Huge Marriages Search Engine!
April 9, 2003
LOYCE D. ADAMS
SYLACAUGA — Funeral service for Loyce D. Adams, 79, will be Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at First United Methodist Church in Sylacauga with Dr. Todd Henderson and the Rev. Bob Gunn officiating. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery
in Sylacauga.
Mrs. Adams died April 7. She was an active member of the Dee Dee Craddock Sunday School Class at the First United Methodist Church of Sylacauga, Matron's Study Club, Camelia Garden Club, the Wednesday and Thursday Bridge Clubs of Sylacauga and various school PTA organizations and service league. She was married for 56 years. She was preceded in death by a grandson, Michael Brian Acklin, and her parents, William Wynton Dunn and Eula Inez Dunn.
She is survived by her husband, Dr. Paul D. Adams Sr. of Sylacauga; two sons, Paul Donald Adams Jr. of Birmingham and William W. Adams of Upper Montclair, N.J.; two daughters, Mary Francis (Mickey) Orton and Ann Jordan Jenkins of Sylacauga; one brother, Grady Dunn of Wilmer; 12 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First United Methodist Church of Sylacauga, 105 E. Spring St., Sylacauga, Ala., 35150, B.B. Comer Memorial Library, 314 N. Broadway, Sylacauga, Ala., 35150, Sylacauga School Foundation, 605 W. 4th St., Sylacauga, Ala., 35150, Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, 3800 Ridgeway Drive, Birmingham, Ala., 35209, or Kid One, P.O. Box 360943, Birmingham, Ala., 35236.
The family will receive friends Wednesday from 6 until 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Pallbearers will be Corey Brazier, Matt Taylor, Robert Brown, Travis McKay, Wes Dunn, Jody Dunn and Matt Dunn.
The Dee Dee Craddock Sunday School Class of First United Methodist Church and Matron's Study Club will serve as honorary pallbearers.
You may contact the family at www.radneysmith.com.
Radney-Smith Funeral Home in Sylacauga will direct the service.
BETTY JO HATCHETT
SYLACAUGA — Funeral service for Betty Jo Hatchett, 65, will be Thursday at 2 p.m. at Radney-Smith Funeral Home chapel in Sylacauga with the Rev. Chuck Kornegay officiating. Burial will be in Fayetteville Methodist Cemetery.
Mrs. Hatchett died April 7 at Coosa Valley BMC in Sylacauga. She was a member of Trinity Baptist Church and the Adult Senior Sunday School Class. She was married for 45 years and was a graduate of Fayetteville High School. She was preceded in death by her parents, Howard W. and Gertrude Usrey, and a brother, Jerry Usrey.
She is survived by her husband, Thomas E. Hatchett Sr. of Sylacauga; two sons, Thomas E. Hatchett Jr. and Joseph C. Hatchett of Sylacauga; two brothers, Charles Usrey of Selma and Bill Usrey of Houston, Texas; and three sisters, Helen Hammonds and Shirley Butler of Fayetteville and Kay Davis of Sylacauga.
You may contact the family at www.radneysmith.com.
The family will receive friends Wednesday from 5 until 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Radney-Smith Funeral Home in Sylacauga will direct the service.
LINDA ANDREWS
SYLACAUGA — Linda Andrews, 55, died April 8 in Birmingham.
Funeral arrangements will be announced by Radney-Smith Funeral Home in Sylacauga.
VERA BURNS
SYLACAUGA — Vera Burns, 71, died April 6.
Funeral arrangements will be announced by Madden's Funeral Home.
GAIL PITTS HERRINGTON
SYLACAUGA — Funeral service for Gail Pitts Herrington, 51, will be Thursday at 2 p.m. at Langley Funeral Home chapel in Camp Hill with Brother Miles Crouch officiating. Burial will be in Dadeville City Cemetery.
Mrs. Herrington died April 7. She was born July 27, 1951.
She is survived by her husband, Dennis Herrington of Sylacauga; daughter, Stephanie (Mark) McDickinson of Sylacauga; son, Wade (Sarah) McClellan of Sylacauga; three brothers, Roger (Vicki) Pitts of Key West, Fla., Ronnie (Mona) Pitts of Alexander City and Barry (Tina) Pitts of Dadeville; sister, Sharon Goodwin of Dadeville; two grandchildren, Chaz McDickinson and Chanisty McDickinson of Sylacauga; and several nieces and nephews.
Langley Funeral Home in Camp Hill will direct the service.
THE REV. JOHN MARTIN PATTERSON
Talladega's business and religious communities mourned the death Monday of the Rev. John Martin Patterson, 76, of Talladega. Rev. Patterson died at Bill Nichols State Veterans Home in Alexander City.
Although Patterson had three distinct careers in his lifetime, as a soldier, business owner and minister, his spiritual work was always of paramount importance to him. He earned a doctor of divinity degree from Bethany Theological Seminary in 1998, when he was 70 years old. He was honored as the Baptist Minister of the Year by Samford University the following year.
Prior to that, he served as interim pastor at churches all over the world. "He won many hundreds of people to Christ, and baptized many of them himself," his daughter said. "And 99 percent of the time, he was just working as a volunteer, for no pay."
