Sarah Virginia (Mozingo) Lofton

Sarah Virginia (Mozingo) Lofton

August 16, 1923 ~ October 25, 2019

Sarah Virginia (Mozingo) Lofton, 96, of Bellaire, Ohio, former resident and First Lady of Bridgeport and resident of Martins Ferry, Ohio, passed away with her family at her side on Friday, October 25, 2019 at 6:19pm at the Park Health Center, St. Clairsville, Ohio.

            Sarah was born August 16, 1923 in Liberty District, Ohio County, WV; born seventh of ten, and the last survived child, she was a daughter of the late James Lee (c. 1885-1975) and Nora (Palmer) Mozingo (1892-1934).  She was the granddaughter of the late John Henry (1854-1941) and Mary Belle (Bowman) Mozingo (1855 - c. 1885) and her maternal grandparents who reared her, Friend (1868-1936) and Martha Adeline (Yocum) Palmer (1873-1941).  She was named for her paternal aunt, Sara Jane “Sadie” Mozingo, and her maternal aunt, Virginia (Palmer) VanDyne. 

            Sarah grew up on the family farm in Liberty District, Ohio Co., WV and on Wheeling Island.  Her mother died when she was 10 years old and her grandparents Friend and Martha and aunts, Ruth Ann (Palmer) Neidhardt and Edna Mae (Palmer) Dunlap Conley reared her thereafter.  She attended Madison Elementary School on Wheeling Island and later moved to Ross Street in Brookside, Ohio with her grandmother and aunts after her grandfather passed away.  In October 2016, at age 93, she was the Grand Marshall in Madison Elementary School’s 100th Anniversary Parade on Wheeling Island and rode in a 1931 Model A Ford.  She was a 1943 graduate of Bridgeport High School.

Sarah married her high school sweetheart, Samuel Clinton Lofton, Sr. on September 4, 1943 at the West Bridgeport Methodist Church, Bridgeport.  After living on Patterson Road in Brookside and in Martins Ferry for a short time, they lived at their home on High Street in Bridgeport for 54 years and later moved back to Martins Ferry, until her husband’s death on November 23, 2008.  After her husband’s death she moved to Bellaire to live with her son Dan and his family. 

Sarah was the First Lady of Bridgeport from 1971-1979, when her husband served as the Mayor.  She was a former telephone operator at the Bell Telephone Co., Wheeling, WV, a housekeeper at the Holiday Inn in St. Clairsville, and a former cook at the Westbrook Elementary School in Bridgeport.  She was also a poll worker at the Belmont County Board of Elections.  She also worked with her husband at The Citizens Bank in Bridgeport and Colerain as janitors for several years.  While living in Martins Ferry from 2004-2008, Sarah and her husband Sam enjoyed going to the Martins Ferry Senior Center.  She was an excellent cook, a hard worker, a faithful daughter and daughter-in-law, a devoted granddaughter, a loyal sister and sister-in-law, a committed niece, a dedicated wife, a steadfast mother and mother-in-law, and ever-loving grandmother and great grandmother. 

Sarah was a long-time faithful member of the West Bridgeport United Methodist Church in Bridgeport until its closing in 2004, and later became a faithful member of the First United Methodist Church, Bellaire, Ohio.  She was a long-time member of Bridgeport Order of Eastern Star # 452 and remained a member after they merged with Captina Chapter # 489.  Sarah taught Sunday School and Bible School for many years and was a member of the United Methodist Women.

In addition to her husband, parents, grandparents, and aunts who reared her, she was preceded in death by her beloved father and mother-in-law, Benjamin Franklin (1888-1960) and Elsie Mae (Peters) Lofton (1900-1985); three infant siblings; two sisters, Anna Belle Armstrong and Goldie May Rader; four brothers, Henry Harold, Charles William Sr., John Paul Sr., and Carl Raymond Mozingo; a grandson Kelly Lee Lofton on August 10, 1989; many nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, cousins, and many friends.

Sarah is survived by two sons: Samuel Clinton Jr. (Della) of North Ridgeville, OH and Danny Lee (Rose Ann) Lofton of Bellaire, OH; four grandchildren: Samuel C III (Vickie) of Olmsted Falls, OH, Lori L. Migyanko (Steven) of Seven Hills, OH, Benjamin M. (Kimberly) and Zachary J. Lofton, both of Bellaire, OH; 6 great grandchildren: Sam IV, Tyler, Olivia, and Taylor Lofton and Phillip and Anastasia Migyanko; a step-great-grandson, Brennan Meadows; a sister-in-law, Audrey E. Mozingo of Saint Cloud, FL; many nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, great grandnieces and great grandnephews, cousins, and countless friends. The family wishes to extend many thanks and gratitude to former daughter-in-law Marty Wilson and the caregivers from Park Health Center and Just Right and Advanced Home Health who took care of her in her final years. 

Friends will be received on Tuesday, October 29, 2019 from 2-4 and 6-8pm at the Wilson Funeral Home, 920 National Road, Brookside, OH.  Friends will again be received Wednesday, October 30, 2019 from 10am until time of services at 11am with Revs. James A. Hoff and Ian Thornton officiating.  Interment will follow at Holly Memorial Gardens, Pleasant Grove, Ohio.  A memorial dinner will be held at the First United Methodist Church, Bellaire, following the interment services.  Memorial contributions may be made to the First United Methodist Church, Bellaire and Senior Services of Belmont County (Meals on Wheels).

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