Obituaries

Sterner

W. Barry Krause, 81, of Lottsburg, Va., passed away on March 9, 2026. A “come here” to the Northern Neck, he married a wonderful, local lady, Mary Margaret, and became a resident of the area for the last 23 years of his life. Barry was born on May 3, 1944, in Manchester, Connecticut, and was raised there. He moved to Virginia in the early ‘60’s to attend Virginia Polytechnic Institute (now Virginia Tech) and major in mechanical engineering. He pursued graduate work at the University of Rhode Island.

Hansley

Hayes

Margaret (Peggy) Payne Wrightson, 71, of Heathsville, Virginia passed away February 9, 2026. She was born August 27, 1954 in Washington, DC, the daughter of the late Keith Payne and Doris Buhl Payne. She is preceded in death by her first husband Thomas C. Edwards, their son Thomas C. Edwards, Jr. (Melanie); her second husband Edward P. Jackson; her brother Keith E. Payne (Donna); and her beloved best friend Edith Underwood. She is survived by her husband, Thomas Wrightson; her sister Pat Payne; her nephew and nieces: Ryan Kirsh (Jennifer), Kathryn Kirsh, Tara Martin (Dave) and Erin Payne; as well as her stepchildren Thomas R. Wrightson (Valerie), Mark Jackson (Vickie), David Jackson (Darlene) and Andrea Pittman (Mark); and her step grandchildren. Peggy tried and mostly succeeded in keeping in touch with them all.

Carl S. Milsted Jr. of Kenly, North Carolina passed away on February 25th, 2026. He was 62 years old–just a day shy of his 63rd birthday. A physicist by training, a political thinker at heart, and a kind soul by nature, Carl lived a life defined by intellectual curiosity, principled conviction, Christian faith, and a genuine concern for the world around him.