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.
Billy R. Branham
ALBERTVILLE - Billy Rex Branham, 63, died Saturday at a Marshall County hospital. The funeral will be Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Albertville Funeral Home with the Rev. Ricky Williams and the Rev. Ossie Fowler officiating.
Burial will be in Marshall Memorial Gardens with Albertville Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include his wife, Linda Branham of Albertville; one son, Keith Branham of Shady Grove; three daughters, Joan Beard and Kristy McDaniel, both of Albertville, and Marilyn Moore of Morgan City; two brothers, Bobby Branham of Douglas and Jack Branham of South Carolina; three sisters, Pearl Staton of Albertville, Bertha Mae Gibbs of Snead and Neva Dean of Birmingham; and four grandchildren.
Harold Edwards
FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. - Harold Edwards, 74, of Fairway Drive died Sunday at a Fayetteville nursing home. The funeral will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Higgins Funeral Home in Fayetteville with the Rev. Vann Johnson officiating.
Burial will be in Riverview Cemetery.
Mr. Edwards retired from Serbin Manufacturing.
Survivors include two sisters, Helen Wells of Birmingham and Elizabeth Vantrease of Fayetteville; three brothers, James A. Edwards Jr. and Robert Edwards, both of Fayetteville, and William Edwards of North Carolina; and several nieces and nephews.
Theresa K. Forshey
ARDMORE, Tenn. - Theresa Kaye Forshey, 39, of Austin Street died Saturday in Ardmore, Ala. The funeral will be Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Taylor-Ardmore Funeral Home with the Rev. William Suddarth officiating.
Burial will be in Hastings Cemetery.
Survivors include one son, Kevin Eckstein of Ardmore, Tenn.; one daughter, Amy Ashmore of Ardmore, Tenn.; her mother and stepfather, Peggy and Wayne Bates of Ardmore, Tenn.; her father, Damon Devitt of Michigan; one half-brother, Todd Devitt; two sisters, Audrey Faulkner of Summertown, Tenn., and Shelia Pardon of Ardmore, Ala.; one half-sister, Lisa Smith; and one granddaughter, several nieces and nephews and three great-nieces.
Visitation will be today from 4 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Sheila W. Francis
Sheila Whitehead Francis, 34, of 8th Avenue in Huntsville died Friday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. at New Sharon Cemetery with the Rev. Benny Berry officiating.
Gallant Funeral Home of Hazel Green is in charge of burial.
Mrs. Francis was a native of Madison County and an inspector for Doris Lee Drapery.
Survivors include her husband, Jerry Francis of Huntsville; one daughter, Amanda Whitehead of Hazel Green ; her father, Willie Pierce of Huntsville; her mother, Glenda Pierce of Hazel Green ; one sister, Teresa Still of Hazel Green ; and four brothers, Randall Pierce of New Market, Anthony Pierce of Huntsville, Michael Pierce of Capshaw and James Pierce of Madison.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Ricky M. Franklin
Ricky Morris Franklin, 48, of Huntsville died Friday at his home. The memorial service will be Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Chase Community Baptist Church with the Rev. Larry Johnson officiating.
Mr. Franklin was a native of Madison County.
Survivors include one brother, Tommy Don Franklin of Huntsville; and three sisters, Janice Marie Nichols and Pamela Joan Franklin, both of Huntsville, and Sharon Reene Franklin of Indiana.
Frank Grant
Frank Grant, 86, of Huntsville died Saturday at his home. No funeral is planned.
Valhalla Funeral Home is in charge of funeral arrangements.
Mr. Grant was a retired U.S. Army master sergeant who served in World War II and was awarded the Purple Heart. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Survivors include his wife, Frances Grant of Huntsville; three sons, Ronald Grant of Guthrie, Okla., Chris Grant of Louisville, Ky., and Michael Grant of Huntsville; three daughters, Cathy Johns of Kissimmee, Fla., Debbie Desgranges of Huntsville and Tay Shareck of Harvest; one brother, Joe Grant of Long Beach, Calif.; and 25 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to the Shriners Crippled Childrens Hospital.
William H. Hooten
William Herman Hooten, 73, of Huntsville died Sunday at a local hospital. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Mr. Hooten was born in Birmingham and lived in Huntsville 44 years. He worked for the U.S. Army Missile Command for 22 years.
Survivors include his wife, Hanna Richter Hooten of Huntsville; three daughters, Dee Anne Stoyle of Atlanta and Judy McBride and Kimberly Jean deJesus, both of Huntsville; one brother, Leldon M. Hooten of Birmingham; two sisters, Jean Hooten Stisher of Arab and Betty Hooten Leeth Haynes of Hanceville; and five grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to the Holly Pond Cemetery Fund, P.O. Box 37, Holly Pond, 35083.
Laura Jones
RAINSVILLE - Laura Jones, 99, died Saturday. The funeral was to be today at 1 p.m. at Rainsville Funeral Home with the Rev. Charles McKay and the Rev. Roy Bryant officiating.
Burial was to be in Trinity Cemetery.
Survivors include three grandchildren, Cindy Thompson of Rainsville, Sherry Meeks of Marietta, Ga., and Dale Jones of Scottsboro; and six great-grandchildren.
Joseph A. Knothe
HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. - Joseph Arthur Knothe, 65, died Wednesday at his home. The funeral was today at 11 a.m. at Maple Hill Cemetery.
