Marion G. Gray
Marion G. Gray, age 72, of Jackson, Ala., died Saturday, March 20, 1999, at Grove Hill Memorial Hospital, of Grove Hill, Ala. He was born Oct. 11, 1926, in Jackson, Ala., to Marion G. Gray and Mamie Bolen.
He retired from the timber business.
Mr. Gray is survived by three sons: H. Wyatt Gray, of Jackson, Ala., John M. Gray III, of Virginia Beach, Va., and Marion G. Gray III, of Woodland, Texas; daughter: Brenda Gray Jacklin, of Palo Alto, Calif.; sister: Laura Gray Turner, of Fullerton, Calif.; and 11 grandchildren.
The funeral is scheduled at 11 a.m. Tuesday, March 23, 1999, at chapel of Lathan Funeral Home, Jackson, Ala., with Rev. Jake Brown officiating. Burial will take place at Pine Crest in Jackson, Ala. Visitation will be one hour prior to service.
Lathan Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Carolyn L. Dietrich
Carolyn L. "Carrie" Dietrich passed on while visiting her son in south Florida on Sunday, March 21, 1999.
She was born in Fort Walton Brach, Fla., on Dec. 18, 1909. Carrie was the daughter of Manuel and Mary Anne Atwell, who preceded her in death. She now rests in the hands of our Lord. Carrie will be deeply missed by her family and many friends.
She is survived by her husband of over 54 years, Lawson J. Dietrich of Niceville, Fla.; son, James "Jimmy" Dietrich and his wife Pam of Crystal Beach, Fla.; sister, Dorothy Hobbs of Valparaiso, Fla.
She was preceded in death by her two brothers, George B. and Walter E. Atwell, both from Niceville. Carrie is also survived by many nieces and nephews, and was also a grandmother to her son's and daughter-in-law's children.
Carrie was a longtime believer in the Methodist faith. During her life she was active in both church and civic activities.
Active pallbearers will be her son, Jimmy Dietrich, George B. Atwell Jr., Albert Atwell, Raymond Hobbs, Huburt Hobbs Jr., close friends and longtime neighbors, Coy Wallace and Randy Nichelson. Honorary pallbearers include Michael Lowry and J.D. Williams.
The family will receive friends Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Funeral services will be conducted at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 24, at McLaughlin Twin Cities Funeral Home with the Rev. Bill Cain officiating. Interment will follow in Sunset Cemetery.
Flowers to the family or donations to a favorite charity would be appreciated.
Special thanks go out to Carrie's many friends during her time of need. She was greatly loved and will be missed by all who knew her.
McLaughlin Twin Cities Funeral Home, Niceville, entrusted with arrangements.
Gussie Lee Mills
Gussie Lee Mills, age 84, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., passed away Saturday, March 20, 1999, at her residence.
Mrs. Mills was born on April 3, 1914, in Andalusia, Ala., to the late James Ocie and Savannah Posey. She moved to Fort Walton Beach in the early 1970s from Lakeland, Fla. She was Baptist by faith and enjoyed spending her time working in the yard and cooking for her family, who she loved very much.
Mrs. Mills was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Charles O. Mills; and her son, Gene Verlon Mills. She is survived by her son, Jim Mills and wife Martha of Auburndale, Fla.; daughter, Juanita Holmes and husband Wendell of Murphy, N.C.; son, Charles Mills and wife Gloria of Denver, Colo.; son, Donell F. Mills and wife Peggy of Shalimar, Fla.; 12 grandchildren, including Melinda Roddy, who has been taking care of her grandmother's needs; 18 great-grandchildren; sisters, Frances Cobb of Lockhart, Ala., and Anna Turberville of Lakeland, Fla.; and many other extended family and friends.
Funeral services for Mrs. Mills will be conducted at 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 24, at Emerald Coast Funeral Home Chapel.
Interment will follow in Beal Memorial Cemetery. Grandsons and other family members will serve as pallbearers.
The family will greet friends at the funeral home from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday.
Emerald Coast Funeral Home, 113 Racetrack Road N.E., Fort Walton Beach, is in charge of arrangements.
Steven Harris
Steven Harris, age 77, passed away unexpectedly on March 20, 1999.
He was born in New York City on July 11, 1921, to Constantine and Anna Harris.
He leaves behind his loving wife Jane and his six children and their families: Linda and Gene Lloyd, Gregory and Barbara Harris, Cynthia and Tom Umberger, Stephanie and Jeffrey Rydza, Jeffrey and Laura Harris, and Michael and Alicia Harris. He was extremely proud of his 13 grandchildren. Also surviving are his sisters, Georgia Donahue and Stella Krumholz and husband and their families.
