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.
Elizabeth J. Bennett
MADISON - Elizabeth J. Bennett, 72, died Thursday in Huntsville. The funeral will be Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Cooks Funeral Home in Ionia, Mich.
Burial will be at Balcolm Cemetery in Ionia.
Mrs. Bennett was retired from Chrysler in Huntsville and was a member of Local 1413. She was preceded in death by her husband, H.L. Bennett.
Survivors include two daughters, Barbara E. Bennett of Madison and Esther E. Dreves of Williamston, Mich.; and two sons, Max L. Bennett of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Robert L. Bennett of Lansing, Mich.
Visitation will be Monday from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be sent to the American Cancer Society.
Lillian J. Cason
Lillian Jackson Cason died Friday at her home in Huntsville. The graveside service will be in Jackson, Tenn., with George Smith Funeral Home North directing.
Laughlin Service Funeral Home is directing local arrangements.
Mrs. Cason lived in Jackson for 86 years before moving to Huntsville. She was retired as vice president and trust officer of First National Bank in Jackson. She was a Watch Care member of Whitesburg Baptist Church and attended a Sunday school class at the church.
Survivors include one son and daughter-in-law, George R. Cason Jr. and Charlene Cason; five granddaughters, Candace Burnett, Cynthia Gray, Cathryn Hatchett, Carolyn Johnson and Michele Saffer; and seven great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be sent to the Whitesburg Baptist Church building fund.
Margaret Heidelberg
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Margaret W. ''Peggy Heidelberg, 85, formerly of Huntsville, died Thursday in Ashville. The funeral will be at 2:30 p.m. today at the Gaither chapel of Montreat Presbyterian Church at Montreat College in Black Mountain, N.C. The Rev. Al Dimmock will officiate.
A graveside service will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Raleigh National Cemetery. Groce Funeral Home of Asheville will direct arrangements.
Mrs. Heidelberg was born in High Point, N.C. She was preceded in death by her husband, the Rev. Frederic H. Heidelberg.
Survivors include two daughters, Gay H. Schuldt of Leicester, N.C., and Leesa H. Young of Asheville; one son, Harry W. Heidelberg of Little Rock, Ark.; one sister, Marie Royster of Nashville; one brother, Tom Whitlowe of Jefferson City, Tenn.; and eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
The family will visit with friends at Gaither Fellowship Hall following the service today.
Memorial donations may be sent to the Buncombe County chapter of the American Heart Association, 50 S. French Broad Ave., Asheville 28801.
Gregory L. Jackson
Gregory L. Jackson, 24, of Huntsville died Tuesday in Taft, Tenn. The funeral will be today at 2 p.m. at Royal Funeral Home chapel with Elder Gregory L. Jackson Sr. officiating.
Burial will be in Meadowlawn Garden of Peace with Royal Funeral Home directing.
Survivors include his mother, Cordelia Elaine Jackson of Roanoke, Va.; his father, Gregory Lamont Jackson of Erie, Penn.; two brothers, Michael Anthony Jackson and Eric Duane Jackson, both of Huntsville; and his grandparents, Josephine Jackson and James Jackson of Detroit, Grace Jackson of Erie, Pa., and John Jackson of Detroit.
Lamar Jones
Lamar Jones, 87, of Huntsville died Friday at a local hospital. The graveside service will be Monday at 11 a.m. at Maple Hill Cemetery with Dr. William Cockrill and Dr. Mel A. Strain officiating.
Laughlin Service Funeral Home will direct arrangements.
Mr. Jones was a Louisiana native and edited several weekly newspapers in southern Louisiana before joining an oil company in New Orleans. Later, he worked for Exxon in Baton Rouge, New York City and Houston. He retired from Exxon management in 1973 and moved to Huntsville.
Survivors include his wife, Eleanor Murphy Jones of Huntsville; one daughter, Mrs. William H. Griffin of Huntsville; two sons, Dr. James Fly Jones of Denver and Douglas Lamar Jones of Boston; two stepsons, Dr. Gates E. Murphy of Athens and retired Navy Capt. James L. Murphy of Maryland; and seven grandchildren, four step-grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
Visitation will be today from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Mr. Jones home.
Memorial donations may be made to First Presbyterian Church or the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library large-print book department.
Helen S. Lewter
Helen Shelton Lewter, 70, of Huntsville died Thursday at a local hospital. The funeral will be today at 1 p.m. at Epworth United Methodist Church with the Rev. John Rutland Jr. officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery with Spry Funeral Home directing.
Survivors include her husband, Homer Lewter of Huntsville; two sons, Larry Wayne Lewter of Fayetteville and James Michael Lewter of Huntsville; two daughters, Wilma Madden of Florence and Helen Marie Lewter of Huntsville; one brother, Paul Thomas Shelton of Fayette and Jean Malone of Huntsville; and five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
George M. McElyea
ATHENS - George Milon McElyea, 76, of U.S. 72 West died Friday at a local hospital. The funeral will be today at 2 p.m. at Mount Carmel Church of Christ with James Bridges and Raymond Bush officiating.
Burial will be in Dement Cemetery.
Mr. McElyea was a native of Limestone County, a member of Mount Carmel Church of Christ, an Army veteran of World War II and a member of the Paralyzed Veterans Association.
Survivors include his wife, Jean McElyea; one sister, Bebe Smith of Athens; and several nieces and nephews.
