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.
William H. Abbott
FORT PAYNE - William Harold Abbott, 55, died Sunday at a DeKalb County hospital. The funeral will be Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. at Union Hill Baptist Church with the Rev. Jimmy Graves and the Rev. Tim Bryan officiating.
Burial will be in the adjoining cemetery with W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel of Rainsville in charge.
Survivors include one son, Hershell Lee Abbott of Lexington, Ky.; his mother, Cora Melba Abbott of Point Pleasant, W.Va.; three sisters, Elava Mae Rollins and Ellen Chapman, both of Point Pleasant, and Barbara Ann Abbott of Gallipolis, Ohio; three brothers, Kenny R. Abbott of Murphreesboro, Tenn., Jerry F. Abbott of Fort Payne and Charles E. Abbott of Toledo, Ohio; and one uncle.
Barbara Altman
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Barbara Ann Potter Altman, 60, died Monday at her home. The funeral will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Scottsboro Funeral Home with the Rev. Jerry Glenn officiating.
Burial will be in Cedar Hill Cemetery in Scottsboro.
Survivors include her husband, Robert Altman; five sisters, Opal Shippley of Chattanooga, Louise Drake of Huntsville, Pam Littles of Scottsboro, Polly Shropshire of Elizabethtown, Ind., and Wanda Wheeler and Katrina Patty, both of Atlanta.
Visitation was to be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Laymon L. Campbell
Laymon Lee Campbell, 88, of Huntsville died Sunday at a Fayetteville, Tenn., nursing home. The funeral will be Wednesday at noon at Maple Hill Cemetery with the Rv. Ralph Tucker officiating.
Spry Funeral Home is in charge of burial.
Mr. Campbell was a native and lifelong resident of Madison County. He was a member and former deacon of First Freewill Baptist Church. He was preceded in death by his wife, Grace Louise Campbell.
Survivors include one daughter, Julanna Lynn Jarman; two grandchildren, Heather Owen of Huntsville and Garland Owen of Columbia, Md.; and three great-grandchildren.
Visitation was today from 9 to 11 a.m. at the funeral home.
James L. Cargle
RAINSVILLE - James L. "Buddy Cargle, 54, died Sunday at a Birmingham hospital. The funeral will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Rainsville Funeral Home with the Rev. Norman Steward officiating.
Burial will be in Mountain View Memory Gardens in Rainsville.
Survivors include his wife, Glenda Cargle; two daughters, Deborah Mays of Pisgah and Darlene Cargle Matthews of Valley Head; four sons, Mike Todd and Jerry Todd, both of Rainsville, Tim Todd of Pleasant Hill and Scotty Todd of Pisgah; father and stepmother, Clifford and Lillian Cargle of Rainsville; one sister, Mable Carson of Edgewater, Fla.; one brother, Jerry Wayne Cargle of Georgia; and 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Estaline C. Coffman
Estaline Carrie Coffman of Huntsville died today at a local hospital. Spry Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Mrs. Coffman was a native of Limestone County but spent most of her life in Madison County. She was a member of Lincoln Church of Christ for 60 years. She also retired from Montgomery Ward after 34 years there.
Survivors include several nieces and nephews.
Gorden E. Darnell
Gorden Ellis Darnell, 61, of Huntsville died Sunday at his home. The funeral will be Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Monrovia with the Rev. John Hogan, the Rev. David McMichael and the Rev. Ernest Hill Jr. officiating.
Burial will be in Mount Zion Cemetery with Laughlin Service Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. Darnell was active in community affairs and local sport activities. He was a church leader and Sunday School teacher for 43 years at Mt. Zion Baptist Church. He was a Huntsville High School and a University of Tennessee at Chattanooga graduate.
Survivors include his wife, Freeda Brockway Darnell of Huntsville; two daughters, Ellise Adams and Barbara Ellen Smartt, both of Huntsville; his mother, Lila Atchley Darnell of Huntsville; one brother, Thomas Atchley Darnell of Huntsville; and four grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Mt. Zion Baptist Church Building Fund or Westminster Christian Academy.