He served with honor in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
A memorial service will be held at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church on Tuesday at 11 a.m. with the Rev. Steve Marko officiating.
In lieu of flowers, contributions would be appreciated to Elder Services of Okaloosa County or Holy Trinity Mortgage Fund.
"He will not be lonely for his best buddy waits - they were inseparable mates ... "
Grandpa "Papou" Harris
Papou was a friendly guy
Always happy never shy.
Our grandpa was always sweet
Always clean and always neat.
Worked in his garden in his backyard
He always worked very hard.
Loved to kiss and loved to hug
Drank out of his "grandpa" mug.
We all loved him so
The best person you could ever know.
A.U. 3/20/99
Love you, Papou ... Sean L., Daniel R., Kellie L., Robert H., Ashley H., Jonathan H., Amanda R., Beth H., Nicole U., Allyson U., Steven H., Mark U. and Andrew L.
Emerald Coast Funeral Home, 113 Racetrack Road N.E., Fort Walton Beach, is in charge of arrangements.
Robert Aaron Scott
Robert Aaron Scott, age 28, of Mary Esther, Fla., died Sunday, March 21, 1999.
Mr. Scott was born in Champaign, Ill., and was a former resident of Springfield, Ill. He had lived in Mary Esther for the past five months.
Mr. Scott is survived by his parents, Freddy E. and Paula B. Scott of DeFuniak Springs, Fla.; maternal grandmother, Doris Hamilton of Liberty, Texas; daughter, Amber Elizabeth Scott of Springfield; brother, David Ray Scott and wife Ony of DeFuniak Springs; sisters, Pamala Brownfield and husband Robert of Mary Esther, Katherine M. Towers and husband Tom of Springfield, and Gena Moore of Springfield.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 24, in the chapel of Clary-Godwin Funeral Home with Minister Daniel H. McCormick officiating. Burial will follow in Magnolia Cemetery.
Friends may call at the funeral home from 10 a.m. until funeral time Wednesday.
Pallbearers will be Mack Moore, David Scott, Robert Brownfield, Bennie L. Arnold and William Bill Holiday.
Clary-Godwin Funeral Home, DeFuniak Springs, is in charge of arrangements.
Agnes Anita Cernik
Agnes Anita Cernik, age 93, of Valparaiso, Fla., died Sunday, March 21, 1999, in a local hospital.
She was born on Aug. 4, 1905, in Clearwater, Neb. Her parents, Frank and Amanda Fosberg Morrison, were pioneers in Antelope County, Neb. Mrs. Cernik began teaching immediately after she graduated from high school. Later, she graduated with honors from Wayne State College.
She had three children from her marriage to Hazen Coutts: William L. (killed in action in World War II), Robert L. and Betty Jo. She raised three children as a single parent.
She was married to Lewis Cernik for more than 45 years and resided at their home in Valparaiso during the entire span of their marriage. Lewis preceded her in death in 1996.
Mrs. Cernik taught in Neligh and Fremont, Neb., before teaching more than 20 years at Edge Elementary School in Niceville, Fla. She taught with skill, great dedication and with lasting fondness for her pupils. In 1989, she was nominated for being the most influential person in a former pupil's life who was graduating summa cum laude from Furman University. As a consequence, Mrs. Cernik was asked to come to Furman to be honored and to address their faculty. She was active in the First United Methodist Church of Niceville.
She was an early female entrepreneur and a member of the national honorary educational sorority, Delta Kappa Gamma.
Survivors include two children; stepdaughter, Geraldine Ballard; 14 grandchildren and stepgrandchildren; and 18 great-grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 25, with the Rev. Rurel Ausley officiating. Interment will follow in Sunset Cemetery.
If desired, donations may be made to First United Methodist Church of Niceville.
McLaughlin Twin Cities Funeral Home, Niceville, entrusted with arrangements.
Gus Green
Gus Green, age 81, of Crestview, Fla., passed away Tuesday morning, March 23, 1999, at his home.
He was born on Aug. 1, 1917, in Okaloosa County, Fla., and had lived here all his life. Mr. Green was retired from the Okaloosa County Road Department.
He is survived by one daughter, Gloria J. Green; granddaughter, Cassie Marie Green, both of Crestview; stepdaughters, Marie Casey of Laurel Hill, Fla., and Rita Denson of Baker, Fla.; stepson, Michael Green of Laurel Hill; five great-grandchildren; sisters, Lois Sorrells of Milligan, Fla., Margaret Warr of Crestview, Agnes Cox of Laurel Hill, and Vallie Mae Ford of Crestview; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Thursday, March 25, in the chapel of Brackney Funeral Service with the Rev. Donald McCallum officiating. Burial will follow in Almarante Cemetery.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home.
