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.
Thomas H. Arrington
Dr. Thomas H. Arrington, 69, of Huntsville died Tuesday in Birmingham. The funeral will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at Laughlin Service Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Paul Lawler officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
Dr. Arrington moved to Huntsville in 1965 and practiced internal medicine until illness forced him to retire in 1990. He graduated from Milsaps College in Jackson, Miss., and studied medicine at Harvard. After a tour of duty in the Air Force, he went to the University of Mississippi Medical School to complete specialty training.
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.
Visitation will be today from 5 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to Elder Care at Trinity United Methodist Church.
Russell Bearden
SYLVANIA - Russell Bearden, 69, died Wednesday. The funeral was to be today at 5 p.m. at Walnut Grove Cemetery with the Rev. C.L. Wilborn, the Rev. Bunky Wilborn and the Rev. David House officiating.
Rainsville Funeral Home is in charge of burial.
Survivors include his wife, Colleen Poe Bearden; two daughters, Melissa Talley of Henagar and Mahala Neeley of Sylvania; one son, Leland Russell "Rusty Bearden of Fort Payne; three sisters, Annie Bell Corbin of Rainsville, Susie Chambley of Marietta, Ga., and Jimmie Nell Thomas of Scottsboro; one brother, Oneal Bearden of Henagar; and five grandchildren.
Wilma K. Blitch
Wilma Kathryn Blitch, 71, of Huntsville died Wednesday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Sunday at 1 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home chapel.
Burial will be in Mulberry Cemetery in Mulberry, Tenn.
Mrs. Blitch was a native of Warren, Ohio, and had lived in Madison County 5 years.
Survivors include two sons, George A. Blitch of Des Plains, Ill., and Larry C. Blitch of Huntsville; one sister, Lois Runyan of Merietta, S.C.; one brother, Bill Jordan of Loxahatchee, Fla.; and five grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.
Visitation will be Saturday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Rita J. Buchanan
GUNTERSVILLE - Rita June Buchanan, 46, of 1441-B OBrig Ave. died Wednesday at a Huntsville hospital. The funeral will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at Guntersville Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.
Burial will be in Old Union Hill Cemetery in Arab.
Survivors include her mother, Georgia Buchanan of Guntersville; and one brother, Larry Buchanan of Forrestdale.
Visitation will be today from 3:30 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Dorothy M. Cahela
Dorothy Marie Cahela, 61, of Huntsville died Wednesday at her home. The funeral will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home chapel with the Rev.Mark Maddox officiating.
Burial will be in Faith Memorial Park.
Mrs. Cahela was a native of Marshall County, formerly of Limestone County and had lived in Madison County for 38 years. She was a retired textile worker and worked at Wal-Mart. She was also a member of Woodland Hill Baptist Church.
Survivors include one son, Jimmy C. Cahela of Huntsville; two brothers, Joseph R. Davis of Rogersville and Stanley R. Davis of Grand Prairie, Texas; and eight nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be today from 4 to 8:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
Madolin R. Carter
ELKMONT - Madolin Rebecca Carter, 87, of 29740 Leggtown Road died Wednesday at her home. The funeral was today at 10:30 a.m. at Limestone Chapel Funeral Home in Athens with the Rev. Pat Smith officiating.
Burial will be in Roselawn Cemetery.
Mrs. Carter was a member of Walnut Grove United Methodist Church.
Survivors include her husband, Charlie Carter of Elkmont; one daughter, Elinor Grace Lawson of Mount Juliet, Tenn.; four sisters, Lois Harrison, Geneva Elliott and Norma Wright, all of Athens, and Leora Putman of Elkmont; and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Limestone County.
Juanita B. Casteel
ATHENS - Juanita Browning Casteel, 77, of Lucas Ferry Road died Wednesday at a local hospital. The funeral was today at 11 a.m. at Spry Funeral Home in Athens with James P. Adams and Mike D. McLemore officiating.
Mrs. Casteel retired from Athens-Limestone Hospital and Athens Convalescent Center, was a private duty nurse, a member of West Highland Baptist Church and was preceded in death by her husband, John Hollace Casteel Sr.
Survivors include one son, John Hollace Casteel Jr. of Toney; four daughters, Wanda McLemore of Birmingham, Janice Eaton, Dot Eaton and Nancy Sellers, all of Athens; one brother, Arthur Browning of St. Petersburg, Fla.; two sisters, Virgie Hargrove of Huntsville and Ruthie Simmons of St. Marys, Ga.; and 13 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, four step-grandchildren, eight step-great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made to West Highland Baptist Church Building Fund.
Maxine C. Davis
Dr. Maxine Couch Davis, 87, of Huntsville died Monday at a local hospital. The graveside service will be Saturday at 10 a.m. at Rocky Mount Primitive Baptist Church with Dr. P. David Reynolds and the Rev. Wesley Brock officiating.
A memorial service will be Saturday at 3 p.m. at the University of Montevallo Maxine Couch Davis Music Hall with the Rev. George Peelen officiating.
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.
John W. Drake
John Wallace Drake, 48, of 3904 Talwell Drive in Huntsville died Tuesday in Louisville, Ky. The funeral will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at Acklin Chapel CME with the Rev. James Coffee officiating.
Burial will be in Big Cove Cemetery with Royal Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include two sons, Patrick Sean Drake of Stone Mountain, Ga., and Kevin LaRon Drake of Big Cove; and three sisters, Linda Kaye Rodgers of Huntsville, Virgie Winn of Gurley and Lena Bradford of Big Cove.
