By Staff
Annie Ruth Brown
December 26, 2002
Funeral services for Annie Ruth Brown, 78 and a resident of Atmore, were held on Dec. 31, 2002 at Gaines Chapel AME Church, with Rev. A.T. Days officiating. Interment followed at Fairview Cemetery in Atmore.
Born in Macon County, Ala., she was a resident of Atmore for many years. A homemaker, she was a member of Gaines Chapel AME Church in Atmore, where she also served in the Missionary Society and on the Stewardess Board. She died on Dec. 26, 2002 at Atmore Community Hospital.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Willie James Brown, Sr., and her parents, Mack and Allene Millender.
She is survived by three daughters and sons-in-law, Helen and Frank McCreary of Atmore, Ida and Gary Cogler and Patricia and Samuel Oni, all of Atlanta; eight sons and their respective spouses, Willie James and Mattie Brown, Jr., Eugene and Diana Brown, Paul E. and Gwen Brown, David and Maryland Brown, all of Atlanta, Jimmy and Hattie Brown and James E. Brown, all of Atmore, Miller D. and Barbara Helton of Monroeville and Andrew and Annie Brown, Sr., of Tallahassee; a sister, Dorothy Anderson of Bronx, N.Y., a brother, Mack Millender of Roanoke, Va.; 31 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers were friends and family.
Turner Funeral Chapel was in charge of arrangements.
Alberta "Shirley" Flavors
December 28, 2002
Funeral services for Alberta "Shirley" Flavors, 54 and a resident of Atmore, will be held 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 4, 2003 at Jones Street Holiness Church, with Bishop Willie L. Williams officiating. Interment will follow at Lucious, or Fairview, Cemetery in Atmore. Visitation will be held on Jan. 3, 2003 from 1-8:30 p.m. at Turner Funeral Chapel, and the body will lie in state at the church one hour prior to the service.
Born in Montgomery County, she was a lifetime resident of Atmore. She was a member of Jones Street Holiness Church, where she was a member of the Senior Usher Board, Supervisor of the Junior Usher Board, a member of the Pastor's Aide Committee and a prominent member of the Appreciation Committee. A 1967 graduate of Escambia County Training School in Atmore, she was a homemaker and had worked at a nursing home and as a clerk/cashier for TG&Y Department Store.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Allen and Bernice Gray. She is survived by her husband, Cary L. Flavors, Sr., of Atmore; a son and daughter-in-law, Cary L. and Jessica Flavors, Jr., of Atmore; two daughters and a son-in-law, Santanya Flavors and Theresa and Marlon Lee, all of Atmore; two sisters, Barbara Gray of Great Neck, N.Y., and Louise Franklin of Brooklyn, N.Y.; three brothers, Austin Gray and Earl Gray, both of Atmore, and Otis Gray of Westbury, N.Y.; and eight grandchildren.
Pallbearers were friends of the family.
Turner Funeral Chapel was in charge of arrangements.
Clarence Peoples
December 23, 2002
Funeral services for Clarence Peoples, 80, will be held on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2003 at 1 p.m. at Longmire/Jones Mortuary of the Turner Funeral Chapel, with Pastor Sam Williams officiating. Interment will follow at Tensaw Memorial Gardens in Tensaw. There will be no public viewing of the body.
Born in Baldwin County, he was a resident of Atmore for many years. He was a homemaker, and he died on Dec. 23, 2002 at Atmore Community Hospital.
He is survived by a sister, Annie L. Smith of Atmore.
Turner Funeral Chapel was in charge of arrrangements.
Johnny Hall
December 30, 2002
Johnny Hall, 73 and a resident of Atmore, died on Dec. 30, 2002 at Baptist Hospital in Pensacola.
Services are to be announced by the Turner Funeral Chapel.
Taylor Dovetion Wilkins, Sr.
December 28, 2002
Funeral services for Taylor Dovetion Wilkins, Sr., 87 and a longtime former sheriff of Baldwin County, were held Tuesday, Dec. 31, at the First Baptist Church of Bay Minette with Dr. Paul Lee officiating. Bay Minette Lodge No. 498 will perform masonic services at the cemetery. Interment will follow at Bay Minette Cemetery.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Myrtle Rose Hendrix Wilkins. to whom he was married for 38 years; his daughter, Saramena (Sally) Rose Tebo; his mother, Myrtle Essiemena Wilkins; his father, Marion Henry Wilkins; his sister, Inez Elaine Horn and his brother, Marion Henry Wilkins, Jr.
He is survived by his wife, Fleeta Lynn Middlebrooks Wilkins of Fairhope, to whom his was married for more than 25 years; two sons, Taylor Dovetion (Judy) Wilkins, Jr., of Bay Minette, William Henry (Peggy) Wilkins of Daphne; one stepson, Sherwood C. (Sandra) Middlebrooks of Magnolia Springs; six grandchildren, Charles Henry (Holly) Wilkins of New Mexico, Elizabeth Lane (Nicholas) Roussos of Fairhope; Taylor Dovetion Wilkins, III of Bay Minette; Laura Michelle Wilkins and Heather Noelle Wilkins, both of Daphne; and Jeremy Hunter (Katie) Middlebrooks of Montgomery.
