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.
Burt C. Allison Sr.
FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. - Burt Coleman Allison Sr., 81, of 309 Magnolia Ave. died Tuesday at his home. The funeral will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Higgins Funeral Home with the Rev. Jay Archer officiating.
Burial will be in Riverview Memorial Gardens.
Mr. Allison was a native of Lincoln County, Tenn., a World War II veteran and owner and operator of Allison Brothers Clothing Store for 30 years. He was a member of First United Methodist Church.
Survivors include one daughter, Jessica Taylor of Broken Arrow, Okla.; one son, Cole Allison of Nashville; and four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Visitation will be Friday at 4:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
Robert O. Denton
Dr. Robert O. Denton, 80, of Huntsville died Wednesday at a local hospital. The graveside service will be Friday at 11 a.m. at Maple Hill Cemetery with the Rev. Jack Wilson and the Rev. Emile Joffrion officiating.
Laughlin Service Funeral Home is in charge of burial.
Dr. Denton was a native of Oneonta and attended Auburn University and Louisiana State Universitys medical school. He was a captain in the U.S. Army, a World War II veteran and North Alabamas first orthopedic surgeon.
He moved to Huntsville in 1956 and retired from medicine in 1983. He served two terms as president of the Alabama Orthopedic Association, co-founded the Crippled Childrens Clinic and was a member of the Pathfinders board of directors and of the Rotary Club.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Frances S. Denton, and by one daughter, Diane D. Broders.
Survivors include three daughters, Dona D. Johnson of Nashville, Jane D. McDonald of Huntsville and Julie D. Neale of Dallas; two sons, Robert O. Denton Jr. of New Mexico and Scott J. Denton of New York; one sister, Barbara D. Brassell of Guntersville; and 10 grandchildren, one niece and four nephews.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Church of the Nativity.
Memorial donations may be made to Pathfinders, the American Cancer Society or the American Lung Association.
Catherine Dollar
FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. - Catherine Dollar, 75, of Walker Creek Road died Tuesday at a local hospital. The funeral was to be today at 3 p.m. at Gallant Funeral Home in Fayetteville with David Mills officiating.
Burial was to be in Prosperity Cemetery.
Mrs. Dollar was a native of Madison County and a retired registered nurse who had worked at the Lincoln County Hospital in Fayetteville.
Survivors include her husband, A.D. Dollar of Fayetteville; one son, Bobby Dollar of Fayetteville; two brothers, Edward Bobo and Tom Bobo, both of Charlotte, N.C.; and two grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Jessie W. Durham
STEVENSON - Jessie Willard "Bud" Durham, 84, died Tuesday at an area hospital. The funeral was to be today at 4 p.m. at Rudder Funeral Home in Stevenson with Buster McCully officiating.
Burial was to be in Caperton Cemetery.
He was preceded in death by one son, Jack Durham.
Survivors include two sisters, Ula Shirley and Lily Ferguson, both of Stevenson; and two grandchildren.
John W. Elsea Jr.
John W. Elsea Jr., 70, of Huntsville died June 23 at a local hospital. The memorial service will be Sunday at 2 p.m. at Unitarian Universalist Church.
Mr. Elsea was retired civil service from Redstone Arsenal and from the U.S. Air Force.
Survivors include his wife, Billie Elsea; one son, Paul Elsea of Falkville; two daughters, Barbara Swanson of Atlanta and JoAnn Milam of Germantown, Tenn.; three stepdaughters, Terry Adcock and Phyllis Carman, both of Huntsville, and Susan Wynne of Texas; two brothers, Dan Elsea of Bristol, Tenn., and Fred Elsea of Costa Rica; and 13 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to the Diabetes Trust Fund, 1-800-537-1383.
Dee Dee Finch
Dee Dee Finch, 26, of Huntsville died Sunday in Utah. Spry Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Survivors include her mother, Carrie Ricketts Dickinson of Huntsville; her father, Albert Leonard Finch; and several other relatives.
James F. Hall
FYFFE - James Franklin Hall, 73, died Wednesday at a Rome, Ga., hospital. The funeral will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at Green s Chapel Church with the Revs. Jesse Guinn and Gerald Green officiating.
Burial will be in Green s Chapel Cemetery.
Survivors include his wife, Nora Lou Potter Hall of Fyffe; two sons, Larry Hall and Bobby Hall, both of Fyffe; two sisters, Gladious Smith and Ruth Baugh, both of Fyffe; three brothers, Raymond Hall, Willie Hall and Clyde Hall, all of Fyffe; and six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Visitation was to be today at noon.
Charlie W. Huddleston
BAILEYTON - Charlie Wyatt Huddleston, 77, of 12370 Alabama 69 died Wednesday at a Huntsville hospital. The funeral will be Friday at 2 p.m. at Lystra Baptist Church.
Burial will be in the adjoining cemetery with Gober Funeral Home of Arab in charge.
Survivors include his wife, Wavoline Huddleston; two daughters, Diann White and Rebecca Eakin, both of Baileyton; two sisters, Irene Harris of Fultondale and Lila Wood of Gadsden; one brother, Raymond Huddleston of Georgia; and three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Nelsia J. Jones
Nelsia Johnson Jones, 50, of Huntsville died July 15 at her home. The funeral will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at Nelms Memorial Funeral Home chapel with Elder Billy J. Jones officiating.
Burial will be in Valhalla Memory Gardens.
Survivors include one son, James G. Jones Jr. of Huntsville; three sisters, Bettye Martin Brown of Huntsville, Gloria Gurley of Detroit and Joan F. Adams of Seaside, Calif.; and two brothers, Sammie Johnson and Ronnie "Dink" Lanier of Huntsville.
Visitation will be Friday from 6 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Capitola C. Mayfield
Capitola C. Mayfield, 83, of Huntsville died Tuesday at her home. The graveside service will be Friday at 10 a.m. at Maple Hill Cemetery with Dr. Mel Strain officiating.
Mrs. Mayfield lived in Madison County her entire life and was a member of the First Presbyterian Church. She was a New Hope High School graduate and the first president of the Huntsville/Madison County League of Women Voters. In appreciation for her many years of service, the local Girl Scouts board of directors named their new building the Cappie Mayfield Service Center in 1980.
Survivors include one sister, Frances Campbell of New Market, and several nieces and nephews. Visitation will be today from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorial donations may be made to the First Presbyterian Church or to a favorite charity.
John Sofferis
John Sofferis, 75, of Huntsville died July 6 at a local hospital. The funeral will be later at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Laughlin Service Funeral Home is in charge of local arrangements.
Mr. Sofferis was World War II veteran and a member of the 2nd Armored Division. He worked many years with the U.S. Army Missile Command, retiring in 1990. He was a life member of the NRA and a member of the Blue and Gray R and P Club. He achieved distinguished marksman status in 1969 in the High Power Rifle Competition. He also won the National Civilian Championship for the Service Rifle at 100 yards in 1968.
He is survived by one sister, Irene Sofferis of San Antonio, Texas.
Ester G. Sparkman
DETROIT - Ester Gurley Sparkman, 90, died Saturday. The graveside service will be Friday at 11 a.m. at Cameron Methodist Church Cemetery in Gurley.
Laughlin Service Funeral Home is in charge of burial.
Mrs. Sparkman had lived in Madison and Morgan counties and Birmingham. She was preceded in death by her husband, Otis L. Sparkman; and one son, Louie O. Sparkman.
Survivors include one son, Charles A. Sparkman of Detroit; one daughter, Barbara S. Goodwin of Pelham; and one granddaughter and one great-granddaughter.
