Quarles family memorialized; Scruggs laid to rest

Karen, Jonathan and Emily Quarles were a close and loving family who cared deeply about others and touched many lives, friends and family said during a memorial service Tuesday at Heritage Baptist Church in Lynchburg.

The service was the last to honor the eight victims of last week’s mass slayings in Appomattox County. The three were killed along with Emily’s boyfriend, Ronald “Bo” Scruggs, her close friend, Morgan Dobyns, Dobyns’ mother, Lauralee Sipe, Sipe’s husband, Dwayne, and son, Joshua.

More than 800 came to the hour-long service, where the Quarles’ surviving daughter, Meghan Pritchard, described through tears how her mother always knew when she was calling, how her father loved animals and how Emily loved being a teenager and helped her older siblings move into their new houses.

Pritchard, her brother Matthew Pritchard, stepbrother Derrick Quarles and her fiancé Austin Durrett, stood at the podium as Meghan shared stories about the family. She described Karen as a protective mother who loved to plan family outings and be with her children. She said her mother was her best friend and her father was her brothers’ best friend.

Though Emily was many years younger, all three older siblings were still very close to her. Emily loved to play soccer, talk on her cell phone, go shopping and skating and just be 15, Pritchard said.

Meghan talked of how, in the midst of planning her wedding for this summer, Jon and Karen were very supportive. Jon had heard how stressed she was to find the perfect dress, so he researched wedding salons in Richmond, she said. He called her at 6 a.m. one recent morning to let her know what he learned, and she made plans to go dress shopping this past weekend.

Karen Quarles’ co-worker and best friend, Tracey Venier, told of Jon Quarles’ pet cow Rufus and how Karen Quarles was loved by her colleagues at Centra Health, where she worked as a respiratory therapist.

Venier said the Quarleses always tried to impart to their children that “no matter what happened, they were loved.”

Venier remembered how she and Karen often made the rounds at work during their shift to socialize with other workers, and how everyone always left laughing. Karen always had a cup of coffee in one hand and her lottery numbers in her pocket, Venier said.

Karen was a protective mother, not just to Emily, but to Venier’s own daughter, even calling her after school whenever Venier was busy at work.

Scruggs’ funeral also was Tuesday in Appomattox, though it was closed to the press. It had been postponed after Scruggs’ father, Ronald, was hospitalized with heart problems. Following Tuesday’s 2 p.m. service, about 100 cars proceeded to the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Cemetery in Buckingham County, where Scruggs was buried.

He was described in his obituary as enjoying skateboarding, playing video games and deer hunting.

Staff writer Dave Thompson contributed.

Jonathan, Emily and Karen Quarles

Bo Scruggs