Vernon W. Diedrich Sr.
Vernon W. Diedrich Sr., age 86, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., passed away in a local nursing home Sunday, Oct. 31, 1999.
He was born on June 3, 1913, in Welsh, La., and was a resident of the local area since 1996, when he moved here from Lake Charles, La. He was a veteran of the Army Air Corps, serving during World War II in the Asian Theater. He enjoyed relating life stories to friends and family.
Mr. Diedrich was preceded in death by his wife, Caroline Diedrich; and a daughter, Francis Diedrich. Survivors include his sons, Carl and wife OK Nam Diedrich of Navarre, Fla., Vernon Jr. and wife Alcina Diedrich of Venice, La., and Dan and wife Ann Diedrich of Morgan City, La.; sister, Fern Morris of Eugene, Ore.; and six grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 2 to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3, at Little Chapel Funeral Home. Funeral services will follow at 5 p.m. with Pastor Kwang Chung officiating.
Following local services, further services will take place in Lake Charles.
Little Chapel Funeral Home, 910 Beal Pkwy., Fort Walton Beach, is in charge of arrangements.
William J. Slay
William Jerrell Slay, age 72, of the Pleasant Grove community, Fla., died Monday, Nov. 1, 1999, at his residence.
Born on April 15, 1927, in Bartow, Fla., he was the son of the late William James and Pearl Davis Slay. After serving 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, he returned to the Pleasant Grove community, where he resided for the past 33 years. He was Baptist by faith and a member of the Sandy Creek Baptist Church.
Mr. Slay worked at Fairchild-Hiller as a radio technician. He was a member of Masonic Lodge F&AM 170 in DeFuniak Springs, Fla. He was an avid fisherman and enjoyed hunting and working in his yard. Mr. Slay also had the talent of being able to repair or fix anything.
Mr. and Mrs. Slay celebrated their golden wedding anniversary last year.
Mr. Slay was preceded in death by his son, William A. Slay; and two brothers, Rex and Paul Donald Slay. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Ruby H. Slay of the Pleasant Grove community; son, Richard Jerrell Slay of Augusta, Ga.; daughters, Victoria S. Rushing and husband Chet of Wassau, Fla., Marsha S. Glick and husband Van of Gainesville, Fla., and LeAnne Slay of Nashville, Tenn.; brothers, E.W., Billy Ray and Charles Slay, all of Jacksonville, Fla.; sister, Delores Smith of Jacksonville; nine grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3, at Comander Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Kenneth Harrison and Kevin Carter officiating. Burial will follow in Sandy Creek Baptist Church Cemetery.
A time of visitation will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Comander Funeral Home Chapel.
Pallbearers will be Allan Brents, Bobby Brents, Van Glick, Chester Rushing, Jimmy McQuaid and Donnie Slay. Honorary pallbearers are Dave Walnath, Chuck Walnath, Sam Gatewood, Howard Jones, Lon Hayes and Charlie Wilson.
Comander Funeral Home, DeFuniak Springs, is in charge of arrangements.
Joyce Elizabeth Mayo
Joyce Elizabeth Mayo, age 79, of Grayton Beach, Fla., passed away Sunday, Oct. 31, 1999, in a local health care facility.
Joyce was born on Aug. 12, 1920, in St. Luis, La., to Marion Lawrence and Mary Elda Wyble Joffrion. She moved to this area in 1982 from Richland, Ga., and was a member of St. Rita's Catholic Church. She was an avid bridge player and artist in stained glass and needlework.
Mrs. Mayo was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Earl Atkinson Mayo Jr.
Survivors include her son, Lawrence Mayo of Evans, Ga.; daughters, Lady Sears of Navasota, Texas, Cindy Creamer of Lynn Haven, Fla., Debra Miller of Pelham, Ala., Barbara Mayo of Austin, Texas; brother, Oscar Joffrion of Port Arthur, Texas; sister, Blanche Owen of Magnolia Springs, Texas; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at McLaughlin Mortuary.
A funeral Mass will be conducted at St. Rita's Catholic Church at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3, with the Rev. James J. Flaherty as celebrant. Graveside services will follow at 4 p.m. EST in Harmony Cemetery in Richland, Ga.
Flowers will be accepted or donations may be made to the American Heart Association or to St. Rita's Catholic Church Building Fund.
McLaughlin Mortuary, 17 Chestnut Ave., Fort Walton Beach, is in charge of arrangements.
Ilea A. Brannon
Ilea A. Brannon, age 76, of DeFuniak Springs, Fla., died Monday, Nov. 1, 1999, in a local hospital.
Mrs. Brannon was born in Walton County, Fla., on Sept. 2, 1923, to Carl and Rae Henderson Adkison. Mrs. Brannon remained a resident of Walton County most of her life. She was Baptist by faith and a member of Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church.
