By Staff
Click link for 2-26-06 Obits
Bertha Mae Lamar
BAY MINETTE – Mrs. Bertha Mae Lamar, 87, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2006 at North Baldwin Infirmary.
Mrs. Lamar was a native of Sandy Ridge, Ala. and a resident of Bay Minette for many years. She was a member of Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Bay Minette and a domestic worker.
Mrs. Lamar's husband, Mark Lamar Sr.; father, Preston McQueen; mother, Viola Williams and son, the Rev. Mark Lamar Jr. preceded her in death.
Survivors include, daughters Fannie James and Lizzie Andrews, both of Bay Minette and Magnolia (Gailkeith) Thomas of Mobile; son, Joseph (Mary) Lamar of Bay Minette; sister, Fannie L. McQueen Clayton of Mobile; 13 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Bay Minette with the Rev. E.J. Johnson officiating. Burial followed in Mutual Aid in Bay Minette.
A public visitation was held from 2 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24 at the Chapel. Family received friends from noon until 1 on Saturday, Feb. 25 at the church.
Turner Funeral Chapel was in charge of all arrangements.
Bobby Knight
CENTURY – Mr. Bobby Knight, 57, of Century passed away Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2006 at a Jay, Fla. hospital.
Mr. Knight was a native of Greenville, a member of Pilgrim Lodge Baptist Church in Century, Fla. and a truck driver for USA Cement Company in Atmore.
Mr. Knight's mother, Bernice Knight; father, George Knight and brother, Larris Lydell Smiley, preceded him in death.
Survivors include, his wife, Alberta Knight; daughters, Veronica (George) Dubose, Wanda (Jettrey) Taylor, Trina Knight and Donneice (Mandrick) Hall, all of Century, Fla.; nine sisters, Mary Alice Smiley (Charlie) Grice, Janice Smiley, Vanessa Smiley and Mona Smiley, all of Century, Fla., Linda Smiley (Allen) Dortch and Jerlynnel (Cecil) Hudson, both of Atmore, Joyce Smiley Triplett, Rosa Smiley and Jacqulin Smiley, all of Detroit, Mich.; brother, George Smiley Jr. and 14 grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Pilgrim Lodge Baptist Church in Century, Fla. with the Rev. Leonard Watson officiating. Burial followed at Century Cemetery in Century.
A public visitation was held from 2:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24 at the Pilgrim Lodge Baptist Church Chapel. Family received friends from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Turner Funeral Chapel was in charge of all arrangements.
Connie "Johnny" Lee Courtney
ATMORE – Mr. Connie "Johnny" Lee Courtney, 61, of the Little Rock Community in Atmore passed away Sunday, Feb. 19, 2006 at Mobile Infirmary.
Mr. Courtney was a lifetime resident of the Flomaton-Atmore communities. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and a welder by trade. Mr. Courtney was of the Baptist faith. His father, Woodrow Courtney Sr. preceded him in death.
Survivors include, his wife, Sandra Black Courtney of the Little Rock Community; mother, Lula Kearley of Flomaton; son, Johnny Lee (Jamie) Courtney of Mesa, Ariz.; brother, Woodrow (Judy) Courtney Jr. of Flomaton; sisters, Dot (Bo) Brantley of Flomaton and Sheila (Mike) Bickley of Acworth, Ga.; special daughters, Sheri (Steven) Ray of Brewton and Paula (Robbie) Ferguson of Pensacola, Fla. and grandchildren, Cheyenne Courtney, Jonathan Taylor, Samantha and Courtney Ray and two special Angels on the way.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at Flomaton Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Shelton Kindig officiating. Interment will follow at Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ in Atmore with Flomaton Funeral Home directing.
Visitation was held from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at the Flomaton Funeral Home.
Pallbearers were Wesley Parker, Stephen Waguespack, Bo McCall, Micah McCall, Josh McCall and Jaye Fisher. Honorary pallbearers will be Millard Peacock, Gary Bailey, Johnny Holland, Charles Stark, Johnny Buckhault and Walter Porz.
Edith Erlene Gilmore Norwood
FRANKLIN – Edith Erlene Gilmore Norwood, 77, of Franklin, Ala. passed away Feb. 24, 2006 at her home.
