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.
Leonard Acklin
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Leonard Acklin Jr., 57, died Monday at a Cleveland hospital. The funeral will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Meridianville P.B. Church with the Rev. Maurice Childress officiating.
Burial will be in Northside Cemetery with Royal Funeral Home in charge.
Mr. Acklin was a former resident of Huntsville.
Survivors include one daughter, Doris Acklin of Huntsville; one son, Randy Acklin of Hartford, Conn.; his father Leonard Acklin Sr.; seven sisters, Mona Jones, the Rev. Lorene Powell, Mona Acklin, Carolyn Hereford and Velvet Acklin, all of Huntsville, Shirley Ann Macon of Birmingham; 10 brothers, J.W. Acklin, David Acklin, Larry Acklin, Joe Fleming, James Fleming, Carl Acklin and Charles Acklin, all of Huntsville, Fred Lewis Crawford of Buffalo, N.Y., Ronnie Acklin of Chicago and Steven Acklin of Atlanta; and three grandchildren.
Connie Arnett
Connie Arnett, 62, of Huntsville died Thursday at a local hospital. Laughlin Service Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Mrs. Arnett was a nurse at Huntsville Hospital for 25 years. She was a member of Central SDA Church.
Survivors include two daughters, Karen Arnett Kinley and Paula Arnett Shea, both of Huntsville; one sister, Eileen Hayden of Newport, Tenn.; and three grandchildren.
Visitation will be Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Charlotte A. Bellomy
BRIDGEPORT - Mrs. Charlotte A. Bellomy, 66, died Wednesday at a local hospital. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at the Rudder Funeral Home in Stevenson with the Revs. Jim Bernard and Owen Durham officiating.
Burial was to be in Sequatchie Valley Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
Mrs. Bellomy was a member of the Harmony Grove Baptist Church. She was retired from Jacobs Manufacturing in Bridgeport.
Survivors include her husband, C.W. Bellomy; one daughter, Betty Ballard; one grandson; and two stepdaughters.
Dora S. Brockway
NEW HOPE - Dora Sue Brockway, 59, of 639 Maples Lane died Thursday at a local hospital. New Hope Funeral Home will announce funeral arrangements.
Dennis R. Bronner
PETERSBURG, Tenn. - Dennis Rae Bronner, 63, of 590 Chesnut Ridge Road died Thursday at his home. The funeral will be Sunday at 4 p.m. at Higgins Funeral Home with the Rev. Charlie Brown officiating.
Burial will be in Melson Cemetery.
Survivors include his wife, Sue Green e Bronner of Petersburg; three daughters, Dyan Young of Denver, Colo., Denise Purifoy of Dallas, Texas, and Dina Harmon of Howell, Mich.; two stepsons, Mark Browning of Fayetteville and Todd Browning of Wyandotte, Mich; three brothers, Elmer Richard Bronner of Fayetteville and Tom Bronner and Charlie Bronner, both of Woodhaven, Mich.; and five grandchildren.
Visitation will be Saturday at 4 p.m. at the funeral home.
Presley L. Busbey
BOAZ - Presley Luther Busbey, 81, of 2940 Summerville Road died Wednesday at a local hospital. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Albertville Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.
Burial was to be in Marshall Memorial Garden.
Survivors include his wife, Dora Lee Busbey; two stepsons, Jimmy Amos and Elton Amos, both of Boaz; two sisters, Louise Forehand of Florida and Florence Benn of Georgia; one brother, Arthur T. Busbey of Cullman; and four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Wilma B. Drake
MADISON - Wilma Bridges Drake, 85, died Thursday at her home. The funeral will be Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at Laughlin Service Funeral Home chapel with Brothers Tim Rice and Paul Owen officiating.
Burial will be in Huntsville Memory Gardens.
Mrs. Drake was a lifelong resident of Madison County. She was a home maker and had run a family grocery store and fabric store until retiring. She was a member of the Church of Christ and the Homemakers Club. She was also voted Woman of the Year in Madison County in 1978 and in 1992 received a certificate of merit for 50 years of service in the National Association for Family and Community Education.