Wilkins was born May 26,1915 in Bay Minette and lived his entire life in Baldwin County except for military service. He was a veteran of World War II, having served with the 9th Infantry Division in Europe where he was wounded January 9, 1945 in South Belgium for which he was awarded the Purple Heart.
He served as deputy sheriff from January 1935 to October 1939 and worked with the Auburn Extension Service from 1940 to 1943. Following military service in World War II, he returned to Baldwin County where he served as sheriff from January 1947 to January 1975.
He owned, served as president and operated Gulf Security in Baldwin County from 1972 to 1999. He died at Westminister Village in Spanish Fort following a lengthy illness and confinement.
Wilkins was a mason and member of the Bay Minette Masonic Lodge No. 498, F.&A.M. for 65 years; 32 degree Scottish Rite and Abba Temple Shrine; past director of the Royal Order of Jesters; a life member of the National Sheriff's Association, having served as vice-president and member of the board of directors; twice elected to serve as president of the Alabama Sheriff's Association; chairman and member of the board of trustees of the Alabama Sheriff's Boy's and Girl's Ranch; a founder of the original Boy's Ranch in Dallas County, where a building is named for him; a past member of the board of the Alabama Law Enforcement Planning Agency; member of the state executive board of the State LEPA Advisory Committee for Region 6; member Alabama Peace Officers Standard Commission; founding member of the board of the original four-county (Baldwin, Escambia, Monroe, Conecuh) Little River Community Action Agency serving as its board chairman for 33 years, the longest of any such chairman in the United States until he resigned in 1999 due to ill health; member of the Historic Blakeley Foundation, American Legion, Veteran of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Elk's Club, Fairhope Yacht Club and the Military Order of Purple Heart.
Throughout his life he served in numerous capacities with the Baldwin County community civic and charitable projects including the United Fund, American Red Cross, March of Dimes, Cancer Crusade and Crippled Children Fund Drive. At his death, he was the longest member of the First Baptist Church of Bay Minette, having joined in 1926.
Pallbearers were Dr. Albert Corte, Judge Harry Wilters, Clarence Bishop, Glenn Moyer, Frank McInnis and Tom Purvis. Honorary pallbearers were Milton Wilson, Judge Harry D'0live, Sam Pipkin, W. D. Flowers, Judge Arthur Epperson, Judge James Reed, Sheriff James Johnson, Judge Charles Partin, Bobby Faust, Donald Raney, Robert M. Hodgson, Marion E. Wynn, Jr. and Bayless E. Biles.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to the Abba Temple Shrine Crippled Children's' Transportation Fund, 7701 Hitt Road, Mobile, AL. 36695 or to The Alabama Sheriff's Boys Ranch, 21870 County Road 32, Summerdale, AL. 365 80
Funeral arrangements were through Norris Funeral Home in Bay Minette.
James Matthew
"Matt" Byrd
December 26, 2002
Funeral services for James Matthew "Matt" Byrd, 19 and a resident of Pollard, Ala., were held on Sunday, Dec. 29 at the Flomaton First Baptist Church with Rev. Jerry Keese officiating. Burial followed at Pollard Cemetery.
A native of Milton, Byrd had been a lifelong resident of Pollard, Ala. He was a student at Reid State Technical College in the field of electronics, an employee at Piggly Wiggly in Century, an avid basketball player and attended the Flomaton First Baptist Church.
He is survived by his father and mother, Lamar and Linda Byrd of Pollard; his brother, Grant Byrd of Pollard; two sisters, Candy Fain of Foshee and Grace Byrd of Pollard; and a number of aunts, uncles and cousins.
Pallbearers were Josh Vanlandingham, Eric Williamson, Joey Albritton, Jonathan Cobb, Jason Cobb and Justin Craft. Honorary pallbearers were Steven Fitzgerald, Ruben Vuittonet and Josh Sutton.
Eastside Chapel Funeral Home directed.
Stefan Ridlehoover
December 21, 2002
Graveside services for Stefan Ridlehoover, an infant from Atmore, were held Monday, Dec. 30 at Lottie Methodist Cemetery with Rev. Ben Sanford officiating.
Stefan was preceded in death by a brother, Myles Shiver; his grandfather, Willie Hadley and great-grandmother, Lillian O. Gay.
He is survived by his parents, Donnie and Becky Ridlehoover of Atmore; two sisters, Marie Shiver and Maraina Ridlehoover, both of Atmore; and his grandparents, Stella Hadley of Atmore, and Voncile and Bill Burkett of Flomaton.