Mrs. Norwood, a homemaker, was a retired resident of Franklin and had lived in Monroe County most of her life. Mrs. Norwood was well known for her cooking.
Survivors include, her husband, James E. Norwood of Franklin; sons, DeWayne (Kathy) Crum of Frisco City, Thomas E. (Ruby) Norwood of Excel and John A. (Julia) of Atmore; daughter, Roberta (James) Stabler of Franklin; brother, Martin Bryant Gilmore of Pace, Fla.; 17 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 26 at Faith Chapel Assembly of God Church in Franklin with Sister Mary Watford Stabler officiating. Burial will follow in Monroe Memorial Gardens in Monroeville.
Visitation was held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Faith Chapel Assembly of God Church in Franklin.
Isaac Brown
BRATT – Mr. Isaac Brown, 67, passed away Thursday, Feb. 23, 2006 at a local hospital.
Mr. Brown was a native of Molino, Fla., and a resident of Bratt, Fla. for the past four years. He was a retired employee with the Alabama Department of Corrections after 30 years and attended the Union Primitive Baptist Church.
Mr. Brown's parents, Van and Maggie Brown; three brothers, Van Brown Jr., Edward Brown and Harvey Brown and four sisters, Effie Broxton, Ida Mae White, Doris Simpson and Shirley Willis, preceded him in death.
Survivors include, his wife of 46 years, Delois Brown of Bratt, Fla.; two sons, Dewayne and Pam Brown of Davisville, Fla. and Keith Brown of Bratt, Fla.; three grandchildren, Brittney Brown, Colton Brown and Christopher Brown and two brothers, Harold Brown and Troy Brown, both of McDavid, Fla.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 26 at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Elder Harold Brown officiating. Burial will follow at Little Flock Cemetery in Molino, Fla.
Visitation was held from 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Eddie Brown, Mike Johnson, Dale Townson, Steven Brown, Bobby Simpson and Steve Brown.
Opal Virginia Smith
CANOE – Mrs. Opal Virginia Smith, 75, passed away Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2006 at a Pensacola hospital.
Mrs. Smith was a native of Atmore and a resident of Canoe for the past 22 years. She was a dedicated and loving wife, mother and grandmother, a retired employee of VF Mills after 22 years and attended the Baptist Church.
Mrs. Smith's daughter, Linda Phillips, and sister, Frances Crutchfield preceded her in death.
Survivors include, her husband, Joel W. Smith of Canoe; son, Lavon Smith of Atmore; daughter, Janet McCullough of Austin, Texas; 11 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; two brothers, Rual Odom Jr. of Lakeland, Fla. and Leo Odom of Atmore and two sisters, Voncille Shipp of Canoe and Charlotte Williams of Walnut Hill, Fla.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with the Rev. Earl Harrison officiating. Burial followed at Serenity Garden Cemetery.
Visitation was held from noon until 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers were Joseph Smith, Jonathan Guyton, Johnny Morris, Teddy Peacock, Jason Donaldson, Tony Odom, Kenneth Odom and Ricky Morgan.
Ruby Lee Luker
BAY MINETTE – Mrs. Ruby Lee Luker, 87, of Bay Minette died Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2006 in Bay Minette.
Mrs. Luker was a homemaker, born in Chipley, Fla. on May 18, 1918 to the late Floyd Edward and Bessie Belle Walsingham Luker.
Mrs. Luker's husband, Shelton Luker, preceded her in death.
Survivors include, her five daughters, Carole Ann Self of Molino, Fla., Janie Lininger of Fredrickburg, Texas, Lynn Gallaspy of Gulf Breeze, Fla. Sara Horn of Walnut Hill, Fla. and Lisa Dooley off Bay Minette; brother, Moody Steadham of Fairhope; three sisters, Ollie McPhaul and Mable Everette, both of Bay Minette and Willie Troutman of Atmore; 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2006 from the First Baptist Patterson Chapel with Tommy Oliver and Lisa Dooley officiating. Interment followed in Oak Hill Cemetery in Atmore.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home, Inc. of Atmore as in charge of all arrangements.