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.
Dorothy M. Adams
ARDMORE - Dorothy Marie Adams, 58, died Wednesday at an Athens hospital. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home with Gregory Webb and Chris Hagler officiating.
Burial was to be in Dement Cemetery.
Mrs. Adams was a native of Morgan County, a member of the Free Way House of the Lord in Toney and was preceded in death by one brother, Floyd Bivens, and by one grandson, Shannon Turberville.
Survivors include four daughters, Rita Turberville of Cherokee, Sabrenia Heard of Ardmore and Alecia Pugh and Joy Smith, both of Toney; two sons, Shane Watkins and Brandon Renegar, both of Elkmont; her parents, Herman and Addie Bivens of Cherokee; two brothers, Leon Bivens and Homer Bivens, both of Athens; and 11 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and four step-great-grandchildren.
Leon Barnett
HARTSELLE - Leon Barnett, 72, of 303 Wheeler St. died Wednesday at a Birmingham hospital. The graveside service will be Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at Hartselle Memory Gardens with the Rev. Ron Wilson officiating.
Peck Funeral Home is in charge of burial.
Mr. Barnett served in the Merchant Marines in World War II and was owner of Barnett Distributing Co.
He was preceded in death by one son, Jon Lee Barnett.
Survivors include his wife, Jean Barnett; two sons, George William Barnett of Atlanta and Richard Leon Barnett of Plano, Texas; and five grandchildren.
Wilma L. Cheatham
FALKVILE - Wilma Lois Cheatham, 62, died Thursday at a Decatur hospital. The funeral will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at Gum Spring Baptist Church with the Rev. Roger Collins officiating.
Burial will be in Gum Springs Cemetery with Peck Funeral Home of Hartselle in charge.
She was a native of Morgan County and a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband, Howell Cheatham of Falkville; three sons, Steve Cheatham, David Cheatham and Phillip Cheatham, all of Hartselle; two daughters, Deborah Ward of Madison and Lisa Springer of Price ville; her mother, Mamie Maze; three brothers, Leo Maze, William Maze and James Maze, all of Hartselle; four sisters, Robbie Stinson, Evelyn Blankenship, Learleen Southern and Betty McCarter, all of Hartselle; and eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Her body will be at the church one hour before the funeral.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Roy Cowan Sr.
OWENS CROSS ROADS - Roy Cowan Sr., 81, died Thursday at a local hospital. Twickenham Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Edmonia C. Downs
SAN FRANCISCO - Edmonia Collier Downs, 55, of 337 Ordway St. died Tuesday at her home. The funeral will be Tuesday at 1 p.m. at New Hope Cumberland Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Terry Ragland officiating.
Burial will be in Sterrs Cemetery with Royal Funeral Home in charge.
Mrs. Downs was formerly of Limestone County.
Survivors include her husband, Ambrose L. Downs of San Francisco; two daughters, Benita Y. Downs and Comedia F. Downs, both of San Francisco; seven sisters, Corine Matthews, Catherine Harris and Mildred L. Humphrey, all of Madison, Willie M. Western of Muskegon, Mich., Inez Parker and Odell Fletcher, both of Chattanooga and Emma Moore of Huntsville; and two brothers, Jessie Lee Collier of Daly City, Calif., and A.J. Collier of Madison.
L.G. Fields
L.G. Fields, 107, of Huntsville died Wednesday at his home. The funeral will be Saturday at noon at Lakeside United Methodist Church with the Rev. Percy L. Nolan Jr. officiating.
Burial will be in Northside Cemetery with Royal Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. Fields was a native of Limestone County, but spent most his life in Madison County. He was a United Methodist minister for 50 years before retiring.
Survivors include one sister, Cornelius Newton of Decatur; four daughters, Mary O. Waddles, Bernice F. Davis and Patricia F. Walker, all of Huntsville, and Rosetta F. Jackson of St. Louis, Mo.; five sons, Lindsay G. Fields Jr., Addison J. Fields and James P. Fields, all of Huntsville, Glenn M. Fields of Spartanburg, S.C., and Thomas A. Fields of St. Louis; one foster son, Dr. William B. McClain of Fort Washington, Md.; and 24 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 7 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
His body will be at the church one hour before the funeral.
