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.
Cleo P. Bolton
ATHENS - Cleo Pat Bolton, 83, of 903 Mason St. died Sunday at her home. The funeral will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Limestone Chapel Funeral Home with the Revs. Bob Hudak and Tony Wales officiating.
Burial will be in Roselawn Cemetery.
Mrs. Bolton was preceded in death by her husband, Malcom M. Bolton, and one brother, Roger Tingley.
Survivors include three daughters, Jeannie B. Hill of Atlanta, Marlene B. Uhrich of Elba and Elaine Lauderdale of Elkmont; one sister, Francis Cunningham of Huntsville; and nine grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Visitation is today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Limestone County or the Council on Aging.
Joseph E. Britt
MADISON - Joseph Earl Britt, 63, died Sunday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Spry Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Ronnie Beck officiating.
Burial will be in Huntsville Memory Gardens.
Mr. Britt was a native of Geneva and had lived in Madison County since 1963. He was employed with the City of Huntsville and was retired from the U.S. Army.
Survivors include one daughter, Kerry Bachler of Harvest; one son, Joseph E. Britt Jr. of Athens; three sisters, Sylvia Holland of Hartford, Elizabeth Bech of Tampa and Peggy Dixon of Lakeland, Fla.; one granddaughter; and a special friend, Lilly Ananew of Madison.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Donations may be a made to a favorite charity.
Bessie L. Campbell
Bessie Love Campbell, 86, of 1600 Lucille St. died Thursday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Tuesday at noon at Progressive Union M.B. Church with Dr. Wayne P. Snodgrass officiating.
Burial will be in Northside Cemetery with Royal Funeral Home in charge.
Mrs. Campbell was a member of Progressive Union M.B. Church.
Survivors include one sister, Levoy McDonald of Huntsville; one brother, Sylvester Love of Huntsville; one niece, Shirley Chunn of Huntsville; and one nephew, Roosevelt Love of Huntsville.
Clarence E. Clevenger
TAMPA, Fla. - Clarence E. Clevenger, 69, died Thursday. The funeral will be Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville with the Rev. Charles Medley officiating.
Spry Funeral Home is in charge of burial.
Survivors include his wife, Shirley Taylor Clevenger of Tampa; one daughter, Susan Thomas of San Antonio, Texas; one sister, Betty Erlenbusch of Spring Hill, Fla.; one grandson, Kyle Thomas of San Antonio; and two step-grandchildren and one step-great-grandson.
William E. Creel
ALBERTVILLE - William Elmer Creel, 80, died Sunday at his home. The funeral was to be today at 3 p.m. at Memory Hill Cemetery with the Rev. Charles Woods officiating.
Albertville Funeral Home was in charge of burial.
Survivors include his wife, Milan Creel; two daughters, Anbelyn Steed of Charleston, S.C., and Kayra Dunn of Huntsville; two brothers, Owen V. Creel and Lelton Creel, both of Albertville; three sisters, Cleo Smith, Loretta Hayes and Kathleen Hill, all of Albertville; and one grandson, Robert Steed of Iowa City, Iowa.
John J. Dobbins
John Joseph Dobbins, 62, of Huntsville died Sunday at a local hospital. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce arrangements later.
Mr. Dobbins was an insurance broker with J. Smith Lanier Insurance Company. He was a member of St. Columba in-the-Cove Church.
Survivors include his wife, Suzie Dobbins; two sons, John Jospeh Dobbins of Del Ray, Fla., and Christian Dobbins of Boulder, Colo.; one daughter, Meredith Ann Dobbins of Orlando; his mother, Mary Jo Dobbins of Tampa; one brother, Fred Dobbins of Tampa; one sister, Mary Jean Gibson of Tampa; his ex-wife, Harriet Meredith Dobbins of Huntsville; and three grandchildren and several nieces.
Ruby L. Farr
WINDER, Ga. - Ruby L. Farr, 85, died Saturday. The funeral will be Tuesday at Higgins Funeral Home in Fayetteville, Tenn., with the Rev. Billy Langford officiating.
