By Staff
ATMORE – Mr. Andrew "AJ" Nelson, age 66, passed away Tuesday, January 25, in an Atmore Nursing Care Center. He was a native of Atmore and had lived in the city for many years. He was a truck driver for Swift Lumber Company and served in the U.S. Army.
He is survived by three daughters, Willie Mae, Sharon, and Corentra Nelson, all of Jersey City, NJ; six sons, Lamont, Timothy, Robert Bruce, Andrew, and Willie Nelson, all of Jersey City, as well as Maurice Nelson of North Carolina; three sisters, Alice Bryant and Laura Nelson of Atmore, and Ella Mae Cleese of Newark, NJ; four brothers, Curtis, Eddie, and Willie Earl Nelson, all of Jersey City, and Charles Nelson of Atmore.
Funeral services will be held Monday, January 31 at 2:00 p.m. at Turner Funeral Chapel in Atmore with Bishop Willie L. Williams officiating.
Turner Funeral Chapel is in charge of all arrangements.
Willie B. Harris
PENSACOLA – Willie B. Harris, age 82, passed away Sunday, January 23 at the Bayside Manor in Pensacola. Mr. Harris, a native of Atmore, retired from the U.S. Army in 1962 with the rank of Sergeant First Class after 20 years of service. Following his retirement, Mr. Harris resided in Toledo, Ohio where he worked for the United States Postal Service for 20 years, retiring in 1982. He has been a resident of Pensacola since 1982 and was a member of Bethel AME Church.
Brother Harris was known for his WWII service to our country. During the War, he served in Scotland, France, North Africa, Italy, and Germany. It was during this time that he and his first wife, the late Alberta Harris, were blessed with a daughter, Emily Ann. After the war he was stationed in Germany, and several bases in the U.S., including Savannah, Ga., where he met his second wife, Dorothy Edith Reynolds Harris in 1951. This marriage was blessed with four children (Anthony, Barbara, Harold Vincent, and Doris). His experiences in the regular army significantly impacted his life and worldview as he acquired the capacity to converse in Italian, French, and German, much to the delight of his children and grandchildren. Brother Harris believed in the value of good work, attention to detail, education and citizenship. He encouraged his children to appreciate the lessons from history and to make their own contribution to the world, as God would lead them in life. He appreciated the grace inside the tough lessons of life.
A public viewing will be held at the Joe Morris and Son Funeral Home, 701 North DeVilliers Street, Pensacola, on Sunday, January 30 from 12:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. with the family greeting visitors from 6:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.
A service of Homeward Pilgrimage will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, January 31 at the Pleasant Hill Full Gospel Baptist Church in Atmore. The service will begin with a viewing from 9:00-10:00 a.m.
Mr. Harris is survived by his friend and companion, Mrs. Willie "B" Lee of Atmore; three daughters Emily Ann Thames of Atmore, Barbar Mars, of Toledo, and the Reverend Doris Mars of Toledo; two sons, Anthony Reynolds Harris of Portland, Ore., and Harold Vincent Harris of Toledo; a special nephew, Langston Washington; fifteen grandchildren and sever great grandchildren.
Family and friends are invited to direct cards and messages to Joe Morris and Son Funeral Home, 701 North DeVilliers Street, Pensacola, Fla. 32501.
Rev. Marcus Chandler
MONROEVILLE – The Rev. Marcus Jackson Chandler, age 65, passed away Thursday morning, January 27.
Rev. Chandler attended Monroe County High School and graduated from Asbury College in Wilmore, Kent. in 1963 and from Asbury Theological Seminary in 1965. After graduation from seminary he came back to the Alabama-West Florida Conference where he served churches in Jay, Centerville, Castleberry, and Atmore. Due to failing health he was forced to leave the active ministry in 1994 while he was serving the First United Methodist Church in Atmore.
During the past four years he was confined to his bed and unable to get outside the house. A constant stream of family, friends, and former church members attest to the fact that Marcus lived out in these last days what he had been preaching for 30 years.
He is survived by his wife of 39 1/2 years, Bonnie Franks Chandler; one son, Douglas Chandler of Atmore; one daughter, Dana Jones of Montgomery; five brothers, Rev. Edward Chandler of Niceville, Fla., and Woodrow, Tommy, Roger, and Cecil, all of Monroeville; one sister, Marquerite Morris of Peterman, Ala.; and five grandchildren.
Visitation was held Friday, January 28 at Johnson Funeral Home. Funeral services were held Saturday, January 29 at the Atmore United Methodist Church with Dr. Doug Williams, Dr. Doug Newton, Rev. Alan Ferguson, and Rev. Edward Chandler officiating. Graveside Services were held in Oak Hill Cemetery with Johnson Funeral Home in charge of all arrangements.
In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to either Atmore First United Methodist Church, 311 S. Pensacola Avenue, Atmore, AL 36502 – or to the Peterman United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 52, Peterman, AL 36471.
Franklin McNeal Cannon
BREWTON – Mr. Franklin McNeal Cannon, age 77, passed away on Wednesday, January 26, in a Pensacola hospital.
Mr. Cannon was born in DeFuniak Spring, Fla. and had been a resident of the Brewton area since 1967, coming from Atmore. He was a veteran of the Korean Conflict, having served with the U.S. Navy. Mr. Cannon was an educator and coach. He taught American History, was the basketball coach, and served as athletic director at Jefferson Davis Community College for a number of years. He also worked with little league baseball. He was a member of the N.E.A. and A.E.A. Mr. Cannon was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Brewton.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Tom Cannon of Brewton; three sons, Mickey Cannon of Atmore, Steve Cannon of Pensacola, and Mark Cannon of Brewton; two half-brothers, John Hitson of Atlanta and Larry Hitson of Fish River, Ala.; nine grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held on Saturday, January 29 graveside at Union Cemetery with Rev. John Mathieu officiating.
Visitation was held at Craver's Funeral Home on Saturday.
Craver's Funeral Home directing.
Elizabeth Riley
Detroit, Mich. – Mrs. Elizabeth Riley, age 90, passed away Monday, January 24 at Providence Hospital in Detroit. She was a native of Monroeville and Atmore and a resident of Detroit for many years.
She is survived by four daughters, Minnie Kate Sims of Detroit, Elouise Riley of Los Angeles, Faustine Moore of Houston, and Barbara Riley of Brooklyn, NY; three sons, Jesse and Calvin Riley, both of Brooklyn, and George Riley of Detroit; one sister, Esterlyn Stephens of Orlando; 23 grandchildren and a host of great-grandchildren
Funeral services were held Saturday, January 29, at Second Mt. Triumph Baptist Church in Atmore with the Rev. Joe L. Hayes officiating. Graveside services followed at Stallworth Cemetery in Atmore.
Visitation was held Friday, January 28, at Turner Funeral Chapel.
Turner Funeral Chapel in charge of all arrangements.
Rayford Hagood
ATMORE – Mr. Rayford Hagood, age 60, passed away this week in Atmore.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced later by Turner Funeral Chapel.
J.S. Brown III
ATMORE – The infant J.S. Brown III passed away Friday, January 28 at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time and will be announced later by Turner Funeral Chapel of Atmore.