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.
Billy Joe Cobb
BOAZ - Billy Joe Cobb, 68, of 1744 Broadwell Road died Thursday at his home. The funeral will be today at 3 p.m. at Albertville Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.
Burial will be in Mount Vernon Cemetery.
Survivors include his wife, Shirley Cobb; three daughters, Renee Collins of Albertville and Jennifer Davenport and Sally Cobb, both of Boaz; one son, Joel Cobb of Boaz; two brothers, Robert Cobb and George Cobb, both of Boaz; and six grandchildren.
Harold M. Copeland
GUNTERSVILLE - Harold Michael Copeland, 42, of 4221 Lake Crest Drive died Tuesday. The funeral will be today at 1 p.m. at Carr Funeral Home in Guntersville.
Burial will be in Pleasant Grove Cemetery.
Survivors include his wife, Donna Copeland; one daughter, Leslie Copeland of Guntersville; two sons, Rodney Copeland of Guntersville and Joey Copeland of Altoona; parents, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Copeland; two sisters, Michelle Copeland and Melissa Alexander, all of Horton; and two grandchildren.
Edward H. Davidson
Edward Hal Davidson, 74, of Huntsville died Thursday at a local hospital. The funeral will be today at 10:30 a.m. at St. Josephs Catholic Church with the Rev. Tom Perrin officiating.
Burial will be in Huntsville Memory Gardens with Spry Funeral Home directing.
Mr. Davidson was a native of Birmingham and had lived in Huntsville since 1968. He was a member of St. Josephs Catholic Church, was a World War II veteran and was retired from TVA.
Survivors include his wife, Patricia Davis Davidson of Huntsville; three sons, Edward Hal Davidson Jr. of Gadsden and George C. "Tiny" Davidson and John F. "Bo" Davidson, both of Birmingham; three daughters, Mary Pat "Skip" Davidson of Opelika, Dorothy "Mickey" Davidson of Birmingham and Peggy D. Robertson of Huntsville; nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to Pathfinders-Stepping Stone, 3104 Ivy Ave., Huntsville 35805 or to Freedom House, P.O. Box 20, Rogersville.
Mary E. Elkins
STEVENSON - Mary Elizabeth Chesser Elkins, 77, died Friday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Monday at 11 a.m. at Rudder Funeral Home in Stevenson with the Rev. David Smith officiating.
Burial will be in Stevenson City Cemetery.
Survivors include one daughter, Sue Headrick of Powell; one son, Ronald G. Chesser of Stevenson; two sisters, Juanita Lewis of Knoxville, Tenn., and Jo Ann Presley of Folly Beach, S.C.; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Exie Estes
GUNTERSVILLE - Exie Estes, 90, of 5354 Highway 79 died Thursday at her home. The funeral will be Sunday at 3 p.m. at Clear Springs Baptist Church.
Burial will be in the adjoining cemetery with Carr Funeral Home directing.
Survivors include one daughter, June Martin of Guntersville; three sons, John Estes of Decatur, David Estes of Guntersville and Neal Estes of Jacksonville; one brother, John Martin; 16 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Mary M. Farley
Mary M. Farley, 90, of Huntsville died Friday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Sunday at 1 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home with the Rev. Fred Washburn officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
Mrs. Farley was born in Lawrence County but lived most of her life in Madison County.
Survivors include two daughters, Pauline Butler of Madison, Va., and Annie Mae Daniel of Huntsville; 10 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 5 to 8 p.m.
Claude B. Gilchrist
STATESBORO, Ga. - Claude Bush Gilchrist, 71, of 1102 Highway 301 died Wednesday at his home. A graveside service will be today at 2 p.m. at Hartselle City Cemetery with the Rev. W.L. Cole officiating and Peck Funeral Home directing.
Mr. Gilchrist was a member of the Methodist church, a graduate of Morgan County High School, a furniture store owner and a Navy veteran of World War II.
Survivors include one daughter, Claudia Gilchrist Renfroe of Montgomery; one son, Bush Anderson Gilchrist of Montgomery; and three grandchildren.
