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.
Mary L. Austin
SCOTTSBORO - Mary Louise "Missy Austin, 75, died Friday at a local nursing home. The funeral will be today at 2 p.m. at Randalls Chapel United Methodist Church with the Revs. Terry Greer and Lloyd Gibbs officiating.
Burial will be in Pinehaven Memorial Gardens in Hollywood.
Mrs. Austin was a lifelong member of Randalls Chapel United Methodist Church.
Survivors include three sons, Jim Austin, Eddie Austin and Stephen Austin, all of Scottsboro; one brother, Billy Ray Sisk of Scottsboro; and five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Alice Brown
GUNTERSVILLE - Alice Henderson Bradford Brown, 84, of 1709 Forrest Drive, died Saturday at a local nursing home. The funeral will be today at 4 p.m. at Carr Funeral Home.
Burial will be in Crestview Cemetery.
Survivors include one daughter, Margaret Henderson of Guntersville; one son, R.A. Brown Jr. of Guntersville; and six grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Brooksie H. Harber
MADISON - Brooksie Hollingsworth Harber, 66, died Saturday at her home. The funeral will be Monday at 2:30 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home chapel with Bros. Ben Shropshire, David Tant and Allen Dvorak officiating.
Burial will be in Huntsville Memory Gardens with Spry Funeral Home in charge.
Mrs. Harber was a native of Dyer County, Tenn., and had lived in Madison County since 1984. She was a member of the Church of Christ on Hughes Road at Gooch Lane.
Survivors include her husband, Bobby Donald Harber; two daughters, Nancy Harber Picogna of Cullman and Jessica Karen Harber of Madison; two sons, James Noble Harber of Madison and Norman Spencer Harber of Goodlettsville, Tenn.; three brothers, Ralph Hollingsworth and Jerry Hollingsworth, both of Finley, Tenn., and Hugh Hollingsworth of Aurora, Mo.; and nine grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 3:30 to 9 p.m.
Donations may be made to the Brooksie H. Harber Memorial Scholarship Fund at Florida College, 119 N. Glen Arven Ave., Temple Terrace, Fla. 33617.
Samuel P. Horsley Sr.
Samuel P. Horsley Sr., 77, of Huntsville died Saturday at his home. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Survivors include two daughters, Patsy Horsley of Huntsville and Brenda Johnson of Fort Payne; three sons, Samuel P. Horsley Jr. of Jonesboro, Ga., J. Michael Horsley of Montgomery and Steve A. Horsley of Welcome, N.C.; and eight grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Ronald R. Lemke
Dr. Ronald R. Lemke, 59, of Huntsville died Thursday at his home. The funeral will be Monday at 10 a.m. at Good Shepherd Catholic Church with the Rev. Phil OKennedy officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery with Laughlin Service Funeral Home in charge.
Dr. Lemke received his Ph.D. from Purdue in 1968. He served in the U.S. Navy as a medical doctor and as a teacher at the Nuclear Power School at Bainbridge, Md.
He was a Life Master Duplicate Bridge player and C-3 Level Western Square Dancer. He worked 29 years at Teledyne Brown Engineering.
Survivors include his wife, Carol Lemke of Huntsville; one daughter, Sheryl Kittredge of Huntsville; two sons, Robert Lemke of Auburn and Richard Lemke of Madison; two brothers, George Lemke of Mosinee, Wis. and Stuart Lemke of Gleason, Wisc.; and two granddaughters.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or to Hospice Family Care.
Ruth S. McBride
Ruth Shields McBride, 61, of Huntsville died Saturday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Monday at 3 p.m. at Valhalla Funeral Home chapel with the Revs. Shelby Gurley and John Watkins officiating.
Burial will be in Valhalla Memory Gardens.
Mrs. McBride was lifelong resident of Huntsville. She attended Brownsboro Baptist Church and had retired from civil service at Redstone Arsenal.
Survivors include her husband, Jack S. McBride; two daughters, Lynn McBride and Renee Doss, both of Huntsville; her mother, Inez Shields of Huntsville; one brother, Bobby "Red Shields of Huntsville; and three grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 2 to 5 p.m. at the funeral home.
Donations may be made to Hospice Family Care.
Walter McGehee Sr.
NEW MARKET - Walter Milam McGehee, 77, died Friday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Monday at 1 p.m. at Valhalla Funeral Home chapel with Dr. Robbie White officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery with Valhalla Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. McGehee was of the Methodist faith. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II where he received the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. He retired from the Madison County school system as a bus driver.
