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LLEWELLYN TANNER, 87
Self-employed Landscaper
WAVERLY -- Mr. Llewellyn Jacob Tanner of Waverly died of heart failure Monday (Aug. 15, 2005) at Winter Haven Hospital. He was 87.
He was born April 6, 1918, in Antigua and came here from Antigua 50 years ago. He was a self-employed landscaper. He was a Pentecostal and a member of the Church of God by Faith.
He is survived by his sisters, Claudia Hughes, the Bronx, N.Y., Irose Tanner, Antigua, and Sybil Tanner, England, and brothers, Max Tanner and Alvin Tanner, both of Antigua.
Visitation will be Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Macedonia Baptist Church, 608 First Ave. in Waverly. Services will Saturday at 10:30 a.m. at the Church of God by Faith, 539 First Ave. in Waverly. Interment will be in Lake Wales Cemetery.
Alexander Funeral Home.
ROSA FIGGS, 88
Private Caregiver
LAKELAND -- Mrs. Rosa Lee Figgs of Lakeland died of stroke Saturday (Aug. 13, 2005) at Lakeland Regional Medical Center. She was 88.
She was born June 28, 1917, in Wildwood and came here from Wildwood 62 years ago. She was a private caregiver. She was a member of Mount Pleasant AME Church.
Mrs. Figgs is survived by her sons, Ivory Figgs and George Figgs, both of Lakeland; daughters, Annis Hampton, Audray Figgs and Mary Fluomoy, all of Lakeland; 15 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at Coney Funeral Parlor Chapel. Services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Mount Pleasant AME. Burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery.
Coney Funeral Parlor Inc.
GERTRUDE SMITH, 88
Homemaker
WAHNETA -- Mrs. Gertrude "Memaw" Smith of Wahneta died of heart failure Monday (Aug. 15, 2005) in Auburndale. She was 88.
She was born on Sept. 10, 1916, in Holmes County and came here from Althea in 1936. She was a homemaker. She was a member of the Church of God in Wahneta.
Mrs. Smith was preceded in death by her husband, Eddie D. Smith, and son, Eddie Bronzell Smith. She is survived by her daughter, Jackie Taylor, Wahneta; son, Eugene Rocky Smith, Winter Haven; brother, Jodie Hamm, Winter Haven; eight grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be this evening from 5 to 7 at Ott-Laughlin Funeral Home, 645 Central Ave. in Winter Haven. Services will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. at the funeral home. Burial will be in Oaklawn Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made to Jackie Taylor.
LESLIE HOOTEN, 49
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- Mrs. Leslie Hooten of Seaside, Calif., died of cancer Saturday (Aug. 13, 2005) at home. She was 49.
She was born March 2, 1956, in Lakeland, and grew up here.
Mrs. Hooten is survived by her husband, Jessie Hooten; son, Kris Zick, Bowling Green; father, James B. Wilkes, Lakeland; stepmother, Lorea Wilkes, Lakeland; mother, Shirley Braly, Farmington, N.M.; stepfather, Ernie Garcia, Fulsom, Calif.; brothers, Joey Wilkes, Glen Wilkes, Patrick Wilkes and Kevin Wilkes, all of Lakeland, Gary Wilkes, Reno, Nev., Lynn Garcia, Palomino Valley, Calif., and Dale Garcia, Salem, Ore.; and sister, Karen Zick.
A memorial service will be held Saturday at 4 p.m. at Lake Gibson Nazarene Church.
SILVESTRE RODRIGUEZ, 41
Agricultural Laborer
PLANT CITY -- Mr. Silvestre Rodriguez of Plant City died of liver failure Friday (Aug. 12, 2005) in Plant City. He was 41.
Born Dec. 31, 1963 in Matamoros, Mexico, he came here from Mexico 28 years ago. He attended St. Clement Catholic Church. He was an agricultural laborer.
Mr. Rodriguez is survived by his wife, Clementina Rodriguez, Plant City; son, Silvestre Rodriguez Jr., Plant City; daughters, Suleyma Sanchez, Rosario Rodriguez and Angela Rodriguez, all of Plant City; parents, Antero and Rosa Rodriguez, Plant City; brothers, Reyes, Nicholas, Alexander, Doinicio, Jose Luis and Alfredo, all of Plant City; sisters, Guadalupe Gamino, Lakeland, Carman Anquiano of Ohio, Rosalinda Estrada, Erma Rodriguez, Plant City, nad Loudes Rodriguez, Mulberry.
Visitation will be this evening from 6 to 8 at Haught Funeral Home. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Clement Catholic Church.
Haught Funeral Home.
JOHN BACKMAN, 94
Pattern Maker
HAINES CITY -- Mr. John Walter Backman of Haines City died Friday (Aug. 12, 2005) at Haines City Health Care Center.
Born in Bloomfield, Conn., he came to Haines City two years ago from New Port Richey. He was a self-employed pattern maker for Standard Pattern Co. in West Hartford, Conn.
Mr. Backman was preceded in death by his wife. He is survived by his son, John L.D. of Renaselaer, N.Y.; daughters, Diane Dixon, Winter Haven, and Ingrid Backman, Md.; eight grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations should be made to the Good Shephard Hospice, 105 Arneson Ave., Auburndale, Fla., 33823.
Mitchels & Lundquist Funeral Home.
Kayla Lorentz, 13, Denison Middle
WINTER HAVEN -- Miss Kayla Jane Lorentz, an eighth grade honor roll student at Denison Middle School, dreamed of becoming a veterinarian some day.
"She always talked about how much she loved animals, " said her maternal grandmother, Janie Burroughs of Winter Haven. "She was so full of love for people and animals. Her dreams were to hurry up and get back to school. She didn't want to mess up her grades. Her whole life was her school."
Miss Lorentz died of leukemia Tuesday (Aug. 30, 2005) at Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando. She was 13.
She was born in Eustis on Nov. 8, 1991. The family relocated to Winter Haven from there shortly after Miss Lorentz's grandparents came there in 1996.
She attended Jewitt Elementary and Snively Elementary schools. While in the fifth grade, she received the Richard Rowe Foundation Scholarship to Polk Community College.
"She has always been an honor student, " said her mother, Veleda Lorentz. "I could have never asked for a better kid. She just loved life, and she loved everything."
Miss Lorentz was looking forward to vying for the Bright Futures Scholarship this year and was planning to volunteer at the Polk County Humane Society.
She was always interested in sports and within the last couple of years started playing softball on the Little Miss Winter Haven Softball team, playing multiple positions.
In addition to her mother, Veleda Lorentz, and grandmother, Janie Burroughs, Miss Lorentz is survived by her father, Thornton Lorentz, Winter Haven; sister, Alleen McGowan, Winter Haven; maternal grandfathers, Joe Burroughs, Winter Haven, and Robert Marshall, Cincinnati; and paternal grandfather, Carlton Mancill, Bassville Park.
Visitation will be Saturday from 1 to 2 p.m. at Ott-Laughlin Funeral Home, Winter Haven. Services will follow at 2 p.m. at the funeral home chapel. Burial will be in Rolling Hills Cemetery, Winter Haven.