Margaret V. Ford
Margaret Virginia Ford, 87, of Huntsville died Wednesday at her home. The funeral was to be today at 3 p.m. at Mountain View Baptist Church with the Revs. George K. Jones and Robert Ford officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery with Laughlin Service Funeral Home in charge.
Mrs. Ford was a native of Etowah County and had lived in Huntsville since 1970. She was formerly of Jacksonville, Gadsden and Miami and was the oldest member of Mountain View Baptist Church. She was valedictorian of Gadsden High School and retired from the Dade County, Fla., school system. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lawrence Ford.
Survivors include one son, Larry Ford of Marathon, Fla.; one sister, Louise Mullinax of Tuscaloosa; and three grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
Visitation will be Friday from 1 to 3 p.m. at the church.
Memorial donations may be made to Mountain View Baptist Church, 1413 McClung Ave., Huntsville 35801.
Artie B. Hawkins
FLINTSTONE, Ga. - Artie B. Hawkins, 72, died Wednesday at a hospital in Scottsboro. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Rainsville Funeral Home with the Rev. Kerry Ferguson officiating.
Burial was to be in Unity Cemetery.
Survivors include three sisters, Betty Hancock of Henagar, Mavel Hill of Cartersville, Ga., and Ruth Lowman of Detroit; six brothers, Willie Hawkins of Harrison, Tenn., Wesley Hawkins of Arrington, Texas, Doyle Hawkins of Flat Rock, Ala., Benny Hawkins Sr. of Remlap and John B. Hawkins and Jerry Hawkins, both of Henagar; and a special niece, Rhonda Lowman of Browntown.
James A. Head
ALBERTVILLE - James Arlis Head, 77, of 520 Baltimore Ave. died Wednesday at his home. A graveside service was to be today at 2 p.m. at Memory Hill Cemetery.
Albertville Memorial Chapel Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include his wife, Nilah K. Head.
Roosevelt Jordan
Roosevelt Jordan, 51, of 2505 Ermine Drive in Huntsville died June 25 at a Tuscaloosa veterans hospital. The funeral will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Center Grove United Methodist Church with the Rev. Michael D. Freeman Jr. officiating.
Burial will be in Meadowlawn Garden of Peace with Royal Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include his mother, Marie Jordan of Huntsville; two sons, Marco Britten and Hakem Moody, both of Huntsville; one daughter, Latoya Jordan of Detroit; three brothers, Henry E. Jordan of Huntsville, Lewis Jordan of Sacramento, Calif., and Leo Jordan of Cincinnati, Ohio; two sisters, Esther J. Rice and Margaret Petty, both of Huntsville.
Ivy P. Letson
Ivy Pearl Letson, 86, of Huntsville died Thursday in Decatur. The funeral will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at Mount Olive Cemetery in Courtland with the Rev. Jerry Hovis officiating.
Spry Funeral Home is in charge of burial.
Mrs. Letson was a native of Colbert County.
Survivors include one sister, Odean Grissom of Sheffield.
Visitation will be Saturday from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the funeral home.
George W. Paseur
OWENS CROSS ROADS - George Wiley Paseur, 87, of 153 Hill Road died Thursday at his home. The funeral will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at New Hope Funeral Home chapel with Bro. J.B. Whitaker officiating.
Burial will be in Byrd Cemetery.
Mr. Paseur was preceded in death by his wife, Grace Maples Paseur.
Survivors include two daughters, Betty Brown and Glenda Patterson, both of Owens Cross Roads; two sons, John Paseur of Yuma, Ariz., and George Paseur Jr. of Albuquerque, N.M.; one sister, Lila Hatcher of New Hope; one brother, Leonard Paseur of Memphis, Tenn.; and seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Jessie Pendergrass
SCOTTSBORO - Jessie Faye Newell Pendergrass, 66, died Tuesday at her home. The memorial service will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Scottsboro with Dr. John David Hall officiating.
Spry Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Pendergrass was a native of Dayton, Tenn., where she graduated from Rhea High School. She attended Florida State University and retired from Belk Hudson Co. and the the Jackson County Council on Aging. She also volunteered for the American Red Cross and Hospice.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Hubert Ansel "Red" Pendergrass.
