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.
Calvin J. Bonds
ALBERTVILLE - Calvin J. Bonds, 74, of 295 Mount Olive Road died Wednesday at his home. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Adams Funeral Home in Albertville.
Burial was to be in Marshall Memorial Garden.
Survivors include his wife, Ruth Bonds; three sisters, Evelyn Harris, Helen Sisco and Louise Mahan, all of Albertville; and two brothers, Johnny Bonds and Vernon Bonds, both of Albertville.
Larry W. Brazelton
NEW HOPE - Larry Wayne Brazelton, 54, died Wednesday at his home. The funeral will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Maple Hill Cemetery with Robin Wadley officiating.
Spry Funeral Home is in charge of burial.
Mr. Brazelton was a native of Madison County and had retired from IBM.
Survivors include his mother, Memory Brazelton of Big Cove; and two brothers, Bobby Brazelton and Hoyt Brazelton, both of Big Cove.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Heart Association.
Ronnie R. Drew
SHEFFIELD - Ronnie Riddle Drew, 30, died Sunday in Huntsville. The funeral was Tuesday at Clyde Cemetery in Clyde, Texas, with the Rev. Brandon Honeycutt officiating.
Bailey Funeral Home of Clyde was in charge of burial.
Mr. Drew was a native of Longview, Texas. He had worked at the Ice Complex and Performing Dance Arts in Huntsville and had been a guest performer with the Huntsville Ballet Company.
Survivors include his mother and stepfather, Juanita and Bob Moore of Clyde; his father, Ronnie Drew of Longview, Texas; three brothers, Robert Moore and Richard Drew, both of Abilene, Texas, and Billy Moore of Clyde; two sisters, Lisa Tucker of Grand Prairie, Texas, and Rhonda Remington of Abilene; grandmother, Ethel Moore of Clyde; and two nephews.
Earl W. Feese
Earl William Feese, 79, of Huntsville died Thursday at a local hospital. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Helen P. Henderson
Helen Parker Henderson, 66, of Huntsville died Wednesday at a local hospital. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Valhalla Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Lester Alexander officiating.
Burial will be in Valhalla Memory Gardens.
Mrs. Henderson was a retired service representative for Bellsouth.
Survivors include two daughters, Vickie Ferguson of Huntsville and Sandra Staas of Birmingham; one son, Kenneth Parker of Huntsville; one sister, Frances Casey of Crestwood, Mo.; three brothers, Curtis Turner, Thomas Turner and Millard Turner, all of Ohatchee; and two grandchildren and two step-grandchildren.
William Johnson Sr.
BRIDGEPORT - William Leonard ''Buddy Johnson Sr., 69, died Wednesday. The funeral will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at Rudder Funeral Home in Stevenson with Roger Comstock and the Rev. George Maynor officiating.
Burial will be in Rocky Springs Cemetery.
Survivors include his wife, Rebecca Turner Johnson; one daughter, Cheri Johnson Sorrow of Bridgeport; two sons, Mickey Johnson and Tommy Johnson, both of Bridgeport; two sisters, Hazel Shavers of Scottsboro and Canelia Nicholson of Bookston, Ind.; and two grandchildren.
Visitation will be today until 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Joseph C. Lacy
STEVENSON - Joseph Chad ''Joey Lacy, 17, died Wednesday in Panama City, Fla. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Rudder Funeral Home in Stevenson with the Rev. Donald Jacobs and Kenneth Hardin officiating.
Burial was to be in Stevenson City Cemetery.
Joey was a 1999 graduate of North Jackson High School where he was a member of the 1997 and 1998 high school football and golf teams. He was awarded a two-year academic scholarship to Northeast Alabama Community College. Joey was also a member of the Edgefield Baptist Church.
Survivors include his parents, Dan and Kay Matthews and Tim and Kathy Lacy; two brothers, Ryan Matthews and Keith Matthews, both of Stevenson; and grandparents, Frances Lacy and James and Bee Matthews, all of Stevenson.
Memorial donations may be made to the Joey Lacy Scholarship Fund at First Southern National Bank.
Rickey Lewter
PETERSBURG, Tenn. - Rickey "Peter" Lewter, 39, of 191 Red Oak Road died Thursday at his home. The funeral will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at McCauley Funeral Home in Fayetteville, Tenn., with Bobby Burns officiating.
McCauley Funeral Home is in charge of burial.
Mr. Lewter was a native of Holland, Mich. He worked for Amana Refrigeration and was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
Survivors include his mother and stepfather, Mattie Mae and Clay Sawyer of Fayetteville; one sister, Brenda Burns of Petersburg; three stepsisters, Annette Parks and Lynn Simms, both of Fayetteville, and Dorris Davis of Nashville; two stepbrothers, Phillip Sawyer and Lonnie Sawyer, both of Fayetteville; and three nephews.
