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.
Edith P. Allen
Edith P. Allen, 77, of Huntsville died Saturday at her home. The funeral will be Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Spry Funeral Home chapel.
Burial will be in Huntsville Memory Gardens.
Mrs. Allen was a native of London, Ky., but had lived in Huntsville since 1956. She was a member of West Huntsville Church of Christ and was preceded in death By her husband, Henry Allen.
Survivors include two sons, Albert Allen of Madison and Dennis Allen of Athens; two brothers, Earl Proffitt of Covington, Ohio, and Paul Proffitt of Huntsville; and three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be Monday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to AGAPE.
David T. Bates
ATHENS - David Thomas Bates, 57, of Red Bay died Saturday at a Tupelo, Miss., hospital. The funeral will be Monday at 11 a.m. at Spry Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Dwight Ridinger officiating.
Burial will be in Cedar Creek Cemetery, Red Bay, with Spry Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. Bates was a retired carpenter, a member of the Point Hunting Club of Barton and attended Cedar Creek Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Joyce Bates of Red Bay; a daughter, Lila Bates of Athens; two sons, Mark Bates and Eric Bates, both of Athens; his parents, Hubert and Birdie Bates, of Athens; two step-sons, Shannon McCalpin and Michael McCalpin, both of Red Bay; five sisters, Betty Jean LeCroix and Elaine Reece, both of Athens; Jane Smith of Melbourne, Fla., and Patricia Jeffreys and Paulette Miller, both of Decatur; and four grandchildren.
Samuel C. Blackwell
ATHENS - Samuel Carlos Blackwell, Sr., 83, of 17159 Turner St. died Saturday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Monday at McConnell Memorial Chapel with Brother Dusty McLemore officiating.
Burial will be in Athens City Cemetery with McConnell Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. Blackwell was a native of Marshall County. He was an Army veteran of World War II and a resident of Limestone County most of his life.
Survivors include two daughters, Thelma Copeland and Glena Fay Blackwell, both of Athens; two sons, Samuel C. Blackwell Jr. and William D. Blackwell, both of Athens; one brother, Robert Garland Blackwell of Madison; and three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren; and several step-great-grandchildren.
Harold G. Borden
Harold Gene Borden, 39, of Huntsville died Thursday at a Birmingham hospital. Spry Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Mr. Borden was a native of Colbert County and had lived in Madison County 13 years. He was a member of Leighton United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his friend and partner, Ronald Beasley of Huntsville; three brothers, Wayne R. Borden, Cline Borden and Larry Borden, all of Leighton; and one sister, Jean Eastep of Leighton.
Todd M. Ennis
ALABASTER - Todd Mastin Ennis, 34, died Thursday at his home. The funeral will be Monday at 11 a.m. at Church of the Nativity with Dr. Roderic L. Murray III officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery with Laughlin Service Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. Ennis was a graduate of Huntsville High School and the UAB School of Radiography. He was a registered radiographic and MRI technician.
Survivors include his wife, Patricia Ennis; one stepson, Travis Easterling of Alabaster; two stepdaughters, Britney Easterling and Keema Easterling, both of Alabaster; his parents, John and Lorraine Ennis of Huntsville; one brother, Patrick Gaston Ennis of Boynton Beach, Fla.; two sisters, Shelby Lorraine Ennis of Huntsville and Lucy Ennis Sutherland of Loganville, Ga.; and his grandmother, Edith Gaston of Meridian, Miss.
Memorial donations may be made to the Church of Nativity Building Fund or the Boys and Girls Club.
James E. Fleming
ATHENS - James Eldon Fleming, 80, died Friday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Sunday at 2 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home chapel in Athens with the Rev. Warren Glass officiating.
Burial will be in Roselawn Cemetery.
Mr. Fleming was a native of Tennessee. He was an Army veteran of World War II, a retired antique dealer, and a member of the Church of Christ.