Thomas G. Garrett
UNION GROVE - Thomas Guinn Garrett, 62, of 678 Royster Road died Wednesday at a Huntsville hospital. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church.
Burial was to be in Oleander Cemetery with Arab Memorial Chapel Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include his wife, Delphia Garrett; one daughter, Mary Roe of Union Grove; two sons, Lance Garrett of Eva and Lee Bray of Union Grove; two sisters, Glenda Blackmon and Evelyn Johnson, both of Arab; four brothers, Olen Garrett and Marlin Garrett, both of Arab, Dwain Garrett of Union Grove and Dennis Garrett of Mexico; and five grandchildren.
Jim Harmon
Jim Harmon, 65, of Huntsville died Thursday at his home. Laughlin Service Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Harmon retired from civil service.
Survivors include one daughter, Lydia Marie Harmon of Phoenix, Ariz.; two sons, James Alexander Harmon Jr. of Orlando, Fla., and Jeremy Wallace Harmon of Huntsville; one brother, Wallace Morrow Harmon of Fresno, Calif.; and one sister, Helen Chamberlain of Florrisant, Mo.
Marvin T. Huskey
Marvin T. Huskey, 81, of Huntsville died Thursday at his home. The funeral will be Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Maple Hill Cemetery.
Spry Funeral Home is in charge of burial.
Mr. Huskey was a lifelong Madison County resident. He was a partner and manager at Parkway Drive-In Theater and retired as manager of Mid-South Ice Co.
Survivors include one son, Tom Huskey of Huntsville; three grandchildren, David Huskey, Daniel Huskey and Jeff Huskey, all of Huntsville; and two great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be Saturday from noon to 2:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
Kathe U. Oxendine
Kathe Ursula Oxendine, 79, of Huntsville died Wednesday at her home. The funeral will be Saturday at noon at Twickenham Funeral Home South with the Rev. Phil OKennedy officiating.
Burial will be in Twickenham Memory Gardens.
Survivors include one son, John S. Oxendine of Naples, Fla.; two daughters, Rosemay K. Lenz of Harvest and Loraine U. Noland of Huntsville; one brother, Horst Eckwerth of Germany; two sisters, Hilda Konard of Germany and Inge Schmidt of Florida; and six grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 5 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to Hospice Family Care.
Mary E. Pack
SYLVANIA - Mary Etta Pack, 86, died Wednesday at a Huntsville hospital. The funeral will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Rainsville Funeral Home with the Rev. David Hairston and the Rev. Randy Hairston officiating.
Burial will be in Union Grove Cemetery.
Survivors include one sister, Mae Slaton of Flintstone, Ga.; one brother, Steve Hairston of Pisgah; and several nieces and nephews.
Johnson Scoggins
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Johnson Scoggins, 72, died Wednesday at a local nursing home. The graveside service will be Sunday at 2 p.m. at Roselawn Cemetery in Athens.
McConnell Funeral Home is in charge of burial.
Mr. Scoggins was a native of Limestone County a member of Bethal Baptist Church and was retired from International Harvester in Louisville.
Survivors include his wife, Leona Poteet Scoggins; two daughters, Mary Kendall of Louisville and Theresa McClain of Shepherdville, Ky.; two sons, Richard Scoggins and Paul Scoggins, both of Louisville; five stepsons, Terry Vincent of Marengo, Ind., John Vincent of Valley Station Ky., Richard Vincent of English, Ind., and Tim Vincent and Jeff Vincent, both of Louisville; one brother, Raymond Scoggins of Athens; two sisters, Nettie Biggs and Ethel Wales, both of Athens; and 16 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
George W. Stone
GROVE OAK - George Wayne Stone, 58, died Thursday at his home. The funeral will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel in Rainsville with the Rev. Rayford Fricks and the Rev. Billy Garner officiating.
Burial will be in Piney Grove Cemetery.
Survivors include his wife, Ethyleen Simpson Stone of Grove Oak; three daughters, Christa Sparks of Grove Oak, Sha Gaddison of Collinsville and Dodie Payne of Fyffe; three sons, Ronny Stone, Gary Stone and Deon Stone, all of Grove Oak; one sister, Mary Hancock of Section; two brothers, Roy Jean Stone and Joey Stone, both of Grove Oak; and nine grandchildren.
James P. Thorne Sr.
James P. Thorne Sr., 61, of Huntsville died Thursday at a local hospital. The memorial service will be Saturday at 3 p.m. at Laughlin Service Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Tom Perrin officiating.
Survivors include his wife, Wilda Thorne of Huntsville; one son, James P. Thorne Jr. of Huntsville; five brothers, Robert Thorne of Daphne, Lawrence Thorne and Victor Thorne, both of Arizona, and Donald Thorne and Louis Thorne, both of Michigan; two sisters, Monica Angulo of Arizona and Delores Blanchard of Virginia; and two grandchildren.
Walter Francis Skees
CARMEL, Calif. - Retired Sgt. Maj. Walter Francis Skees, who sang for seven presidents in the White House as the Armys top vocalist, died Saturday of a heart attack. He was 64.
Skees was a soldier from 1955 to 1983. He entertained Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan.
In 1954, at 19, he was drafted into the Army, where he won a contest to select the services best vocalist, following such notables as Eddie Fisher and Steve Lawrence.
Nixon was a special fan, according to Skees wife, Patricia. He would often ask the singing soldier to perform on the presidential yacht.
Skees also sang at Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall and on the television shows of Bob Hope, Steve Allen, Merv Griffin and others.
Skees recorded several albums, including one featuring favorite songs of the presidents wives, and another with guitarist Charlie Byrd called "A Little Tenderness."
