William C. Nixon
William C. Nixon of Gainesville died Sunday in Gainesville. He was 72.
Mr. Nixon was born in Judsonia, Ark., and moved to Gainesville from Newport, Ark., in 1954.
He was a retired construction superintendent, a member of R.T. Schaeffer Masonic Lodge 350, a Boy Scout troop leader and a member of North Central Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Betty Jean Nixon of Gainesville; three sons, C. Michael Nixon, C. David Nixon and Mitchell Nixon, all of Gainesville; two sisters, Frieda M. Meharg and Brenda C. Slaughter, both of Searcy, Ark.; one brother, Billy W. Nixon of Judsonia; seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Milton Leroy Christmas
OLD TOWN -- Milton Leroy Christmas died Sunday after a long illness. He was 70.
Mr. Christmas served in the U.S. Army. He was a heavy-equipment operator, and he was a Baptist.
Survivors include his wife, Betty, of Old Town; three daughters, Kathy Christmas of Groveland, Kim Christmas of Old Town and Karol Christmas of Fort Lauderdale; three brothers, Carson Christmas of Shellman, Ga.; Otis Christmas of Cuthbert, Ga., and Jimmy Christmas of Old Town; four sisters, Agnes McCardle of Lake City, Merline Clements of Camilla, Ga., Nadine Hartley of Gadsden, Ala., and Latrelle Milner of Albany, Ga.; two grandchildren; and three great- grandchildren.
Arrangements by Rick Gooding Funeral Home.
Jerial Elder Edenfield
LAKE CITY -- Jerial Elder Edenfield died Saturday in the Veterans Affairs Nursing Center in Lake City following an extended illness. He was 79.
Mr. Edenfield was born in Union County and lived in Lake City since 1965.
He was a highway foreman with the state Department of Transportation, and he served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Mr. Edenfield was a member of the Lake City Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Disabled American Veterans and Latern Park Baptist Church.
Mr. Edenfield was preceded in death by his first wife, Anna Edenfield, and his second wife, Lucille Hughes Edenfield.
Survivors include a daughter, Oudra Thomas of Lake City; one grandson; one great-grand- daughter; and caretakers Carol and Pauline Bielling of Providence.
Arrangements by Archer Funeral Home.
Allan F. Gotro
Allan F. Gotro of Gainesville died Saturday in Shands at AGH following an auto accident. He was 81.
Mr. Gotro was born in Detroit and moved to Gainesville from Novi, Mich., in 1958.
He was a shop foreman with the Gainesville Housing Authority, the owner of Allan's Beauty Shop for 30 years, a licensed cosmetologist and a skilled cabinetmaker, working in the University of Florida cabinet shop.
He served with the Coast Guard in World War II and was present at the Normandy invasion and the North African invasion. He received a Purple Heart.
Mr. Gotro was a member of North Central Baptist Church, was a former deacon at Calvary Baptist Church and sang with the Barber Gators, a barbershop quartet, for many years.
Survivors include his wife of 56 years, Minnie; two sons, Michael Gotro of Laguna Hills, Calif., and Tom Gotro of Gainesville; one daughter, Sally Hall of Gainesville; two sisters, Norm Asborno of California and Florence Pantalone of Michigan; one brother, Robert Gotro of Michigan; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Arrangements by Forest Meadows Funeral Home.
Frances Beda Lambert
STEINHATCHEE -- Frances Beda Lambert died Friday in her home. She was 91.
Mrs. Lambert was born in Poplar, Wis., and moved to Steinhatchee in 1969. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include a son, Devere C. Lambert of Steinhatchee; four brothers, Mervin and Lloyd Woodhull, both of Poplar, Robert Woodhull of Steinhatchee and Douglas Woodhull of Buffalo, Minn.; and eight grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; and four great- great-grandchildren.
Arrangements by Joe P. Burns Funeral Home.
John R. Benson Jr.
John R. Benson Jr. of Gainesville died July 22 at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. He was 53.