Visitation will be today from 4 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Richard D. Mayfield
BAYTOWN, Texas - Richard D. Mayfield, 35, died Tuesday at his home. The funeral will be Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at Union Chapel Missionary Baptist Church with Pastor O. Wendell Davis officiating.
Burial will be in Faith Memorial Park with Nelms Memorial Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. Mayfield was formerly of Huntsville. He graduated from J.O. Johnson High School in 1984 and Alabama A&M University in 1991.
Survivors include one daughter, Damare Crittendon-Mayfield of Detroit; one son, Trenton Mayfield of Baytown; his parents, L.D. and Cora Lacey Mayfield of Huntsville; and three brothers, Larry D. Mayfield Jr. of Stone Mountain, Ga., Cecil Mayfield of Huntsville and Gray Mayfield of Rochester, N.Y.
Edward A. Newby
ELKMONT - Edward Alfred Newby, 80, of 25256 Childrens St. died Wednesday at an Athens hospital. The funeral will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at Athens City Cemetery with Lowell Blankenship officiating.
Limestone Chapel Funeral Home is in charge of burial.
Survivors include one son, Stephen Usery Sr. of Elkton, Tenn.; one daughter, Marcia Usery Hammond of Miami; three sisters, Ada Knight of Birmingham, Ruth Johnson of Athens and Christine Mitchell of Huntsville; and three grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Edna L. Rager
ATHENS - Edna L. Rager, 96, of 14525 Carter Road died Wednesday. The funeral will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Limestone Chapel Funeral Home with the Rev. Patrick Lawrence officiating.
Burial will be in Athens City Cemetery.
Survivors include one son, Wesley L. Rager of Athens; one daughter, Ruby Jewel Power of Hiram, Ga.; one sister, Blanchie Stinnett of Athens; one brother, Johnnie Whitt of Athens; and 13 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Vera M. Sharpe
Vera Marie Sharpe, 74, of Huntsville died Thursday at her home. Spry Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
James E. Smith
HARTSELLE -James Edward "Jim" Smith, 73, died Thursday at a Hartselle hospital. The funeral will be Saturday at 3 p.m. at Peck Funeral Home in Hartselle with the Rev. Paul Smith officiating.
Burial will be in Burningtree Memorial Gardens.
Mr. Smith was a native of Georgia and a World War II Navy veteran.
Survivors include his wife, Betty J. Smith of Hartselle; two daughters, Debbie Smith of Hartselle and Susan Stinson of Florence; one brother, George W. Smith of Dacula, Ga.; two sisters, Dorothy Mae Porter of Decatur, Ga., and Helen Green way of North Augusta, S.C.; and four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Robert W. Taylor
ALBERTVILLE - Robert Woddy Taylor, 97, of 201 Holder Ave. died Sunday at a Guntersville nursing home. A graveside service was Wednesday at Marshall Memorial Garden.
Carr Funeral Home of Guntersville is in charge of burial.
Mr. Taylor was a retired supervisor and teacher at Auburn University.
Survivors include his wife, Rachael Taylor of Albertville, and one stepdaughter, Elizabeth Price of Huntsville.
Letha F. Watson
Letha Frances Watson, 81, of Huntsville died Thursday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Ray Worley officiating.
Burial will be in Valhalla Memory Gardens.
Mrs. Watson lived in Huntsville her entire life.
Survivors include three daughters, Peggy Parker, Fay Edger and Kay Fox, all of Huntsville; four sons, Ray Watson, Jimmy Watson, Jerry Watson and Ronnie Watson, all of Huntsville; and 18 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 5 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Dorothy L. Wilbanks
BRIDGEPORT - Dorothy Louise Wilbanks, 65, died Thursday at a Chattanooga hospital. The funeral will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Rudder Funeral Home in Stevenson with the Rev. John Gamble and the Rev. George Warr officiating.
Burial will be in Mount Carmel Cemtery.
Survivors include her husband, Clarence Wilbanks; three sons, Danny Wilbanks of Stevenson and Hank Wilbanks and Jerry Wilbanks, both of Bridgeport; and seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Visitation was to be today from 4 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Ola M. Wilson
ATHENS - Ola Mary Wilson, 85, of 1412 Seventh Ave. died Wednesday at her home. The funeral was to be today at 1 p.m. at McConnell Funeral Home with Dr. Steve Screws officiating.
Burial was to be in Athens City Cemetery.
Miss Wilson was a native of Elkmont and a member of First United Methodist Church in Athens.
Survivors include two sisters, Marjorie Wilson and Laura Sexton, both of Athens; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Limestone County or to First Methodist Church.
Thomas F. Wolford IV
MADISON - Thomas Foxworth Wolford IV, infant son of Tom and Lesli Wolford, died Thursday at a local hospital. There will be a private funeral service.
Laughlin Service Funeral Home is in charge of burial arrangements.
Other survivors include one brother, Robert Price Wolford of Madison; and one sister, Smith ONeal Wolford of Madison.
Memorial donations may be made to Church of the Nativity, 208 Eustis Ave., Huntsville, 35801.
