09/22/99
MOBILE COUNTY
Harold A. Betancourt
Harold Aloysius Betancourt, a veteran of World War II, died Sunday at a Daphne medical facility after a brief illness. He was 90.
A native of Mobile, Betancourt had attended Convent of Mercy Grade School and McGill Institute.
He had resided in Los Angeles for most of his adult life, retiring from Sears, Roebuck and Co. in Los Angeles in 1963 after nearly 30 years. He returned to Mobile in 1989.
Betancourt is survived by several cousins, including Harold J. Gibson of Mobile and his wife, Lois, who served as his caregivers.
A memorial Mass will be announced by Radney Funeral Home.
Ruby Myrl James
Ruby Myrl James, a Mobile homemaker, died Monday at a local health care facility.
Mrs. James, 88, was a native of Barrytown, Ala. She attended Cedar Creek Holiness Church of God.
Survivors include three daughters, Barbara Joyce Carpenter and Kattie Elouise Stewart, both of Mount Vernon, and Bonnie Gale Smith of Creola; a brother, Frank Adams of Gilbertown, Ala.; nine grandchildren; and 22 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be this evening from 5 to 9 at Lockler Memorial Baptist Church. Services are set for 1 p.m. Thursday at the church, with burial at Mount Vernon Cemetery in Mount Vernon.
Freeman Funeral Home of Citronelle is handling arrangements.
Homer D. Stevens
Homer Dale Stevens, who worked as a lawn maintenance technician, died Monday at his home. He was 42.
A native of Waynesboro, Miss., Stevens was a longtime resident of Satsuma.
Survivors include his parents, Ella and Homer Stevens; a brother, Jimmy Stevens; and a sister, Shelia Skipper.
Visitation will be this evening from 5 to 9 at Freeman Funeral Home in Waynesboro. Services are set for 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home, with burial at White House Cemetery in Waynesboro. Freeman Funeral Home is directing.
Radney Funeral Home in Saraland handled local arrangements.
Ralph H. Taylor Jr.
Ralph H. Taylor Jr., who had served with the U.S. Merchant Marine, died Sunday at his Mobile home. He was 94.
Taylor was a native of Mobile.
Survivors include two sons, Ralph J. Taylor III and Dr. Juel R.M. Taylor, both of Mobile; two daughters, Gwendolyn Crockett and Edrise Taylor Smith, both of Los Angeles; and a stepson, Dr. Everette E. Nance of St. Louis.
Visitation will be at Big Zion AME Zion Church on Saturday from 9 a.m. until the 11 a.m. services begin. Burial will be at Catholic Cemetery.
Hodge's Funeral Chapel is in charge.
BALDWIN COUNTY
Mildred Fletcher
FAIRHOPE - Mildred "MeeMaw" Fletcher, a native of Memphis, Tenn., and a resident of Fairhope, died Monday, Sept. 20, 1999, at a local health-care facility. Mrs. Fletcher was a member of St. Lawrence Catholic Church and was 83.
She is survived by her son, H. Mike Fletcher of Memphis; two daughters, Pat F. Waldsmith of Fairhope and Margaret F. Neely of Montgomery; nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
A Mass of Christian burial will be held at St. Bridget's Catholic Church in Memphis on Thursday. Entombment will follow in Memphis Memorial Park.
The family suggests that contributions be made to St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Memphis.
Local funeral arrangements are by Bayview Funeral Home in Fairhope.
Redus Riddle Taylor
FAIRHOPE - Redus Riddle Taylor, a native of Birmingham and a resident of Fairhope, died Sunday, Sept. 19, 1999, at his home. He was 70.
He was a member of Fairhope United Methodist Church and the National Association of Atomic Veterans.
He is survived by his daughter, Kristen Graziani; and three grandsons, Taylor, Christopher and Joseph Graziani, all of Mandeville, La.
Visitation will be held from 9 until 10 a.m. Friday at Fairhope United Methodist Church. Funeral services will immediately follow with the Rev. Joe Bullington officiating. Burial will take place at Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola.
The family suggests that contributions be made to Fairhope United Methodist Church, 155 S. Section St., Fairhope, AL 36532 or to the American Heart Association. Arrangements are by Bayview Funeral Home in Fairhope.
Nick M. Hemmert
ELBERTA - Nick M. Hemmert, a native and lifelong resident of Elberta, died Tuesday, Sept. 21, 1999, at his home. He was 75.
