Bruce J. Bell
Bruce J. Bell of Navarre, Fla., died Wednesday, June 3, 1998, at a local hospital.
Service arrangements are incomplete but will be announced Friday, June 5.
Martin Funeral Home, 2902 Gulf Breeze Pkwy., Gulf Breeze, Fla., is entrusted with arrangements.
Conrad C. Bishop Sr.
Conrad C. Bishop Sr., age 84, a resident of Perry, Fla., passed away Thursday, June 3, 1998, at his home following a brief illness.
Mr. Bishop, a native of Georgiana, Ala., had lived in Perry since 1992, moving there from Shalimar, Fla. He was a retiree of the U.S. Navy, where he served as commander, a research psychologist. He also served in the U.S. Air Force and civil service. Mr. Bishop was past president of the Florida Federation of Square Dancers. He obtained a bachelor's degree from Piedmont College and a master's degree from Florida State University.
He was the son of the late William Percy and Lula Fortune Bishop.
Survivors include his wife, Belle Bishop; son, Conrad C. Bishop Jr., both of Perry; daughter, Belle Minge Bishop of Simpsonville, S.C.; sister, Gladys Bishop Pruette of New Orleans; grandson, Conrad C. Bishop III of Perry; and two great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday in St. James Episcopal Church in Perry. A private committal service will take place at a later date.
The family of Mr. Bishop have requested that memorial donations be made to a favorite charity in Mr. Bishop's memory.
Joe P. Burns Funeral Home, 1400 N. Johnson Stripling Road, Perry, FL 32347, is in charge of arrangements.
Dorothea A. Erwin
Dorothea A. Erwin, age 78, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., died Saturday, June 6, 1998. Dorothea was born in Kansas City, Mo., on July 26, 1919, to Ralph and Nadine Jones. She had been a resident of this area for the past 30 years.
Dorothea is survived by her daughter Raelene Breakbill of North Carolina; close friend, Yvonne Glossop, of North Carolina, and family of Fort Walton Beach; brothers Ralph Jones, of Illinois, and Bill Jones, of Washington; James Sawdon and family, of Fort Walton Beach; sisters Celia Bishop, of Illnois, and Mary Jane Battles and family, of Milton, Fla.; and one great-grandson, Joshua Gray, of Fort Walton Beach. She was preceded in death by her grandson, Troy Breakbill.
A memorial service will be held at 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 9, 1998, at White Sands Manor.
McLaughlin Mortuary, 17 Chestnut Ave., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., is entrusted with the arrangements.
Jewell Ann Allen
Jewell Ann Allen, age 47, of Mossy Head, Fla., passed away at her home Saturday, June 6, 1998. Daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend to all who knew her, she will be missed so very much.
Prior to her courageous battle with cancer, she also made many friends with her joyful smile, winning personality and helpfulness for many years at the Friendly Florist in Crestview, where she will be dearly missed.
Mrs. Allen was born in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., on Aug. 12, 1950, and had been a resident of the local area all of her life.
She is survived by her husband of 30 years, Ben Allen; one daughter, Daffney Schaefer and her husband, Andrew Glenn (Andy) Schaefer Jr.; one son, Ben (Benjy) Allen Jr. and Julie Baccadutre; and two very special grandchildren, Cody Louis Allen and Andrew Glenn (Drew) Schaefer III, all of Mossy Head.
She is also survived by her mother and father, Louis and Laura Belle Regans; two sisters and brothers-in-law, Janice and Calvin Cheatham, Judi and Mike Krueger; two brothers and sisters-in-law, James (Scoot) and Beverly Regans, Jerry and Linda Regans; sister-in-law and husband, Myrlene and Gene Reeves, all of Niceville; and several cousins, aunts, uncles, neices and nephews in the area.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 9 p.m. Monday, June 8, 1998, at McLaughlin Twin Cities Funeral Home Chapel in Niceville.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 9, 1998, at the First Baptist Church in Niceville with Rev. Richard Murray and Rev. H.W. Dennis officiating.
Interment will follow in the Mossy Head Cemetery, Mossy Head, Fla.
Asked to serve as active pallbearers are Howie Gillis, Shorty Boone, Larry Hicks, Walter Hicks, and George Schipper.
