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.
Bertha Bailey
DECATUR - Bertha Bailey, 63, died Monday at her home. Sharpley Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
James R. Berryhill
GURLEY - James Rickey Berryhill, 49, died Sunday at a local hospital. No funeral is planned.
Spry Funeral Home will be in charge of burial.
Mr. Berryhill was a native of Cullman.
Survivors include his wife, Donna Berryhill of Gurley; his mother, Wilma Berryhill of Tennessee; and two sisters, Patricia Yarbrough and Judy Petty, both of Huntsville.
Visitation will be today from 5 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Regenia G. Black
HARTSELLE - Regenia Gilreath Black, 33, formerly of Rainsville, died Sunday in Hartselle. The funeral will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel with the Rev. Roger Graham officiating.
Burial will be in Town Creek Cemetery.
Survivors include one daughter, Misti Black of Hartselle; one son, Thomas Black of Rainsville; her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Archie Gilreath of Rainsville; one brother, Dearon Gilreath of Fort Payne; her grandmother, Erma Gilreath; and one nephew.
Visitation was to be today at 2 p.m. at the funeral home.
Jasmine D. Cowan
NORTH COURTLAND - Jasmine Danielle Cowan, infant daughter of Danielle Cowan and Leonard McGee, both of North Courtland, died Sunday at a Decatur hospital. The graveside service will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at North Courtland Cemetery with the Rev. Ronald Jones officiating.
Sharpley Funeral Home will be in charge of burial.
Other survivors include her grandparents, Judy Cowan, Louise McGee and Willie B. Hampton, all of North Courtland.
Rena T. Douglas
Rena T. Douglas, 102, of Huntsville died Sunday at a Fayetteville nursing home. The funeral will be Thursday at 1 p.m. at Church Street Cumberland Presbyterian Church with Dr. Henry Bradford Jr. officiating.
Burial will be in Valhalla Memory Gardens with Nelms Memorial Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include one daughter, Louise D. Jones of Huntsville, five grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Her body will be at the church one hour before the funeral.
Earl Hampton
TONEY - Earl Hampton Sr., 76, of 144 Beaver Run Road died Saturday at his home. The funeral will be Thursday at noon at Syler Tabernacle P.B. Church with the Rev. John Clay officiating.
Burial will be in Blutchers-Ford Cemetery with Royal Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include 10 daughters, Rosie Hampton, E. Jean Hampton, Joyce Pickett, Hazel Hereford, Carolyn Strong and Alvereane Kelly, all of Huntsville, and Velma Readus, Earline Holden, Susie Armstrong and Vera Crutcher, all of Nashville; two sons, Kenneth L. Hampton of Madison and Jimmy W. Hampton of Toney; two sisters, Earline Gurley of Chattanooga and Lillie Sledge of Huntsville; three brothers, Eddie L. Hampton and Walter B. Hampton, both of Huntsville, and Melvin Hampton of Chattanooga; and 30 grandchildren, 36 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.
His body will be at the church an hour before the funeral.
Mary A. Howard
NEW MARKET - Mary Alice "Kate" Howard, 74, of Ollie Howard Road died Sunday at her home. The funeral will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Gallant Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Russell Childress officiating.
Burial will be in Pleasant Grove Cemetery.
Mrs. Howard, a native of Madison County, was a housewife and a member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church.
Survivors include two daughters, Janie Lou Miller of New Market and Janis Sue Moore of Hazel Green ; two sons, James Marvin Howard and Tommy Howard, both of New Market; and nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Visitation was to be today from 5 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Jennifer E. Martin
MAITLAND, Fla. - Jennifer Erin Martin, 21, formerly of Huntsville, died Monday, June 15. A memorial mass will be Saturday at noon at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Huntsville.
Ms. Martin, born in Huntsville, was a 1995 Grissom High School graduate. She was a student at Auburn University and was a member of St. Michaels Catholic Church. She moved to Central Florida in 1997.
Survivors include her parents, Daniel and Sheila Martin of Maitland; one sister, Stacey Fitch of Opelika; one brother, Christian Martin of Madison; paternal grandmother, Edwina Martin of Orlando, Fla.; and maternal grandmother, Dorothea Sullivan of Cumming, Ga.
Memorial donations may be made to Camp Sechelt Vancouver Canada Underprivileged Young Girls, Camp Sechelt, 1140 Molly Drive, Birmingham, Ala., 35235, in memory of Jennifer Martin.
Alice P. McAlister
DECATUR - Mrs. Alice Pettey McAlister, 84, died Monday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. at Shelton Funeral Home with Dr. Mark Tolbert and the Rev. David McKelvey officiating.
Burial will be in Roselawn Cemetery.
Mrs. McAlister was a member of Central Baptist Church and was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Woodrow W. McAlister.
