Madison County, Alabama Obituary Collection 1998-1999 (From Various Funeral Homes)
Covering the towns of Big Cove, Brownsboro, Gurley, Hampton Cove, Harvest, Hazel Green,
Huntsville, Madison, Meridianville, New Hope, New Market, Normal, Owens Cross Roads,
Ryland, Toney, and Triana. Also many obits from nearby Athens (Limestone County).
Some of the funeral homes represented: Royal Funeral Home, Spry Funeral Home,
Valhalla Funeral Home, Laughlin Service Funeral Home, and Twickenham Funeral Home.
Note: These obituaries are NOT primary source. They are intended only to provide clues in
researching your family tree. Use the date at the top of each group of obituaries to determine
the date of death since this collection does not include specific dates, only the day of the week
that the death occurred. Use the handy 1998 or 1999 calendars to determine dates.
ATHENS - Mrs. Louise Massey Beauchamp, 68, of 402 Shaw St. died Monday at a Decatur hospital. The funeral will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at McConnell Funeral Home with the Rev. J.W. Vickers officiating.
Mrs. Beauchamp was a native of Trinity, a member of First Baptist Church and was preceded in death by her husband and her childrens father, Dwight Massey; a son, Michael Massey; and a sister, Lorene Lowery.
Survivors include her husband, Robert Beauchamp; one daughter, Missy Christopher of Florence; one son, Jeffrey L. Massey of Pensacola, Fla.; one sister, Mildred Hill of Decatur; two brothers, Harold Lowery and John Leldon Lowery, both of Decatur; two grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Ellen L. Cox
ATHENS - Ellen L. Cox, 87, of 1600 West Hobbs St. died Tuesday at a Limestone County hospital. Limestone Chapel Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Geneva Evans Cryer
HARTSELLE - Geneva Evans Cryer, 82, died Tuesday at her home. The funeral will be Thursday at 1 p.m. at Pattillo Street Church of God in Hartselle with the Rev. John Elliot officiating.
Burial will be in Mt. Tabor Cemetery with Peck Funeral Home in charge.
Mrs. Cryer was a member of Pattillo Street Church of God, was very active in Hartselle Senior Citizens and served on the board of directors of The Community Action Agency of North Central Alabama. She was preceded in death by her husband, Norman V. Cryer, and a daughter, Patricia Cryer Atanasoff.
Survivors include a son, Jim Cryer of Cookeville, Tenn.; a daughter, Gloria Powell of Hartselle; and eight grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Gertrude Forester
GUNTERSVILLE - Gertrude Forester, 86, of 855 Red Barn Road died Monday at a local nursing home. The funeral was today at 11 a.m. at Carr Funeral Home in Guntersville.
Survivors include two daughters, Judy Bolding of Guntersville and Nancy Gibbs of Snead; two sons, Neil Forester of Boaz and Frank Forester of Birmingham; one sister, Mary Fahay of California; and eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Davis E. Foxworthy
Davis Edwin Foxworthy, 84, of Huntsville died today at a local hospital. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Mr. Foxworthy was a chief petty officer in the 82nd Naval Construction Battalion from 1942 to 1946. From 1948 to his retirement in 1973, he worked at Redstone Arsenal and Marshall Space Flight Center.
Survivors include his wife, Edith Foxworthy of Huntsville; a daughter, Betty Houston of Huntsville; a son, Robert Foxworthy of Edgewood, Ky.; a stepdaughter, Sally Sullivan of Dallas, Texas; and seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to Habitat for Humanity or the First United Methodist Scholarship Fund.
Stanley Ray Guffey
SOMERVILLE - Stanley Ray Guffey, 48, died Friday at a local hospital. The memorial service will be Thursday at 10 a.m. at First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Alfred Dunson officiating.
Mr. Guffey, a native of Madison County, was a retired Huntsville correctional officer.
He is survived by his wife, Charlene Guffey of Somerville.
Rickey M. Harper
ALBERTVILLE - Rickey Marston Harper, 40, of 1385 Williams Bend Road died Sunday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Thursday at 1 p.m. at Forrest Home Methodist Church.
Burial will be in the adjoining cemetery with Adams Funeral Home of Albertville directing.
Survivors include his wife, Donna Harper; one daughter, Mary S. Harper of Albertville; three sons, Rickey Harper of Boaz and Rickey M. Harper Jr. and Brian Harper, both of Geraldine; mother, Betty S. Hamilton of Boaz; three sisters, Connie S. Jarvis of Gadsden, Gracie Harper of Attalla and Kimberly Harper of Albertville; two brothers, Tommy Harper of Boaz and Dilmos Hamilton of Boaz; and grandparents, Coy and Vera Harper of Cottondale.
Nannie Pearl Lee
Nannie Pearl Lee, 97, of Huntsville died Tuesday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Thursday at 1 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home with the Rev. Spurgeon Hendrick officiating.
Burial will be in Pleasmount Cemetery with Spry Funeral Home in charge.
Mrs. Lee, a native of Madison County, was a member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. She was preceeded in death by her husband, William Henry Lee, two sons, Nolen Lee and J.R. Lee, and a daughter, Beatrice Lee.
Survivors include two sons, the Rev. Roland Lee of Huntsville and Loyde Lee of Gurley; a daughter, Willie Sue Elliott of Huntsville; and seven grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and 13 great-great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 4:30 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Michael I. Leto
Michael I. Leto, 37, of Huntsville died Sunday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Thursday at 10 a.m. at Church of Visitation Catholic Church with the Rev. Nelo Leto officiating.
Burial will be in Valahalla Memory Gardens with Spry Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. Leto, a native of Des Moines, Iowa, was a longtime resident of Madison County. He attended Johnson High School.