Burial will be in Kirkland Cemetery.
Mrs. Farr was a native of Lincoln County. She was a homemaker and member of the Gospel Light Baptist Church in Winder.
Survivors include one son, James Farr of Winder; two sisters, Gracie Holman and Elner Honea, both of Fayetteville; and two grandchildren, four great-granddaughters and several nieces and nephews.
Myrtle H. Garrett
MERIDIANVILLE - Myrtle Hambrick Garrett, 90, died Sunday at a Fayetteville, Tenn. nursing home. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce arrangements later.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
Mrs. Garrett was preceded in death by her husband, Isaac ''Ike'' Garrett, and one daughter, Mary Francis McCollum.
Survivors include several nieces and nephews.
Charlsie Harrison
Charlsie Harrison, 50, of Huntsville died Saturday in Bryson City, N.C. The funeral will be Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Laughlin Service Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Hal Oakley officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
Mrs. Harrison was a graduate of the University of Alabama in Huntsville and received a masters degree in Contract Management from the Florida Institute of Technology. She was past president of National Contract Management Association, National Board of Governors, member of the American Association of University Women and was on the Board of Directors for United Cerebral Palsey.
Mrs. Harrison was also a retired contract specialist from the Army Corps of Engineers.
Survivors include her husband, John Harrison of Huntsville; one daughter, Eleanor Harrison of Madison; one son, Charlie Harrison of Huntsville; her parents, Charles and Imogene Gannon of Murfreesboro, Tenn.; and two sisters, Bonnie Pearson of San Antonio, Texas, and Diane Brey of Louisville, Ky.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Donations may be made to 2nd Mile Development, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Huntsville, AL.
Danin E. Hill
HENAGAR - Danin Evon Hill, 17, died Saturday at a Chattanooga hospital. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Kerby Funeral Home with the Rev. Kevin Wilks officiating.
Burial was to be in Henagar Community Cemetery.
Miss Hill was a member of the Henagar Baptist Church and was a senior at Sylvania High School where she was a member of the Beta Club, basketball team and Spanish Club. She worked part-time for State Farm Insurance in Rainsville.
Survivors include her parents, Thomas H. and Teresa E. Hill of Hengar; two brothers, Jeremy Shaun Hill and Thomas Labron Hill, both of Henagar; her grandparents, T. Herman Hill of Henagar and Jim and Elsie Limburg of Kingston, Tenn.; her great-grandmother, Dovie Beason of Kingston; her fiance, T.J. Haynes of Sylvania; and a special friend, Edith Craig of Rainsville.
Danielle Johnson
WOODSTOCK, Ga. - Danielle Johnson, 19, died Saturday at her home. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Scottsboro Funeral Home with the Rev. Rick Stevens officiating.
Burial was to be in Pinehaven Memorial Gardens in Hollywood.
Survivors include her parents, Richard and Vicki Johnson; her grandparents, Carl and Betty Sue Cook of Scottsboro and Opal A. Johnson of Corbin, Ky.; her great-grandparents, Grace Inglish of Fort Payne and John R. Myers of Section; special friends, Acqua Riley and Sandra Nixon of Augusta, Ga.; and several aunts and uncles.
Jannelle McAllister
Jannelle Louise Gooch McAllister, 50, of Huntsville died Friday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Good Shepherd Catholic Church with the Rev. Phil O'Kennedy officiating.
Burial will be in Huntsville Memory Gardens with Laughlin Service Funeral Home in charge.
Mrs. Mcallister was a native of Huntsville, but also lived in Manchester, Tenn.
Survivors include two sons, Joseph Hobbs and Dexter McAllister, both of Manchester; one brother, Brownie F. Gooch of Huntsville; three sisters, Mary Elizabeth Pujol of Decatur and Jo Ann Danner and Constance Hornbuckle, both of Huntsville; and two grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Lillie M. Murphy
TRENTON, Ga. - Lillie Mae Murphy, 81, died Saturday. The funeral was to be today at 1:30 p.m. at Rainsville Funeral Home with the Rev. James Ralp McMahan officiating. Burial was to be in Whitton Cemetery.