Survivors include his wife, Elsie Hemmert of Elberta; three daughters, Kay Feely of Elberta, Betty Grimes of Andalusia and Barbara Page of Panama City, Fla.; and a son, Jim Hemmert of Elberta.
CHOCTAW COUNTY
William M. Christopher
SILAS - William McCreary Christopher, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, died Sunday at a Mobile hospital.
Christopher, 62, resided in Silas.
He is survived by his sister, Martha Sue Baker of Orange Park, Fla.
Visitation will be tonight from 6 to 8 at Phillips Funeral Home in Gilbertown, Ala. Services are set for 10 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home, with burial at Isney Cemetery in Isney, Ala.
WILCOX COUNTY
William T. Sims
VINELAND - William Thurston Sims, who was employed as a millwright with McMillan Bloedel, died Monday at his home. He was 55.
Sims, a native of Pine Hill, Ala., resided in the Vineland community near Thomasville, Ala.
Survivors include his wife, Sue Ella Sims of Vineland; a son, Eddie Marshall Sims of Millry, Ala.; a daughter, Jennifer Sims Newton of Scyrene, Ala.; his stepfather, Roy Clifford Goodman of Pine Hill; three sisters, Shirley Ann Craft of Jackson, Ala., Brenda Goodman Nelson and Betty Jean Goodman, both of Pine Hill; three brothers, Bill Sims and Robert Burl Goodman, both of Scyrene, and Benny George Goodman of Pine Hill; five grandchildren; and two stepgrandchildren.
Services are set for 2 p.m. today at Friendship Baptist Church, with burial at the church cemetery in Vineland.
O'Bryant Funeral Home of Thomasville is handling arrangements.
09/23/99
MOBILE COUNTY
Yvonne Ward-Banks
IRVINGTON — Yvonne Ward-Banks, a member of Lighthouse Apostolic Holiness Temple of Grand Bay, died Monday in Mobile. She was 40.
The Irvington resident had worked for a local fast-food restaurant.
She was a graduate of Peter F. Alba High School.
Survivors include her husband, Johnnie Banks; a daughter, Shannon Ward; and two sons, Johnnie Banks Jr. and Joshua Banks, all of Irvington; four sisters, Sylvia Allen, Hilda Hoskins and Marilynn Royal, all of Irvington, and Kaffy Griffin of Grand Bay; and four brothers, Archie Ward of Grand Bay, Norvelle Ward of Brundidge, Ala., Chris Ward of Irvington and Kevin Ward of Theodore.
Visitation will be at Lighthouse Apostolic Holiness Temple, 9901 Tom Waller Road in Grand Bay, on Saturday from 10 a.m. until the noon services. Burial will be at Oddfellow Cemetery in Bayou La Batre. Arrangements are by Hodge's Funeral Chapel.
William C. Cooper Jr.
William Clarence "Buck" Cooper Jr., who retired from the U.S. Air Force after 23 years, died Tuesday at a local hospital. He was 57.
Cooper, a native and resident of Mobile, was a veteran of the Vietnam War.
Survivors include two sons, William C. Cooper III and Heath Allen Cooper; his parents, W.C. and Vicie T. Cooper; a brother, John Robert Cooper; two sisters, Betty Jo Johnson and Gloria Jean Pittman; and one grandchild.
Private services are planned. Arrangements are by Radney Funeral Home of Saraland.
Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association.
Raymond E. Lemery
Raymond E. Lemery, who retired from Teledyne Continental Motors after 18 years, died Monday at a local hospital. He was 71.
A Rockford, Ill., native, Lemery had lived in Mobile for the past 25 years.
Survivors include his wife, Joyce A. Lemery of Mobile; Raymond J. Lemery of Oregon, Terrance Lemery of Rockford and Steven R. Lemery of Danville, Va.; a daughter, Marsha Lemery of Abilene, Texas; two stepsons, Kenneth E. Stone and Brian E. Stone, both of Mobile; two sisters, Margaret Johnson of Leesburg, Fla., and Roberta Conrad of Chicago; and 10 grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Radney Funeral Home on Dauphin Street, where services are set for 10 a.m. Saturday. Burial will be in Mobile Memorial Gardens.
Amanda C. Ott
Amanda Cleo Ott, a member of Bethel Baptist Church in Coffeeville, Ala., for more than 50 years, died Monday in a local health care facility.