Mrs. Brannon was preceded in death by her husband, Ezra Brannon; son, Ronnie Lee Brannon; brothers, Arnold Adkison, Trammel Adkison and Tom Adkison; and sisters, Lola Vanzant and Loutrel Lilly.
She is survived by her daughter, Vera Dale Edwards and husband Gary; sons, Danny Jackson and wife Myrtis, Frank Brannon and wife Ruth, Rex Brannon and Roger Brannon, all of DeFuniak Springs; brother, L.L. Adkison of Swanee, Ga.; sisters, Audrey Skank, Eunice Kelley and Ruth Balsciano; 14 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Clary-Godwin Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Larry Watts and Doug Hogg officiating. Burial will follow in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery.
Pallbearers are Jim Cosson, Lyvonne McMillian, Ronnie Gainey, Johnny Foxhall, Jody Mitchem and Junior Cosson.
Clary-Godwin Funeral Home, DeFuniak Springs, is in charge of arrangements.
Bertrum J. Browning
Chief Master Sgt. Bertrum J. "B.J." Browning, U.S. Air Force retired, a resident of Bay Minette, Ala., and a former resident of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., died Saturday, Oct. 23, 1999, at North Baldwin Hospital in Bay Minette. He was 65 years old.
He is survived by his wife, Sylvia White Browning; son, James M. Browning; daughters, Beverly J. Hofer and Kathy J. Moore; mother, Carrie V. Browning of Montrose, Ala.; three brothers; two sisters; grandsons, Douglas Lambert and Chris Browning; granddaughters, Marie A. Short and Miranda Lambert; stepgranddaughters, April Tennimon and Jessica Moore; and great-grandchildren, Alisia Short and Christian J. "C.J." Short.
Burial was in Pine Grove Cemetery with Dr. Henry Cox officiating.
Funeral arrangements by Norris Funeral Home, Bay Minette.
George Banakas
George Banakas, age 80, of Pensacola, Fla., died Nov. 1, 1999.
Survivors include his son, Stephan Banakas and wife Diane; daughter, Stephanie B. Wilson and husband Chris; and grandchildren, Lisa Carnley Brewer, Kate Carnley, Christopher Carnley and Alex Banakas.
Mr. Banakas was a lifelong resident of Pensacola and active in many community affairs. He established the very popular Driftwood Restaurant in downtown Pensacola.
Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5, at the First Presbyterian Church in Pensacola.
Arrangements by Oaklawn Funeral Home of Pensacola.
Katherine Ellen Herrick
Katherine Ellen Snyder Herrick of Shalimar, Fla., passed away Nov. 1, 1999, in a local hospital.
Katherine was the second child born of the union of Charles Lewis Snyder and Sylvia Louise Clark in Richmond, Va. Shortly thereafter the family moved to Denver for several months and then moved to Ocean Springs, Miss. Katherine graduated from Ocean Springs High School and then went to Judson College for one year, where she studied music. She then became the organist for the Episcopal Church of Ocean Springs and worked as a cashier in the Ocean Springs Bank. She then worked as a receptionist/accountant for a Biloxi radio station WLOX, where she met her husband-to-be. They were married on Christmas Day in December 1950.
Katherine worked as a clerk typist in the Special Services office at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., until the fall of 1951, when she and her husband moved to Plainfield, N.J. Katherine returned to Ocean Springs in the fall of 1952 to give birth to a daughter, Margaret Louise, in December 1952. They both returned to Plainfield in January 1953. In November the family returned to Ocean Springs while her husband found an engineering position at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. A few months later the family took up residence in the Garniers Beach subdivision of Fort Walton Beach, Fla. In the fall of 1955 they moved into a house they had built in the Woodland Shores subdivision, where they remained to the present.
Katherine was a member and past president of the Women of the Church of St. Simon's-on-the-Sound. She assisted in the restoration of the church after a fire desecrated the interior of the church. She was a member and past president of the League of Women Voters. As president she proceeded to have the local league upgrade and perform the actions required in order to meet accreditation requirements of the state league. She was a member and past president of the Bonsai Society of Fort Walton Beach and she also worked in the Historical Society Museum in Valparaiso, Fla.
Survivors include her husband, Arlo of Shalimar; daughter, Margaret Louise McManus of Fort Walton Beach; brothers, Charles Snyder Jr. of San Antonio, Texas, Edwin Snyder of Zephyrhills, Fla., and Walter Snyder of Zachary, La.
Memorial services will be conducted at 15 Windemere Court, Fort Walton Beach, on Saturday, Nov. 6, from 2 to 4 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial contributions be made to the American Heart Association.
Joseph Bishop
Joseph B. Bishop, age 81, of Crestview, Fla., died Tuesday, Nov. 2, 1999, in a local hospital.
