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.
Opal Beck
BUTLERVILLE, Ind. - Opal Mae Grinstead Beck, 98, died Friday at a North Vernon, Ind., nursing home. The funeral was today at 11 a.m. at Dove-Sharp and Rudicel Funeral Home with the Rev. Dan Barringer officiating.
Burial was in Butlerville Cemetery.
Mrs. Beck was preceded in death by her husbands, Walton Grinstead and Arthur Beck. She had been a waitress and cook and worked at the post office in Butlerville. She was a member of the Butlerville Order of the Easter Star and the Butlerville Baptist Church.
Survivors include two sons, Robert D. Grinstead of Rochester, N.Y., and John Grinstead of Huntsville; one stepdaughter, Miriam Austin of North Vernon, Ind.; and six grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and two step-great-grandchildren.
Visitation was today from 10 to 11 a.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to the Order of the Eastern Star.
Kyle D. Brady
HAZEL GREEN - Kyle D. Brady, 39, died Sunday at his home. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Survivors include his wife, Sheila Brady of Huntsville; two daughters, Jennifer Brady and Laura Brady, both of Hazel Green ; two sons, Michael Brady and Jonathan Brady, both of Hazel Green ; his mother, Deanie McDougal of New Market; his father, J.W. Brady Jr. of Georgia; and two sisters, Rita Casey of Cullman and Dianna Browning of Laceys Spring.
Visitation will be Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Ferrell M. Clark
NEW HOPE - Ferrell M. Clark, 78, of 114 Hereford St. died Saturday at his home. The funeral was Monday at Owens Cross Roads United Methodist Church with the Revs. Doug Hemphill and Bill McElyea officiating.
Burial was in Bush Cemetery in Huntsville.
Mr. Clark was a U.S. Navy veteran and was Owens Cross Roads chief of police from 1967 to 1980.
Survivors include two sons, Danny Joe Clark and Jimmy Ferrell Clark, both of New Hope; two daughters, Linda Dalton of New Hope and Helen Frazier of Clearwater, Fla.; and nine grandchildren.
T. Loyd Coleman
ARAB - T. Loyd Coleman, 51, died Friday at a Seattle hospital. The funeral will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Arab.
Burial will be in Arab Memorial Cemetery with Gober Funeral Home of Arab in charge.
Mr. Coleman represented Marshall County in the Alabama House of Representatives and in the Alabama Senate from 1983 to 1987 and was named legislator of the year in his freshman term. He was a salesman at a Decatur car dealership, a member of First Baptist Church and the "outstanding citizen of Arab" in 1981.
Survivors include his wife, Sandra Coleman; one daughter, Christy Schuette of Bowling Green, Ky.; one sister, Carolyn Walden of Arab; one brother, Kenneth Coleman of Huntsville; and two granddaughters.
Visitation will be today at 4 p.m. at First Baptist Church.
Cathren Davis
Cathren "Sal" Davis, 78, of Huntsville died Saturday at her home. The funeral will be Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Oakwood College Seventh-day Adventist Church with Pastor E.C. Ward officiating.
Burial will be in Northside Cemetery with Nelms Memorial Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include two daughters, Helen Husband and K. Darlene Davis, both of Huntsville; three sons, Willie Orr, Kenneth V. Davis and Stanley K. Davis, all of Huntsville; one brother, Isaac Davis of South Pittsburg, Tenn.; and four grandchildren.
Her body will be at the church one hour before the funeral.
James L. Franklin Jr.
WINCHESTER, Tenn. - James L. Franklin Jr., 49, died Sunday. The funeral will be Thursday at 2 p.m. at Section Funeral Home in with the Rev. M.D. Bryant officiating.
Visitation was to be today and Wednesday from 5 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Brad Gray
Brad Gray, 28, of Huntsville died Saturday at his home. The funeral will be Thursday at 2 p.m. at Valhalla Funeral Home with the Rev. Peggy Shanahan officiating.
Burial will be in Valhalla Memory Gardens.
Survivors include his mother, Royce Balch of Huntsville; his father, James E. Gray Jr. of Fayetteville, Tenn.; one sister, Melissa Crawford of Huntsville; one brother, Dan Gray of Huntsville; and his grandparents, Belle and Edward Gray of New Market and William Grimwood of Hazel Green .
