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.
James R. Cahela
LACEYS SPRING - James R. Cahela, 54, died Saturday at his home. The funeral will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Twickenham Funeral Home south chapel with the Rev. Jimmy Morrow officiating.
Burial will be in Twickenham Memory Gardens.
Mr. Cahela was a native of Morgan County, a Baptist and a project supervisor for John D. Stephens Construction Co.
Survivors include his wife, Faye Cahela of Laceys Spring; two daughters, Erica Evans of Laceys Spring and DeAnna Eudy of Fort Worth, Texas; one sister, Nona Waid of Gadsden; and five grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Annie M. Ferguson
ATHENS - Annie Mae Ferguson, 79, died Saturday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home in Athens with John Norman officiating.
Burial will be in Mount Pisgah Cemetery.
Mrs. Ferguson was a native of Limestone County, a homemaker and a member of the Church of Christ.
Survivors include one sister, Lura Springer of Hartselle, and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Bonnie R. Hawkins
FLAT ROCK - Bonnie Ruth Hawkins, 82, died Saturday at her home. The funeral was today at 11 a.m. at Rainsville Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Kerry Fergerson officiating.
Burial was in Unity Cemetery.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence "Tot" Hawkins.
Survivors include two sons, Clarence Hawkins Jr. of Tarrent and Wayne Hawkins of Henagar; five daughters, Geraldine Hasting of Flat Rock, Rita Patterson and Carolyn Maxwell, both of Henagar, Margaret Dobbs of Section and Judy Long of Summerville, Ga.; and 22 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren and 10 great-great-grandchildren.
Evie B. Ledbetter
SOMERVILLE - Evie Bolden Ledbetter, 91, died Saturday at a Falkville hospital. The funeral was to be today at 1 p.m. at Peck Funeral Home in Hartselle with the Rev. Howell Eddy officiating.
Burial was to be in New Friendship Cemetery.
She was a member of Valhermoso First Christian Church.
Survivors include five sons, James Ledbetter of Valhermoso Springs, Thomas Ledbetter of Ponatoc, Miss., Donald Ledbetter and Lee Ledbetter, both of Somerville, and Grady Mac Ledbetter of Decatur; one daughter, Betty Dudley of Somerville; two brothers, Edward "Ed" Bolden of Laceys Spring and Wilson Bolden of Hartselle; one sister, Maudie Dudley of Moulton; and 38 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.
Charles R. Matney
SCOTTSBORO - Charles Ralph Matney, 75, died Saturday at a Chattanooga hospital. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Rudder Funeral Home with Rev. Johnny Mack Young officiating.
Burial was to be in Cedar Hill Cemetery with Rudder Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. Matney was a U.S. Navy World War II veteran and a retired employee of General Motors.
Survivors include his wife, Charlene Matney; one son, David Charles Matney of Abingdon, Va.; one stepdaughter, Patricia Dextrom of Battle Creek, Mich.; and two granddaughters, two step-granddaughters and one step-grandson.
Fred K. Mayo
ALBERTVILLE - Fred Kelly Mayo, 87, of 301 Miller St. died Saturday at his home. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Adams Funeral Home in Albertville.
Burial was to be in Memory Hill Cemetery.
Survivors include wife, Margie Mayo; three daughters, Jean Higgins of Gardendale, Carolyn Wilson of Albertville and Kay Zirbel of Athens; and seven grandchildren.
Devon McAlpin
Devon McAlpin, 72, of Huntsville died Sunday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Green s Chapel Cemetery with the Rev. Verlon Steifel officiating.
W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel in Rainsville is in charge of burial.
Mr. McAlpin was formerly of the Rainsville area. He was preceded in death by a son, Davey McAlpin.
Survivors include his mother, Nellie McAlpin of Rainsville; four brothers, Randal McAlpin of Warner Robins, Ga., Denson McAlpin and James McAlpin, both of Rainsville, and Rayburn McAlpin of Scottsboro.
Visitation was to be today at noon at the funeral home.
Jim McCord
SCOTTSBORO - Jim McCord, 64, died Friday at his home. A graveside service was to be today at 2 p.m. at Dutton Methodist Cemetery with the Rev. Les Brown.
Survivors include one brother, Bill McCord of Scottsboro; one niece, Robyn Sanders of Huntsville; two nephews, Anthony McCord of Maryland and Stan Guest Jr. of Knoxville, Tenn.; and several cousins.
Visitation was to be today from 1 to 2 p.m. at Dutton Methodist Church.
Russell J. Mills
Russell J. Mills, 72, of Huntsville died Saturday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Laughlin Service Funeral Home chapel with Jim Harding and Townsend Walker officiating.
Burial will be in Huntsville Memory Gardens.
Mr. Mills was involved in local United Auto Workers unions.
Survivors include one sister, Delores Nehring of Florida, and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to a favorite charity.