He was born on May 26, 1919, in Bay Point, Fla., and was a retired electrician. He lived in Crestview since 1978, moving from Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Mr. Bishop was a life member of Fort Walton Beach Elks Lodge and the American Legion post in Crestview.
He was preceded in death by a son, Robert J. Bishop.
Survivors include his wife, Georgia Bishop of Crestview; sons, Raymond Bishop of Lexington, Ky., and William B. Bishop of Crestview; daughter, Chrissie Jackson of New Orleans; sister, Carrie B. Eland of Melrose, Fla.; niece, Mairan Ingram of Cantonment, Fla.; grandchildren, Charles Bishop, Joseph Bishop, Tommy Bishop, Michael Bishop, Jan Collins and Denise Musen; and 12 great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 5, at Liveoak Memorial Park Cemetery in Crestview with the Rev. Mark Seagle officiating. Burial will be in Liveoak Memorial Park Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests gifts be made to the building fund of Emanuel Baptist Church.
McLaughlin-Aultman, Crestview, is in charge of arrangements.
Richard Morawski Sr.
Richard "Dick" Theordore Morawski Sr., age 77, of Destin, Fla., passed away Tuesday, Nov. 2, 1999, in a local hospital.
Mr. Morawski was born on May 3, 1922, in Hazleton, Pa., to the late Joseph and Cecylia Morawski. He was a resident of Destin for 15 years, previously residing in Chicago. He graduated from Penn State with the class of 1942. Dick was a chemical engineer for both Armour and Co. chemical division for 26 years, and Lonza Inc. for 20 years. He was a member of Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chicago and active in Emerald Coast Lutheran Church in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.
Mr. Morawski was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Chester Morawski; and sister, Verna Gallagher. He is survived by his wife, Lorraine Morawski of Destin; son, Richard T. Morawski Jr. and wife Christine of West Chester, Ohio; daughter, Anne Gojio and husband Tim of Olympia, Wash.; daughter, Janet McKenzie and husband Michael of Birmingham, Ala.; son, Michael Morawski and wife Hope of Chicago; grandchildren, Carolyn and Paul Morawski, Bridgette, Jonathan and Griffin McKenzie; two sisters; and many nieces and nephews.
The family will greet friends at Emerald Coast Funeral Home from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday.
Funeral services will be conducted on Monday, Nov. 8, at Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chicago under the direction of Hollowell and James Funeral Home. Interment will follow in Chapel Hill Gardens South in Oaklawn, Ill.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chicago; or to Emerald Coast Lutheran Church in Santa Rosa Beach, in memory of Mr. Richard T. Morawski.
Emerald Coast Funeral Home, 113 Racetrack Road N.E., Fort Walton beach, Fla., entrusted with local arrangements.
Katherine Ellen Herrick
Katherine Ellen Snyder Herrick of Shalimar, Fla., passed away Nov. 1, 1999, in a local hospital.
Katherine was the second child born of the union of Charles Lewis Snyder and Sylvia Louise Clark in Richmond, Va. Shortly thereafter the family moved to Denver for several months and then moved to Ocean Springs, Miss. Katherine graduated from Ocean Springs High School and then went to Judson College for one year, where she studied music. She then became the organist for the Episcopal Church of Ocean Springs and worked as a cashier in the Ocean Springs Bank. She then worked as a receptionist/accountant for a Biloxi radio station WLOX, where she met her husband-to-be. They were married on Christmas Day in December 1950.
Katherine worked as a clerk typist in the Special Services office at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., until the fall of 1951, when she and her husband moved to Plainfield, N.J. Katherine returned to Ocean Springs in the fall of 1952 to give birth to a daughter, Margaret Louise, in December 1952. They both returned to Plainfield in January 1953. In November the family returned to Ocean Springs while her husband found an engineering position at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. A few months later the family took up residence in the Garniers Beach subdivision of Fort Walton Beach, Fla. In the fall of 1955 they moved into a house they had built in the Woodland Shores subdivision, where they remained to the present.
Katherine was a member and past president of the Women of the Church of St. Simon's-on-the-Sound. She assisted in the restoration of the church after a fire desecrated the interior of the church. She was a member and past president of the League of Women Voters. As president she proceeded to have the local league upgrade and perform the actions required in order to meet accreditation requirements of the state league. She was a member and past president of the Bonsai Society of Fort Walton Beach and she also worked in the Historical Society Museum in Valparaiso, Fla.
Survivors include her husband, Arlo of Shalimar; daughter, Margaret Louise McManus of Fort Walton Beach; brothers, Charles Snyder Jr. of San Antonio, Texas, Edwin Snyder of Zephyrhills, Fla., and Walter Snyder of Zachary, La.
Memorial services will be conducted at 15 Windemere Court, Fort Walton Beach, on Saturday, Nov. 6, from 2 to 4 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to the American Heart Association.