Survivors include two sons, Cassidy Leto and Dillion Leto, both of Huntsville; his parents, Sam Leto and Patsy Leto, both of Huntsville; and a brother, Victor Leto of Huntsville.
Visitation will be today from 5 to 8 p.m. with a vigil at 7 p.m.
Billy Jack Loudermilk
GRANT - Billy Jack Loudermilk, 52, of 332 Farr Lane died Monday at his home. The funeral will be Thursday at 3 p.m. at Oak Grove Holiness Church.
Burial will be in New Prospect Cemetery with Grant Memorial Chapel Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include his wife, Clara Elizabeth Loudermilk of Grant; three daughters, Margaret Stevenson, Bridgett Loudermilk and Kay Loudermilk, all of Grant, and Joyce Sampson of Georgia; two sons, Billy Jack Loudermilk and James Loudermilk, both of Grant; his mother, Ida Mae Loudermilk of Grant; two sisters, Portia Crabtree and Marie Smith, both of Grant; two brothers, Dewey Loudermilk of Rainsville and R.W. Loudermilk of Grant; and two grandchildren.
Myrtle A.D. Rains
ALBERTVILLE - Myrtle Audrey Driskill Rains, 86, of 410 East Main St. died Saturday at her home. A memorial service was to be held today at 3 p.m. at First Methodist Church in Albertville.
Burial was to be in Memory Hill Cemetery with Adams Funeral Home of Albertville directing.
Mrs. Rains was a first-grade teacher in Albertville for 42 years and was active in the First Methodist Church.
Survivors include one daughter, Ernestine V. Rains of New Orleans; one son, Clyde D. Rains of Missouri; one sister, Vera M. Robinson of Gadsden; and one brother, James B. Driskill of Gadsden.
Woodrow W. Ricketts
Woodrow W. Ricketts, 76, of Huntsville died Tuesday at a local hospital. A graveside service will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at Valhalla Memory Gardens with Army Chaplain (Maj.) Loran C. Bulla officiating.
Mr. Ricketts was a member of New Market United Methodist Church. He was an Army veteran who served in World War II and the Korean War. He was also a member of Helion Lodge, Eastern Star, White Shrine and a life member of Disabled American Veterans.
Survivors include his wife, Genell Ricketts of Huntsville; a daughter, Melinda Ricketts of Huntsville; a son, Steve Ricketts of Ohio; three sisters, Lillie Hale and Mary Jo Price, both of Huntsville, and Mattie Lister of Atlanta; two brothers, Morgan Ricketts of New Market and James Ricketts of Elora, Tenn.; and five grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Dorothy Schmidt, 70, formerly of Lincoln County, died Sunday at a Tennessee veterans hospital. The funeral was to be today at 11 a.m. at Taylor Funeral Home in Ardmore, Tenn.
Burial will be in Gatlin Cemetery with Taylor Funeral Home in charge.
Schmidt was born in Lincoln County, but lived most of her life in Kentucky. She was a retired medical technologist.
Survivors include a brother, Raymon Hargrave Jr. of Sedalia, Mo.; a sister, Barbara Ann Aubrey of Henderson, Ky.; and one aunt and several nieces and nephews.
Jimmie Sue Spencer
HAZEL GREEN - Jimmie Sue Spencer, 82, of U.S. 231/431 North died Tuesday at a local hospital. Gallant Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Stanley H. Wade
Stanley H. Wade, 80, of 1007 Vicksburg Lane in Huntsville died Monday at his home. The funeral will be Thursday at 10 a.m. at Twickenham Funeral Home South with the Rev. Mitchell Williams officiating.
Burial will be in Huntsville Memory Gardens with full military honors. Twickenham Funeral Home will be in charge of burial.
Mr. Wade was retired from the U.S. Air Force and NASA. He was a graduate of Kansas University.
Survivors include his wife, Ida Myrtle Wade of Huntsville; three sons, Jim Wade of Athens, Bill Wade of Anniston and Robert Wade of Oxford, Ala.; three daughters, Rita Friday of Huntsville, Shirley Andersen of Denmark and Nancy Badgley of Durham, N.C.; and seven grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to Boy Scouts of America in care of Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 12901 Bailey Cove Road, or to the American Cancer Society.
ATHENS - Preston Keith "Bubba" Wallace, 7, of 14926 Elk River Mills Road died Monday at a local hopsital. The funeral will be today at 3 p.m. at Limestone Chapel Funeral Home with Tim Haney and Ricky Cantrell officiating.
Burial will be in Limestone Memorial Gardens with Limestone Chapel Funeral Home in charge.
Wallace was a first-grader at Owens Elementary School and played for the Owens No. 1 baseball team.
Survivors include his parents, Alvin Wallace and Ollie Mae Wallace, both of Athens; his mother and step-father, Teresa Wallace and Dennis Brooks, both of Athens; a sister, LeQuita Wallace of Athens; a great-grandmother, Mary Rouse Hunt of Athens; four aunts and uncles, Bobby and Debbie Dison, both of Athens, and Thomas and Gail Farley, both of Huntsville; and nine cousins.
Hazel Inez Whitten
HARTSELLE - Mrs. Hazel Inez Whitten, 79, of 248 Poor House Road died Tuesday at her home. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Mount Tabor United Methodist Church with the Rev. Kenneth Graham and the Rev. Rodger Collins officiating.
Burial was to be in Mount Tabor Cemetery with Peck Funeral Home of Hartselle directing.
Mrs. Whitten was a member of Mount Tabor United Methodist Church, was retired as an Avon representative and was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Whitten.
Survivors include one daughter, Sarah Anne Winton of Hartselle; one son, David Virgil Whitten of Decatur; one sister, Freida Stevenson of Birmingham; one brother, James Doris Dobbs of Hartselle; five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