Survivors include two sons, Marcus Hubert Pendergrass and Daniel Newell Pendergrass, both of Huntsville; one sister, Betty Barrows of Pueblo, Colo.; and two brothers, Joseph Newell of Dayton, Tenn., and Richard Newell of Chattanooga.
Memorial donations may be made to a favorite charity.
Robert W. Pirkle
ARAB - Robert Wayne Pirkle, 48, of 3890 Cranford Road died Monday at his home. Gober Funeral Home of Arab is in charge of arrangements.
Survivors include one brother, Andy Pirkle of Cullman, and one sister, Alice Shelton of Florida.
Mary R. Ray
MADISON - Mary Ruth Ray, 64, died Wednesday at her home. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Mrs. Ray was preceded in death by her husband, Julius E. "Shorty" Ray Sr., and one son, James Henry Smith.
Survivors include five sons, Julius E. Ray Jr. and Rodney Smith, both of Madison, Steve F. Ray of Huntsville, Kelly J. Ray of Virginia Beach, Va., and Houston Smith of Frankewing, Tenn.; three daughters, Patty Cook of Athens, Katie Smith Paredes of Chattanooga and Elizabeth Whortan of Birmingham; and 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Limestone County.
James Vassar
HARVEST - James "Cliff" Vassar, 92, of 199 Clutts Road died Wednesday at his home. The funeral was to be today at 1 p.m. at Wall Highway Baptist Church.
Burial will be in Huntsville Memory Gardens with Madison Chapel Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include his wife, Virginia Ozell Vassar of Harvest; four daughters, June Sanderson of Capshaw, Frances Gene Barkley of Toney and Carolyn Faye Miller and Patricia Ann Baugher Baker, both of East Limestone; three sons, James Lowe Vassar of Nashville, Jerry Wayne Vassar of Huntsville and Donald Clifford Vassar of Athens; two brothers, Hoyt Vassar and Milas Vasssar, both of Huntsville; and 15 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Roy E. Wilkes
HIXSON, Tenn. - Roy Edgar Wilkes, 92, died Wednesday in Soddy-Daisy, Tenn. The funeral will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Kerby Funeral Home in Henagar with the Revs. Kevin Wilks and Jimmy Shankles officiating.
Burial will be in Henagar Community Cemetery.
Mr. Wilkes was the owner of Wilkes Feed Mill and Grocery in Henagar and a member of the Henagar Baptist Church.
Survivors include two daughters, Billie June White of Hixson, Tenn., and Marilyn Koshetar of Woodbridge, Va.; two sisters, Lorena Hartline of Doylestown, Ohio, and Marene Hulsey of Smyrna, Ga.; and eight grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Fannie B. Wright
PULASKI, Tenn. - Fannie Brown Wright, 89, of 1183 E. Jefferson St. died Thursday in Pulaski. The funeral will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Higgins Funeral Home with the Rev. Dwight Bledsoe officiating.
Burial will be in Medium Cemetery with Higgins Funeral Home of Fayetteville in charge.
Mrs. Wright was a native of Lincoln County, a former aide at Lincoln Regional Hospital and a member of Boonshill Presbyterian Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Wright,and two sons, John Dewey Wright and Billy Wright.
Survivors include two sons, Charles Wright of Fayetteville and Norman Wright of Pulaski; one sister, Sallie Will Hemphill of Lewisburg; and 16 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
Sylvia Sidney
NEW YORK - Sylvia Sidney, the waiflike star of the 1930s who got an Oscar nomination in 1973 for a comeback role in "Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams," died Thursday. She was 88.
Miss Sidney made her professional theater debut at 16 and was still acting 70 years later, with a brief appearance in the 1988 hit "Beetlejuice" and a small role in "Mars Attacks" in 1996.
Among the directors she worked with were Josef von Sternberg, in "An American Tragedy," 1931; Alfred Hitchcock in "Sabotage" (also called "A Woman Alone"), 1936; William Wyler, in "Dead End," 1937; and Fritz Lang in "Fury," 1936, "You Only Live Once," 1937, and "You and Me," 1938.
Her return to the screen was in the 1973 drama "Summer Wishes, Winter Dreams," in which she played Joanne Woodwards doomed mother. She was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actress.
