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.
Walter L. Brakefield
ATHENS - Walter Lee Brakefield, 85, of 25840 Highway 72 East died today at his home. Limestone Chapel Funeral Home will announce arrangements later.
William R. Flowers Sr.
MANSFIELD, Tenn. - William Robert Flowers Sr., 84, died Saturday at his home. The funeral will be Tuesday at 11 a.m. at McEvoy Funeral Home with Bro. Claytus Wilson officiating.
Burial will be in Haymes Cemetery.
Survivors include his wife, Kathryn Louise Bowden; six daughters, Betty Ann D'Auria of Scottsboro, Edith Williamson of Nashville, Merry Lee Barfield of Huntsville, Kay Flowers of Paris, Tenn., Nancy Flowers of Athens, Ga., and Dixie Flowers of Suwanee, Ga.; five sons, Jack Flowers of Section, Ala., William Robert Flowers Jr. of Paris, Ernest Flowers of Yancey, Texas, Randy Flowers of Memphis and Ronnie Flowers of Cincinnati; two sisters, Mary Belle Norwood of Springville, Tenn., and Curlie Ann Engdahl of Villa Park, Ill.; one brother, W.C. Flowers of Paris; and 20 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Visitation was to be from 4 to 8 p.m. today and Tuesday from 9 to 11 a.m. at the funeral home.
Jessie R. Hudgins
Mrs. Jessie R. Hudgins, 61, of Huntsville died Saturday at her home. The funeral will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Valhalla Funeral Home with Charles Hammon officiating.
Entombment will be in Valhalla Memory Gardens with Valhalla Funeral Home in charge.
Mrs. Hudgins was a member of the Grace Baptist Church and a native of Fort Payne. She worked in retail sales.
Survivors include her husband, Selma Hudgins of Huntsville; one daughter, Darlene Miller, and one son, Wade Hudgins, both of Huntsville; one sister, Opal Westbroke of Arab; two brothers, Joe Earl Terrell and Wendell Terrell, both of Fyffe; five grandhchildren, two great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be today from 3 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Humphrey Miller Jr.
Humphrey Smith Miller Jr., 78, of Huntsville died Sunday at a local hospital. The graveside service was to be today at 2 p.m. at Maple Hill Cemetery with Donald Ramey officiating.
Spry Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Miller was a lifelong resident of Madison County. He was a World War II veteran serving with the Seebees in the U.S. Navy, and was retired from the U.S. Postal Service.
Survivors include his wife, Rosemary Miller of Huntsville; two sons, Paul Miller and Dan Miller, both of Huntsville; one sister, Dorothy Warner of Huntsville; and four grandchildren.
Mattie L. Mitchell
Mattie Lou Mitchell, 80, of Huntsville died Sunday at a local nursing home. The funeral will be Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Richard Anderson officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
Mrs. Mitchell was a lifelong resident of Madison County. She was a member of Heritage Baptist Church. She was preceded in death By her husband, Rev. G. Norman Mitchell.
Survivors include one daughter, Norma Osborne of Arab; one brother, Clifford Price of Huntsville; four sisters, Lillie B. Jeans, Francis Monday and Ola Clark, all of Huntsville, and Ruth Rogers of Hazel Green ; and two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Demetra G. Morgan
HARTSELLE - Demetra Gay Morgan, 32, died Saturday. The funeral will be Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Peck Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Alexander officiating.
Burial will be in Church of God Cemetery.
Mrs. Morgan was a native of Morgan County and a housewife.
Survivors include her husband, James Benjamin Morgan Sr.; two stepsons, James Benjamin Morgan Jr. and Jason Morgan, both of Hartselle; one stepdaughter, Melinda Morgan of Hartselle; her father, Kirk Brown of Price ville; her mother, Annelle Brown Hodges of Price ville; her grandmother, Evelyn Mason of Decatur; two sisters, Dana Brown Borden of Decatur and Daphne Haley of Birmingham; and two step-grandsons.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Kate S. Orr
MARTLING - Kate Smith Orr, 84, died Friday at her home. The funeral was today at 2 p.m. at Albertville Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Bobby Darnell officiating.
Burial was in Memory Hill Cemetery.
Mrs. Orr was a lifelong resident of Martling. She enjoyed quilting and gardening. She was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur Houston Orr.
Survivors include one daughter, Shirley Ann Boddie of Albertville; three grandsons, Tommy Boddie and Randy Boddie, both of Albertville, and Terry Dyer of Louisiana; one granddaughter, Stephana Swords of Albertville; and two great-grandsons and several nieces and nephews.
