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.
Rachael G. Allen
ARAB - Mrs. Rachael G. Allen, 99, of 543 N. Main St., died March 13 at an area hospital. The funeral was Tuesday at Memorial Park Funeral Home in Memphis.
Burial was in the Memorial Park Cemetery.
Survivors include four daughters, Roberline Harris and Charline McGee, both of Arab, Louise Chumley of Georgia and Velma Jane Phillips of Memphis; a sister, Annie Holbrooks of Tennessee; and seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Richard F. Baker
ARAB - Richard Felix Baker, 80, of 421 Baker St., died Saturday at a local nursing home. The funeral was Saturday at Arab Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.
Burial was in Hopewell Cemetery.
Survivors include three sons, Richard K. Baker of Arab, Gary Baker and Allen W. Baker, both of Ill.; a brother, Lexie Baker of Illinois; four sisters, Gertie Muccins, Bertie Green, Louise Green, all of Tennessee, and Vivian Russo of Illinois; and three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Sheryl K. Burke
UNION GROVE - Sheryl Kay Burke, 30, of 248 Stillwell Road died Friday at her home. The funeral will be Monday at 1 p.m. at Grant Memorial Chapel with Bro. Anthony Barnes officiating.
Burial will be in Panquin Cemetery with Grant Memorial Chapel Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include her husband, Michael Burke; one daughter, Kaitlin Burke of Union Grove; her parents, Donald and Betty Sanders of Grant; four sisters, Kathy Sanders of Lincoln and Annette Dunn, Donna Bearden and Cindy Manley, all of Grant; three brothers, Wayne Sanders of Grant and Danny Sanders and Wayne Sanders, both of Birmingham.
Visitation will be today at 6 p.m. at the funeral home.
Walter Coleman Sr.
ATHENS - Walter William Coleman Sr., 76, of Elk River Mills Road, died Friday at a Huntsville hospital. The funeral will be today at 2 p.m. at Lebanon Community Church with John Norman and James Harris officiating.
Burial will be in Lebanon Community Church Cemetery with Spry Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. Coleman was a member of Lebanon Community Church, a U.S. Army veteran of World War II and a member of the Disabled American Veterans. He had retired from Alabama Farmers Cooperative.
Survivors include one son, Walter W. ''Bill Coleman Jr. of Athens; two sisters, Laura Brookshire and Nancy Ann Seaman Haraway, both of Athens; one brother, Herbert Coleman of Athens; and three grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Taras E. Ewachlw
HARTSELLE - Taras ''Terry Eugene Ewachlw, 81, of 117 Maplewood Drive, died Monday at his residence. The funeral will be Monday at 11 a.m. at Bleyler Funeral Home in Upland, Pa.
Burial will be in Lawn Croft Cemetery, Linwood, Pa., with Peck Funeral Home of Hartrelle in charge of local arrangements.
Mr. Ewachlw was retired from the Philadelphia Navy Yard and served in the Asiatic Theater from 1935 to 1946.
Survivors include two daughters, Diane Witt of Hartselle and Terry L. Favre of San Jose, Calif.; and one sister, Olga Jardine of Chester, Pa.
James R. Graham
MADISON - James Rawleigh Graham, 77, died Saturday at a local hospital. Spry Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Mr. Graham was a lifelong resident of Madison County. He was retired from Thiokal and was a member of the Gooch Lane Church of Christ.
Survivors include his wife, Gladys Graham; one son, James Ronald Graham of Huntsville; three daughters, Kathy Graham Randolph of Paris, Tenn., Diane Graham Beck of Hazel Green and Jean Graham Woody of Lexington, Tenn.; three sisters, Kathryn Stoltz and Freddie Adams, both of Huntsville and Frances Fann of Decatur; and 13 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Gladys A. Johnson
BELLE MINA - Gladys Anerton Johnson, 82, of 6943 Mooresville Road died Saturday at her residence. The funeral will be Monday at 2 p.m. at Limestone Chapel Funeral Home with the Revs. Pat Brock, Travis Voss and Ricky Lowery officiating.
Burial will be in Athens City Cemetery.
Mrs. Johnson was a member of New Hope Baptist Church. She owned and operated Station House Antiques.
Survivors include her husband, J.W. Johnson; two daughters, Shirley Brown of Melrose, Fla. and Glenda Baldwin of Birmingham; and three grandsons and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be today from 3:30 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Weaver L. Lacy
STEVENSON - Weaver L. Lacy, 70, died Saturday at his home. The funeral will be today at 4 p.m. at Rudder Funeral Home in Stevenson with the Rev. Amy Vaughn officiating.
Burial will be in Pinehaven Memorial Gardens in Hollywood.
Mr. Lacy was a shift engineer at Widows Creek Steam Plant near Bridgeport. He was a U.S. Army veteran and a member of the United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Frances Lacy; one daughter, Lynn Lacy of Fackler; two sons, Tommy Lacy of Cartersville, Ga., and Tim Lacy of Stevenson; his father, George T. Lacy of Henagar; two sisters, Juno Lee of Smyrna, Ga., and Gazell Parker of Henagar; two brothers, Rembert Lacy of Henagar and Brandston Lacy of Pensacola, Fla.; and four grandchildren.
Malcolm E. Lam
Malcolm E. Lam, 86, of Huntsville died Saturday at his residence. A graveside service will be Monday at 1 p.m. at Maple Hill Cemetery with Laughlin Service Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include one son, David H. Lamb of Columbia, S.C.; two sisters, Lauren Lam of Huntsville and Marie Coriell of Pennsylvania; and two grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Dorothy A. Linebaugh
DECATUR - Dorothy Anne Linebaugh, 66, died Friday at her residence. A memorial service will be held Monday at 1 p.m. at Shelton Funeral Home with Rev. Joseph Culotta officiating.