Byron K. Dent
HARTSELLE - Byron Keith "Beano Dent, 33, died Saturday at a Decatur hospital. The funeral will be today at 3 p.m. at Peck Funeral Home with the Rev. James Toone officiating.
Burial will be in Hartselle City Cemetery.
Mr. Dent was a welder for Stone & Webster Contractors at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant and was engaged to Cathy Jackson of Decatur.
Survivors include his parents, Welborn Dent of Hartselle and Barbara A. Putt Dent of Decatur; two brothers, Wayland Dent and Felix Paul Dent, both of Hartselle; one grandfather, Cecil L. Putt of Vardaman, Miss.; and one niece.
Robert E. Donaldson
Robert E. Donaldson, 64, of Huntsville died Thursday at his home. The funeral was today at noon at St. James P.B. Church with the Rev. Billy Jones officiating.
Burial will be in Northside Cemetery with Royal Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include one daughter, Joyce D. Donaldson of Huntsville; four sons, Leonard Donaldson of Harvest and Ronald E. Donaldson, Christopher D. Donaldson and Derrick E. Donaldson, all of Huntsville; his father, Amos Donaldson; and nine sisters, six brothers, 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Jimmy D. Evett Sr.
HARVEST - Jimmy Doyle Evett Sr., 63, died Monday at a Huntsville hospital. Spry Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Mr. Evett was a native of Madison County and a Butler High School graduate. He retired from the Air Force and the Huntsville Board of Education.
Survivors include his wife, Marchetta L. Evett of Harvest; two daughters, Susan E. Miller of New Market and Katrina E. Norris of Huntsville; one son, Jimmy D. Evett Jr. of Suffolk, Va.; four sisters, Betty Jo Ray and Nancy Newberry, both of Huntsville, Barbara Mance of Hammond, Ind., and Shirley A. Hillard of Scottsboro; one brother, Jack S. McBride of Huntsville; and five grandchildren.
James H. Fortenberry
ARAB - James Harley Fortenberry, 70, of Arab died Sunday at an Albertville nursing home. A graveside service was today at 11 a.m. at Mount Olive Cemetery.
Carr Funeral Home of Guntersville is in charge of burial.
Survivors include five brothers, Buck Fortenberry and R.B. Fortenberry, both of Guntersville, Rex Fortenberry of Blountsville, Herman Fortenberry of Section and J.C. Fortenberry of Arab.
Annie R. Jones
Annie Rosetta Jones, 74, of Huntsville died Friday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Thursday at 1 p.m. at Nelms Memorial Funeral Home chapel.
Burial will be in Meadowlawn Garden of Peace.
Survivors include one daughter, Ada B. Davis of Cincinnati, Ohio; one son, James R. Jones of El Paso, Texas; and two grandchildren.
Visitation will be Thursday from noon to 1 p.m. at the funeral home.
Robert M. Junior
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Robert Marion Junior, 89, died Sunday at a hospital in East Ridge, Tenn. The funeral will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Rudder Funeral Home in Stevenson with the Rev. Billy Dean officiating.
Burial will be in Cumberland Cemetery in Stevenson.
Survivors include his wife, Mildred Junior; one daughter, Doris Wade of Chattanooga; three sons, Aubrey Elliott of Chattanooga, Roger Junior of Montgomery and Randy Junior of Houston, Texas; one sister, Arlene Weaver; and five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 3 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Bernhardine Klein
Bernhardine Klein, 94, of Huntsville died Friday at a local nursing home. There will be no funeral.
Spry Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Klein was a native of Germany and had lived in the U.S. since 1923.
Survivors include one son, Manfred W. Klein of Huntsville; one daughter, Margaret Swistack of New Jersey; one sister, Grete Stank of Germany; and four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Willie B. LeMay
ATHENS - Willie Bee LeMay, 72, of 1600 West Hobbs St. died Saturday at her home. The memorial service was to be today at 2 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home of Athens.
Mrs. LeMay was a native of Morgan County, a member of First Baptist Church here, was retired from Athens Lingerie after 34 years and was preceded in death by her husband, Howard Wesley LeMay and one son, James Howard LeMay.