Survivors include one son, James Donny Fleming of Athens; two sisters, Laura Holt and Mildred Kurczi, both of Athens; and one granddaughter.
Hazel Johnson
GUNTERSVILLE - Hazel Johnson, 81, of 3200 Bodine Road died Saturday at her home. The funeral will be today at 2 p.m. at Carr Funeral Home in Guntersville.
Burial will be in Happy Home Cemetery.
Mrs. Johnson was a cook at Reids Restaurant for about 30 years.
Survivors include two daughters, Shirley Malone of Guntersville and Gail Snow of Scant City; one son, Tooter Johnson of Guntersville; two sisters, Loree Wood and Bobbie Davis, both of Guntersville; two brothers, J.D. Sorter of Union Grove and Billy Ray Sorter of Arab; and eight grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
John V. Jones
HUEYTOWN - John V. Jones, 79, died Friday. The funeral will be Monday at 11 a.m. at St. Aloysius Catholic Church.
Burial will be in Cedar Hill Cemetery with Bessemer-Brown Service Funeral Home in charge.
Survivors include his wife, Jerri Jones of Hueytown; one daughter, Anne Griffin of Hueytown; five sons, John V. Jones Jr. of Leeds, Mike Jones of Nashville, Mark Jones of California, Greg Jones of Huntsville and Lance Jones of Sarasota, Fla.; one sister, Elizabeth Jones Williams of Hueytown; and three grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Memorial donations may be made to UAB Hospice Care or the St. Aloysius Building Fund.
Frank McDonald
Frank McDonald, 63, of Huntsville died Friday at his home. The funeral will be Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Flint River Baptist Church with the Rev. Rodney Bowling officiating.
Burial will be in Flint River Cemetery with Gallant Funeral Home of Hazel Green in charge.
Mr. McDonald was a native of Marion County, Ohio, a pest control technician for Spray's Pest Control and a member of Flint River Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Joyce McDonald; one daughter, Deirdre McDonald of Huntsville; and one son, Geoffrey McDonald of North Carolina.
Visitation will be Monday from 5 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to the Benevolent Fund at the church.
Thelma S. Midenberg
Thelma S. Midenberg, 77, of Huntsville died Friday at a local hospital. The funeral will be Sunday at 2 p.m. at Laughlin Service Funeral Home chapel with Rabbi Bernard Honin officiating.
Burial will be in Mount Ararat in Long Island, N.Y. Mrs. Midenberg was a member of Temple B'Nai-Sholom and Hadassah.
Survivors include her husband, Herschel A. Midenberg of Huntsville; two sons, Neal H. Midenberg of New York and Mark L. Midenberg of Huntsville; one brother, Leonard Petusevsky of Tamarak, Fla.; and three grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 1 to 2 p.m. at the funeral home.
Edna B. Mosley
Edna B. Mosley, 70, of Huntsville died Friday at her home. The funeral will be Monday at 2 p.m. at Laughlin Service Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Hal Oakley officiating.
Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
Mrs. Mosley was a University of Oregon graduate where she was a member of Delta Zeta sorority. She was also an elementary school teacher for several years.
Survivors include her husband, Retired Lt. Col. Sam Mosley of Huntsville; one daughter, Deborah Ann Bowers of Birmingham; one son, Samuel Mosley of Huntsville; and one granddaughter.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to Hospice of Huntsville.
Bessie Powers
ELKMONT - Bessie Powers, 86, died Friday at her home. The funeral will be today at 2 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home chapel in Athens with the Rev. Bobby Ogles and the Rev. Ronnie Holt officiating.
Burial will be in Hodges Cemetery.
Mrs. Powers was a native of Limestone County. She was a retired Limestone County school teacher and a member of Pettusville Church of Christ. She was preceded in death by her husband, Almon Powers.
James C. Prestage
HARTSELLE - James Cecil Prestage, 77, of 2225 Bethel Road Northeast died Thursday at his home. The funeral will be Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at Peck Funeral Home with the Rev. Ron Wilson officiating.
