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.
Burnita Q. Bryan
Burnita Quinn Bryan, 74, of Huntsville died Wednesday at a local hospital. The graveside service will be today at 2 p.m. at Maple Hill Cemetery with Dr. Roderic L. Murray III officiating.
Laughlin Service Funeral Home is in charge of burial.
Mrs. Bryan was a native of Greenville, Miss., and had lived in Huntsville since 1963. She was a member of Church of the Nativity and the Cosmopolitan Club.
Survivors include her husband, Paul Q. Bryan of Huntsville; and one daughter, Margaret B. Shaw of Huntsville.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association.
Elnora M. Cartwright
Elnora M. Cartwright, 91, of 30207 U.S. 72 in Huntsville died Monday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Saturday at noon at New Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church with the Rev. Larry Lockett officiating.
Burial will be in Indian Creek Cemetery with Royal Funeral Home in charge.
Mrs. Cartwright was preceded in death by her husband, Emmett Cartwright.
Survivors include three daughters, Mattie Haygood and Hattie Bell, both of Huntsville, and Hazel Clark of Baltimore, Md.; two sons, Johnnie Cartwright of Baltimore and Claude Cartwright of Nashville; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Her body will be at the church one hour before the funeral.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Kathryn S. Conn
GUNTERSVILLE - Kathryn Stimecz Conn, 82, of 117 Baptist Camp Road died Wednesday at a local hospital. The funeral was today at 10 a.m. at St. Williams Catholic Church in Guntersville.
Burial was in Marshall Memorial Garden with Carr Funeral Home of Guntersville directing.
Survivors include one sister, Mary Ethel Mahan of Guntersville; and one niece, Kathy Stimecz of Birmingham.
Mary Emerson
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Mary Emerson, 62, died Friday, March 5, in Youngstown. The funeral will be Sunday at 2 p.m. at Union Chapel Missionary Baptist Church with the Rev. O. Wendell Davis officiating.
Burial will be in Meadowlawn Garden of Peace with Royal Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include her husband, James H. Emerson of Youngstown; one daughter, Felicia Hambrick of Huntsville; one sister, Lillie Mae Whitt of Huntsville; six brothers, Walter Lee Rice, Andrew Rice, Bobbie Lee Rice, Virgil Rice, James Rice and William L. Rice, all of Huntsville; and three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Ruth E. Ferguson
ATHENS - Ruth Evelyn Ferguson, 65, of 13387 U.S. 31 died Wednesday in Moulton. The funeral will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at McConnell Funeral Home with Dr. John Garrison officiating.
Burial will be in Roselawn Funeral Home.
Mrs. Ferguson was a member of Southside Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband, Emmett Ferguson; three sons, Jim Ferguson of Decatur, Tony Ferguson of Crofton, Md., and Barry Ferguson of Dayton, Tenn.; three brothers, Judson Reed of Hoover, Joe Reed and Thurman Reed, both of Cordova; and nine grandchildren.
Mattie P. Fletcher
MADISON - Mattie Pearl Fletcher, 76, of 151 5th St. died Tuesday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Sunday at 1 p.m. at Mount Zion Primitive Baptist Church with the Rev. Mylon Burwell officiating.
Burial will be in Royal Cemetery with Royal Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include one daughter, Johnnie Mae Sanderson of Madison; one stepdaughter, Bertha Mae Fletcher of Madison; two stepsons, Willie Fletcher and Charlie Fletcher Jr., both of Louisville, Ky.; one brother, Moses Edwards of Louisville; and nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Leota G. Giles
SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. - Leota Grace Kagle Giles, 79, died Thursday. The funeral will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at Kerby Funeral Home in Henagar with the Rev. Jimmy Hixon officiating.
Burial will be in Smith Cemetery in Flat Rock, Ala.
Survivors include her husband, Charles W. Giles; four daughters, Dorothy McAllister of Chattanooga, Joann Kessler of Sylvania, Nancy Hart of Ider and Karen Smith of Flat Rock; five sons, Charles Giles of Rising Fawn, Ga., Michael Giles of Augusta, Fla., Ted Giles of Flat Rock and Larry Giles and Billy Giles, both of Ider; and 12 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Visitation was to be today at the funeral home.