Visitation will be Wednesday from 5 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Dorothy T. Gutowski
Dorothy Teresa "Dottie" Gutowski, 55, of Huntsville died Sunday in Jasper, Tenn. The funeral will be Thursday at 2 p.m. at Big Cove Cumberland Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Evelyn Brodeur officiating.
Burial will be in Campground Cemetery with Spry Funeral Home in charge.
Miss Gutowski was a native of Pittsburgh and had lived in Huntsville since 1978.
Survivors include her care-giver, Inez Bastin of Madison.
Visitation will be Thursday from 1 to 2 p.m. at the church.
Memorial donations may be made to the 8th Street Group Home in Huntsville.
Sarah L. Heidt
ATHENS - Sarah Lou Heidt, 87, of 12397 Cambridge Lane died Sunday at a Decatur hospital. The funeral will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at McConnell Funeral Home with Ron Oakley and Bo Grace officiating.
Burial will be in Athens City Cemetery.
Mrs. Heidt was a native of Limestone County, a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church and a past president of the Triple E Club.
Survivors include two daughters, Beverly Jane Lewis and Dianne Lauderdale, both of Athens; and two granddaughters, Michelle Lewis of Mobile and Nicole Lauderdale of Nashville.
J.W. Hooten
LEWISBURG, Tenn. - J.W. Hooten, 81, died Monday at a local nursing home. The funeral will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Church Street Church of Christ in Lewisburg.
Burial will be in Lone Oak Cemetery in Lewisburg with London Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. Hooten was a native of Marshall County, Tenn. He had retired from Genesco Inc. and worked at London Funeral Home.
Survivors include his wife, Pearl M. Hooten of Lewisburg; one daughter, Peggy Hooten Collins of Tuscaloosa; two sons, Bill Hooten of Murfreesboro and Anthony Hooten of Huntsville, Ala.; one sister, Mary Alice Hooten Walker of Lewisburg; and nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Visitation was to be today at 2 p.m. at the funeral home.
Charles S. Jarrell
MANCHESTER, Tenn. - Charles Sanford Jarrell, 62, died Saturday at his home. The funeral was to be today at 3 p.m. at Shady Grove Cemetery in Coffee County, Tenn., with Bro. Horace Lee Jacobs officiating.
Manchester Funeral Home is in charge of burial.
Mr. Jarrell was a farmer, a native of Coffee County and a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War.
Survivors include one son, Keith Lyle Jarrell of Huntsville; four sisters, Irene Freeze of Manchester, Albertine Jenkins of Summitville, Elizabeth Aaron of Nashville and Carolyn Williams of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; two brothers, James G. Jarrell and Billy Frank Jarrell, both of Manchester; and several nieces and nephews.
T.L. Johnson
T.L. Johnson, 88, of Huntsville died Monday at a local nursing home. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Mr. Johnson was former president of the National Cast Iron Pipe Research Association and a longtime member of the Birmingham Country CLub.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Johnson of Athens; two daughters, Linda Callahan of Palm Desert, Calif., and Mary Wilson of Salt Lake City; one son, Wayne B. Johnson of Huntsville; one sister, Nadine Oss of Orem, Utah; and four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
James Lancaster
FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. - James Lancaster, 43, of 3291 Huntsville Highway died Sunday at a Fayetteville hospital. The funeral will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Higgins Funeral Home with the Rev. Billy Langford officiating.
Burial will be in Gatlin Cemetery.
Mr. Lancaster was a native of Poinsette, Ark., a mechanic for Hedden Tractor Co. and a Baptist.
Survivors include one sister, Virginia Daniels of Pearson, Ga.; and two brothers, Jerry W. Lancaster of Fayetteville and William T. Abbott of Louisiana.
Beatrice McClanahan
HARTSELLE - Beatrice McClanahan, 87, died Monday at a Hartselle hospital. The funeral will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Peck Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Bill Cole officiating.
Burial will be in Johnson Chapel Cemetery.
Mrs. McClanahan was a native of Morgan County, a Methodist and a homemaker.