Brackney Funeral Service, Crestview, is in charge of arrangements.
Alma P. Dagendorfer
Services for Alma P. Dagendorfer, age 96, of Destin, Fla., and formerly of Norfolk, Neb., will take place at 2 p.m. Friday, March 26, at First Presbyterian Church in Norfolk. Interment will follow in Prospect Hill Cemetery, Norfolk.
She died on March 20, 1999, at the Manor at Bluewater Bay in Niceville, Fla.
She married Edwin J. Dagendorfer on June 25, 1930.
Survivors include two daughters and their spouses, Jackie and Clifford Schoep of Lake St. Louis, Mo., and Nancy and Stanton Measells of Destin; three grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to First Presbyterian Church in Norfolk.
Home for Funerals, Norfolk, is in charge of arrangements.
Harriette Anne Rogers
Harriette Anne Rogers, age 65, of Mary Esther, Fla., passed away Monday evening, March 22, 1999, in a local hospital.
Mrs. Rogers was born on Nov. 8, 1933, in Jonesboro, Ga., to the late Daniel and Gertrude Moore. She moved to Mary Esther in 1957 from Georgia. She was a retired postal clerk with the former Wright Post Office and Protestant by faith.
Mrs. Rogers is survived by her daughter, Amy Brown and husband Tim of Mary Esther; daughter, Beth Best and husband Richard of Freeport, Fla.; grandchildren, Chris and Ashleigh Brown of Mary Esther and Joshua Best of Freeport; great-grandson, Hunter Brown of Mary Esther; former husband and friend, Larry Hayslip of Fort Walton Brach, Fla.; and many other extended family and friends.
Funeral services for Mrs. Rogers will be conducted at 1 p.m. Friday, March 26, at Emerald Coast Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Joe Plott officiating. Interment will follow in Beal Memorial Cemetery.
The family will greet friends at the funeral home from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the American Cancer Society, 4 N.E. Jackson St., Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548, in memory of Mrs. Harriette Rogers.
What is a Mother?
A Mother, human though she is, is that wonderful creature whose love knows no bounds. She is, perhaps, the rarest of all God's creatures, because she is the truest.
From the first day she becomes a Mother, hers is a strange destiny. She has no eight-hour day, no five-day week, no employee benefits, no paid vacations. Hers is seven-days-a-week, 24-hours-a-day full of chores and crisis. She is a spe#####t and jack-of-all-trades - a babysitter, a laundress, a nurse, a cook, a housekeeper, a maid, a chauffeur, a counselor, and countless other things.
A Mother copes with all kinds of situations: the first day of school, the first date, and the first broken hearts; the nights of worry over late dates, auto accidents, and teen-age escapades.
But after all is said and done, a Mother is a lonely woman when her children are grown up and gone ... when her life is changed and somehow sad, though finally free. She is then a woman wondering about adult children ... where they are, what they are doing ... and telling herself they still love her and need her as they used to, while missing the days when the patter of little feet echoed through the house.
What is a Mother? She is the one person you always expect to be there when you need her, though you know one day she won't be. She is that wonderful memory of childhood, that tender guide of youth ... that one unforgettable person who made a house a home.
Emerald Coast Funeral Home, 113 Racetrack Road N.E., Fort Walton Beach, is in charge of arrangements.
Marvin D. Martin
Marvin D. Martin, age 64, died Tuesday, March 23, 1999, in a local hospital.
Mr. Martin had been a resident of DeFuniak Springs, Fla., for the past five years, moving there from Crestview, Fla.
He was the son of the late Will and Vonnie Little Martin and Baptist by faith.
Mr. Martin is survived by 11 sons, Jimmy D. Martin of Mossy Head, Fla., Tim G. Martin of DeFuniak Springs, Kenneth R. Martin of DeFuniak Springs, Marty D. Martin of Mossy Head, William A. Martin of Mossy Head, Grady L. Martin and wife Carmen of Fort Ord, Calif., Gregory D. Martin of Birmingham, Ala., Gary L. Martin and wife Tammy of DeFuniak Springs, Larry D. Martin of DeFuniak Springs, Brian K. Martin of Orlando, Fla., and Wilton R. Martin of Geneva, Ala.; daughters, Marlene Kuhn of Columbus, Ohio, and Angela G. Martin of Mossy Head; and 19 grandchildren.
Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday at Clary-Godwin Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Donald Hurst officiating. Burial will follow in Magnolia Cemetery.
Clary-Godwin Funeral Home, DeFuniak Springs, is in charge of arrangements.