Marjorie Hetherington
Marjorie L. Hetherington, 54, of Huntsville died Wednesday at a local nursing home. The funeral will be Monday at 2 p.m. at Nelms Memorial Funeral Home with Pastor O. Wendell Davis officiating.
Survivors include one daughter, Melissa Hetherington of Huntsville; her mother, Helen O. Sledge of Huntsville; one sister, Virginia Rice of Huntsville; and two brothers, Jack Sledge and James Sledge, both of Huntsville.
Visitation will be Sunday from 7 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Ever L. Horton
Ever Lee Horton, 39, of 6740 Alabama 53 in Huntsville died Tuesday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Blackburn Chapel Cumberland Presbyterian Church with the Rev. McKinley Jones officiating.
Burial will be in Indian Creek Cemetery with Royal Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include her mother, Janie C. Horton of Harvest; and three sisters, Roy Ann Moore and Henrietta H. Cox, both of Huntsville, and Terri H. Harris of Birmingham.
Her body will be at the church one hour before the funeral.
Jane P. Huff
DECATUR - Jane Pate Huff, 52, of 1205 Timberland Court died Thursday at her home. The funeral will be Sunday at 2 p.m. at Roopville Baptist Church in Carrollton, Ga. A memorial service at Peck Funeral Home in Hartselle will be announced later.
Burial will be in Roopville Cemetery with Peck Funeral Home officiating.
Mrs. Huff was a member of Antioch Baptist Church in Whitesburg, Ga., and had volunteered for Meals of Wheels for six years in Decatur.
Survivors include her husband, Barry Alexander Huff of Decatur; three sons, Jon Barry Huff of Decatur, Joseph Alexander Huff of Woodstock, Ga., and Christopher Joseph Huff of Dallas, Ga.; one daughter, Melanie Lynn Logan Groover of Austell, Ga.; her mother, Geneva Pate of Carrollton, Ga.; one brother, Selby Ronnie Pate of Smyrna, Ga.; three sisters, Myra June Pate, of Warren, Mich., Melanie Yvonne Caldwell of Newnan, Ga., and Beverly Jean Byous of Marietta, Ga.; and three grandchildren.
Visitation will be Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Her body will be at the church one hour before the funeral.
William E. Jones
ALBANY, Ga. - William Edgar Jones, 85, of 812 Patterson Ave. died Thursday at his home. The funeral will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at Putney United Methodist Church with the Rev. Rick Turner and the Rev. Jack Knight officiating.
Burial will be in Mount Enon Cemetery in Baconton, Ga.
Mr. Jones was a native of Gurley and had lived in Albany since he joined the military in 1954.
Survivors include his wife, Sarah Anne Jones of Albany; one son, Terry Jones of Albany; one daughter, Sallie Heitmann of Albany; one brother, James Shelby Jones of Fairfield, Calif.; two sisters, Ruby Sanders of Huntsville and Louise Angel of California; and four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to Albany Community Hospice, P.O. Box 1828, Albany, Ga., 31702, or to Putney United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 154, Putney, Ga., 31782.
James Kelley Jr.
James "Dog" Kelley Jr., 52, of Huntsville died Tuesday. The funeral will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at Nelms Memorial Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Leroy Cole officiating.
Burial will be in Valhalla Memory Gardens.
Survivors include one son, Delmer Kelley of Deland, Fla.; his father, James "Bow" Kelley of Chattanooga, Tenn.; his mother, Louise Goins of Madison; two brothers, William K. Kelley of Chattanooga and Melvin Kelley of Huntsville; one sister, Evangelist Joanette Jones of Huntsville; one friend, Elizabeth Battle of Huntsville; and one grandchild.
Frank P. McFadden
Frank P. McFadden, 88, of Huntsville died Thursday at a local hospital. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce a memorial service.