Raymond E. Granlund
Raymond Eugene Granlund, 47, of Huntsville died Friday. A graveside service will be Sunday at 4 p.m. at Marble City Cemetery in Sylacauga.
Survivors include his wife, Faye Granlund of Huntsville; one daughter, Katie Lee Granlund of Huntsville; and one son, Raymond Edward Granlund of Huntsville.
Memorial donations may be made to Latham Methodist Church.
Kenneth E. Hazelrig
ARAB - Kenneth Eugene Hazelrig Jr., 31, of 114 Shoal Creek Trail died at his home Friday. New Hope Funeral Home will announce the funeral.
Charles T. Henderson
ATHENS - Charles Thomas Henderson, 72, of Fifth Ave. died Friday at a Huntsville hospital. The funeral will be Sunday at 2 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home with Gerald Allen and Donald Terry officiating.
Burial will be in Myers Cemetery.
Mr. Henderson was a native of Limestone County, a retired carpenter and a Navy veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Victoria Henderson; three daughters, Marcia Legg of Athens, Cathy Johnson of Decatur and Jenny Todd of Prospect, Tenn.; one son, Tommy Henderson of Rogersville; one sister, Juanita Bolton of Athens; one brother, Billy Henderson of Covington, Ga.; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Rubin Higgins
BOAZ - Rubin Leon Higgins, 70, of 1520 Bethsaida Road died Thursday at his home. The funeral will be today at 1 p.m. at Albertville Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.
Burial will be in Hillcrest Cemetery in Boaz.
Survivors include his wife, Marcellene Higgins; two daughters, Redia Irvin and Fredia Lackey, both of Boaz; two sisters, Doris Gober of Georgia and Clara Parmer of Boaz; two brothers, Marvin Higgins of Boaz and J.W. Higgins of Tennessee; two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Vernon W. Johnson
Vernon Wayne Johnson, 58, of Huntsville died Friday at a local hospital. The graveside service will be Sunday at 2 p.m. at Plainview Cemetery with the Rev. Earl Baker officiating.
Spry Funeral Home will be directing.
Survivors include one daughter, Christy McNeal; one son, James Johnson, both of Huntsville; two sisters, Janice Alexander of Hazel Green and Debbie Jones of Huntsville; and two brothers, Robert Johnson and Larry Johnson, both of Hazel Green .
Visitation will be Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Griselda H. Joiner
Griselda H. Joiner, 70, of 3315 Deerfield Road died Thursday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Lakeside United Methodist Church with the Rev. Percy Nolan officiating.
Burial will be in Valhalla Memory Gardens with Royal Funeral Home directing.
Mrs. Joiner was retired from the Madison County Schools after 32 years of service. She was a member for 50 years of Delta Sigma Theta sorority and was married 49 years to Walter A. Joiner Sr.
She is also survived by one daughter, Jocelyn Joiner Fleming of Forestville, Md.; three sons, Walter A. Joiner Jr. of Washington, D.C., Terence A. Joiner of Ann Arbor, Mich., and Carlton E. Joiner of Chicago; two sisters, Jeri McCarthy of the Bronx, N.Y., and Wilma Fortson of Elberton, Ga.; one brother, Oswald Hicks of Harrisburg, Pa.; and four grandchildren.
Visitation will be Monday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Royal Funeral Home.
Memorial donations may be sent to the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Scholarship Fund.
The body will be at the church an hour before the funeral.
Etta Ruth Jones
Etta Ruth Jones, 94, of Huntsville died Thursday at Fayetteville. The funeral will be Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home with the Rev. Bobby Eads and the Rev. Charles Godwin officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
Mrs. Jones had lived in Huntsville the past 19 years and was a Sunday school teacher. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Hazel Green .
Survivors include one son, Robert R. Jones of Huntsville; three grandchildren, Martha Stanford of Huntsville and Sam Jones and Tim Jones, both of Madison; and five great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m.