Burial will be in Huntsville Memory Gardens with Peck Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. Prestage was a native of Mississippi. He was a statistician at Redstone Arsenal.
Survivors include his wife, Theo Prestage of Hartselle; one brother, Paul Prestage of Red Bay; and two sisters, Bernice Works of Red Bay and Vera Bostick of Belmont, Miss.
Dan B. Reed
LEWISBURG, Tenn. - Dan Beasley Reed, 86, died Friday at a Dickson, Tenn., nursing home. The funeral will be Monday at 2 p.m. at Higgins Funeral Home in Fayetteville, Tenn.
Burial will be in Rose Hill Cemetery.
Mr. Reed was a member of Lewisburg First Methodist Church, a Navy veteran, a member of Masonic Lodge No. 122 in Shelbyville, Tenn., and retired from South Central Bell.
Survivors include several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be today from 2 to 8:30 p.m. at the Masonic Lodge and Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the funeral home.
Edward W. Rice
ELKMONT - Edward William Rice, 86, died Friday in Pulaski, Tenn. The graveside service will be Sunday at 3 p.m. at Bush Cemetery in New Hope with the Rev. Harold S. Daniel officiating.
Spry Funeral Home is in charge of burial.
Mr. Rice was a native of Marshall County. He was retired from Redstone Arsenal, was an Army veteran of World War II, and a member of Galilee Baptist Church in New Hope.
Survivors include one daughter, Sylvia Rice Daniel of Elkmont; one brother, John W. Rice of Brooksville, Fla.; three sisters, Loma Branum of Cedar Bluff, Alice Baker of Guntersville, and Lillian Glover of Akron, Ohio; and two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Billy Robertson
GAYLSVILLE - Billy Robertson, 54, died Friday. The funeral will be Sunday at 3 p.m. at Rainsville Funeral Home with the Rev. Melvin Dawson officiating.
Burial will be in New Bethel Cemetery.
Mr. Robertson was preceded in death by two sons, Michael Robertson and Scotty Joe Robertson.
Survivors include his wife, Alice F. Robertson; one daughter, Darlene Holt of Calhoun, Ga.; two sisters, Thelda F. Bishop of Calhoun and Ruby Brown of Roanoke, Ala.; one brother, Troy L. Overby of Dalton, Ga.; and one grandchild.
Melvin Whitley
FYFFE - Melvin Whitley, 78, died Thursday at his home. The memorial service was Saturday at W.T. Wilson Funeral Chapel.
Survivors include his wife, Lolabelle Whitley of Fyffe; three daughters, Cheryl R. Whitley of Orange City, Fla., Carolyn Jorod of Henning, Minn., and June Ellen Whitley of Lexington, Ky.; two sons, Gerald Whitley of Homosassa, Fla., and Vincent Lee Whitley of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; three stepdaughters, Toni Williams of Kissimmee, Fla., Linda Henson of Whorton, N.J., and Penny Miller of Leslie, Ark.; one stepson, Gordon Oliphant of Pisgah; two sisters, Hattie Powers of Newport News, Va., and Mavis Johnson of Jacksonville, Fla.; one brother, Jesse Hilton Whitley of Washington, N.C.; and 26 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Leslie L. Worden
Leslie L. Worden, 78, of Huntsville died Friday at a local hospital. There will be no funeral.
Mr. Worden will be cremated and laid to rest in Oregon, his home state, with Laughlin Service Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. Worden moved to Huntsville in 1966 after retiring as an Air Force pilot. He worked at Redstone Arsenal until 1983.
Survivors inlcude his wife, Lola Jeanette Worden of Huntsville; two daughters, Chery Wilson of Madison and Cathy Naler of Huntsville; two sons, Chip Worden of Lynn Haven, Fla., and Curtis Worden of Decatur; three brothers and three sisters, all of Oregon; and 10 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to Parkinson's Disease research.