Survivors include three sisters, Evie Bishop, Effie Burns and Lucille Wilson, all of Trenton; and two brothers, Bob Chambers of Skyline and W.B. Chambers of Flat Rock.
Kyle Patterson
POWELL - Kyle Patterson, infant son of Donnie and Lisa Patterson of Powell, died Friday at a Chattanooga hospital. The funeral will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Rainsville Funeral Home with the Revs. Briggs King and David Martin officiating. Burial will be in Robertson's Chapel Cemetery.
Other survivors include two brothers, Cody Patterson and Justin Patterson, both of Powell; grandparents, David and Cynthia Gifford and Gordon and Dianne Jackson, all of Powell, and Joe Gonzales of Albertville; and great-grandparents, Woodrow and Ivell Pruett of Powell, Cecil and Bernice Pappan of Kernie, Ariz., and Margarita Gonzales of Macedonia.
Fleecie Stapler
SCOTTSBORO - Fleecie Inez ''Cootie'' Swearengin Stapler, 79, of 2282 Horseshoe Bend Road died Sunday at her home. The funeral will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Oak Grove Holiness Church with Alton Willmon and Shirley Byrum officiating.
Burial will be in New Prospect Cemetery with Grant Memorial Chapel Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include six daughters, Lonia Stapler, Nell Wallingsford and Peggy Goodson, all of Swearengin, Shirely Grubbs and Mary Ellon Coulter, both of Huntsville; and Leona Frank of Scottsboro; four sons, Charles R. Swearengin, Freddie Swearengin and Tommy Swearengin, all of Swearengin, and Donald Swearengin of Huntsville; eight sisters, Verdia Cameron, Beatrice ''Whack'' Cameron and Ileen Crowder, all of Swearengin, Clara Alred of North Carolina, Ola Martin of Guntersville, Sarah House of Arab, Gertrude Guffey and Christine Lemons, all of Grant; and 27 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Visitation is today from 3 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Helen L. Swearengin
ALBERTVILLE - Helen Lucille Swearengin, 51, of 473 Lazy Creek Circle died Saturday at her home. The funeral will be Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Victory Hill Baptist Church.
Burial will be in Swearengin Cemetery with Adams Funeral Home of Albertville in charge.
Survivors include her husband, Clyde Swearengin; five daughters, Wanda Dixon of Florida, Rose Hefner of Attalla and Judy Thacker, Ladonna Whittington and Rhonda Simmons, all of Albertville; two stepdaughters, April Swearengin of Albertville and Bonnie Rundt of Crossville; one brother, Archie Smith of Florida; and eight grandchildren.
Evelyn P. Thomas
CHATTANOOGA - Evelyn Parks Thomas, 85, died Sunday in Chattanooga. A graveside service will be Tuesday at Stevenson City Cemetery with the Rev. Howard McCallie officiating.
Mrs. Thomas was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Audra D. Thomas.
Survivors include two daughters, Billie Campbell and Sylvia Newman, both of Chattanooga; and three grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Robert D. Van Kampen
GRAND HAVEN, Mich. - Robert D. Van Kampen, a millionaire who owned one of the world's largest private collections of biblical manuscripts, died Friday while awaiting a heart transplant. He was 60.
Van Kampen suffered from a viral condition that resulted in a "mummifying" of his heart, a family spokesman said.
The founder of Van Kampen mutual funds, he had in recent years turned his attention to writing about eschatology, the study of the end of the world, and to his collection of biblical manuscripts. He founded Van Kampen Merritt, an investment banking firm that he sold in 1984 for about $200 million. Today, Van Kampen Funds has more than $79 billion in assets.
He owned one of the world's largest private collections of ancient Bibles and manuscripts. The collection is stored in Van Kampen's Scriptorium, Center for Christian Antiquities.
Van Kampen also wrote works about the last days before Jesus' return. His 1992 book, "The Sign," has sold more than 100,000 copies.
