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.
Randy Airheart
SCOTTSBORO - Randy Airheart, 47, died Tuesday at Huntsville hospital. The funeral will be Thursday at 3:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church with Dr. George Cobb, the Rev. Walter Cash and the Rev. J.W. Hallman officiating.
Burial will be in Cedar Hill Cemetery with Scottsboro Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. Airheart was a Mason, a 1974 graduate of Auburn University and a member of the First United Methodist Church and the State Board of Directors of Epiphany Ministries.
Survivors include his wife, Donna Airheart; one daughter, Mari Leigh Airheart of Scottsboro; one son, Charles Rankin Airheart of Scottsboro; and one sister, Sarah Stedman of Nashville.
Memorial donations may be made to Epiphany Ministries, Kairos Ministries or Central Alabama Chrysalis.
Visitation was to be today from 5 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Thomas H. Arrington
Dr. Thomas H. Arrington of Huntsville died Tuesday in Birmingham. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Survivors include his wife, Melva Arrington of Huntsville; two sons, Alan Arrington of Huntsville and Neil Arrington of Mobile; two daughters, Celia Traynor of Huntsville and Kathryn Arrington of New Knoxville, Ohio; and 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Johnny R. Centers
ALBERTVILLE - Johnny Robert Centers, 61, of 2123 Rose Road died Monday at a local hospital. The graveside service will be Thursday at 2 p.m. at Old Fairview Cemetery.
Adams Funeral Home of Albertville is in charge of burial.
Survivors include one daughter, Johnnie Lancaster of Georgia; two sons, Johnny R. Centers Jr. of Gadsden and David B. Centers of McCalla; one sister, Mattie L. Morrow of Albertville; and eight grandchildren.
Maxine C. Davis
Dr. Maxine Couch Davis, 87, of Huntsville died Monday at a local hospital. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Dr. Davis was a professor of music at the University of Montevallo for more than 38 years, where she was a 1933 honors graduate. She earned a doctorate in music education from Columbia University. She began her teaching career at Marshall County High School in Guntersville where she started the schools first band. She became a music instructor at Montevallo in 1940, continued to team music literature after retirement and was the schools music library coordinator. The school awarded her "Alumnus of the Year" in 1984 and named its music hall after her. During World War II, she was an American Red Cross entertainment director.
Survivors include two brothers, Owen Martin Couch of Guntersville and Dr. Robert Barnard Couch of Houston; and eight nieces, one nephew, eight great-nieces and 12 great-nephews.
Memorial donations may be made to the University of Montevallo Foundation, Station 6215, Montevallo, 35115; or Montevallo Presbyterian Church; or to a favorite charity.
Daisy D. Harrison
MADISON - Daisy D. Harrison, 82, died Monday in Gallatin, Tenn. The funeral was to be today at 1 p.m. at Madison Chapel Funeral Home with the Rev. Rickey Lowery officiating.
Survivors include two daughters, Kathy Glasgow of Madison and Willa Dean Brann of Gallatin; three brothers, Hardin Cagle of Tiptonville, Tenn., and Ulliys Cagle and Elton Cagle, both of Brilliant; and six grandchildren and eight grandchildren.
Billy L. Higginbotham
SCOTTSBORO - Billy Lee Higginbotham, 79, died Wednesday. The funeral was Friday at First United Methodist Church in Scottsboro with the Rev. George Cobb officiating.
Burial was in Cedar Hill Cemetery with Rudder Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. Higginbotham was the owner-operator of Higginbotham Wholesale, a U.S. Army veteran and a member of Scottsboro Masonic Lodge No. 357.
Survivors include his wife, Bernice Higginbotham; four daughters, Peggy Drews of Richmond, Va., Billie Maples of Toledo, Ohio, and Rachel Turner Elizabeth Annette Wayne, both of Scottsboro; three sisters, Mattie Bush of Chattanooga, Ruth Clapper of Oxford, Ala., and Edith Woodall of Rossville, Ga.; two brothers, Jessie Higginbotham of Cullman and Robert Higginbotham of Scottsboro; and nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Hildreth Humphries
DECATUR - Hildreth Crow Humphries, 74, died Tuesday at her home. The funeral will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at Shelton Funeral Home with the Rev. John Bain and the Rev. Tolan Whitten officiating.