Survivors include one daughter, Frances Jane LeMay of Athens; one son, David Harold LeMay of Huntsville; and six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Anne McVay
ANNANDALE, Va. - Anne Lee Cox McVay died Friday. The funeral was Monday at Columbia Gardens Cemetery in Arlington, Va., with the Rev. Paul Stern officiating.
Everly-Colonial Funeral Home of Falls Church, Va., was in charge of burial.
Mrs. McVay was formerly of Huntsville and a member of St. Charles Anglican Church.
Survivors include her husband, Richard Paul McVay of Annandale; her mother, Mrs. Richard French Cox of Huntsville; one brother, Richard French Cox Jr. of Herndon, Va.; and one nephew.
Charles E. Monroe Jr.
GUNTERSVILLE - Charles E. "C.E. Monroe Jr., 82, died Sunday. The graveside service was today at 11 a.m. at Maple Hill Cemetery with the Rev. Henry W. Tuttle officiating and Laughlin Service Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. Monroe was a nationally renowned illustrator, with covers and illustrations in Life, Colliers, Field and Stream, True, Progressive Farmer and Redbook magazines. He was also a successful as a wildlife and sporting artist, as well as a portrait artist.
He donated the portrait of Wernher Von Braun at the VBC. He was honored in 1994 by the Huntsville Museum of Art at the Spring Gala.
Survivors include one son, C.E. "Buck Monroe III of Daphne; one daughter, Lanford Monroe of Taos, N.M.; and one granddaughter, Charlotte Brandon Burnette of Taos.
Donations may be made to the Huntsville Museum of Art.
Alma S. Oliver
MADISON - Alma Schmidt Oliver, 86, died Sunday. Madison Chapel Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Mrs. Oliver was preceded in death by her husband, William Fergus Oliver.
Survivors include one daughter, Judy Targonski of Harvest; and three grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Roger B. Pankey
RAINBOW CITY - Roger Bradford Pankey, 28, of 98 Sutton Circle died Sunday in Attalla. The funeral was to be today at 4 p.m. at Albertville Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.
Burial will be in Hillcrest Cemetery in Boaz.
Survivors include one son, Tyler B. Pankey of Gadsden; parents, Randall and Sandra Pankey of Boaz; one brother, Adam Pankey of Boaz; and grandparents, Nicki Hodges and Guyleen Lang, both of Albertville and Billy Rogers of Florida.
Helen Parcus
Helen Parcus, 55, of Huntsville died Friday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Valhalla Funeral Home chapel with Brother Byron Laird officiating.
Burial will be in Valhall Memory Gardens.
Survivors include one brother, Kenneth Parcus of Toney; one sister, Jean Manley of Huntsville; and one grandchild and two nieces and four nephews.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Ewell H. Reed
ARAB - Ewell Henry Reed, 72, of 183 Brookwood Circle died Sunday in Arab. A graveside service was today at 10:30 a.m. at Arab Memorial Cemetery.
Gober Funeral Home of Arab is in charge of burial.
Survivors include his wife, Alice Reed; three sons, Ed Reed, Jeff Reed and Hal Reed, all of Arab; one sister, Jane Garner of Albertville; three brothers, Frank Reed of Guntersville, Cliff Reed of Arab and Neal Reed of Ohio; and seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Erskine Robinson
Erskine Robinson, 69, of 1703 Chester St., died Thursday at his home. The funeral was to be today at 1 p.m. at St. Luke Primitive Baptist Church in Taft, Tenn., with the Rev. Jerry Russell officiating.
Burial will be in Meadowlawn Garden of Peace Cemetery with Royal Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include four sisters, Lula Hereford, Gussie Stewart, Bertiera Humphrey and Mary E. Stewart, all of Huntsville.
Her body will be at the church one hour before the funeral.
Inez B. Robinson
Inez Bush Robinson, 70, of Huntsville died Sunday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Wednesday at noon at Taylors Chapel Primitive Baptist Church with the Rev. James Lane officiating.
Burial will be in Indian Creek Cemetery with Nelms Memorial Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include three sisters, Margaret B. Darwin, Annie B. Burwell and Daisy B. Jefferson, all of Huntsville; and two brothers, James Arthur Bush and Richard H. Bush Jr., both of Huntsville.
