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.
Rayford Baldwin
GROVE OAK - The Rev. Rayford Baldwin, 69, died Wednesday at his home. The funeral will be Friday at 2 p.m. at Green s Chapel Baptist Church with the Rev. Stanley Jones, the Rev. Gary Holcomb and the Rev. M.B. Bailey officiating.
Burial will be in the adjoining cemetery with W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel of Rainsville in charge.
Survivors include his wife, Imogene Baldwin of Grove Oak; two sons, Ladon Baldwin and Dewaun Baldwin, both of Fyffe; one sister, Irene Holcomb of Section; and three grandchildren.
William M. Foster
FLORENCE - William Mason "Bill" Foster died Saturday. The funeral was Tuesday at Green view Funeral Home in Florence with Bro. Don McGee officiating.
Burial was in Green view Memorial Park.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Ann Broadfoot Foster of Florence; two sons, Richard M. Foster of Huntsville and Eric Foster of Florence; five daughters, Shirley L. Lipson of Louisiana, Jean E. Wood of Harvest, Melissa E. Meehan of Arizona, Renee Priest of Florence and Kimberly A. Merkle of Maryland; one sister, Peggy Strong of Huntsville; and 18 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Wilda R. French
ATHENS - Wilda R. French, 73, died Wednesday at a local hospital. Spry Funeral Home of Athens will announce funeral arrangements.
Donald W. Henkel
TAFT, Tenn. - Donald Wilburn Henkel, 72, of 1386 Ardmore Highway died Tuesday at a Huntsville hospital. The funeral will be Friday 2 p.m. at Taylor-Ardmore Funeral Home with Lon Ostrzyski officiating.
Burial will be in Charity Cemetery.
Survivors include his wife, Wilma Henkel of Taft; two brothers, Robert Henkel and Vick Henkel, both of Wisconsin; two sisters, Evelyn Erbe Wilson of Wisconsin and Lorane Carser of Florida; and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Vida Lynch
ARAB - Vida Lynch, 100, of Arab died Tuesday at a local hospital. The graveside service will be Friday at 10 a.m. at Pine Crest Cemetery in Mobile.
Arab Memorial Chapel Funeral Home is in charge of local arrangements.
Survivors include one daughter, Ann Melton of Arab; one son, Paul English Jr. of Houston; and 16 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Dickey R. McBay
FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. - Dickey Ray McBay, 49, of West Point Drive died Tuesday at his home. The funeral was to be today at 3 p.m. at Gallant Funeral Home in Fayetteville with the Rev. James Barnes officiating.
Burial will be in Morgan Cemetery.
Mr. McBay was a native of Lincoln County, Tenn.
Survivors include his wife, Raetta Watson McBay of Fayetteville; two daughters, Lori McBay of Fayetteville and Kimberly Frazier of Huntland, Tenn.; two stepsons, Kevin Jones of Fayetteville and Lynn Stelle of Huntland; his parents, Sarah Shrader Rhoden and Delbert McBay, both of Fayetteville; one half-sister, Crystal McBay of Fayetteville; four stepsisters, Janice Rhoden, Cathy Howard and Myra Tharp, all of Columbus, Ga., and Delbra Belessie of Madison; one stepbrother, George Rhoden of Columbus; and one grandson.
Richard A. Milton Jr.
Richard Alan Milton Jr., 35, of Huntsville died Wednesday at a local hospital. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Mr. Milton was a Grissom High School graduate and attended Athens State College. He worked at K.C. Honda.
Survivors include his parents, Doris McDonald of Huntsville and Richard A. Milton Sr. of Florida; one brother, Ryan A. Milton of Huntsville; and his finacee, Mary Beth Klinzak of Huntsville.
Visitation will be Saturday from noon to 1 p.m. at the funeral home.
Mamie Morgan
DECATUR - Mamie Morgan, 86, died Wednesday. The funeral will be Friday at 2 p.m. at Shelton Funeral Home in Decatur with the Rev. Tom Campbell and the Rev. Craig Carlisle officiating.