Survivors include her husband, Allen Drake of Madison; one son, Charles Michael "Mike" Drake of Houston, Texas; and five grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to Madison Academy, to AGAPE or to a favorite charity.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
John Harlan Giles
DECATUR - John Harlan Giles, 81, died Thursday at his home. The funeral was today at noon at First United Methodist Church with the Revs. Kenneth A. Dunivant and Charles Boling officiating.
Burial was in Decatur City Cemetery with Roselawn Funeral Home directing.
Mr. Giles was a native of Decatur, a member of First United Methodist Church and the owner of Giles Realty. He was an Army National Guard veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Joyce Lee Giles; three daughters, Emily Royer of Enterprise and Jeanette Dougherty and Alison Wilder, both of Decatur; two sons, John Harlan Giles Jr. of Pascagoula, Miss. and Thomas Webster Giles of Decatur; three sisters, Phyllis Reithmeyer of Birmingham, Evelyn McBride of Decatur and Betty Franklin of Atlanta; and 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Memorial donations may be made to First United Methodist Church, to Hospice of the Valley or to a charity.
Carl W. Gilliland
BOAZ - Carl Wilson Gilliland, 68, of 714 Bohannon Road died Wednesday at a Birmingham hospital. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Carr Funeral Home in Boaz.
Burial was to be in Douglas Cemetery.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Frances Gilliland, and one daughter, Bonita Gilmer.
Survivors include four daughters, Beth Baird, Christie McCollum and Cindi Williams, all of Douglas, and Kathy Gilliland of Pell City; five sisters, Marjorie Gilliland of Sardis, Lucille Farmer of Huntsville, Barbara Gilliland of Douglas and Peggy Gilliland and Carolyn Dendy, both of Guntersville; two brothers, Ralph Gilliland of Guntersville and Welton Gilliland of Centre; and eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Mattie J. Johnson
BOAZ - Mattie Jewell Johnson, 78, of 200 South Church St. died Tuesday at a local nursing home. A graveside service was today at 11 a.m. at Memory Hill Cemetery in Albertville.
Carr Funeral Home of Boaz will be in charge of burial.
Survivors include two sons, Benny Watwood of Arizona and Ed Tinsley of Texas; two stepsons, Charles Bearden and Tony Milam, both of South Carolina; two stepdaughters, Sue White and Brenda Garney, both of Huntsville; two sisters, Bonnie Freeman and Stella Hopper, both of Gadsden; one brother, Doc Nance of Gadsden; and five grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
Marion B. Kennedy
NEW MARKET - Marion B. Kennedy, 81, of New Market died Wednesday at a local hospital. The funeral was to be today at 2 p.m. at Valhalla Funeral Home with the Rev. Otis W. Graves officiating.
Burial will be in Valhalla Memory Gardens.
Mr. Kennedy was a retired self-employed carpenter and a native of Madison County.
Survivors include his wife, Annie L. Kennedy of New Market; one daughter, Mary Frances Allen of Gurley; three sisters, Annie Belle Mayes and Frances K. Martin, both of Huntsville, and Alice Howard of New Hope; two brothers, Bill Kennedy of Douglasville, Ga., and Almer Lee Kennedy of Flintville, Tenn.; and two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Visitation was to be today from noon to 2 at the funeral home.
Flora L. Nixon
BOAZ - Flora Louise Nixon, 75, of 1014 McVille Road died Wednesday at a local hospital. The funeral was today at 11 a.m. at Albertville Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.
Burial was in Morton Chapel Cemetery.
Survivors include one daughter, Ann McCormick of Boaz; and two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
J. Ryan OConnor
CROWN POINT, Ind. - J. Ryan OConnor, 16, died Sunday. The funeral will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Scottsboro Funeral Home with the Rev. Bill Venable officiating.
Burial will be in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Woodville.
Mr. OConnor was a member of Saint Mary Church and a student at Crown Point High School. He played football and baseball and was in the honors program.