Jewell will be missed by all who knew her.
McLaughlin-Aultman Funeral Home, Crestview, is in charge of arrangements.
Vernon W. Thomas
Vernon W. "Pat" Thomas passed away in Sandestin, Fla., on June 6, 1998.
He attended the Baptist Village Church in Destin, Fla., where he was very active. He was also a member of Sandestin Owners Club; TOP'L Tennis and Beach Club; and was on the board of directors of the new Sandestin Beach Club.
Prior to coming to Florida he retired from Ford Motor Co. as their international director in South America and Australia. He later became the general manager of Hamilton Beach Corp. and relocated their facilities to North Carolina. Pat later moved into the hotel/motel business, where he owned and operated 38 hotels. He returned to Sandestin eight years ago with his wife Rose, where they were active in many organizations.
Mr. Thomas was predeceased by his mother and father, Iva Barnes Thomas and Offie Thurman Thomas. He is survived by his wife, Rose; daughter, Marion Lowery of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; stepdaughter, Dr. Sharon Fawaz and her husband, Dr. Fawzi Fawaz of Wiggins, Miss.; stepson, Keith A. and wife Amy Shelton of Atlanta; brothers and their wives, Richard and Dorothy Thomas of Restin, Va., Wade and Shelby Thomas of Virginia Beach, Va., and O.T. and Jackie Thomas of Norfolk, Va.; sister, Grace Langley of Grimesland, N.C.; four granddaughters; and three stepgrandchildren.
The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, a memorial donation be made to the Village Baptist Church Building Fund, 101 Matthews Blvd., Destin, FL 32541.
Internment and memorial services will be held at graveside in Roseland Park Cemetery, Hattisburg, Miss., on June 11, 1998, at 11 a.m.
Funeral arrangements will be by McLaughlin Funeral Home in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and by Hulett-Winstead Funeral Home of Hattisburg.
Ethelene Infinger
Ethelene Infinger, age 72, of DeFuniak Springs, Fla., died Sunday, June 7, 1998, in a local hospital.
She was a lifelong resident of DeFuniak Springs and a member of East Baptist Church. She retired from Walton County Hospital.
She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Hilton L. Infinger of DeFuniak Springs; daughter, Charlotte Irvine; grandsons, Ken Irvine of DeFuniak Springs, and John Paul Irvine of Tallahassee, Fla.; brothers, Jessie E. Gomillion of DeFuniak Springs, Willie Ray Gomillion of DeFuniak Springs, and Harold Gomillion of Panama City, Fla.; sister, Gladys Odom of DeFuniak Springs, Irma Jean Hall of DeFuniak Springs, Luverne Richerson of DeFuniak Springs, and Mavis Overstreet of Jackson, Ala.; and a host of nieces, nephews and loving friends.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 10, at Clary-Godwin Chapel with the Revs. Tom Douglas and Durl Odom officiating. Burial will follow in Euchee Valley Cemetery.
A visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.
Clary-Godwin Funeral Home, DeFuniak Springs, is in charge of arrangements.
Mammie Sue Clary
Mammie Sue Clary, age 91, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., died June 4, 1998, in DeFuniak Springs, Fla.
She was born on Aug. 8, 1906, in north Okaloosa County, Fla.
Mrs. Clary is survived by her daughters, Evelyn Christell Harriss and Wila Glen Brashaw; sisters, Elizabeth Smith, Vonsile Smith and husband James, Dessa Johnston and Ouida Lundy; five grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Funeral services were conducted at 10 a.m. Monday, June 8, at Whitehurst Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Darryll Watson officiating. Interment followed in Cotton Cemetery, Escambia Farms, Fla.
John R. Latchum Jr.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 John R. "Jack" Latchum Jr., age 33, of Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, and formerly of New Castle, Del., died Wednesday, June 3, 1998, after being shot by an intruder.
Warrant Officer Latchum graduated from William Penn High School in 1983 and entered the U.S Army in August of that year. He served with distinction for seven years as an AH-1 crew chief and technical inspector.