Spry Funeral Home is in charge of burial.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Ann Knothe; three daughters, Jayne Faulkner, Barbara Anderson and Nancy Clark, all of Huntsville; two sons, Greg Knothe of White Bear Lake, Minn., and Larry Knothe of Huntsville; and eight grandchildren and two step-grandchildren.
Bessie M. McKee
ALBERTVILLE - Bessie Mae McKee, 70, died Saturday at a Marshall County hospital. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Albertville Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Jesse Hill officiating.
Burial will be in Union Grove Cemetery No. 2 in Snead.
Survivors include eight children, Lillie Silas, Lexy Gipson, L.M. McKee, Rosie McKee, Gene Smith, Lottie Kelley, Quindell McKee and Timothy McKee; and 22 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
Roy S. Reed
PRATTVILLE - Retired Navy Master Chief Roy Shelby Reed, 55, died June 29. The funeral was July 2 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Prattville with Bishop Richard Clark officiating.
Burial was in Alabama Heritage Cemetery with full military honors and with Ridouts Funeral Home Prattville Chapel in charge.
Mr. Reed was a native of Madison County and had lived in Owens Cross Roads.
Survivors include his wife, Jerris E. Snider Reed of Prattville; one daughter, Krista Diane Reed Franks of Prattville; one son, John W. Reed; eight sisters, Rachel Brown, Mary Ellen Reed, Jamie Gervais, Judy Falconbury, Jean Miller, Jeweldine Reed and Lucy Humphrey, all of Huntsville, and P. Kaye Clay of Houston, Texas; and one brother, John David Reed of Laceys Spring.
Marilyn R. Robinson
Marilyn Ruth Robinson, 74, of Huntsville died Sunday. The funeral will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Collier-Butler Funeral Chapel in Gadsden.
Burial will be in Rainbow Memorial Park.
Mrs. Robinson was a native of Gadsden and lived there most her life. She moved to Huntsville four years ago and was a member of Whitesburg Baptist Church and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post Nos. 2760 in Gadsden and 2702 in Huntsville.
Survivors include one son, Dana Robinson of Huntsville; one daughter, Deanna Brooks of St. Paul, Minn.; two sisters, Thetta Cowen of Birmingham and Bert Self of Houston, Texas; and four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Visitation will be Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Effie D. Uselton
HAZEL GREEN - Effie Dena Uselton, 82, of West Limestone Road died Sunday at her home. The funeral will be Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Gallant Funeral Home chapel in Hazel Green with Ben Renegar officiating.
Burial will be in Charity Cemetery.
Mrs. Uselton was a native of Madison County, a housewife and a member of Shiloh Church of Christ. She was preceded in death by her husband, Julius Uselton.
Survivors include two sisters, Bonnie Walker of Harvest and Annie Jones of Hazel Green ; and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Lillian S. Vaughn
LEWISBURG, Tenn. - Lillian Sorrells Vaughn, 96, of North Street died Saturday at an area nursing home. The funeral will be Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Gallant Funeral Home with Clay Derryberry officiating.
Burial will be in Riverview Memorial Gardens with Gallant Funeral Home of Fayetteville in charge.
Mrs. Vaughn was a native of Lincoln County, Tenn., and a member of Wilson Hill Church of Christ.
Survivors include one daughter, Martha Haislip of Lewisburg; two sisters, Flavius Roland of Fayetteville and Alberta Vaughn of Huntsville; and two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
Henry L. Williams
MADISON - Henry L. ''Hank Williams, 62, died Sunday at his home. The funeral will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Green brier Baptist Church with Jack Zimmer and Ed Richards officiating.
Burial will be in Huntsville Memory Gardens with Spry Funeral Home in Athens in charge.
Mr. Williams was a member of Green brier Baptist Church, in the Army Reserves for 15 years and was an employee of Toko America.
Survivors include his wife, Sarah M. Williams; his father, Delbert Williams of Athens; four sons, Jeff Williams of Athens, Michael Williams of Norfolk, Va., Don Williams and Jason Williams, both of Huntsville; one daughter, Dale Williams of Rock Hill, S.C.; two sisters, Gertrude Odell of Curwensville, Pa., and Sue Baker of Brush, Colo.; and nine grandchildren and nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be today and Tuesday from 6 to 9 p.m., at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to Green briar Baptist Church or the American Cancer Society.
Steven D. Woods
Steven Dale Woods, 46, of Huntsville died Sunday at his home. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Survivors include one daughter, Angel Nichole Woods of Laceys Spring; one sister, Marjorie Gayle Howard of Laceys Spring; two brothers, Benny Carl Woods of Union Grove and Danny S. Woods of Somerville; and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be Tuesday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Carolyn Young
Carolyn Young, 81, of Huntsville died July 2 at a local hospital. The funeral was Wednesday at Auburn United Methodist Church with the Rev. Dr. George H. Mathison officiating.
Burial was in Auburn Memorial Cemetery with Laughlin Service Funeral Home in charge.
Mrs. Young was preceded in death by her husband, Luther Young.
Survivors include one son, Ken Young of LaGrange, Ga.; one daughter, Nancy Fortner of Huntsville; two sisters, Mamye House of Washington, N.J., and Marion Morgan of Montgomery; and three grandsons and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial donations may be made to the Auburn High School Biology Department, Dean Road, Auburn, 36830.
