Huge Marriages Search Engine!
July 02, 2004
Sexton funeral service Saturday
Talladega is mourning the loss of fire Capt. Joey Sexton, one of the city's longest serving firefighters, who died Wednesday afternoon.
Funeral service for Capt. Sexton, 48, of 114 Debbie St., Talladega, will be Saturday, July 3, at 4 p.m. at Talladega Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Randy Ingram and the Rev. Bobby Langley officiating. Burial will follow in Mt. Olive Baptist Cemetery.
A native and lifelong resident of Talladega County, Capt. Sexton served in the Talladega Fire Department for 24 years. He was an avid outdoorsman, and was of the Baptist faith. He was preceded in death by his father, Jeff Jackson Sexton, and a brother, Mynus J. Sexton.
Talladega Fire Chief K.D. Dickerson said Capt. Sexton "was my senior captain. We came up through the ranks together. We worked together for 23 years, and we both started out as firefighters working on the same shift. His passing is a loss not only to the Fire Department but to the community at large. He was very much a people person."
Dickerson added that he was in Gulf Shores for a fire chief's convention when he heard the news. "It's something I'm still wrestling with," he said, "something I'll never get over. He was a really dear friend to me, one of the closest friends I have."
Dickerson's predecessor, former Chief Roy Johnson, spoke equally highly of Capt. Sexton. "He was my lieutenant at Station Two in Brecon when I was chief," Johnson said. "I believe he had one of the best work records in the department. He always did an outstanding job, and he was conscientious to the point that he would come to work even if he was sick. The whole time we worked together, I couldn't have asked for a better firefighter or a better officer. I wish I had had a dozen more like him. I was dumbfounded when I heard the news."
Former Capt. Ardith Graves, who recently retired from the Fire Department, felt the same way. "I'm very saddened," he said. "This was so unexpected. It's hard to think of this happening to a comrade, someone who was like a brother to you on the job. He seemed so full of life, and he was always good to work with. You could always count on him, not just at work, but to help out with home or family problems, too. He always made himself available.
This is a sad day," Graves added. "It's just been hard all around. It's still hard for me to grasp."
Talladega City Councilman Charles Pope serves as the council's liaison to the Fire Department. "I believe Capt. Sexton was a great firefighter, very dedicated to his job and highly respected by myself and by his fellow firefighters. It's always very hard to lose someone like him."
City manager Thomas Christie said Thursday that "the entire city, staff and council are saddened by the sudden passing of Capt. Sexton. He was a very experienced, long-serving firefighter, and he will be missed. Our thoughts, prayers and support go out to his family, and the city will be hard pressed to find a replacement of his caliber.
We will do our best to conduct our part of the service in a way that will bring honor to Capt. Sexton and his family."
Capt. Sexton is survived by his wife, Barbara Sexton of Talladega; two daughters, Sheila Hall and husband Rod and Michelle Gortney of Talladega; one sister, Diana Nix of Auburn; his mother, Sallie Mae Sexton of Talladega; three grandchildren, Matthew Daniel Pruitt, Mark Alexander Pruitt and Mason Augustus Pruitt.
Members of the Talladega City Fire Department's A shift and Johnny Young will serve as active pallbearers.
Talladega firefighters and police officers will serve as honorary pallbearers.
The family received friends Thursday at 6 p.m., and will continue Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Talladega Funeral Home will direct the service.
July 02, 2004
GERTRUDE WAITES AVERY
WILSONVILLE Funeral service for Gertrude Waites Avery, 91, of 3 Avery Drive, Wilsonville, will be Saturday, July 3, at 1 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Wilsonville with the Rev. W.J. Posey and the Rev. Troy Holley officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.
Mrs. Avery died June 27 at her residence. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Wilsonville, where she was a member of the Missionary Society and the choir. She was also a member of the 4H Club and Food Kitchen Ministries.
She is survived by four sons, Thomas Avery of Detroit, Mich., James Avery of Jacksonville, Fla., and Larry Avery and Charles Avery of Wilsonville; six daughters, Betty Rode of East Elmhurst, N.Y., Ida Avery, Bobbie Nims, Cherrie Wells and Yvonne Walker of Jacksonville, Fla.; 30 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren; and a host of other relatives and friends.
Pallbearers will be Thomas Avery, James Avery, Charlie Avery, Larry Avery, Donald Avery and Ronald Avery. Flower bearers will be her grandchildren.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home Friday at from noon to 9 p.m., with a family hour from 5 to 6 p.m.
Community Funeral Home will direct the service.
WILLIE PAULINE TUBBS COCHRAN
TALLADEGA Funeral service for Willie Pauline Tubbs Cochran of 407 Avenue H, Talladega, will be Saturday July 3, at 1 p.m. at Greater Ebenezer Baptist Church with the Rev. B.E. McKinney officiating. Burial will follow in Kelly Springs Memorial Gardens.
Mrs. Cochran died June 29 at her residence. A member of Greater Ebenezer Baptist Church, she was the pianist for the McKinney Singers, and was also a musician at the Howard Chapel CME Church. She graduated from Dunbar High School in Bessemer, then went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Alabama State College for Negroes (Alabama State University) and a Master of Education from Tuskegee Institute. She also earned an AA certification from the University of Montevallo. She participated in the 50th Anniversary of the Class of 1951, May 12, 2001, at Alabama State University. She was inducted into the Talladega Teachers Hall of Fame 1978-1979. She retired from the Talladega County School System (Ophelia S. Hill Elementary School in Munford) on May 14, 1987, after 39 years of dedicated service in the education field.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter Cochran; her daughter, Ola Pauline Cochran Smith; and her parents, Luther and Ola Jane Gatewood Tubbs.