Hillard Parsons Jr.
FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. - Hillard Parsons Jr., 77, of 710 Swanson Boulevard died Saturday at his home. The funeral was to be today at 10 a.m. at Higgins Funeral Home with the Rev. Van Johnson and Bro. Carroll Hickman officiating.
Burial was to be in Riverview Memory Gardens.
Mr. Parsons was a longtime petroleum jobber for Gulf Oil, BP Oil and Shell Oil.
Survivors include his wife, Margaret Wilkerson Parsons; four sons, John Robert Parsons, Hillard Lipscomb Parsons, William James Parsons and Jack Nobblitt Parsons, all of Fayetteville; and six grandchildren.
James E. Parvin
MADISON - James Edward Parvin, 66, of 411 Carter Drive died Sunday at his home. The funeral will be Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Madison Chapel Funeral Home with the Rev. George Bark officiating.
Burial will be in Faith Memorial Park.
Survivors include his wife, Evelyn W. Parvin; one son, David Trotter of Mt. Juliet, Tenn.; one daughter, Debra Brenner of Harvest; three sisters, Avalon McCrary of Madison, and Shelby Stephenson and Louise Gay, both of Tuscumbia; and four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Nursery Fund of First Baptist Church of Madison.
Edna P. Roache
Edna P. Roache, 77, of Huntsville died Wednesday at a local hospital. The funeral was to be today at 1 p.m. at Oakwood S.D.A. Church with Elder John S. Nixon officiating.
Burial will be in Valhalla Memory Gardens with Royal Funeral Home in charge.
Mrs. Roache was a nurse and former chairman of Oakwood College Department of Nursing. She was a charter member of King's Daughters, Huntsville Chapter, and a Community Center organizer and Haraw Club officer.
Survivors include one daughter, Jennifer Roache Buchanan of Fairfax, Va.; one son, Jonathan Roache Jr. of Minneapolis, Minn.; one brother, Dr. Milton Padgett of Huntsville; and two grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to two the Jonathan E. Roache Endowment Scholarship of Oakwood College.
Steven C. Roden
BOAZ - Steven Craig Roden, 45, of 914 Snowden Circle died Saturday at a Birmingham hospital. The funeral was to be today at 11 a.m. at Carr Funeral Home.
Survivors include one daughter, Layla D. Roden of Boaz; one son, Jefferson A. Sharer of Mobile; parents, Troy and Mary Roden of Boaz; and two brothers, Jimmy L. Roden of Boaz and Jerry D. Roden of Albertville.
Noel L. Sargent
SCOTTSBORO - Noel Lee Sargent, 48, died Thursday at a Huntsville hospital. The funeral was Saturday at W.T. Wilson Funeral Home with the Rev. Ronald Patterson and Rev. Darrell Haney officiating.
Burial was in Macedonia Cemetery.
Survivors include one daughter, Sherrie Baugh of Section; one son, Nicholas Sargent of Section; his mother, Essie Olean Sargent of Fort Payne; one sister, Ila Mae Little of Scottsboro; and four brothers, Lester Sargent of Section, and Jimmy Sargent, Jerry Sargent and Darrell Sargent, all of Rainsville.
Deward Scruggs
ALBERTVILLE - Deward Scruggs, 72, died Saturday at a local hospital. The graveside service was to be today at 10 a.m. at Memory Hill Cemetery with Adams Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. Scruggs was a long-time barber in Albertville.
Survivors include his wife, Mary D. Scruggs; two daughters, Lynda Haney of Albertville and Dicksie Bush of Guntersville; two sons, William A. Wilson of New Hope and Larry J. Scruggs of Birmingham; three sisters, Linda S. Garrison of Albertville, Betty West of Horton and Verna Cryar of Bay Minette; one brother, Donald Scruggs of Albertville; and eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Tom G. Thrasher
Tom Goodman Thrasher, 83, of Huntsville died Sunday at his home. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Mr. Thrasher served in North Africa and the European theater during World War II, achieving the rank of lieutenant colonel at age 28. In 1946, he opened Thrasher Oil Co. here under a Shell Oil franchise. He was called back to Army duty in the Korean War and served as executive officer at Redstone Arsenal in 1951-52.