Mr. Benson was born in New York and was a laborer. He also served four years in the U.S. Navy, and was a member of the Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Sandra Benson of Gainesville; sons, Andre Benson of El Chaon, Calif., and John R. Benson III of San Diego, Calif.; daughters, Kimberly LaMar of California and Sonja Ricks of Atlanta; a brother, Charles Benson of Charlotte, N.C.; sisters, Hortence Nickerlson and Yvonne Cox, both of New York, and Omera Hayes and Beverly Benson, both of Charlotte, N.C.
Arrangements by Chestnut Funeral Home of Gainesville.
Lola M. Crouch
FORT MYERS - Lola M. Crouch of Fort Myers died Friday in Fort Myers. She was 73.
Born in Richton, Miss., she lived in Gainesville, Jacksonville and Hallandale before moving to Fort Myers 16 years ago. She graduated from Gainesville High School in 1945.
Mrs. Crouch was a homemaker, a Baptist and a choir director at the First Baptist Church in Hallandale.
Survivors include her husband of 55 years, S. Lee Crouch; her mother, Grace Fagan of Gainesville; a son, Samuel Lee "Sam" Crouch Jr. of Fort Myers; daughters, Sherri Lynn Colbert of Clermont, Rebecca Grace Fiala of Pembroke Pines and Cynthia Lola Gunter of Budapest, Hungary; brothers, Osee R. Fagan of Gainesville, The Rev. A.R. Fagan of Springfield, Tenn., and I.T. Fagan Jr. of Sebring; sisters, Jayne Hope of Gainesville and Carolyn Prescott of Arcadia; 10 grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren
Arrangements by Williams-Thomas Funeral Home
Floyd J. Dees
BRANFORD - Floyd J. Dees of Branford died Friday at the VA Hospital in Lake City. He was 64.
Mr. Dees worked for Thomas Chevrolet in Perry. He also was a U.S. Navy veteran.
He was a lifelong resident of Branford and a member of Walker Creek Bethel Baptist Church.
Survivors include a daughter, Debbie Hilhorst of Roanoke Rapids, N.C.; a son, Robert J. "Bob" Dees of Nashville, N.C.; a sister, Mae Wigglesworth of Valdosta, Ga.; a brother, Rudolph "Rudy" Dees of Jacksonville; and three grandchildren.
Arrangements by Daniels Funeral Home of Branford.
Johnnie Matthew Holden Jr.
Johnnie Matthew Holden Jr. of LeCanto died Friday in Gainesville after a long illness. He was 63.
Mr. Holden was a construction worker.
He was born in Cross City and enjoyed fishing.
Survivors include sisters, Winsom Chewning of Cross City, Veleria Jean Sims of Floral City and Patricia Liles of Chiefland.
Arrangements by Rick Gooding Funeral Home.
Kenneth Joseph Roark
OCALA - Kenneth "Kenny" Joseph Roark of Ocala died Friday at Hospice House of Marion County. He was 48.
Mr. Roark was a paint and body mechanic.
Born in Lebanon, Mo., he moved from Gainesville to Ocala 10 years ago.
Survivors include his wife, Faye M. Roark of Ocala; a son, Eric Roark of Ocala; his mother, Zella Roark of Lebanon, Mo.; and brothers, Danny Roark of Kansas City, Mo.; and Steve Roark of Lebanon.
Arrangements by Watson Funeral Home.
Milton A. Anderson
WINTER PARK -- Lt. Col. Milton A. Anderson of Winter Park died Thursday at Shands at the University of Florida. He was 80.
Mr. Anderson was born in Rexburg, Idaho, and moved to Winter Park from Lake City in 1970.
He served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II as a pilot in the 56th Fighter Group and served for 28 more years, including a tour of duty in South Vietnam.
He retired from the Air Force in 1968.
Mr. Anderson sang in the Protestant Chapel Choir and was involved in vocal and instrumental music in Central Florida.
Local survivors include his daughter, Dr. Susan E. Anderson of Gainesville.
Tommie Land Chancellor
CROSS CITY -- Tommie Land Chancellor, a lifelong resident of Cross City, died Tuesday in Cross City. She was 88.
Mrs. Chancellor was a homemaker and a member of First Baptist Church of Cross City.
She was preceded in death by her first husband, Lester Land; and a foster son, Robert Swan.
Survivors include her husband, E.G. Chancellor of Chancellor, Ala.; four stepdaughters, two stepsons and many nieces and nephews.