Burial will be in Caddo Cemetery.
Survivors include two brothers, Frank Morgan of Decatur and Redding Morgan of Danville; and one sister, Dottie Wright of Decatur.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Nelda D. Morgan
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Nelda D. Morgan, 78, died Sunday in Florida. The funeral will be Friday at 11 a.m. at First United Methodist Church with the Rev. George W. Hayes officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery with Laughlin Service Funeral Home in charge.
Mrs. Morgan lived in Fort Myers 14 years and attended Cypress Lake Presbyterian Church.
Survivors include one son, William Brett Morgan of Enterprise; one daughter, Genie Rydberg of Huntsville; one sister, Sylvia Kelley of Inverness, Fla.; and four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or a favorite charity.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Michael V. Ray
MADISON - Michael Vernon Ray, 35, died Tuesday. A private memorial service will be Saturday at First United Methodist Church in Huntsville.
Johns-Ridouts Funeral Home Southside Chapel of Birmingham is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Ray was a member of the North Alabama Science Fiction Association and worked at Luna Tech and Barnes and Noble Booksellers. He also served in the Army.
Survivors include his wife, Robin V. Ray of Madison; his father, James Ray of Henderson, Nev.; one brother, James Ray II of Farmington, Mich.; and two sisters, Linda Ray of Prospect Heights, Ill., and Regina Ray of Rialto, Calif. Memorial donations may be made to BURNS at P.O. Box 610370, Birmingham, 35261-0370; or to MedFlight.
Peggy Sharp
ELKMONT - Peggy Sharp, 57, of 24480 Sweet Springs Road died Tuesday at a Huntsville hospital. The funeral will be Friday at 11 a.m. at Taylor-Ardmore Funeral Home with Chester Jones officiating.
Survivors include her husband, Frank Sharp of Elkmont; one son, Ricky Sharp of Elkmont; one daughter, Terry Topolski of Grand Rapids, Mich.; her mother, Hildegard Bochmann of Berlin, Germany; one sister, Hasi Mueller of Munster, Ind.; and four grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Margaret O. Smith
FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. - Margaret Ozella Smith, 79, of 908 Shawnee Drive died Tuesday. The funeral was today at 11 a.m. at Kirkland Cemetery with the Rev. Billy Langford officiating.
McCauley Funeral Home of Fayetteville is in charge of burial.
Mrs. Smith was a native of Lincoln County, Tenn., a homemaker and a Baptist.
Survivors include her husband, Cleveland Smith of Fayetteville; and several nieces and nephews.
Martha V. Smith
SCOTTSBORO - Martha Ventres Thompson Smith, 83, died Tuesday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Friday at 1:30 p.m. at Scottsboro Funeral Home with Revs. Walter ''Bo Little and David Myers officiating.
Burial will be in Guerin Cemetery.
Mrs. Smith was preceded in death by her husband, Clyde Fletcher Smith.
Survivors include five daughters, Naioma Kindred of Albertville, Sylvia Hobbs of Huntsville, Mary Bryant of Brownsboro, Gail Banks of Gurley and Patsy Ohman of Belleview, Fla.; one son, Doyce Smith of Paint Rock; one brother, Howard ''Dick Thompson of Huntsville; and 14 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Visitation was to be today until 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Julia W. Talbot
Julia Walker Talbot, 62, of Huntsville died Wednesday at her home. The funeral will be Friday at 3 p.m. at Laughlin Service Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. George W. Hayes and the Rev. Coy Hallmark officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
Mrs. Talbot was a member of First United Methodist Church and its Faith Sunday school class and retired from the Neo-natal Follow-through Clinic at UAB Hospital.
Survivors include her husband, Jim Talbot of Huntsville; two daughters, Margaret Elizabeth Ezell and Angie Ezell Collins, both of Huntsville; one son, Bill Ezell of Huntsville; her mother, Sarah Elizabeth Walker of Huntsville; one brother, Benjamin Harris Walker of Huntsville; one sister, Sylvia Walker Kirgis of Lexington, Va.; one stepson, Jamie Talbot of Tallahassee, Fla.; and nine grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to the Robert Forgey Scholarship Fund at First United Methodist Church.