Survivors include her husband, Gerald Linebaugh; two daughters, Mary Delaney of Auburn and Carol Howell of Huntsville; her mother, Dora Ward of Pontiac, Mich.; four brothers, William Ward, Robert Ward and Sydney Ward, all of Pontiac, and Roger Ward of Charlotte, N.C.; one sister, Florence DeClerek of Auburn Hills, Mich.; and two grandchildren.
Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Audrey E. Maxwell
FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. - Audrey Ellen Maxwell, 65, died Thursday at a Huntsville hospital. Spry Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Mrs. Maxwell was a native of Winchester and a resident of Fayetteville for the last nine years.
Survivors include three daughters, Carol Anscach of Winchester, Phyllis Dunlop of Florida and Ellen Maxwell of New York City; two sons, Walter Maxwell of Hazel Green, Ala., and William Patrick Maxwell of Huntsville, Ala.; one brother, George Tillman Whitaker of Nashville; and seven grandchildren.
Nancy A. OLeary
FLETCHER, N.C. - Nancy Anne OLeary died Tuesday in Gulfport, Miss. The funeral will be today at 3 p.m. at Bent Creek Baptist Church with the Rev. Steve Harris officiating. A memorial service will be held in Huntsville at a later date.
Burial will be in the adjoining cemetery with Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian in Arden, N.C., in charge.
Mrs. OLeary was a native of Rutland, Vt., and was project director for the Southern Regional Childrens Advocacy Center. She was a former board member for the National Network of Childrens Advocacy Centers and member of the American Professional Society for Abused Children, the National Council for Children and the National Association of Social Workers.
Survivors include her husband, Bruce A. OLeary; one daughter, Patti OLeary of the home; one brother, Brad Flanders of Charlotte, N.C.; and several nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles.
Memorial donations may be made to National Childrens Advocacy Center New Training Academy Fund, 200 West Side Square Suite 700, Huntsville, 35801.
Corene B. Patterson
SYLVANIA - Corene Beam Patterson, 74, died Friday at an area hospital. The funeral will be today at 2 p.m. at W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel.
Burial will be in Trinity Cemetery with W.T. Wilson Funeral Home in charge.
Mrs. Patterson was preceded in death by her husband, Paul G. Patterson.
Survivors include one daughter, Ellen Jane Bell of Rainsville; three sons, Ives Vernon Patterson of Langston, Jimmy P. Patterson of West Palm Beach, Fla. and Johnny G. Patterson of Fyffe; three sisters, Gladys McClendon of Opelika, Ruth Brown of Martling and CyWilla Crumpton of Birmingham; one brother, Byron Beam of Hueytown; and 10 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
William M. Pettit
HARTSELLE - William ''Bill Marshall Pettit, 74, of 704 Hickory St., died Friday at his residence. The funeral will be Monday at 1 p.m. at Peck Funeral Home with Rev. Bob Williams officiating.
Burial will be in Mount Tabor Cemetery.
Mr. Pettit was a self-employed truck driver.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Virginia Pettit; one daughter, Beverly Ann Chase of St. Thomas, the Virgin Islands; one son, William Norman Petit of Odessa, Texas; one stepdaughter, Gloria Author of Russellville; four stepsons, Bill Williams of Bradenton, Fla., Rodney Williams of St. Louis, Jeff Williams of Oak Park, Calif. and Mike Williams of Hartselle; one sister, Margaret Ann Wilborn of Hartselle; and four grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and seven step-grandchildren.
Ronald A. Raiz
ATHENS - Ronald Alfred Raiz, 66, of Alabama 99, died Thursday at an Athens hospital. A memorial service will be Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Spry Funeral home.
Mr. Raiz was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Korean War and was a retired taxi driver.
Survivors include two daughters, Renee Raiz of Harwood Heights, Ill., and Julia Michaelsen of Chicago; two sons, Ron Raiz Jr. of Norton Shores, Mich. and Randy Raiz of Athens; one sister, Mary Dale Raiz of Woodridge, Ill.; one brother, Jerry Raiz of Chicago; and five grandchildren.
J.E. Roberts
MADISON - J.E. "Zeke" Roberts, 71, died Thursday at a local hospital. The graveside service will be Monday at 11 a.m. at Maple Hill Cemetery with Dr. Ed Culpetter officiating.
Laughlin Service Funeral Home is in charge of burial.
Mr. Roberts was a retired lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy.
Survivors include his wife, Frances Stoner Roberts; one son, James Easel Roberts III of Washington; one daughter, Bonna R. Yost of Bucyrus, Kan.; and seven grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 3 to 5 p.m. at the funeral home.
Donations may be made to Hospice, American Cancer Socitey, American Heart Association or a favorite charity.
Madillon Swafford
NEW MARKET - Madillon Swafford, 79, of Buddy Williamson Road died Saturday at a local hospital. Gallant Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Woodrow W. Thrasher
MADISON - Woodrow W. Thrasher, 82, died Friday at his residence. The funeral will be today at 2 p.m. at Laughlin Service Chapel.
Burial will be in Huntsville Memory Gardens with Laughlin Service Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. Thrasher was a Mason and Shriner. He was retired from the U.S. Navy and from Redstone Arsenal.
Survivors include his wife, Elsie Thrasher; two sisters, Geneva Coulter of Athens and Elzie Hinds of Huntsville; one brother, Donald Thrasher of Greenville, N.C.; two stepsons, Charles Ashton of Lakewood, Calif. and Bert Ashton of Annapolis, Md.; and several nieces and nephews.
Donations may be made to Cahaba Shrine Temple, 6001 Pulaski Pike, Huntsville, Ala. 35810.