Survivors include his wife, Louise S. McGehee of New Market; one daughter, Ann S. White of Huntsville; two sons, Walter M. McGehee Jr. of New Market and John W. Stiles of Taft, Tenn.; one brother, W.K. McGehee of New Market; and five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Visitation will be today from 4 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Era O. Moon
HARTSELLE - Era O. Moon, 85, died Friday at a Decatur hospital. The funeral will be today at 3 p.m. at Peck Funeral Home with the Rev. Harlon Hood officiating.
Burial will be in Hartselle Memory Gardens.
Mr. Moon was a native of Morgan County and a member of Bethel Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Lucille Maples Moon; one daughter, Marie Hagood of Somerville; one son, Vaughn Moon of Hartselle; two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Herbert Schaefer
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Herbert Schaefer, 87, died Thursday at an area nursing home. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Mr. Schaefer was a former resident of Huntsville. He was involved in the NASA Space Program.
Survivors include three nephews and a niece.
Julia H. Sparkman
Julia H. Sparkman, 96, of Huntsville died Friday at a local hospital. A graveside service will be Monday at 2 p.m. at Maple Hill Cemetery with Dr. Murray Wilton officiating.
Laughlin Service Funeral Home is in charge of burial arrangements.
Survivors include two grandsons, Gary Sutton of Pelham and Greg Sparkman; one granddaughter; and five great-grandchildren.
Luther E. Sutphin
GRANT - Luther Earl Sutphin, 58, died Friday at a Huntsville hospital. The funeral will be today at 2 p.m. at Grant Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.
Burial will be in New Prospect Cemetery.
Survivors include his Sheila Sutphin; one daughter, Katie Ann Sutphin of Grant; two stepdaughters, Samantha Hall and Heather Hall, both of Grant; five sons, Luther DeWayne Sutphin of Rosswell, Ga., Brian Keith Sutphin of Scottsboro, Christopher L. Sutphin of Fort Payne, Josh Sutphin of Ohio and Daniel Sutphin of Grant; one sister, Dale Jones of Grant; seven brothers, Kenneth Sutphin of Georgia, Ray Sutphin of Trenton, Ga., Eddie Sutphin of Newton, Ga., and Willard Sutphin, Donald Sutphin, James Sutphin and Charles Sutphin, all of Grant; and six grandchildren.
Phillip W. Tucker
Phillip Weldon Tucker, 57, died Friday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Monday at 2 p.m. at Holy Spirit Catholic Church.
Burial will be in Twickenham Cemetery with Laughlin Service Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. Tucker was the acquisition manager for the Joint Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Project. In 1998 he received the Meritorious Civilian Service Medal. He was a co-founder of Cyber Systems and served on the board of Chi-Ho.
Survivors include his wife, Teresa Couey Tucker; one son, Gregory Lane Tucker of Huntsville; one daughter, Karen Lee Mabee of Huntsville; and six sisters, three brothers and two grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Donations may be made to the American Heart Association.
Clarence D. Warren
ATHENS - Clarence David Warren, 80, of North Jefferson Street, died Saturday at his residence. The funeral will be today at 3:30 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home with Kenneth Graham and Pat Smith officiating.
Burial will be in Legg Cemetery.
Mr. Warren was a native of Morgan County, a member of Walnut Grove Methodist Church and a retired farmer.
Survivors include a cousin, Claudene Jones of Blackville, Ark., and a special friend, Alma Batts of Athens.
Sarah O. Witte
Sarah Oradel Witte, 78, of Huntsville died Friday at her home. The funeral will be Monday at 11 a.m. at Valley United Methodist Church with the Revs. James Cotton and Talmadge Clayton officiating.
Burial will be in Valhalla Memory Gardens with Valhalla Funeral Home in charge.
Mrs. Witte was a native of Decatur and a member of Valley United Methodist Church.
Survivors include her husband, Lucius Ferrell Witte; one daughter, Martha Dianne Cutten of Huntsville; one son, Ferrell Dennis Witte of Morehead City, N.C.; two sisters, Martha Dollar of Eureka Springs, Ark. and Anne Smith of Arlington, Texas; and seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 2 to 5 p.m. at the funeral home.
Donations may be made to Valley United Methodist Church, 1410 Drake Ave., Huntsville, 35802.