Mrs. Ott, a homemaker, was a Clarke County native and a resident of Mobile.
Survivors include a daughter, Irma Weatherley of Eight Mile; three grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 this evening at Valhalla Memorial Funeral Home in Semmes. Graveside services are set for 1 p.m. Friday in Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery in Coffeeville.
Howard F. Ransom
Howard F. Ransom, a welder and member of the Boilermakers Union, died Monday at a local hospital after a lengthy illness. He was 59.
Ransom, a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., and resident of Eight Mile, was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Survivors include his mother, Estell Green of Wilmer; his children, Randall R. Ransom of Germany, Karen Perygne of Grand Bay, Mark Ransom of Mobile, Alicia "Lisa" Ransom of Wilmer and Patricia Nelson of Spanish Fort; four sisters, Nancy Ransom of New Orleans, Margie Carpenter of Jacksonville, Fla., Lynn Tumisto of Ocean Springs, Miss., and Jean Pullian of Chicago; two brothers, James Ulmer of Kushla, and Ricky Ransom of Texas; seven grandchildren; and four stepgrandchildren.
Visitation will be at 11 a.m. today at Mobile Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, followed by services at 1 p.m. Burial will be in Mobile Memorial Gardens.
CLARKE COUNTY
Francis M. Loper
CAMPBELL — Francis Marion Loper, a former truck driver with Scotch Lumber Co., died Tuesday at his home. He was 83.
Loper was a native of Yarbo, Ala.
Survivors include his wife, Myrtie Toland Loper of Campbell; a son, Henry Loper of Thomasville, Ala.; three daughters, Erline Carter of Campbell, Ethel Marion Parden of Grove Hill, Ala., and Fannie Carter of Salitpa, Ala.; four sisters, Eula Mae Lindsey of Citronelle, Virginia L. Griffin of Thomasville, Doris Moss of Mobile and Mary Alice Austin of Theodore; seven grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Services are set for 11 a.m. today at Witch Creek Baptist Church, with burial in the church cemetery in Campbell. O'Bryant Chapel Funeral Home in Thomasville is handling arrangements.
MONROE COUNTY
Euline L. Hayles
MONROEVILLE — Euline Lambert Hayles, a homemaker and member of Eastwood Baptist Church of Monroeville, died Tuesday at the age of 77.
Mrs. Hayles lived in Monroeville and was a lifelong resident of Monroe County.
Survivors include a son, Herbert Cole of Jacksonville, Fla.; four daughters, Audrey Ryals of Monroeville, Ernestine Small of Cantonment, Fla., Barbara Whitley and Nell Ciancarelli, both of Houston; a brother, Charles Lambert of Uriah, Ala.; 12 grandchildren; and one great-grandchildren.
Services are set for 11 a.m. today at Eastwood Baptist Church. Burial will be in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Uriah. Arrangements are by Johnson Funeral Home of Monroeville.
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Shelly Ann Boykin
LEROY — Shelly Ann Boykin, a former employee of Teledyne-Brown Engineers, died Saturday at a Mobile hospital after an illness. She was 41.
Mrs. Boykin was a native and resident of Leroy. She was a member of Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church of Leroy, where she served as a deaconess.
Survivors include her husband, Terrence Boykin; four daughters, LaShaunda McBride, Terrlyn Boykin, Sherika Boykin and Tamera Boykin; and a brother, Dosia McBride, all of Leroy; and eight sisters, Hataway Lee, Mattie Collins, Mary McBride, Lorene Reed and Katrina McBride, all of Leroy, Charlene Curry and Willerdean Martin, both of Prichard, and Vonia Hannon of St. Stephens.
Services are set for 11 a.m. today at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church of Leroy, with viewing one hour prior to services. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Arrangements are by Andrews Funeral Home of Jackson, Ala.
OTHER
John Harold Hardy
FOLEY — John Harold Hardy, a native of Hueytown and a resident of Foley, died Wednesday, Sept. 22, 1999. He was 90.
Survivors include his wife, Beatrice Hardy of Foley; a son, Ted Hardy of Foley; a sister, Bessie Stone of Foley; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at Pine Rest Funeral Home in Foley. Funeral services will follow at 2 p.m. at the funeral home with burial afterward in Pine Rest Memorial Park.
Pine Rest Funeral Home of Foley is handling arrangements.