Survivors include seven nephews, Jack McFadden, Joseph McFadden and Don Riches, all of Pennsylvania, William Riches and Robert Riches, both of New Jersey, James McFadden of Minneapolis and Harry McNamara of Langston; and four nieces, Margaret Lee and Marie McFadden, both of Pennsylvania, Marian Roletter of Virginia and Joan Babin of Huntsville.
Anne M. Paschall
Anne Mae Paschall, 77, of Huntsville died Thursday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Saturday at noon at Spry Funeral Home chapel with Brother Richard Craft officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
Mrs. Paschall was a lifelong resident of Madison County and a member of the Church of God.
Survivors include one daughter, Betty Smith of Buffalo, N.Y.; one son, Mack Bolden of Tennessee; two sisters, Mamie Taylor and Hazel Alls, both of Huntsville; four brothers, Marvin Winkles of Madison, Emmett Winkles of Limestone, David Winkles of Chicago and Willie Winkles of Owens Cross Roads; and two grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Leona B. Patterson
WOODVILLE - Leona Boshart ''Little Granny Patterson, 91, died Wednesday at a Scottsboro hospital. The funeral was to be today at 1 p.m. at Scottsboro Funeral Home with the Rev. Donna Airheart officiating.
Burial was to be in Peters Cove Cemetery.
Mrs. Patterson was preceded in death by her husband, Kerry Patterson.
Survivors include two daughters, Marie Vernon of Woodville and Bertie Hatfield of Chattanooga; one sister, Lettie Elkins of Woodville; one brother, Harvey Boshart of New Hope; and four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Kal S. Purushotham
Kal S. Purushotham, 61, of Huntsville died Tuesday at a local hospital. The funeral will be today at 7 p.m. at Latham United Methodist Church with the Rev. Gary Ward and the Rev. Grad Tanner officiating.
Mr. Purushotham was a member of Latham United Methodist Church and had worked at NASA for 20 years. He was a former member of the Antique Car Club and received a bachelor of science degree from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Dayton Beach, Fla.
Survivors include his wife, Patricia Purushotham of Huntsville; one son, William Seshadri Purushotham of Huntsville; his mother, Kamala Seshadri of Bangalore, India; two brothers, Samual Jacobs of Potomac Falls, Md., and K.S. Parasarathy of Bangalore; and two sisters, Jaya Ranganath and Lalitha Devanath, both of Bangalore.
Visitation will be today from 5 to 6:45 p.m. at Latham United Methodist Church.
Memorial donations may be made to the church or to the American Heart Association.
Leona T. Quick
Leona T. Quick, 80, of Huntsville died Thursday at her home. The graveside service will be Sunday at 2 p.m. at Maple Hill Cemetery with Dr. William H. Bostick Jr. officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery with Laughlin Service Funeral Home in charge.
Mrs. Quick was preceded in death by her husband, William Mason Quick. She was a native of Eufaula and a graduate of Sullins College in Bristol, Va. She was active at the First United Methodist churches in Huntsville and Eufaula. She was a member of the American Colonist, Daughters of the American Revolution and the Garden Study Club of Huntsville.
Survivors include two daughters, Patricia Quick Marsalis of Kenner, La., and Foy Quick Andrews of Birmingham; two sons, William Reynolds Quick of Green sboro, Ga., and Walter Mason Quick of Huntsville; and five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Visitation will be Saturday from 6 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to United Methodist Childrens Home in Selma, the First United Methodist Church in Huntsville, Hospice Family Care, the American Heart Association or the American Cancer Society.
Edna Rhodes
ONEONTA - Edna Rhodes, 93, of 2057 Pocota Drive died Wednesday at a Gadsden hospital. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Gober Funeral Home in Arab.
Burial was to be in Mt. View Cemetery.
Survivors include one daughter, Sarah Smith of Rainbow City; one son, George Rhodes of Leeds; and seven grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Mary Simmons
Mary Ann McBride Simmons, 95, of Huntsville died Thursday at a local nursing home. The funeral will be Saturday at noon at Love-Cantrell and Cope Funeral Home McMinnville, Tenn.