Mr. Thrasher's civic activities included service on the Huntsville school board, 1952-61; Industrial Developement Board, 1965-76; Von Braun Center Board of Control, 1974-90; University of Alabama in Huntsville Foundation, founding member; Huntsville Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Control, 1976-90; and the U.S. Army Community Relations Committee since its inception in 1960.
His honors included Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Citizen of the Year in 1985; the Distinguished Citizen Service Medal in 1995, the Army's highest civilian honor; an honorary doctorate in humanities from UAH, 1976; and recognition by the Arthritis Association for his contributions to the community, 1998.
Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Wright Thrasher; four daughters, Anne Swain and Amanda Segrest, both of Huntsville, Carol Mayo of Silverdale, Wash., and Sharon Langley of Colorado Springs, Colo.; and nine grandchildren and two nephews.
Visitation will be Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made to the Tom and Dorothy Thrasher Scholarship Fund at the UAH Foundation, 102 Alumni House, UAH 35899.
Willard D. Underwood
MADISON - Willard Daniel Underwood, 73, of 8106 Madison Pike died Saturday at his home. The graveside service will be Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Madison City Cemetery with the Rev. George Bark officiating.
Madison Chapel Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Underwood was longtime resident of Huntsville and an instrument maker. He retired from the Marshall Space Flight Center and attended the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics Apprentice School at Langley Field, Va.
Survivors include his wife, Olney Underwood; one daughter, Gail Banks of Plesant, Calif.; three sons, Daniel Underwood and Tom Underwood, both of Madison, and Chris Underwood of Huntsville; one brother, William Underwood of Newport News, Va.; two sisters, Ann Hume of Newport News, Va., and Mary Garrison of Clarksville, Ark.; and eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to favorite charity.
Rose Wescott
SCOTTSBORO - Rose Wescott, 81, died Tuesday at a Chattanooga hospital. The funeral will be Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Scottsboro Funeral Home with the Rev. Chuck Bell officiating.
Mrs. Wescott, a native of Newark, N.J., worked as a waitress at Grant's 5 & 10 cent store in the 1950s and as a crossing guard for nine years at St. Agnes Elementary School and Public School No. 8 in Patterson, N.J.
She was a member of the Ladies of the Moose Lodge and a volunteer for the Deaf and Disabled Children in St. Petersburg, Fla. In Scottsboro, she worked as a volunteer in the Meals On Wheels program for the elderly and was a member of Fellowship United Methodist Church.
Survivors include three daughters, Rose Lynda Belviso of Raritan, N.J., Judith Virginia Hornlein of Tampa, Fla., and Edna Marcia Warren of Redlands, Calif.; two sons, Edward Ellsworth Clark of Wayne, N.J., and James Allen Clark of Rock Spring, Ga.; and 16 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and a great-great-grandson.
Ernest D. Williams
BIRMINGHAM - Ernest D. Williams, 74, died Friday at a local hospital. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Bethel Baptist Church.
Burial was to be in Marshall Memorial Garden with Adams Funeral Home of Albertville directing.
Survivors include his wife, Linda Williams; two daughters, Brenda Jenkins of Albertville and Barbara Hitchcock of Atlanta; two sons, David Williams of Sardis and Butch Denham of Birmingham; one sister, Alma McClendon of Guntersville; two brothers, Charles Williams and Tommy Williams, both of Albertville; and 10 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
David L. Wright
SKYLINE - David Leon Wright, 49, died Friday at a local hospital. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Skyline Memorial Chapel Funeral Home with the Rev. David Paradise and Rev. Eddy Childress officiating.
Burial was to be in Skyline Cemetery.
Mr. Wright was a Vietnam War veteran in the Army's 101st Airborne.
Survivors include one daughter, Shannon Wright of Arizona; one son, Matthew Wright of Kentucky; parents, John D. and Shirley Wright of Skyline; five sisters, Martha Campbell and Thelma Love, both of Skyline, Edna Miotke of Scottsboro, Rebecca Ortiz of Hammond, Ind., and Tina Carmichael of Hemingway, S.C.; and two brothers, John C. Wright of Gurley and Jerry Wright of Hammond.
Donald W. Mitchell
HOOVER - Donald W. Mitchell, whose writings, lectures and field work on mine safety made him an expert in the field, has died. He was 76.
Wylodean Mitchell said her husband died at their home Thursday. She said the cause of death was aggressive brain cancer, which he was diagnosed with last year.
Mitchell's expertise in fighting mine fires led to his contributions in re-engineering the Apollo fire prevention and suppression systems after a launch-pad fire in 1967 killed three astronauts during tests.