James T. Tatum Jr.
James T. Tatum Jr., 68, of Huntsville died Wednesday at his home. The funeral will be Friday at 1 p.m. at Episcopal Church of the Nativity with the Rev. Dr. Roderic L. Murray III officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
Survivors include his wife, Dana Lee Tatum of Huntsville; two sons, William Blanton Tatum and Phillip Lee Lehman, both of Huntsville; three daughters, Terri Tatum Estess and Jamie Tatum Brown, both of Birmingham, and Julie Lehman Burk of Indianapolis, Ind.; one sister, Geraldine McKenzie Mitchell of Cupertino, Calif.; and seven grandchildren.
Visitation will be Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the church.
Memorial donations may be made to the church.
Jewie Tennison
ATHENS - Jewie Tennison, 84, of 100 Bullington Road died Tuesday at a local nursing home. The funeral was today at 11 a.m. at McConnell Funeral Home with Bill Irby officiating.
Burial was in Roselawn Cemetery.
Mr. Tennison was a native of Limestone County, a member of Hobbs Street Church of Christ and was a retired farmer.
Survivors include his wife, Agnes Stanford Tennison; one daughter, Jane T. Siniard of Athens; one son, Paul A. Tennison of Goodsprings; three sisters, Lucille Wise of Eloise, Fla., Odelene Musgrove of Elizabethtown, Ind., and Dorothy Kyle of Athens; two brothers, Harold Tennison of Redford Township, Mich., and Harvey Tennison of Athens; and four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Ettie F. Underwood
ATHENS - Ettie Faye Underwood, 94, of 703 W. Washington St. died Tuesday at her home. The funeral will be Friday at 11 a.m. at Limestone Chapel Funeral Hom with Aaron Johnson officiating.
Burial will be in Athens City Cemetery.
Survivors include four grandchildren, Wanda Emfinger of Bunker Hill, Tenn., and Abbie White, Carla Nelson and Larry Nelson, all of Athens; and six great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Limestone County.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Charles O. Watson
Charles ONeal Watson, 90, of Huntsville died Wednesday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Saturday at 10 a.m. at Spry Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Tommy Franklin officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
Mr. Watson was a native of Madison County, retired from the state of Alabama and was a member of Five Points Baptist Church. He was preceded in death by his wife, Geneva Glover Watson.
Survivors include two daughters, Neal Jean Barkley of Huntsville and Carrie Sue Boxell of Winter Park, Fla.; one son, Bobby Ferrell Watson of Huntsville; and three grandchildren, two step-grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Emory Wells
RAINSVILLE - Emory Wells, 80, died Wednesday at his home. The funeral will be Friday at 11 a.m. at the Victory Baptist Church with the Rev. James Grindstaff and the Rev. Chester Shankles officiating.
Burial will be in Town Creek Cemetery with Rainsville Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include his wife, Leta Wells; one daughter, Marcella Wells of Rainsville; three sons, Lee Wells, Tommy Wells and Henry ''Pete Wells, all of Rainsville; one brother, Calvin Wells of Rainsville; and eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Elmer White Sr.
BIRMINGHAM - Elmer ''J.C. White Sr., 63, of 1204 Monterey Drive died Monday at a local hospital. A memorial service will be Friday at 11 a.m. at Arab Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.
Survivors include his wife, Mary White; three sons, James White of South Carolina, Kenny White of Massachusetts and Elmer White Jr. of Birmingham; two sisters, Vivian White of Birmingham and Donna Creel of Arab; five brothers, Alton White and Wendell White, both of Blountsville, Benny White of Tennessee, Robert White of Arab and Terry White; and three grandchildren.
Visitation will be Friday from 10 to 11 a.m. at the funeral home.