Survivors include his mother, Patti Conci of Crown Point; his father, James OConnor of Huntsville; one sister, Caitlin Conci of Crown Point; one brother, Cole Conci of Crown Point; and his grandparents, Dora Hastings of Huntsville, E.E. and Mary OConnor of Birmingham and Mary Hastings of Scottsboro.
Memorial donations be made to the Ryan OConnor Memorial Fund in care of Crown Point High School Athletic Department in Crown Point, Ind.
Louis Papp
Louis Papp, 60, of Huntsville died Tuesday at a local hospital. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Mr. Papp is survived by a loving family.
Memorial donations may be made to the Huntsville Museum of Art.
Gladys Phelps
BOAZ - Gladys Inez Hubbard Phelps, 84, of 4650 Egypt Road died Thursday at her home. The funeral will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at Albertville Memorial Chapel Funeral Home.
Burial will be in Hillcrest Cemetery.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Fletcher Phelps.
Survivors include one daughter, Shirley Bryant of Boaz; five sisters, Agnes Gray of Tennessee, Ruby Guthrie of Jasper, Eddis Williams of Double Springs and Mary Baker and Dorothy McKeever, both of Birmingham; one chosen son, Earnest Brown of Attalla; and two grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
James W. Storey
FLINTVILLE, Tenn. - James William "Jim" Storey, 50, of 102 Lincoln Loop died Tuesday at a Fayetteville hospital. The funeral was to be today at 11 a.m. at McCauley Funeral Home in Fayetteville with the Rev. Richard Hughes officiating.
Mr. Storey, a native of Lincoln County, was a mechanic, a machinist and an electrician at General Automotive Machine Shop in Huntsville.
Survivors include his father, William F. "Bill" Storey of Flintville; his mother, Virginia Morrison Storey of Flintville; one sister, Jerena Simms of Fayetteville; and one niece.
Harold S. Townsend
EAST PEORIA, Ill. - Harold Scott "Scotty" Townsend, 58, died Wednesday at his home. The funeral will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at Remmert Funeral Home in East Peoria with Brother Dwight Mead officiating.
Burial will be in Fondulac Cemetery.
Survivors include his wife, Josephine "Joey" Aiello Townsend of East Peoria; two daughters, Joy Lucas of East Peoria and Holly Mason of Tremont, Ill.; a brother, Russell Townsend of Huntsville; and two grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial donations may be made to American Cancer Society or OSF Hospice in Peoria.
Thomas Williams
ARAB - Thomas Williams Jr., 67, died Thursday at his home. The graveside service will be Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at Locust Grove Cemetery.
Laughlin Service Funeral Home will be in charge of burial.
Mr. Williams worked for the City of Huntsville for 15 years as a heavy equipment operator. He belonged to the Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Edith Williams of Arab; a daughter, Gwenda Stewart of Huntsville; and a granddaughter, Sandra Whitten of Hazel Green .
Visitation will be today from 5 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Kathie L. Wilson
HENAGAR - Ms. Kathie Lynn Wilson, 37, died Tuesday at a Chattanooga hospital. The funeral was Thursday at the Kerby Funeral Home in Henagar with the Revs. James Bryant and A.L. Kight officiating.
Burial will be in Pleasant View Cemetery in Dutton.
Survivors include her father, George Marshal Wilson of Henagar; two sisters, Phyllis Bowen of Henagar and Sharon Jeffery of Pisgah; and four brothers, Terry Wilson of Pisgah, Larry Wilson of Ringgold, Ga., Stan Wilson of Decatur and Steve Wilson of Henagar.
Kenneth M. Young
PETERSBURG, Tenn. - Kenneth Mitchell Young, 32, died Wednesday at a Chattanooga hospital. The memorial service will be Saturday at 7 p.m. at Spry Funeral Home chapel with Brother Billy Parker officiating.
Mr. Young was a native of Ridgewood, N.J., and had lived in Petersburg 2 years.
Survivors include his wife, Vickey Young of Petersburg; his mother, Georgina Young of Huntsville; one sister, Gina Marie Stover of Meridianville; and three nieces, all of Meridianville, and several other relatives and friends.
Memorial donations may be made to Ronald McDonald House Charities.
Visitation will be Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