In 1991 he attended the Warrant Officer Aviation School and became an Army aviator. His duty stations included Fort Bragg, N.C., Fort Ord, Calif., Giebelstadt, Germany and Scholfield Barracks. He served as a pilot in command, night vision goggle unit trainer, aviation life support equipment officer and the battalion flight lead. Warrant Officer Latchum was a UH-60 Black Hawk pilot at Wheeler Army Airfield since August 1995.
Warrant Officer Latchum is survived by his wife of 11 years, Wendy Novosel Latchum; children, Joshua Ryan, age 8, and Breanna, age 3; father and stepmother, John and Annette Latchum of Bear, Del.; and sister, Mary Alice Dirilo of Glendale, Ariz.
Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Friday, June 12, in Emerald Coast Funeral Home Chapel with Chaplain Anthony Menz officiating. Interment will follow at 2 p.m. in Barrancas National Cemetery, Pensacola, Fla. The family will greet friends from 9 a.m. until service time on Friday at the funeral home.
Emerald Coast Funeral Home, 113 N.E. Racetrack Road, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., is in charge of arrangements.
Rhoda Odessa Mason
The Lord called home Rhoda Odessa Mason on June 8, 1998. She was 85.
Everyone who knew her called her Odessa. She was born in Portland, Fla., on April 10, 1913, and in her teens moved to Niceville, Fla., when it was still known as Boggy Bayou. She grew up with nine brothers and sisters in a much friendlier and simpler time. She married Jake Mason and founded her own family with her five children. Whenever someone needed help, she was always ready with the perfect scripture quote to fit the occasion. She passed time by reading the Bible, as anyone could tell by looking at the well-worn and read condition of her many favorite ones.
Odessa lived many years with her friends, some of whom she grew up with, at Twin Cities Pavilion in Niceville until she moved to the Bay Heritage Nursing Center earlier this year.
Odessa was preceded in death by her husband, Jake; and sons, Herbert and Robert Mason.
She is survived by her three children -- daughter and son-in-law, Marilyn Jeanette and Michael Marcolongo; daughter and son-in-law, Joan and Clifton Allen; and son and daughter-in-law, Floyd and Cricket Mason, all of Niceville; brothers, J.W. Linton of Choctaw Beach, Fla., and Thermon Linton of Villa Tasso, Fla.; sisters, Jencie Smith and Helen Miller, both of Lake Wales, Fla.; grandchildren, Robert Mason II of Pennsylvania, Richard Mason of Mossy Head, Debbie Knowles of Indiana, Vernon Cypher of Mississippi, Kathy Harrison and Sherry Marcolongo, both of Niceville. She was also blessed with eight great-grandchildren.
Her favorite saying became ours as we all say to her: "We love you a bushel, a peck and a hug around the neck."
The family will receive friends at McLaughlin Twin Cities Funeral Home on Thursday, June 11, from 9 to 11 a.m.
Funeral services will be conducted at McLaughlin Twin Cities Chapel at 11 a.m. Thursday with the Rev. T.C. Moon officiating. Interment will follow in Black Oak Cemetery, off Highway 20 on the Eglin reservation.
Floral contributions are accepted, or memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association, 222 N.E. Hospital Drive, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548.
"NOTHING IS LOST FOREVER"
The waking earth at springtime
Reminds us it is true.
That nothing ever really dies
That is not born anew.
So trust God's all wise wisdom
And doubt the Father never
For in His heavenly Kingdom
There is nothing lost forever.
Helen Steiner Rice
McLaughlin Twin Cities Funeral Home, Niceville, entrusted with arrangements.
Hope Elizabeth Kendall
Hope Elizabeth Kendall, three days old, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., passed away Monday, June 8, 1998, in Pensacola, Fla.
Survivors include her parents, Scott and Deidra Kendall; sisters, Lauren, and twin sister, Abigail Kendall, all of Fort Walton Beach; grandparents, Jack and Marvel Kendall of Ballwin, Mo., and Harold and Ann Elledge of Abilene, Texas; uncle, Mark Elledge and his wife Leslie of Dallas; aunt, Heidi Beike and husband Craig; aunt, Kristin Kendall, all of Ballwin; cousins, Audrey, Seth, Katelyn and Ryan.
A celebration service will be conducted on Saturday, June 13, at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Fort Walton Beach.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Building Fund at First Baptist Church of Fort Walton Beach.
