WV, which supported the burgeoning local tourism industry.

During the 1988 Bramwell Centennial celebration year, Lou initiated several events, including Bramwell Millionaire Homecoming Weekend, which was an all-school reunion for former students at Bramwell schools to attend the alumni basketball games, weenie roast, memory walk and sock hop that continued for 36 years through 2024.

Lou grew up listening to stories from friends and family, then later collected oral histories and amassed a unique archival collection of documents and photographs from the southern WV coal fields. The extensive history she collected inspired her monograph, Bramwell: A Century of Coal and Currency, and established her reputation as the Bramwell historian. She also co-authored Bramwell: A Town of Millionaires. She contributed articles to the Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Princeton Times, Hearthstone Magazine and other journals and won awards in the Sherwood Anderson Short Story Contest and the National Federation of Press Women annual awards contest.

Lou was an accomplished playwright and actress affiliated with Summit Players community theatre beginning in 1978, and later, Court House Players, where she acted and wrote children’s plays. She also performed one-woman interpretations of historical figures. Her play, Bramwell 100, was written for the town’s 1988 centennial celebration, and her play, Magic of Coal, was chosen to represent West Virginia at the Southeast Theater Festival.

She served on numerous boards and agencies, including the West Virginia Association of Museums, West Virginia Preservation Alliance, West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Fatality Review Team, Pam’s Place, Mercer County Sexual Assault Response Team, The Bramwell Foundation, Historic Pocahontas, Inc., Mercer County Tourist Train Authority, the Bramwell Fire Board and was involved in committee activities with the Bluefield Chamber of Commerce.

Lou served as mayor of Bramwell from 2007 to 2023. Among her many accomplishments as mayor, she spearheaded the planning and fundraising for a playground and the Pence Hotel and Bramwell Theatre projects. The Bramwell Ghost Walk was a special annual fundraiser for the playground and the Children’s Home Society from 2007-2022. Lou collaborated with Melvin Goins, well-known bluegrass musician with local roots, to present the Blues & Bluegrass Festival in Bramwell for several years. Her work with the Hatfield-McCoy Trail Authority made possible the location of the Pocahontas Trailhead in Bramwell. The enormous economic impact of this project extends well beyond Bramwell. Other projects included the building of two new bridges and plans for a third bridge now underway. She also worked on the planning for a kayak launch site and the exterior renovation of the Town Hall. Lou worked with the State of West Virginia to erect signage naming all the bridges in town for local pioneers.

“Mayor Lou” lived her entire life in Bramwell and never wanted to be elsewhere. When asked if she had always lived there, she would answer, “Not yet!” Now, we can say, “Yes, she did.”

In addition to her parents, Lou was preceded in death by her husband, Denver “D.M.” Stoker; her brothers, Rages Lee “Jack” Dawson, Curtis Hampton “Buddy” Dawson, James Robert “Buzzy” Dawson and William Floyd “Bill” Dawson; sisters, Betty Haskew and Norma Jean Mahood-Bay; brothers-in-law, Dr. John J. “Jack” Mahood, Elmer Bay and Ralph “Doc” Haskew; sisters-in-law Garnet Lee Dawson, Patricia “Patty” Dawson and Julia “Judy” Dawson; and nephews Darwin “Chuck” Dawson, Leslie “Butch” Dawson and John R. “Jackie” Dawson.

She is survived by daughters, Dana Stoker Cochran of Bramwell and Jonni Stoker of Burke’s Garden, her beloved granddaughter and namesake, Amanda Louise Cochran, and a special niece, Sarah “Bibbi” (Larry) Sigmon.

Aunt Louise leaves nieces and nephews who treasure their childhood memories of visiting her, having adventures at the moss-covered mansion and exploring special places in Bramwell, along with new generations of grands and great-grands, to whom we will transmit the wonderful family history of our elders.

A private graveside family service will be held at Woodlawn Cemetery, and a celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Cravens-Shires Funeral Home is serving the Stoker family.