Survivors include three sons, John L. Rackley Sr. of Arley, Jerry K. Rackley Sr. of Hartselle and John D. McClanahan of Arlington, Va.; two daughters, Nagatha Morgan of Hartselle and Peggy Barham of Mallard Creek; three brothers, R.D. Nethery and Hilrey Nethery, both of Hartselle, and William Nethery of Danville; three sisters, Ople Lee of Covington, Ga., Olene Smith of Danville and Margaret Higginbotham of Hartselle; and 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Lola B. Moon
SCOTTSBORO - Lola Beatress Moon, 76, died Sunday in Falkville. The funeral will be Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Cave Springs Holiness Church with Bros. Paul Stone and Ollie Cooper officiating.
Burial will be in Baker Cemetery in Owens Cross Roads with Spry Funeral Home in charge.
Mrs. Moon was a native of Sparta, Tenn., and had lived in Scottsboro for two years. She was a member of the Cave Springs Holiness Church and was preceded in death by her husband, Lester G. Moon.
Survivors include six daughters, Lucille Nichols of Woodbury, Tenn., Lorene Bates of Somerville, Mattie Bennett of Falkville, Sue Gway of Hazel Green, Linda Smith of Hartselle and Peggy Wilburn of Gurley; one stepdaughter, Ruby Russell of Decatur; four sons, Lindsey Sullivan of Huntsville, Joe Moon of Scottsboro, Gene Moon of Montgomery and Freddy Moon of Owens Cross Roads; three stepsons, Bobby Moon of Huntsville, Sonny Moon of Selma and Millard Moon of Tennessee; her mother, Mattie Chestine of New Hope; and 19 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, 10 step-grandchildren and 10 step-great-grandchildren.
Visitation was to be today from 3 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Her body will be at the church one hour before the funeral.
Albert C. Neal
Albert Curtis Neal, 63, of Huntsville died Sunday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home chapel with Dr. James Junior officiating.
Burial will be in Concord Cemetery.
Mr. Neal was a native of Madison County.
Survivors include his wife, Glenda Neal of Huntsville; one son, Terry Cantrell of Huntsville; his mother, Mary Wingard of Huntsville; one sister, Essie McLeroy of Poland, Ohio; one brother, Kennith J. Neal of Huntsville; and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be today from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Betty S. Nixon
BOAZ - Betty Sue Nixon, 60, of 1643 County Road 81 died Sunday at a local hospital. The funeral was to be today at 3:30 p.m. at Carr Funeral Home in Boaz.
Burial was to be in Pleasant Hill No. 1 Cemetery.
Survivors include two daughters, Belinda Walker of Boaz and Susan Nixon of Albertville; two sons, Dennis Nixon and Phillip Nixon, both of Boaz; his mother, Edith Chamblee of Tuscaloosa; and eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Ina R. Overbey
BOAZ - Ina Ruth Overbey, 70, of 8485 Highway 168 West died Sunday at a local hospital. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Carr Funeral Home in Boaz.
Burial was to be in Thrasher Cemetery.
Survivors include two daughters, Martha Henley of Arkansas and Patricia Bohyannon of Boaz; two sisters, Wanda Martin and Micky Thomas, both of Boaz; and eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
John R. Rigney
John R. Rigney, 87, of Huntsville died Monday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Valhalla Funeral Home with the Rev. Larry Johnson officiating.
Burial will be in Valhalla Memory Gardens.
Mr. Rigney was a native of Madison County, a member of Chase Missionary Baptist Church, a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II and a retired farmer. He also worked for the Madison County School System.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Rigney.
Survivors include one son, John R. Rigney Jr. of Poplar, Miss.; and five grandchildren and several great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Rosie S. Robbins
POWELS - Rosie Sweat Robbins, 51, died Monday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Thursday at 2 p.m. at Straight Creek Church with the Revs. Billy Summerford and Jimmy Summerford officiating.
Burial will be in New Canaan Cemetery with W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel in charge.
Survivors include her husband, Jimmy Robbins of Powels, and two sisters, Betty Arbaan of Georgia and Patricia Hammock of Florida.
Visitation was today at 9 a.m. at the funeral home.
John F. Segrest III
TAFT, Tenn. - John Fletcher Segrest III, 52, died Saturday at his home. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at United Methodist Church in Ardmore, Ala., with the Rev. William Bruce Walters and Jim Shaw officiating.