Her body will be at the church one hour before the funeral.
O.J. Sparks
O.J. Sparks, 68, of Huntsville died Monday at his home. The funeral will be Thursday at 3:30 p.m. at Winchester Road Baptist Church with the Rev. Hal Howard officiating.
Burial will be in Valhalla Memory Gardens with Valhalla Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. Sparks was a member of the church, an Army veteran and owned and operated Sparks Body Shop. He retired in 1993.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Sparks of Huntsville; one daughter, Toni Blicharz of Huntsville; one son, Marty Sparks of Huntsville; his mother, Pluma Sparks of Rainsville; one sister, Lavell Thomas of Rainsville; one brother, Jim Sparks of Rainsville; and two grandchildren.
Visitation will be Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Justin E. Steadman
HARTSELLE - Justin Earl Steadman, 16, died Saturday in Hartselle. The funeral was Monday at Peck Funeral Home with the Rev. Jeri Hunt officiating.
Burial was in Hartselle City Cemetery.
Mr. Steadman was a junior at Hartselle High School.
Survivors include his parents, Roderick and Darlene Steadman of Hartselle; one sister, Brianna Steadman of Hartselle; and grandparents, Mary and Jack McMillan of Decatur and Anthony and Kay Davis of Dothan.
Jettie D. Tetters
MADISON - Jettie D. Tetters, 48, died Monday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Twickenham Funeral Home East with Bros. John D. Stapler and Wayne Walls officiating.
Burial will be in Twickenham Memory Gardens.
She was preceded in death by one son, Donald Ray Fletcher.
Survivors include three daughters, Denise Fletcher of Madison, Dewana Parsley of Huntsville and Demetra Smithy of New Hope; her mother, Mary Emma Laten of Huntsville; two brothers, Kenny Hunter of Huntsville and Kelly Hunter of Louisiana; one sister, Barbara Vieira of New Hope; special friend, Carl Craig; and nine grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 5 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Valerie B. Washington Valerie Baker Washington, 72, of Huntsville died Friday. The funeral will be Friday at 11 a.m. at Oakwood College Seventh-day Adventist Church with Elder Eric C. Ward officiating.
Burial will be in Meadowlawn Garden of Peace with Royal Funeral Home in charge.
Mrs. Washington was the churchs organist. She was a member of the church almost 25 years.
Survivors include her husband, Daniel Washington of Huntsville; two daughters, Valaria A.A. Bullock of Berrien Springs, Mich., and Devvie A. Walton of Milwaukee, Wisc.; two sons, Paul A. Bullock Sr. of Washington, D.C., and Daniel Washington Jr. of Chicago; one sister, Ruth B. Buchanan of Upper Marlboro, Md.; and six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Her body will be at the church one hour before the funeral.
Visitation will be Thursday from 7 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Odell Wiles
FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. - Odell Wiles, 82, of Polecat Branch Road died Sunday at a local hospital. The funeral was to be today at 4:30 p.m. at Gallant Funeral Home in Fayetteville with the Rev. Charlie Brown officiating.
Burial will be in Booneville Cemetery.
Mrs. Wiles was a native of Lincoln County, Tenn., and a member of Booneville Methodist Church.
Survivors include two daughters, Martha Ann Rutledge of Fayetteville and Sandra Faye Young of Savannah, Ga.; two sisters, Sue Riddle of Estill Springs, Tenn., and Dot Tucker of Petersburg, Tenn.; two brothers, Ruben Groce of Fayetteville and Garland Groce of Garden City, Ga.; and nine grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Jim Foxworthy
LEESBURG - Comedian Jeff Foxworthys father, Jim Foxworthy, was killed Monday when the car he was driving collided with a truck on a rain-slickened road in this east Alabama town.
Police Chief Terrell Ransum said the accident happened about 9 a.m. on Cherokee County Road 48.
Ransum said the 65-year-old victim was alone in his vehicle. Two men in the truck suffered minor injuries.
Ransum said the vehicles collided on a curve.
"It had just rained a little bit," Ransum said. "The road was very slick."
Ransum said the elder Foxworthy owned a restaurant and was co-owner of a campground.
Funeral arrangements were incomplete today.