Burial will be in Pisgah Cemetery.
Mrs. Humphries was a member of Oak Park Baptist Church and was preceded in death by her first husband, Jesse Crow.
Survivors include her husband, James Artis "Buck" Humphries of Decatur; two daughters, Sandra Dial and Janice Garner, both of Decatur; three brothers, Horace Pentecost and Robert Pentecost, both of Decatur, and Bill Pentecost of Huntsville; and five grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and one great-step-grandchild.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Don E. Jewell
Don Edward Jewell of Huntsville died Monday. The funeral will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at Laughlin Service Funeral Home chapel with Bro. James Turner officiating.
Survivors include his wife, Freida Jewell of Huntsville; three sons, Jeremy Jewell, Jeffrey Jewell and Jesse Jewel, all of Huntsville; two sisters, Charlene Todd and Pat Goode, both of Athens; and one granddaughter and several aunts and uncles.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Esther W. Klepper
SCOTTSBORO - Esther Williams Klepper, 85, died Tuesday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Thursday at 2 p.m. at Scottsboro Funeral Home with Dr. John David Hall and Dr. Morris Pepper officiating.
Burial will be in Pinehaven Memorial Gardens in Hollywood.
Mrs. Klepper was preceded in death by her husband, Francis Klepper.
Survivors include one son, Mel Klepper of Scottsboro; one brother, Everett Williams of Irwin, Tenn.; and three grandchildren.
Visitation was to be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to the Cumberland Presbyterian Church of Scottsboro.
Hollis F. Lawson
SCOTTSBORO - Hollis Floyd Lawson, 67, died Sunday at his home. The funeral will be Friday at 3 p.m. at Rudder Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Howard McCallie officiating.
Survivors include his wife, Jean Lawson of Scottsboro; one son, Donnie Ray Lawson of Okinawa, Japan; two daughters, Margaret Southeard of Hollywood and Wendy Smith of Scottsboro; one sister, Mary Hood of Cleveland, Tenn.; and five granddaughters.
Memorial donations may be made to Hospice.
Venera F. McCord
HOLLYTREE - Venera Elnora ''Birdie McCord, 92, died Tuesday at her home. The funeral will be Thursday at 2 p.m. at Princeton Methodist Church with the Rev. Mike Carpenter officiating.
Burial will be in Clay Cemetery in Princeton with Scottsboro Funeral Home in charge.
Mrs. McCord was preceded in death by her husband, John D. McCord.
Survivors include two daughters, Sara Sisk and Jeanette Jacks, both of Hollytree; two sons, David McCord of Owens Cross Roads and Kenneth McCord of Princeton; one sister, Blanche Woodhall of Gurley; one brother, Claude Trice of Paint Rock; and seven grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Visitation was to be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Marlene H. Parker
GRANT - Marlene Havens Parker, 65, died today at her home. The funeral will be Friday at 11 a.m. at Laughlin Service Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Audie Hodges officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
Mrs. Parker spent several years as a Realtor and real estate broker in Marshall County.
Survivors include her husband, Walter H. Parker Jr. of Grant; one son, Scott A. Parker of Huntsville; one daughter, Dana P. Akin of Huntsville; one brother, H. Erskine Havens of Hendersonville, Tenn.; and three grandchildren.
Visitation will be Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to the Huntsville Hospital Foundation Robin Lanier Stewart Fund; or Hospice of Marshall County, 8787 U.S. 431, Albertville, 35950.
Albert J.D. Phillips
CLOUDLAND, Ga. - Albert J.D. Phillips died Tuesday in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. The funeral will be Thursday at 3 p.m. at Kerby Funeral Home in Henagar.