Ida S. McGovern
MADISON - Ida Santina McGovern, 72, died Friday at a local nursing home. A memorial service will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Valhalla Funeral Home with the Rev. Glenn Courtney officiating.
Survivors include three sons, Claude G. McGovern of Huntsville, James A. McGovern of Cleveland, Okla., and Michael W. McGovern of Pearland, Texas; one sister, Ines Sel of Schoten, Belgium; one brother, Francois Rizzo of Auboue, France; and three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Memorial donations may be sent to the Downtown Rescue Mission, 2413 9th Ave., Huntsville 35803.
Edith O. Medlock
ARAB - Edith Opal Medlock, 87, of 20 10th Ave. Northeast, died Friday at a local hospital. The funeral will be today at 2 p.m. at Arab Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.
Burial will be in Hillcrest Cemetery in Boaz.
Survivors include two daughters, Betty Forrest of Arab and Peggy Neuenhaus of New Orleans; one son, Jonathon Medlock of Arab; two sisters, Nerine Elrod of Boaz and Marlene Dean of Cullman; two brothers, Leon Brock of Boaz and Marion Brock of Cullman; and three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Edward Megginson Jr.
Edward F. Megginson Jr., 65, of Huntsville died Wednesday in Kingsport, Tenn. The funeral will be Monday at 10 a.m. at Valhalla Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. George Jones and the Rev. Cecil Nelson officiating.
Burial will be in Valhalla Memory Gardens.
Mr. Megginson was a member of Mountain View Baptist Church, an Army veteran, a member of the American Institute of Building Design and the owner of Custom Residential Designing Service.
Survivors include his wife, Louise Megginson; two daughters, Sharon Verble of Huntsville and Debra Vance of Big Stone Gap, Va.; one son, Keith Megginson of Huntsville; and seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Visitation will be today from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Memorial donations may be sent to Mountain View Baptist, 1413 McClung Ave., Huntsville 35801.
Dakota Y. Miller
Infant Dakota Yevonne Miller of Huntsville died Friday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Monday at 2 p.m. at Valhalla Funeral Home with the Rev. Larry Fincher officiating.
Burial will be in Valhalla Memory Gardens.
Survivors include her parents, Woody and Dauivaun Miller of Huntsville; her grandparents, Ann Fitcpatrick, Daniel Charles Rowe and Hazel Densmore, all of Huntsville, and Loren Miller of New Market; and her great-grandparents, Marie Mason and Ruth May Rowe, both of Huntsville.
Martha Ann Reyer
HARVEST - Martha Ann Cothren Reyer, 49, of Alternate Harvest Road died Friday at a Huntsville hospital. The funeral will be Monday at 11 a.m. at Stateline Freewill Baptist Church with the Rev. Rusty Lincoln and the Rev. Charles Marable officiating.
Burial will be in Gatlin Cemetery with Gallant Funeral Home directing.
Mrs. Reyer was a native of Madison County, a seamstress for Metro Flag Co. and a member of Stateline Freewill Baptist.
Survivors include her husband, Donald R. Reyer; one daughter, Tina Christian of Harvest; three sons, Keith Reyer of Toney and Brandon Reyer and Chris Reyer, both of Harvest; her parents, Floyd and Clara Cothren of Ardmore; six sisters, Janice Sanders and Barbara Cothren, both of Hazel Green, Evelyn Cothren of West Palm Peach, Fla., Pam Moore of Harvest, Sheila Bush of Ardmore, and Connie Cothren of Athens; three brothers, Stanley Cothren of Athens and Ronnie Cothren and Don Cothren, both of Ardmore; four grandchildren and several nieces and nephews including Teresa Marie Moore of Athens.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Stateline Freewill Baptist.
Leland Roebuck
The Rev. Leland Roebuck, 85, of Huntsville died Saturday at a local nursing home. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce the funeral.
Survivors include his wife, Lucille Roebuck; two daughters, Caryl Jones of Huntsville and Judy McMillen of Atlantic City, N.J.; four grandchildren, Steven Jones of Birmingham, Jeffrey Jones of Dallas and Mark McMillen and Leilani McMillan, both of Atlantic City; and seven great-grandchildren.
William T. White
William Thomas ''Bill White, 74, of Huntsville died Friday at a local hospital. The funeral will be
Monday at 11 a.m. at Spry Funeral Home chapel with Tommy Rosenblum officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
Mr. White was a native of Madison County, was retired from NASA and was a World War II veteran. Two of his children, Ronnie White and Judy Byars, work at The Huntsville Times.
Survivors include his wife, Christine White; one daughter, Judy Byars; three sons, Ronnie White, Don White and Gary White, all of Huntsville; one sister, Ann Snyder of Crown Point, Ind.; three brothers, Clarence White of Guntersville, Les White of Orlando and Troy White of Valparaiso, Ind.; and six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today at Spry from 3:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Joseph H. Schwartz
SUN CITY WEST, Ariz. - Joseph H. Schwartz, national commander of the Veterans of World War I of the U.S.A., died Thursday. He was 98.
Schwartz was elected head of the federally chartered veterans group in 1996. Membership dropped from about 24,000 three years ago to an estimated 3,000 this year; the average age of members is just shy of 100.
Schwartz visited veterans hospitals across the country, testified before Congress on behalf of World War I vets and joined President Clinton for Veterans Day ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery in 1996.