Jonni P. Livingston
HARTSELLE - Jonni Peebles Livingston, 44, of 728 Slate St., died Thursday at a Huntsville hospital. The funeral will be Sunday at 1 p.m. at Peck Funeral Home with the Rev. Danny Garrison officiating.
Burial will be in Bethel Cemetery.
Mrs. Livingston was manager of Hartselle Villa Apartments.
Survivors include her parents, Roy Peebles and Ruby V. Peebles of Falkville; one son, Allen Gerald Livingston II of Eva; four sisters, Betty Resha of Goodlettsville, Tenn., Sarah Chadwell of Tasswell, Tenn., Alice Mahon of Monroe, Mich., and Linda Buxen of Fort Myers, Fla.
Hazel Morrow
Hazel Morrow, 98, of Huntsville died Wednesday at her home. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce the funeral.
Mrs. Morrow was a member of Epworth United Methodist Church. She was a retired civil servant and had lived in Huntsville since 1965.
Survivors include one son, Harold William Morrow of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; one grandson, Wayne Morrow of California; and four great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be Monday from 10 to 11 a.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to Epworth United Methodist Church or a favorite charity.
Dorothy Onkst
Dorothy Jean Sanders Onkst, 58, of Huntsville died Saturday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home in Batesville, Miss., with the Rev. McCoy Wilbanks and the Rev. Clay Baker officiating.
Burial will be in Forrest Memorial Park.
Survivors include her husband, James Robert Onkst of Huntsville; one daughter, Cindy Kesler Dobbins of Danville; three sons, Michael Onkst of Harvest, Richard Onkst of Laceys Spring and Randy Kesler of Abbeville, Miss.; one brother, Perry Sanders of Courtland, Miss.; and 10 grandchildren.
Visitation will be Monday from 5 to 8 p.m.
LaDarius Ragland
LaDarius Latrell Ragland, 3, of 1606 Calvary St. died Sept. 27 at a local hospital.
The funeral will be today at 1 p.m. at Hurricane Chapel M.B. Church with the Rev. Michael Rice officiating.
Burial will be in Valhalla Memory Gardens with Royal Funeral Home directing.
Survivors include his mother, Wanda Vaughn; his father, Donell Ragland, both of Huntsville; his grandparents, Fannie Ragland of Huntsville and Annie Kibble of Nashville; eight sisters, Tanika Ragland, Tracy Ragland, LaShan Adams Jackson, Arrie Vaughn, Deitra Moore, Donna West, Dalaira Vaughn and LeSia Harris, all of Huntsville; and two brothers, Donell Ragland Jr. and Yumond Kibble, both of Huntsville.
The body will be at the church an hour before the funeral.
Emmett W. Rice
Emmett Walter Rice, 75, of Huntsville died Thursday at a local hospital. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce the funeral.
Mr. Rice was a World War II veteran and had received the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.
Survivors include his wife, Betty L. Rice of Huntsville; one son, Boyd A. Rice of Huntsville; three brothers, Albert Rice of Sumpter, Ore., Everett Rice of Fort Gratiot, Mich., and Joseph Rice of Kemp, Texas; one sister, Evelyn Adams of Hazel Green ; and two granddaughters.
Visitation will be Sunday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Zelma B. Sumner
BATESVILLE, Miss. - Zelma Bradford Sumner, 95, died Tuesday. A graveside service will be today at 10 a.m. at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Scottsboro, with Rudder Funeral Home directing.
Mrs. Sumner was a native of Hollywood and a member of Green Street Baptist Church in High Point, N.C.
Survivors include several nieces and nephews.
David L. Thompson
BOAZ - David Lamar Thompson, 48, of 282 Floyd Drive died Thursday in a local hospital. The funeral will be Sunday at 2 p.m. at Adams Funeral Home in Albertville.
Burial will be in Memory Hill Cemetery in Albertville.
Survivors include two daughters, Angie Sims of Albertville and Lynsey Thompson of Boaz; one son, Micah Thompson of Boaz; and his mother, Polly Thompson of Boaz.
