Nancy Mae Prevatt
STARKE - Nancy Mae Prevatt of Starke died Monday at her son's home in Starke. She was 79.
Mrs. Prevatt retired as a cottage supervisor from Tacachale.
She was a lifelong resident of Starke.
Mrs. Prevatt was a member of Pine Level Baptist Church of Starke.
Survivors include a daughter, Judy Cason of Starke; two sons, Tommie Cason and Ronald Cason, both of Starke; six grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Rudolph Olen Ritch
MORRISTON - Rudolph Olen Ritch of Morriston died Tuesday in Shands at the University of Florida in Gainesville after a brief illness. He was 54.
Mr. Ritch was a farmer and rancher. He also retired as a master sergeant in the U.S. Army after serving in the Vietnam War and receiving a Purple Heart, Bronze Star and other medals.
He was a lifelong resident of Morriston.
Mr. Ritch was a member of Levy and Marion Counties Mounted Posse and the Morriston Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Ruth Ritch of Morriston; a son, Wade Ritch of Gainesville; a stepson, John Aaron Stuckey of Fanning Springs; a stepdaughter, Melanie Ladenheim of Gainesville; his parents, N.R. and Wauna B. Ritch of Morriston; and a sister, Linda Williams of Williston.
Blair Gary Roberts
LAKE BUTLER - Blair Gary Roberts of Lake Butler died Wednesday at St. Joseph's Baptist Hospital in Tampa after a long illness. He was 38.
Mr. Roberts was a former correctional officer for Lawtey Correctional Institution. He also served in the Lake Butler City Council from 1992-96 and was the mayor of Lake Butler from 1993-95.
Born in Augusta, Ga., he moved to Lake Butler 22 years ago. He graduated from Union County High School.
He was past president of the Lake Butler Chamber of Commerce, served on the Board of Directors at the Suwannee River Economic Council of Lake Butler and the Union County 4-H.
Mr. Roberts was a member of First Christian Church and of the Masonic Lodge No. 52, both in Lake Butler.
Survivors include his wife, Rhonda L. Roberts of Lake Butler; his parents, Gary H. and Barbara A. Roberts of Lake Butler; a brother, Steven C. "Curtis" Roberts of Grapevine, Texas; his maternal grandmother, Emaline Dockery of Lake Butler; his maternal grandfather, Russell Yarbrough of Jacksonville; and his paternal grandfather, Leland R. Brallier of Lake Butler.
Estelle C. Hingson
DOWLING PARK - Estelle C. Hingson Rudd of Dowling Park died Wednesday at the Good Samaritan Center in Dowling Park after a long illness. She was 77.
Mrs. Rudd was a homemaker and a member of Wellborn Baptist Church.
She was a lifelong resident of Suwannee County.
Survivors include a daughter, Jean Andrews of Live Oak; four sons, Charles Hingson, Jimmy Hingson, Edward Hingson and Henry Hingson, all of Live Oak; 10 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
Abraham Smith Jr.
Abraham Smith Jr. of Gainesville died Sunday due to injuries suffered in the same auto accident that killed his daughter, Danielle Smith. He was 42.
Mr. Smith was a sergeant at the Department of Corrections in Starke.
Born in Tallahassee, he moved to Gainesville several years ago.
Survivors include a son, Dakota Betterson of Starke; a daughter, Dalice Betterson of Starke; his mother, Viola Smith of Tallahassee; two brothers, Willie Lewis Smith of Tallahassee and Kenneth Smith of Albany, Ga.; six sisters, Beverly Pelsey of Atlanta, Daisy Smith, Gwen McGee, Belinda Green-Musawa and Edith Green, all of Tallahassee, and Diane Garrett of Havana.
Charles Williams Sr.
Charles Williams Sr. of Gainesville died Saturday at Veterans Affairs Medical Center after a long illness. He was 79.
Mr. Williams was a retired carpenter for Tacachale. He also served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Born in Gainesville, he moved from Saint Maurice, La., back to Gainesville 42 years ago.
He was a deacon at First Missionary Baptist Church, where he was a former chairman of the Deacons Board and of the Finance Committee, former member of the Trustee Board and a member of the Brotherhood Organization.
Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Luezella Gistand-Williams of Gainesville; eight sons, the Rev. Charles Williams Jr., Eddie Williams, Stanley Williams, Jeffrey Williams and Gregory Williams, all of Gainesville, Alphonso Williams of Orlando, Danniecq Williams of St. Petersburg and Leonard Williams of Macon, Ga.; six daughters, Brenda W. Thomas, Jacquelyn Williams, Sheila W. Waldon, Monica W. McGuire and Cassandra W. Jackson, all of Gainesville, and Cynthia W. Wright of Fayetteville, N.C.; a brother, Alphonso Williams of Tampa; 41 grandchildren; and 28 great-grandchildren.
David Eugene Williams Sr.
David Eugene "Sonny" "Steamboat" Williams Sr. of Gainesville died Tuesday at North Florida Regional Medical Center. He was 67.
Mr. Williams was born in Copeland.
He was a member of Williams Memorial Church of God In Christ in Gainesville.
Mr. Williams enjoyed gardening and fishing.
He was preceded in death by a son, Larry Williams.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Williams of Waycross, Ga.; four sons, David Williams Jr. of Orlando, Ronnie Williams of Kansas City, Kan., Jerry Williams of Kansas City and Glen Williams of Gainesville; two daughters, Priscilla Ann Lewis and Melinda Gail Williams, both of Waycross; two brothers, the Rev. Frank Williams and Curtis Williams, both of Gainesville; four sisters, Dorothy Coward of Gainesville, Alice Hamlet and Edna Blake, both of St. Petersburg, and Willette Walker of Baltimore; 32 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.
Alga Rose-Marie Werther Batten
BRONSON - Alga Rose-Marie Werther Batten of Bronson died Sunday in Williston after a long illness. She was 65.
Mrs. Batten was a homemaker.
Born in Purling, N.Y., she moved from Miami to Bronson 20 years ago.
Survivors include her husband, Rexford J. Batten of Bronson; a son, Dexter Lee Batten of Bronson; a daughter, Juanita Batten of Bronson; and one grandchild.
Virgil F. Holtsclaw
EARLETON - Virgil F. Holtsclaw of Earleton died Monday at North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville. He was 81.
Mr. Holtsclaw was a retired farmer and cattleman. He also served in the U.S. Army.
Born in Dixon, Mo., he moved from Trenton to Earleton 11 years ago.
Mr. Holtsclaw was the state director of the Florida Farm Bureau Federation for 14 years. He has been president of St. Petersburg Rotary International, the Trenton Chamber of Commerce and the Gilchrist County Cattleman's Association, also in Trenton. He was known as the "legendary" fisherman of Little Lake Santa Fe.
Mr. Holtsclaw was a member of the Trinity Baptist Church in Earleton. When he lived in Trenton he was a member of the First Baptist Church of Trenton.
Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Y. Holtsclaw of Earleton; two daughters, Patricia Brock of Jacksonville and Ann Cottongim of Panama City; and four grandchildren.
