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.
Lula R. Bolton
ATHENS - Lula Riggs Bolton, 86, of 704 North Clinton St. died Wednesday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Friday at 11 a.m. at Roselawn Cemetery.
Limestone Chapel Funeral Home is in charge of burial.
Mrs. Bolton was a member of Market Street Church of Christ. She retired from the Quaker Oat Co. She was preceded in death by her husband, David H. Bolton; and two sons, David Bolton Jr. and Carl Wayne Bolton.
Survivors include one son, William H. Bolton of Athens; two sisters, Dorothy Tingley and Sara Griffin, both of Athens; one brother, Marvin Riggs of Athens; and nine grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, three great-great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Frances Bond
ATHENS - Frances Bond, 75, of Buchanan Street died Tuesday at her home. The funeral will be today at 3 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home in Athens with Arvid McGuire officiating.
Burial will be in Athens City Cemetery.
Mrs. Bond was a native of Limestone County, a homemaker and was preceded in death by her husband, Walter E. Bond, and one daughter, Ann Bond Bodner.
Survivors include one daughter, Linda Pendergrass of Athens; four sisters, Louise Groce of Ardmore, Nina Starnes, Betty Carter and Nell Lovell, all of Athens; two brothers, Dewey Craig of Winter Haven, Fla., and Robert Craig of Athens; and nieces and nephews.
Marie C. Briggs
Marie Cage Briggs, 84, of Huntsville died Sunday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at First Missionary Baptist Church with the Rev. Julius R. Scruggs officiating.
Burial will be in Sulphur Springs Cemetery in Fayetteville, Tenn., with Nelms Memorial Funeral Home in charge.
Mrs. Briggs was a retired agent with Atlanta Life Insurance Co.
Survivors include two sons, Henry "Pete" Briggs of Carrolton, Ga., and Thomas "Tom" James Briggs of Huntsville; two sisters, Tessie B. Jones and Faye Dolzadelli, both of East St. Louis, Ill.; and five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Her body will be at the church one hour before the funeral.
Cathy J. Bryant
ALBERTVILLE - Cathy Johnson Bryant, 42, of 408 Miller St. died Tuesday at a Birmingham hospital. A graveside service will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at Valhalla Cemetery in Bessemer.
Carr Funeral Home of Boaz is in charge of burial.
Survivors include her husband, Rick Bryant; two sisters, Debra Cromer of Oneonta and Tammy Johnson of Birmingham; and two brothers, Danny Johnson of Jasper and Donnie Johnson of North Carolina.
Dorothy L. Ford
FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. - Dorothy L. Ford, 83, of Old Lincoln Road died Tuesday at a Fayetteville nursing home. The funeral will be Friday at 1 p.m. at Gallant Funeral Home chapel in Hazel Green .
Burial will be in Charity Cemetery.
Mrs. Ford was a native of Madison County, retired from the Pontiac Motor Division of General Motors in Pontiac, Mich., and was a member of the Church of Christ.
Survivors include one sister, Lillian Anderson of Fayetteville; one brother, Woodrow Moss of Hazel Green ; and five nieces and five nephews.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Flora C. Hinkle
DANVILLE - Flora C. Hinkle, 66, died Tuesday at her home. The funeral was today at 11 a.m. at Shady Grove Baptist Church with the Rev. Wendell Callahan officiating.
Burial was in Good Hope Cemetery in Cullman with Peck Funeral Home of Hartselle in charge.
Mrs. Hinkle was a member of Shady Grove Baptist Church, had been employed by Bell South for 20 years and was with Mary Kay Cosmetics.
Survivors include her husband, Franklin D. Hinkle; two daughters, Susan Hinkle Hensley and Sonya D. Hinkle, both of Danville; one son, Frankie Denson Hinkle of Danville; two sisters, Hazel Johnson of Trinity and Ann Carpenter of Eads, Tenn.; two brothers, Artis Coleman of Town Creek and Larry Coleman of Danville; and three grandchildren.
Agnes Kelly
MADISON - Agnes Elizabeth Johns Kelly, 75, died Tuesday at her home. A graveside service will be Friday at 1 p.m. at Green wood Cemetery in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Burial will be in Green wood Cemetery in Chattanooga with Laughlin Service Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include her husband, James T. Kelly of Madison; three sons, Fred Nunez of Knoxville, Jack Nunez of Houston and Chester Lee Nunez of Needville, Texas; one daughter, Joan Lange of Ledbetter, Texas; her mother, Hazel Johns of Harrison, Tenn.; four sisters, Evelyn Laffoon of Trout, La., Pearl Lee of Toney, Patricia A. Bell of Huntsville and Judy Johns of Clarrison, Tenn.; and two brothers, Bill Johns and Eugene Johns, both of Ootlewah, Tenn.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Mollie R. Lane
BROWNSBORO - Mollie Reed Lane, 96, died Tuesday at a Decatur nursing home. The graveside service was today at 10 a.m. at Maple Hill Cemetery with Charles Washburn officiating.
Laughlin Service Funeral Home is in charge of burial.