Survivors include one daughter, Carolyn M. Stanford of Decatur; two sons, James P. McAlister of Moulton and Robert W. McAlister of Athens; and six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Georgia H. Parkhill
HENAGAR - Mrs. Georgia Hayes Parkhill, 97, died Sunday at her home. The funeral was today at 11 a.m. at the Kerby Funeral Home with the Revs. Chester Nance, Roy Garren, Ralph Heard and Joey Turman officiating.
Burial was in Fuller Cemetery.
Mrs. Parkhill was a former school teacher and homemaker. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dennie Parkhill.
Survivors include three daughters, Sara M. Crump of Ider, Gene P. Gillis Blythe of Huntsville and Virginia A. Walker of Grove Oak; three sons, Clarence ''Parky E. Beville of Ider, Howard H. Parkhill of Huntsville and Dennie Parkhill Jr. of Parma, Ohio; and 47 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Oliver W. Smith
ARDMORE, Tenn. - Oliver Wendell "Doc" Smith of 112 U-Take-It Road died Sunday at a local hospital. The funeral was today at 11 a.m. at Taylor Funeral Home with the Rev. Bill Suddarth officiating.
Burial was in Gatlin Cemetery.
Mr. Smith was a farmer and a member of Cash Point Baptist Church and the Lincoln County Farm Bureau.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Odell Smith of Ardmore; one daughter, Amy Heflin of Kinston, N.C.; one sister, Janie Stevenson of Taft, Tenn.; and one grandson.
Charlie F. Stephens
PLEASANT GROVE - Charlie F. Stephens, 77, died Monday. The funeral will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at the Pleasant Grove Holiness Church with the Rev. Arthur McAllister officiating.
Burial will be in Pleasant Grove Cemetery with Scottsboro Funeral Home directing.
Survivors include his wife, Inez Stephens; five daughters, Frances Cunningham of Ripley, Texas, Mary Moore of Dallas, Carolyn Philyaw of Hazel Green, Teresa McBroom of Madison and Anita Wheeler of Fultondale; six sons, Raybon Stephens of Las Vegas, Jerry Stephens of Springville, Billy Stephens of Augusta, Ga., Charles Stephens of Birmingham, Ricky Stephens of Huntsville and James Stephens of Yuma, Ariz.; and 39 grandchildren, 30 great-grandchildren and nine step-grandchildren.
Visitation was to be today until 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Michael E. Stricklin
Michael Elliott Stricklin, 29, of Huntsville died Sunday in Huntsville. The funeral mass will be Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at Holy Spirit Catholic Church with Father Louis Giardino officiating.
Twickenham Funeral Home South will be in charge of burial.
Survivors include his father, Edward Dorsey Stricklin of Fort Lauderdale; his mother, Bonnie Geiger of Huntsville; one brother, Edward Dorsey Stricklin Jr. of Murfreesboro; two sisters, Holly Sas-Winnicki of Hazel Green and Heather Griffin of Marietta, Ga.; and his stepfather, Mel Geiger of Huntsville.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Thomas F. Sweeney
MOBILE - Judge Thomas F. Sweeney, 81, died Monday June 8 at a Mobile hospital. The funeral was June 12 in Mobile.
Burial was in Catholic Cemetery in Mobile.
Mr. Sweeney, a lifelong resident of Mobile, was a member of St. Marys Parish. He was a graduate of Spring Hill High School, class of 1935, and Spring Hill College, class of 1939. He graduated from Georgetown University Law School ub 1943. He was a practicing lawyer from 1945 to 1970 when he was appointed Judge of the Court of General Session, where he served until retirement in 1987.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret Sweeney, and a grandson, Neil A. Sweeney.
Survivors include three daughters, Jody Sweeney Coombs of Birmingham, Toni Sweeney of Mobile and Jean Sweeney of Metarie, La.; eight sons, Timothy Sweeney of Atlanta, Thomas I. Sweeney, Gregory Sweeney and Robert Sweeney, all of Mobile, Daniel Sweeney of Baltimore, Md., Donald Sweeney of Loxley, Joseph Sweeney of Grand Junction, Col., and Mark Sweeney of Huntsville; and 29 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
George S. West
Maj. (ret.) George Stanley West Jr., 78, of Huntsville died Monday at his home. The memorial service will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at The Church of Nativity with the Rev. Jack F. Wilson officiating.
Laughlin Service Funeral Home will be in charge of burial.
Mr. West was retired from the U.S. Air Force. He was a veteran of World War II and the Korean War and had been a member of the 416th Nightfighter Squadron. He was also a member of The Church of Nativity. He received a bachelor of science from The University of South Florida.
He was preceded in death by his son, David Stanley West.
Survivors include his wife, Maria Luise West of Huntsville; one daughter, Maria Lucia West of Huntsville; two brothers, Robert West of Westchester, Pa., and William West of Tampa, Fla.; and one sister, Jean Ghegan of Jacksonville, Fla.
Visitation will be Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the church.
Memorial donations mat be made to Elder Care at Trinity United Methodist Church or to Hospice Family Care.
