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.
Arjan B. Dewan
Arjan Bahadar Dewan, 68, of Huntsville died Monday at a local hospital. The funeral will be today at 7 p.m. at Valhalla Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Tom Perrin officiating.
Valhalla Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Dewan was a U.S. Air Force veteran and a graduate of the Milwaukee School of Engineering. He worked with Boeing on the Apollo program and the 747 aircraft. He also worked for McDonnell-Douglas Corp. on NASAs SpaceLab and Space Shuttle Challenger. He was a member of Elks Lodge No. 1648.
Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth "Betty" Dewan of Huntsville; two sisters, Kamla Chaudhri of New Delhi, India, and Sarla Shah of Narnaul, India; and one brother, Sudershan Bahadar Dewan of New Delhi.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or to the Elks Memorial Center in Montgomery.
Clarence Holmes Sr.
Clarence H. Holmes Sr., 96, of Huntsville died today at a Pell City nursing home. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Mr. Holmes was a lifelong resident of Huntsville. He was a charter member and treasurer of Hillsboro Heights Baptist Church, was a member of early community bands in which he played the clarinet, was a trustee for Joe Bradley School and was a warehouse foreman of Huntsville Manufacturing for 29 years.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Lennie S. Holmes.
Survivors include two daughters, Doris H. Brown of Huntsville and Janice A. Boyd of Fayetteville, Ga.; one son, Clarence H. Holmes Jr. of Talladega; and nine grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to Hillsboro Heights Baptist Church or to Ingram Manor, 410 Wolf Creek Road, Pell City, AL 35125.
Georgia B. Jones
Georgia Belle Jones, 77, of Huntsville died Wednesday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Friday at 2:30 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home chapel with Charles Hammond officiating.
Burial will be in Valhalla Memory Gardens with Spry Funeral Home in charge.
Mrs. Jones was a native of Dekalb County, Tenn. and a lifelong resident of Madison County. She was a graduate of nursing school and served as a nurses aide for 14 years at Moores Rest Home.
Survivors include four sons, Jackie E. Whorton of Gray, Ga., Henry Otis Whorton of Huntsville, Walter Brand of Morgan City and Danny Ray Brand of New Market; two daughters, Linda Taylor of New Market and Kathy Bailey of Huntsville; one sister, Emma Mae Tumlin of Morgan City; and 20 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Bobby King
ARAB - Bobby King, 55, of 1108 1st St., died Tuesday at a Huntsville hospital. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Corinth Baptist Church.
Burial was to be in Brookwood Mausoleum with Arab Memorial Chapel Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include his wife, Karen King; one son, Shannon King of Killen; his parents, Wymon King and Vela Dean King, both of Arab; one sister, Dean Cox of Birmingham; and two brothers, Billy King of Arab and Jimmy King of Georgia.
Junior Reed
FYFFE - Junior Reed, 73, died Tuesday in Albertville. The funeral will be Friday at W.T. Wilson Funeral Home chapel with Eli Smith and Thomas Smothers officiating.
Burial will be in DeKalb Memorial Garden.
Mr. Reed was pastor of Martling Holiness Church, Fort Payne Holiness Church and Clark Avenue Holiness Church. He was a veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Dotteen Reed; four daughters, Julia Smith of Collinsville, Cynthia Black of Dutton, Sarah Anderson of Fyffe and Joyce Wilbanks of Dutton; two sons, George Reed of Glenwood, N.M. and Paul Reed of Rainsville; one sister, Lillian Wright of Birmingham; and 16 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Cornell Robinson
Cornell Robinson, 64, of Huntsville died Sunday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Friday at 1 p.m. at Nelms Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. McKinley Jones officiating.
Burial will be in Pine Grove Cemetery in Deposit with Nelms Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include his wife, Lillie Robinson of Huntsville, and two sisters, Mary F. Lyons and Betty Jo Witherow, both of Chattanooga.
Lillie P. Robinson
TONEY - Lillie Pearl Robinson, 53, of 525 Carters Gin Road, died Sunday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Saturday at noon at St. Luke M.B. Church with the Rev. Wallace Steele officiating.
Burial will be in Burks Cemetery in Harvest with Royal Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include one daughter, Saundra Denise Savage of Huntsville; one son, Alfred Jerome Hereford of Huntsville; one sister, Mary Elizabeth Ransom of Huntsville; one brother, James Earl Bradford of Huntsville; and one grandchild.
Her body will be at the church one hour prior to the funeral.
Helen W. Sanders
SCOTTSBORO - Helen Williams Sanders, 67, died Wednesday at her home. The funeral will be Friday at 4 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Scottsboro with Dr. Rick Stevens officiating.
Burial will be in Cedar Hill Cemetery with Scottsboro Funeral Home in charge.
Mrs. Sanders, a native of Greenville, was a member of the First Baptist Church of Scottsboro and the Three Arts Club.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. John T. Sanders.
Survivors include two daughters, Kaye Sanders Covington of Scottsboro and Mary Sanders Smith of Auburn; one son, John Thomas Sanders III of Huntsville; one sister, Johnnie Lou Williams Styron of Montgomery; and three grandchildren.
Visitation is today from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, the First Baptist Church or the Association for Retarded Children.
Doris E. Sharples
Doris E. Sharples, 56, of Huntsville died Monday at a local hospital. The funeral was today at 10 a.m. at Valhalla Funeral Home chapel with Dr. Steve Pettey officiating.
Burial was in Valhalla Memory Gardens.
A native of Germany, Mrs. Sharples moved to Huntsville in 1968. She was a retired teacher and a member of Sherwood Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband, Dr. William C. Sharples of Huntsville; two sons, Steve Sharples and the Rev. Andy Sharples, both of Huntsville; one brother, Gerd Vogt of Germany; and two grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to the church.
Gertrude W. Shehan
Gertrude Williams Shehan, 88, of Huntsville died Wednesday at a local hospital. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Mrs. Shehan was a lifelong resident of Madison County and was a charter member of Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
She was preceded in death by her husbands, Delbert Williams Sr. and George Shehan.
Survivors include one daughter, Marjorie Williams of Huntsville; one son, Delbert Williams Jr. of Huntsville; and two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to Madison Academy or to Hope Place.
Herman E. Verkuyl
OWENS CROSS ROADS - Herman E. Verkuyl, 64, died Tuesday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Friday at 3 p.m. at Twickenham Funeral Home in Hampton Cove with the Rev. Jerry Meeks officiating.
Burial will be in Cullier Cemetery.
Mr. Verkuyl had lived in this area for 24 years.
Survivors include one son, Donald Verkuyl of Owens Cross Roads, and one brother, William Lowery of Nashville.
Visitation will be today from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