Oweita W. Morell
ATHENS - Oweita Wallace Morell, 82, died Saturday at a local hospital. The funeral was to be today at 3 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home in Athens with Danny McMullins officiating.
Burial will be in Roselawn Cemetery.
Mrs. Morell was a native of Limestone County, a Baptist and a homemaker.
Survivors include two sons, Jimmy Morell and Wayne Morell, both of Athens; three sisters, Vera Larkins of Camden, Ark., and Rilla Morell and Ena Andrews, both of Athens; and four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Camille B. Nealy
ABERDEEN, Md. - Camille Brooks Nealy, 92, died Friday at a Maryland hospital. The funeral will be Friday at 10 a.m. at St. George Cemetery in Perryman, Md.
Terrings Funeral Home in Aberdeen is in charge of burial arrangements.
Mrs. Nealy was preceded in death by her husband, Charles F. Nealy; and one son, Charles I. Nealy.
Survivors include four daughters, Rosinda Nealy Alexander of Baltimore, Franklin Nealy Brown of Aberdeen, Nellie Nealy Howard of Huntsville and Betty Nealy Lewis of Jersey City, N.J.; and 10 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to St. George Episcopal Church.
Willie C. Pendergrass
POWELLS - Willie Clydell Pendergrass, 63, died Wednesday at his home. The funeral was Friday at Old Sardis Church with Bros. Oron Whitley and Loyd Smith officiating.
Burial was in Old Sardis Cemetery with Section Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include his wife, Judy Pendergrass of Powells; one son, Gregg Pendergrass of Rainsville; two daughters, Shirlene Moore of Rainsville and Dana Pendergrass of Powells; one sister, Dorothy McGee of Powells; and four grandchildren.
Vanetta O. Seals
MADISON - Vanetta Orlean Seals, 87, of 1459 Hughes Road died Friday at her home. The funeral was Sunday at Anniston Memorial Gardens with the Rev. Ralph Abernathy officiating.
Gray-Brown Service Mortuary and Crematory in Anniston was in charge of burial.
Mrs. Seals was formerly of Ohatchee. She was preceded in death by her husband, the Rev. Paul V. Seals.
Survivors include two daughters, Elaine Mann of Madison and Genie Medders of Lagrange, Ga.; two sons, K. Paul Seals of Munford and Meryl B. Seals of Huntsville; and eight grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to Hospice.
James R. Smith
James Rodney Smith, 82, of Huntsville died Monday at his home. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Mr. Smith was a native of West Columbia, S.C., and earned an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Wofford College and a masters degree from Louisiana State University. He taught mathematics at Texas A&M and North Carolina State universities. He served in the Army as an infantry officer in Newfoundland during World War II. He worked in the Veterans Administration Regional Office in Columbia, S.C., and transferred from there to the U.S. Army Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal. He retired in 1977. He was a member of First Baptist Church, where he was a Sunday school teacher and a member of the Hallelujah Choir.
He was preceded in death by one son, John Richard Smith.
Survivors include his wife, Elma Lea Smith of Huntsville; two sons, Rodney Eugene Smith of Birmingham and Donald Lea Smith of Huntsville; one brother, Walter P. Smith of Spartanburg, S.C.; and three grandchildren.
Visitation will be Tuesday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the funeral home.
Mimmie Smith
ALBERTVILLE - Mimmie Smith, 82, of 909 West Ave. died Friday at a Fort Payne hospital. The funeral was today at 11 a.m. at Adams Funeral Home in Albertville.
Burial was in Memory Hill Cemetery.
Survivors include one daughter, Janice Smith of Fort Payne; one son, Joe Smith of Fort Payne; one brother, Kermit Holsonback of Albertville; and one grandchild.
John F. Webster
The Rev. John Felix Webster, 67, of Huntsville died Sunday at a local hospital. Spry Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
The Rev. Mr. Webster was a lifelong resident of Madison County. He was also a truck driver for Sherman Industries and a retired Baptist minister.
Survivors include his wife, Christine Webster of Huntsville; one daughter, Barbara Rozell of Huntsville; two sons, John Felix Webster Jr. of Meridianville and Kim Webster of Hazel Green ; his mother, Evelyn Webster of Huntsville; one sister, Joy Gagle of Huntsville; three brothers, Charles Webster and Daniel Webster, both of Huntsville, and Morris Webster of Florence; and six grandchildren.
Arlin Woods
POWELL - Arlin Woods, 76, died Saturday at an area hospital. The funeral will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Mount Calvary Baptist Church with the Rev. John York officiating. Burial will be in New Bethel Cemetery with Rainsville Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include his wife, Jane Woods of Powell; two sons, Randy Woods of Dogtown and Michael Woods of Fort Payne; two daughters, Rachel Smith and Shelia Moon, both of Fort Payne; two brothers, Lionell Woods of Rainsville and Billy Woods of Fyffe; and six grandchildren.