Mr. Segrest was an Auburn graduate and an aerospace engineer. He had been senior engineer and project/consulting aerospace engineer at Northrop Services Inc. He was also a senior engineer at SPARTA Inc. and was later given the Lockheed Martin position of THAAD BM/C31 chief engineer.
Survivors include his wife, Barbara Jackson Segrest; two sons, Justin Fletcher Segrest and Nolan Jackson Segrest, both of Taft; and his father, J.F. Segrest Jr. of Tuskegee.
Visitation will be at the church after the funeral.
Sybil H. Spears
Sybil Hodnett Spears, 78, of Huntsville died Sunday at a local nursing home. The funeral will be Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Laughlin Service Funeral Home chapel with Dr. Walter Nunn and the Rev. Otis Hodnett officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
Mrs. Spears was a native of Clay County and had lived in Huntsville 41 years. She retired from Pizitz Department Store after working there for 25 years, and was a member of University Baptist Church.
Survivors include one daughter, Donna Savage of Madison; one son, Joel Spears of Killen; and six grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to American Diabetes Association.
Floyd C. Treece
OWENS CROSS ROADS - Floyd Clenton Treece, 69, died Sunday at his home. The funeral will be Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Twickenham Funeral Home East.
Burial will be in Green Valley Cemetery.
Survivors include his wife, Johnnie Treece of Owens Cross Roads; two sons, Boots Treece of Paint Rock Valley and David Mark Treece of Guntersville; one daughter, Tracy Barnett of Nashville; two sisters, Sarah Ellet of Owens Cross Roads and Mageline Taylor of Huntsville; and six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
John S. Welzyn
John Stanley Welzyn, 66, of Huntsville died Sunday. The memorial service will be Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home chapel with Jeremy Bass officiating.
Mr. Welzyn was a native of Chicopee, Mass., and had lived in Huntsville since 1960. He had retired from NASA and was a Korean War veteran. He was also the public address announcer for high school football games at Milton Frank Stadium from 1964 to 1996 and at Alabama A&M from 1989 to 1996. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary J. Welzyn.
Survivors include one daughter, Ginger Schrimsher of Huntsville; three sons, Michael Welzyn, Ken Welzyn and Greg Welzyn, all of Huntsville; one brother, Robert Welzyn of Birmingham; and four grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to American Cancer Society.
John N. Wesley
John Nelson Wesley, 82, of 3711 Pulaski Pike in Huntsville died Saturday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Royal Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Theodis Acklin officiating.
Burial will be in Northside Cemetery.
Survivors include one daughter, Elizabeth West of Kwajalein, Marshall Islands; one sister, Letesha Toney of Chattanooga, Tenn.; and three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Cecil B. White
TRINITY - Cecil Benny White, 52, of 738 County Road 368 died Monday at a Lawrence County hospital. The funeral will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Mount View Baptist Church with the Rev. Billy Burge officiating.
Burial will be in East Lawrence Memorial Gardens with Parkway Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. White was a native of Lawrence County and a member of Mount View Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Martha White of Hillsboro; two sons, Benjamin J. White and Derrick Randolph, both of Decatur; one daughter, Jaime Hedden of Huntsville; three brothers, Jimmy Dee White of Trinity and Hubert Freeman White and Lyndon Edward White, both of Hillsboro; three sisters, Esteree Harris, Anna Vee Goode and Ira Bee Goode, all of Hillsboro; and two grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Carl C. Wright
GRANT - Carl Cecil Wright, 79, of 555 Wright Lane died Monday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at New Hope Funeral Home chapel with Melvin Brown, Jerry Berryhill and Bill Evans officiating.
Burial will be in Hayden Cemetery in New Hope.
Mr. Wright was preceded in death by his wife, Annie Beatrice Wright.
Survivors include five daughters, Betty Dorothy Evans of Guntersville, Kathey Marie Samples of Grant, Barbara Ann Sutton and Eva Mae Taylor, both of Madison, and Carolyn Jean Wright of New Hope; two sons, Hubert Knolten Wright of Madison and Carl Freamon Wright of Grant; one sister, Mildred W. Robinson of Meridianville; one brother, William T. Wright of Owens Cross Roads; and 15 grandchildren, three step-grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and two step-great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 3 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