Burial will be in New Home Cemetery in Henagar.
Survivors include his wife, Hazel Ray Phillips; two daughters, Linda Hall of Cloudland and Susie Hall of Ringgold, Ga.; two sisters, Ella Kirby of Silver Creek, Ga., and Bonnie Land of Ringgold; and 12 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
Jennifer L. Roberts
OWENS CROSS ROADS - Jennifer Lynn Roberts, 28, of 188 Byrd Drive died Tuesday at her home. New Hope Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Hulen L. Sanders
NEW ALBANY, Miss. - Hulen Louis Sanders, 60, died Monday. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at United Funeral Service chapel with the Rev. Larry Harrison officiating.
Burial will be in Liberty Cemetery.
Mr. Sanders was formerly of Huntsville. He was the retired manager of Ultraclean Dry Cleaners in Huntsville.
Survivors include his wife, Betty Medlin Sanders of New Albany; three daughters, Lorrie Mayo of Arcadia, Wis., Missy Dillard of Gulfport, Miss., and Glenda Moyers of Huntsville; three sons, Junior Sanders and Adam Sanders, both of New Albany, and Danny Sanders; two sisters, Irene Tucker of Amory, Miss., and Juanita Campbell of Chunky, Miss.; one brother, Jerry Sanders of Murfreesboro, Tenn.; and six grandchildren.
Yvonne D. Sanders
Yvonne Dedrick Sanders, 43, of Huntsville died Friday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Thursday at noon at Union Chapel Missionary Baptist Church with the Rev. O. Wendell Davis officiating.
Burial will be in Dedrick Cemetery in Sawyerville with Royal Funeral Home in charge.
Ms. Sanders was executive vice president and chairwoman of the board for MTA Inc. She was active in several civic and professional groups, including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Alabama A&M University Industry and Business Cluster, National Contracts Management Association, the NAACP, Blacks in Government and the Huntsville Black Chamber of Commerce. She was active in the church, where she was a member of the usher board. She earned undergraduate and masters degrees in business administration from Alabama A&M.
Survivors include one daughter, Tiffany Yvonne Sanders of Huntsville; one son, Roderick Christopher Dedrick of Huntsville; her fiance, Dr. Martin Van Sherrill of Huntsville; her parents, Sarah and Thomas Dedrick of Sawyerville; six sisters, Josephine Holtzclaw, Ann Plenty, Patricia Dedrick and Christine Dedrick, all of Huntsville, Mary Sue Williams of Tuscaloosa and Frances Maple of Southfield, Mich.; and four brothers, Albert Jones of Huntsville, Thomas Wayne Dedrick of Northport, Herman Coleman of Dayton, Ohio, and Richard Coleman of Sawyerville.
Her body will be at the church one hour before the funeral.
Memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Rosa Vandiver
HOLLYTREE - Rosa Vandiver, 94, died Tuesday at a Scottsboro hospital. The funeral was to be today at 1 p.m. at Scottsboro Funeral Home with the Rev. Erskine Williams officiating.
Burial was to be in Trenton Cemetery.
Survivors include three daughters, Betsy Nevels and Jean Elkins, both of Huntsvile, and Olene Williams of Hollytree; two sons, John Vandiver of Princeton and Hubert Vandiver of Gurley; and 16 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren and 10 great-great-grandchildren.
Norton C. Weems
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Norton Connie Weems, 88, died Monday at his home. The funeral will be Friday at 10 a.m. at Maple Hill Cemetery with the Rev. Veranita Alvord and the Rev. Joseph Tarpley officiating.
Spry Funeral Home is in charge of burial.
Mr. Weems lived in Hartselle during the 1950s. He was owner and operator of the Little Gem Cafe at the Greyhound Bus Depot.
Survivors include one daughter, Dorothy Sue Weems Alvord of Charlotte; one son, Lindsey Weems of Birmingham; and two sisters, two brothers, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be Thursday from 7 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