She is survived by her daughter, Waltae LaDell Cochran; her grandson, Walter Lyndell Knight; her granddaughter, Terencea LaMontika Holtzclaw; two sisters-in-law, Geneva C. Cochran and Marion (John) Parrish of Jackson, Miss.; and one brother-in-law, Thomas Cochran.
Knoxville Lodge #650 will serve as pallbearers.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home Friday at 6 p.m.
Sims Funeral Service will direct the service.
FLORINE AUGUSTA FOSTER
SYLACAUGA Funeral service for Florine Augusta Foster, 83, of 23 Oden Drive, Sylacauga, will be Saturday, July 3, at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas United Methodist Church with the Rev. Richard L. Stryker III officiating. Burial will follow in Evergreen Memorial Cemetery.
Mrs. Foster died June 30 at her home. She was a member of St. Thomas United Methodist Church, where she was a class leader and a member of the United Methodist Women's Willing Worker Circle.
She is survived by two daughters, Barbara Jacobs of Birmingham and Glenda Jackson of Sylacauga; six sons, Benjamin Garrett, Gregory Foster, Earnest Lynn Foster and Rayfield Foster of Sylacauga, Ronnie Foster of Hoover and Clarence Foster of Sylacauga; 18 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and a host of other relatives and friends.
Pallbearers will be Omar Jacobs, Gregory Foster Jr., Sandor Jacobs, Taegren Garrett, Folley Foster, Terrence Foster, Travada Jordan and Marcus Jacobs. Flower bearers will be United Methodist Women's Willing Worker Circle and friends of the family.
The family will receive friends at the funeral home Friday from noon to 9 p.m., with family hour from 6 to 7 p.m.
Community Funeral Home will direct the service.
ERBIE GORDON COST
SYLACAUGA Funeral service for Erbie Gordon Cost, 68, of Sylacauga, will be Friday, July 2, at 11 a.m. at Radney-Smith Funeral Home chapel in Sylacauga with Brother Harold Peters officiating. Burial will follow in Evergreen Cemetery
in Sylacauga.
Mr. Cost died June 30 at Coosa Valley Baptist Medical Center. He attended First Church of God and was retired from Kimberly-Clark Corporation. He enjoyed carpentry.
He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Ramona Jones Cost of Sylacauga; three daughters, Pam Cost, Rita Cost Deason and Tammy Cost Barnett and husband Buddy of Sylacauga; two grandsons, Chris Deason and wife Chanda and Patrick Barnett of Sylacauga; one great-granddaughter, Erica Deason of Sylacauga; and a host of other relatives and friends.
Pallbearers will be Jay Bulger, Hugh Dowdy, Doug Dowdy, Dexter Dowdy, Tim Hurt and Sherrod Mitcham.
The family received friends at the funeral home Thursday from 5:30 to 9 p.m.
Radney-Smith Funeral Home will direct the service.
SHIRLEY BELL COX
PELL CITY Funeral service for Shirley Bell Cox, 67, will be Monday, July 5, at 10:30 a.m. at Usrey Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Richard Ashley officiating. Burial will be in St. Clair Memorial Gardens.
Mrs. Cox died July 1 in Birmingham.
She is survived by a daughter, Mary Ann (Scott) Niblett of Pell City, two sons, Danny T. Johnson of Lincoln and Steve A. Cox of Pell City; two brothers, Fred (Robyn) Johnson of Talladega and Billy F. (Joan) Johnson of Leeds; two grandsons, James Dylon and Johnny Ray Stewart of Pell City; former husband and longtime friend, Floyd M. Cox of Ashville; and a host of nieces and nephews.
Active pallbearers will be Kevin Bowlin, Darin Johnson, David Johnson, Wayne Johnson, Kevin Johnson, Kelly Johnson and Lonnie Ray Orr.
The family will receive visitors at the funeral home Saturday from 6 until 8 p.m.
Usrey Funeral Home of Pell City will direct the service.
MARIE HAMILTON HUGHES
SYLACAUGA Funeral service for Marie Hamilton Hughes, 84, of the Fayetteville/Sylacauga area will be Saturday, July 3, at 11 a.m. at Radney-Smith Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Greg Webb and the Rev. David Shafer officiating. Burial will be in the Talladega Springs Cemetery.
Mrs. Hughes died at her residence on June 30. She was a homemaker and attended West Side Church of God. She was the last surviving child of Charlie and Ada Hamilton and she was preceded in death by a son, Jimmie A. Hughes; four brothers, William E. (Ed) Hamilton, Amos J. Hamilton, Ray (Hamp) Hamilton, Joseph Wesley (Bumper) Hamilton and John. F. (Doodle) Hamilton; and two sisters, Ethel Hamilton Mann and Minnie Hamilton White.
She is survived by her sons, Freddie Hughes (Patricia) of Fayetteville, Terry Owens (Linda) of Fayetteville and Jerry Owens (Rena) of Sylacauga; her grandchildren, Scot Hughes, Brian Hughes, Sharon Hughes, Colton Owens, Jerit Owens, Sherry Lynn Garza and Chase Owens; and her beloved great-granddaughters, Haydn and Graysn Hughes.
She was also the beloved aunt to a host of nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be her nephews, Bill Hamilton, Tommy Hamilton, Mach Hamilton, Charles (Buddy) Hamilton, James Hamilton and Morgan Hamilton.
Honorary pallbearers will be Robert Hamilton and Horace (Junior) Hamilton.
Radney-Smith Funeral Home is Sylacauga will direct the service.