Mrs. Lane was a member of Maysville Church of Christ and was preceded in death by one son, Robert F. Reed.
Survivors include one son, T.A. "Fuzz" Reed of Scottsboro; one daughter, Ozaline Suzzie Kelley of Huntsville; and four stepchildren, four grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren and one great-great-granddaughter.
Gerard A. Lynch
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Gerard A. Lynch, 84, died Sunday at a Bakersfield hospital. No services are planned.
Survivors include his wife, Ruth Lynch of Bakersfield; three daughters, Judith Lynch of Huntsville and Joan DAngelo and Jane Lang, both of Bakersfield; and five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Eddie L. Martin
NEW HOPE - Eddie L. Martin, 74, of 183 Clark Hollow Road died Wednesday at his home. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Brown Cemetery with the Rev. Milton Martin officiating.
New Hope Funeral Home is in charge of burial.
Survivors include his wife, Helen C. Martin of New Hope; three daughters, Libbi Martin Click of Grant, Faye Martin Cobb of Laceys Spring and Reda Martin Cobb of Woodville; five sons, Anthony Leon Martin, Eddie Gerald Martin, Randy Glenn Martin and Scott Martin, all of Grant, and Phillip Eugene Martin of Huntsville; and 17 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Thelma M. Maynard
GURLEY - Thelma Maybelle Maynard, 82, died Tuesday at a South Pittsburgh, Tenn., nursing home. The funeral will be Friday at 1 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home chapel with Bros. Joe Ventress and David Maples officiating.
Burial will be in Gurley City Cemetery.
Mrs. Maynard was a native of Jackson County and had lived in Gurley 41 years.
Survivors include one daughter, Pamala Maynard of Gurley; two sons, Stanley R. Maynard and William "Billy" Maynard Jr., both of Gurley; one sister, Lucille Elmore of Gurley; one brother, Billy "Junior" Dollar of Gurley; and 12 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 3:30 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Doris C. Milburn
HARTSELLE - Doris C. ''Wood Milburn, 62, died Tuesday at a Huntsville hospital. The funeral was today at 11 a.m. at Peck Funeral Home with the Rev. Danny Garrison and the Rev. Ralph Henderson officiating.
Burial was in Grange Hall Cemetery in Trinity.
Mrs. Milburn was owner and operator of D&M Grocery in Somerville and was owner of Bobs Place in Hartselle.
Survivors include one daughter, Debbie Garrison of Somerville; three sons, Larry Jennings of Clairemont, Fla., Danny Jennings of Lawrenceburg, Ky., and Johnny Milburn of London, Ky.; three sisters, Dorothy Blake of Kalamazoo, Mich., Alice Roper of Trinity and Marti Downton of Hartselle; four brothers, Kenneth Wood of Moulton, Jimmy Wood of Somerville, William Wood and Odis Wood, both of Hartselle; and 10 grandchildren.
Ronald G. Moore
HAZEL GREEN - Ronald G. Moore, 51, of Valley Meadow Drive died Wednesday at his home. The funeral will be today at 7 p.m. at Gallant Funeral Home chapel in Hazel Green with Billy Mattox and the Rev. Lon Ostrzycki officiating.
Burial will be in Kildare Cemetery in Cass County, Texas.
Mr. Moore was a native of Cass County and a safety engineer for Raytheon.
Survivors include his wife, Daphine Mattox Moore of Hazel Green ; two daughters, Kelley Renee Moore of Conyers, Ga., and Meredith Browning of Anchorage, Alaska; his mother, Eunice Moore of Kildare, Texas; two stepdaughters, Heather Michelle Walker of Hazel Green and Nichole Hollingsworth Myerson of Athens; one stepson, Shawn Darwell Hollingsworth of Alma, Ga.; two sisters, Rebecca Harrison of San Antonio, Texas, and Rosanne Carr of Tulsa, Okla.; and six grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to American Cancer Society.
James W. Reveal
MOUNDVILLE - James William Reveal, 62, died Tuesday. The funeral will be Friday at 11 a.m. at W.T. Wilson Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Dale Haynes officiating.
Burial will be Pleasant Hill Cemetery.
Mr. Reveal was formerly of Bellville, Texas. He was born in Moline, Ill., and retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1975.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Leome Lester Reveal.
Survivors include one son, Ronnie K. Reveal of Winberly, Texas; two daughters, Debra Bremer of Illinois City, Ill., and Kathy Reveal of Marion, Ark.; and nine grandchildren.
Visitation is today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Jan Rice
GRANT - Jan Rice, 42, of 350 Winkles Road died Tuesday at her home. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Grant Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.
Burial was to be in Gunters Mountain Cemetery.
Mrs. Rice was the former manager of Grant Memorial Chapel and a charter member of the Grant Civitan Club.
Survivors include one daughter, Stephanie Rice of Grant; one son, John Paul Rice of Scottsboro; parents, John H. and Evelyn Neal of Woodville; one sister, Kathy Neal of Scottsboro; one brother, Mike Neal of Scottsboro; and one grandchild.