Spry Funeral Home is in charge of local arrangements.
Mrs. Simmons was a native of Warren County, Tenn., and had lived in Huntsville three and a half years. She was a member of Shellsford Baptist Church in McMinnville. She was preceded in death by her husband, Wiley Lee Simmons Sr.; one daughter, Sissie Templeton; and three sons, Alvin C. Simmons, Harold Simmons and Wiley Lee Simmons Jr.
Survivors include one daughter, Wanda Earle of Huntsville; one brother, Eugene McBride of Chicago; and eight grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon at Love-Cantrell and Cope Funeral Home.
Josie M. Smith
GUNTERSVILLE - Josie Mae Smith, 71, of 95 Warrenton Road died Wednesday at a local hospital. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Warrenton Methodist Churcyh.
Burial was to be in Marshall Memorial Garden with Carr Funeral Home of Guntersville in charge.
Survivors include her husband, Buford Smith.
Vi Wachter
Vi Wachter, 63, of Huntsville died Monday at her home. The funeral was to be today at 11 a.m. at Holy Spirit Catholic Church with the Rev. Louis Giardino officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
Mrs. Wachter was a graduate of St. Elizabeths School of Nursing in Dayton, Ohio, and was a nurse at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Hospital. She was an active member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church and helped operate the Berkley Thrift Store.
Survivors include her husband, Paul G. Wachter Jr. of Huntsville; one daughter, Renee Wachter of McCordsville, Ind.; one son, Jonathan Wachter of Atlanta; three brothers, Eugene Albers of Phoenix, Ivo Albers of Celina, Ohio, and Luke Albers of Clayton, Ohio; and one sister, Lucille Newton of Madison, Wisc.
Memorial donations may be made to the Holy Spirit Catholic Church building fund or to the American Cancer Society.
Jonathan D. Weaver
UNION GROVE - Jonathan David Weaver, 27, of 260 Union Chapel Road died Monday at a Gainesville, Fla., hospital. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Arab Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.
Burial was to be in Highland Cemetery.
Survivors include two sons, Trevor Weaver and Jeffery Weaver, both of Eva; parents, Jim and Peggy Weaver of Union Grove; five sisters, Lynn Hyatt of Cleveland, Myra Wardell and Sharon Kirby, both of Huntsville, Belinda Phillips of Arab and Suzie Weaver of Union Grove; one brother, Jimmy Weaver of Georgia; grandmother, Mary Weaver of Albertville; and a special friend, Mary Hufstutler of New Hope.
James E. Wells
CAPMANBORO, Tenn. - James E. Wells, 81, died March 5. The funeral was Monday at Joelton Church of Christ in Joelton, Tenn., with Joe McKinney and Joe Jones officiating.
Anderson and Garret Funeral Home in Joelton was in charge of burial arrangements.
Mr. Wells was a Church of Christ minister for 55 years and had served in churches in Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky.
Survivors include his wife, Ronelle C. Wells of Capmanboro; three daughters, Linda W. Creek of Joelton, Tina Greer of Huntsville and Aletha Wright of Murfreesboro; one sister, Lorene Kerr; and eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Judge C. Clyde Atkins
MIAMI - U.S. District Judge C. Clyde Atkins, a staunch defender of the homeless and refugees in rulings that challenged national policy, died Thursday of colon cancer. He was 84.
In 1992, he created "safe zones" for the areas homeless to stay without threat of police arrest, ruling that Miami had violated the Constitution by seizing and destroying the meager belongings of homeless people while chasing them off the streets.
The decision inspired community leaders to establish what is now a nationally recognized system to help the homeless - shelter, job training, counseling and other assistance.
Atkins rulings on behalf of Haitian and Cuban refugees vexed the Bush and the Clinton administrations efforts to repatriate thousands of refugees from the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Both decisions were overturned on appeal.
Atkins was appointed a federal judge in 1966 by President Johnson.
He became chief judge in 1977 and took senior status in 1983, but continued a heavy caseload. He also sat on panels of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