He was affiliated with Central Baptist Church, which he represented as a delegate at the Baptist Convention, and joined a group of other Baptist pastors touring the former Soviet Union in 1996.
Closer to home, he also helped restart Ironaton Baptist Church, which had been closed, using his money for several of the necessary renovations and repairs.
A native and lifelong resident of Talladega County, Patterson joined the U.S. Army in 1943, and retired with honors at the rank of lieutenant colonel 30 years later. During his years of military service, he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal with Oak Leaf Clusters and two Bronze Stars, for service in World War II and Vietnam.
He graduated from Howard College, now Samford University, in 1960. During the 1970s, he was instrumental in starting an ROTC program at Talladega High School.
He was also the founder Patterson Insurance and Realty, which was owned and operated by Allstate. He was honored as Realtor of the Year on two occasions in the 1980s, and was president of the Exchange Club and the Board of Realtors. He served on the boards of numerous civic organizations, as well, and ran unsuccessfully for the Senate.
Property assessor and Lincoln Mayor Lew Watson said Tuesday he was "deeply saddened over the loss of Rev. Patterson. He was a close friend, who helped me out when I first came back to this area. He was warm, caring, and deeply devoted to Christ and to church work.
"And he always exhibited that in his work and in his daily life," Watson continued. "He practiced what he preached, and he walked the walk. He had a great sense of humor, and was the sort of positive person you need to make the world a better place. The world is a less wonderful place without him."
Jack Clark, who bought Patterson Realty and Insurance in 1997, agreed, saying he was "always a good Christian man, in his business and personal life. I had known him since 1985, 12 years before I bought the business, and he was always a friendly competitor as well as a friend. He was always an asset to our professions."
David Owen of Thackerson Realty in Talladega said he had known Patterson for "25 years, maybe more. And my wife's parents knew him for longer than that. He worked with us for a while after he retired from the service and got his real estate license. Then more recently, he's been my neighbor for the last several years. He will be sorely missed.
"He always kind of kept that sort of military air about him, sometimes he could come on a little strong," Owen continued. "But he only gave back as good as he got, and I know he loved every bit of it. He was a good man to work with. The first time I was asked to be president of the Board of Realtors, I was actually following him. When I asked him for some feedback, he said as long as I was my own man and nobody's puppet, he'd back me 100 percent. I really appreciated that, because I knew he had been there before me."
Owen added that he and Patterson also had a common interest in missionary work. "We never went on any missions together, but it was something else we had in common, something we could talk about. He was a good man, a straight shooter, and he'd always tell you what he thought without beating around the bush."
Funeral service will be Thursday at 11 a.m. at Talladega Funeral Home chapel with Dr. Luther Williams and Retired Colonel Harvey Stewart officiating. Burial with full military honors will follow in Oak Hill Cemetery.
He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Alice M. Patterson of Talladega; two daughters, Sandra J. Saucier (Greg) of Talladega and Kathy Burgess (Keith) of Old Hickory, Tenn.; one sister, Ruth Chandler of Birmingham; five grandchildren, Margie Bohanon, Roderick Bohanon (Janet), Brandy Bohanon, Allison Burgess and Amy Burgess; and three great-grandchildren, Ryan and Tyler Bohanon and Gabriel Miller.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, and a son, Bill Patterson.
military honor guard will be pallbearers.
The family will receive friends Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Talladega Funeral Home will direct the service.
LYNN BLAKE SPRUIELL
LEEDS — Funeral service for Lynn Blake Spruiell, 85, was Tuesday at Leeds First Presbyterian Church. Burial was in Forest Crest Cemetery.
Mr. Spruiell died April 6 at his residence. He was a pharmacist and business owner in Leeds for more than 25 years. He enjoyed woodworking, yard work and was a certified pilot. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lindley and Zada Spruiell, and a sister, Elaine Spruiell.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Bess Spruiell; sons, William V. Spruiell of Leeds, Neal Spruiell of Birmingham and Scott Spruiell of Birmingham; three grandchildren; and one brother, Dr. Vann Spruiell.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice or Leeds First Presbyterian Church.
Kilgroe Funeral Home in Leeds directed the service.
HELEN L. THOMPSON
SYLACAUGA — Funeral service for Helen L. Thompson, 78, will be Thursday at 2 p.m. at Midway Memory Gardens Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Jerry Pilkington officiating. Burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery.
Mrs. Thompson died April 8 at Coosa Valley BMC. She was a native of Georgia and had lived most of her life in Talladega County. She was a retired textile worker and a Pentecostal by faith. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack Thompson; two sisters, Troy Gooden and Geraldine Pilkington; and two brothers, Duncan A. Deason and George E. Deason.
She is survived by one brother, Willie P. Deason of Childersburg; and several nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be Jarrad Pilkington, James Deason and Timothy Gentry.
The family will receive friends Wednesday from 6 until 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Midway Memory Gardens Funeral Home will direct the service.
CHRISTOPHER WALTON JR.
GOODWATER — Graveside service for Christopher Walton Jr. will be Wednesday at 4 p.m. in Marietta Cemetery.
The infant died April 7 at University Hospital.
Wright's Funeral Home will direct the service.