Martha Rice
ARDMORE, Tenn. - Martha Rice, 98, of 25385 Main St. died Saturday at an area nursing home. The funeral will be Saturday at noon at Royal Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Wallace Steele officiating.
Burial will be in Collier Cemetery in Triana.
Survivors include two nephews, John A. Rice of Huntsville and Terry Rice Sr. of Philadelphia; and four grandchildren, six great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Dora D. Richardson
ATHENS - Dora Dell Richardson, 95, of 1600 West Hobbs St. died Wednesday at her home. The funeral will be Friday at 2 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home in Athens.
Burial will be in Higgins Cemetery.
Mrs. Richardson was a native of Limestone County, a homemaker and was preceded in death by her husband, James Emmett Richardson, and one daughter, Beulah Griffin.
Survivors include three daughters, Ella Ree Pratt of Athens, Ila Mae Griffin and Gladys Graham, both of Rogersville; three sons, Dennis Otha Richardson of Anderson, Roy Harold Richardson and William Dwight Richardson, both of Rogersville; and 20 grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, six great-great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Thomas Simpson Jr.
ALBERTVILLE - Thomas Bill Simpson Jr., 66, of 6593 Sectionline Road died Tuesday at his home. The funeral was to be today at 1 p.m. at Adams Funeral Home in Albertville.
Burial was to be in Marshall Memorial Garden.
Survivors include one daughter, Tyra Creasy of Georgia; two sons, Randall Simpson and Ethan Simpson, both of Albertville; two sisters, Bernice Walker of Decatur and Frances Walker of Tennessee; and five grandchildren.
James H. Stewart
LIMROCK - James Hulen Stewart, 46, died Tuesday. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Scottsboro Funeral Home with the Rev. Terry Pace and the Rev. Johnny Johnson officiating.
Burial was to be in Cedar Hill Cemetery in Scottsboro.
Survivors include his wife, Venice Stewart of Limrock; two daughters, Lavonne Segars and Amanda Stewart, both of Limrock; one son, Jonathan Stewart of Limrock; his father, Harrison Stewart of Limrock; six sisters, Delores Guess, Carolyn Roussea and Kathy Burgess, all of Woodville, Nancy Powell of Limrock, Maxine Wells of Scottsboro and Teresa Payne of Cullman; two brothers, Stanley Stewart of Section and Danny Stewart of Scottsboro; and two granddaughters.
Jeffery L. Strange
ALBERTVILLE - Jeffery Lamar Strange, 35, of 79 Dogwood Road died Tuesday at his home. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Rocky Branch Holiness Church.
Burial was to be in Pleasant Grove Cemetery with Adams Funeral Home of Albertville in charge.
Survivors include his wife, Penny Strange; one daughter, Whitney Strange of Albertville; two sons, Jeffery Strange and David Strange, both of Albertville; father, J.W. Strange of Albertville; three sisters, Felicia West and Diane Brown, both of Albertville, and Kristie Brown of Scottsboro; and one brother, Anthony Strange of Albertville.
Martha E. Wilkerson
BROWNSBORO - Martha Elias Wilkerson, 53, died Tuesday at her home. The funeral will be Friday at 10:30 a.m. at Laughlin Service Funeral Home chapel with Pastor Paul Alexander officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
Mrs. Wilkerson was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church and the Carillon Club, a volunteer for Choose Life and an Honorary B-Team Angel. She was preceded in death by her son, Robby Brown.
Survivors include her husband, Ron Wilkerson of Huntsville; two sisters, Katherine DeLucca of Boca Raton, Fla., and Beth Miller of Huntsville; and her parents, Robert Elias and Jackie Elias, both of Huntsville.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Virginia Foster Durr
MONTGOMERY - Alabama native Virginia Foster Durr was remembered by civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks as a woman who wanted balance in a world where race, gender and economic status sometimes carry more weight than they should. She died Wednesday at the age of 95.
In a statement, Parks said Durrs "upbringing of privilege did not prohibit her from wanting equality for all people.
"She was a lady and a scholar, and I will miss her," said the former seamstress who was bailed out of jail by Durr and her husband after she launched the Montgomery bus boycott in 1955.
Durr, a longtime Montgomery resident who had been in failing health for several years, died in her sleep at a nursing home in Carlisle, Pa. The cause of death was not immediately determined.
Born in Birmingham in 1903, Durr grew up in a world that included black servants. She left the South to attend Wellesley College, where she began to discover her own opinions on race and gender equality. She helped fight racist poll taxes, supported New Deal programs and backed the civil rights movement.
"She said the movement was anything that made life better for people," said a daughter, Ann Durr Lyon.
In 1955, Durr and her late husband, civil rights attorney Clifford Durr, paid Parks bail after she was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white man on Montgomerys segregated city buses. The arrest prompted a boycott that propelled Martin Luther King Jr. to leadership and helped start the civil rights movement.
Atlantas Emory University is honoring Durr with an award from the National Black Herstory Taskforce in a few weeks, said Hollinger F. Barnard, who edited "Outside the Magic Circle," Durrs autobiography. The awards are going to five people who are described as civil rights activists.
