Milton E. Hamilton
Milton E. “Bo” Hamilton, 70, died Dec. 12 at his home in DeFuniak Springs. He had cancer.
Hamilton was born on Jan. 6, 1931, in North Carolina, the son of the late Joseph Linwood Hamilton and Hettie F. Hamilton.
He came to the local area in 1973 and started a construction business. He was well versed in many businesses. In 1994, he opened a small-engine repair business and worked the business until his health failed.
Hamilton is survived by his wife of 25 years, Hazel; one brother and sister, John Pat Hamilton and Jean Ballard of North Carolina; four children; six grandchildren and one great–grandchild.
During his life in the local area, Hamilton made many friends. His biggest enjoyment was visiting with his many friends in his shop and at local restaurants.
A memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 21 at First Baptist Church of Mossy Head. All of Hamilton’s friends are invited and to say a final farewell.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Hospice of the Emerald Coast, 2529 S. Ferdon Blvd., Crestview, FL.
David A. Smith
D.A. “Papasan” Smith, 71, died Monday at his home in Freeport.
Smith was born in Waynesboro, Miss., the son of the late Thomas and Nancy Nicholson Smith.
He was a 34–year resident of Freeport and was a Baptist by faith. He was also a member of Amvets in Valparaiso and a veteran of the Vietnam era with 20 years of service in the Air Force.
Survivors include his wife of 48 years, Carol N. Smith of Freeport; children, Nancy Lou Hill and husband, Keith, of Grand Saline, Texas, David Smith and wife, Belinda, of Freeport, Sherry Carter and husband, Richard, of Freeport, and Richard Smith and wife, Shawn, stationed in England; brother, Argie Smith, and wife, Marjorie, of Waynesboro, Miss.; 13 grandchildren; and 10 great–grandchildren.
He will be dearly missed by all who knew him.
A time of visitation is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. today at Clary–Godwin Freeport Chapel.
Service are scheduled for Thursday at First Baptist Church of Freeport with the Revs. Gerald Reeves and Joseph Ray officiating. Burial, with military honors, is scheduled to follow in Hatcher Cemetery. Smith’s grandsons will serve as pallbearers.
Clary–Godwin Funeral Home in Freeport is in charge of arrangements.
Barbara M. Bassham
Barbara M. Bassham, 67, of Destin, died Dec. 9 at her residence after an extended illness.
She was born in Augusta, Ga., on Jan. 23, 1934, to the late Guy Hardy Metts and Ella Mae Styron. After graduating from Richmond High School in Augusta, Ga., she completed nurse anesthetist training at the School of Nursing at University Hospital and McCloud School of Anesthesia.
Bassham is survived by her husband, Lewis D. Bassham; daughter, Kimberly Lynch, and son–in–law, Jeffrey Lynch; and two grandchildren, Christina Marie and Heather Nichole Lynch.
Services were scheduled for Friday at Poteet Funeral Home in Augusta.
Memorials may be made to Covenant Hospice, 101 Hart St., Niceville, Fla., 32578.
Emerald Coast Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Lindy Linquist
Lindy Linquist, 75, of DeFuniak Springs, died Sunday at his home.
He was born on Dec. 9, 1925, in Sheldon, Iowa, the son of Willard and Anna Linquist, and had been a resident of DeFuniak Springs since 1996, moving from Denver.
Linquist was a real estate broker in Colorado for 30 years and a veteran of World War II, having served his country with the U.S. Army.
Survivors include his wife, Joan Linquist of DeFuniak Springs; son, Joe Linquist and wife, Jennifer, of Morrison, Colo.; daughter, Shari Presume of Lakewood, Colo.; stepdaughters, Samantha, Peggy and Katie Rothgeb, all of DeFuniak Springs; five grandchildren and three great–grandchildren.
Services are scheduled for 11 a.m. today with the Rev. T.C. Moon officiating. Burial is scheduled to follow in Magnolia Cemetery.
Jerry Evans Funeral Home in DeFuniak Springs is in charge of arrangements.
Norma Jean Gray
Norma Jean Gray, 80, of Santa Rosa Beach, died Dec. 6.
She was born in Kingaroy, Queensland, Australia, and was a longtime resident of Etna, N.H., where she operated a photo studio. She retired to Florida in 1978 to paint and play tennis.
Survivors include two sons and daughters-in-law, David Sally Gray of Wichita, Kan., and Barry and Elizabeth Gray of Spartanburg, S.C.; five grandchildren, and her beloved Lucy.
A celebration of Norma’s life is scheduled for Dec. 30 at her home.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions to a favorite charity in Norma’s memory.
Arrangements are being handled by Emerald Coast Funeral Home in Fort Walton Beach.
Mamie Spears Barfield
Mamie Spears Barfield, 86, of DeFuniak Springs, died Dec. 1, in Niceville.
Born on March 26, 1915, in Hornersville, Mo., she was the daughter of the late Fred W. and Jessie Shinault Spears. She was a member of the Church of God.
Barfield was preceded in death by her husband, John T. Barfield; two sisters, Lavece Cater and Edna Miller; and a granddaughter, Terri Lynn Robertson.
Survivors include her son, Darrell Holland and wife, Barbara ,of DeFuniak Springs; sister, Imogene Gray of Noti, Ore.; brothers, Fred Wallace Spears Jr., Lawrence Spears, Robert Spears and James Spears, all of Bentonville, Ark.; granddaughter, Cathy Holland Drake; great-grandson, Geoffrey Shiloh Drake; and many nieces and nephews.
A visitation was scheduled for Monday at Comander Funeral Home Chapel in DeFuniak Springs.
Services were scheduled for Tuesday in the Comander Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. David Colon officiating. Burial was to follow in Magnolia Cemetery.
Thelma P. Manning
Thelma P. Manning, a life-long resident of Walton County, passed away Nov. 30, in a local hospital at the age of 91.
She was born on July 6, 1910, the daughter of the late Jim and Helen Murphy Horne. She was Pentecostal by faith and a member of Ponce de Leon Holiness Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Henry Hurtis Manning; three brothers; and five sisters.
Survivors include her daughters, Ruth Collinsworth of DeFuniak Springs, Gladys Moore of Ponce de Leon, Doris Davis of Westville, Fla., Ruby Grantham of Ponce de Leon, Evelyn Evans of Ponce de Leon and Voncille Morrison of Freeport; sons, James Henry Manning of Ponce de Leon, Buddy Manning of Ponce de Leon, and Frank Manning of Florala, Ala.; 34 grandchildren; 45 great-grandchildren; and 15 great-great-grandchildren.
Services were scheduled to be conducted Dec. 3 at the funeral home with the Rev. Mike Sasser and the Rev. Ealum officiating. Burial was scheduled to follow in the New Ponce de Leon Cemetery.
Pallbearers were DeWayne Miller, Robert Moore, J.R. Davis, Joseph Morrison, Wendell Manning, Danny Glidewell and Stanley Byrd.
Clary-Godwin Funeral Home, DeFuniak Springs, was in charge of arrangements
Marguerite J. Fitzgibbon
Marguerite Jones Fitzgibbon passed away Nov. 29, in Destin.
Mrs. Fitzgibbon was a resident of Destin since 1999 and lived at Crystal Bay Senior Retirement Center. She lived in Bedford, Ind., prior to her move to Florida.
She was preceded in death by her husband, George Fitzgibbon.
Survivors include her son, Patrick W. Fitzgibbon and wife Shirley of Destin; grandsons, Michael Fitzgibbon and wife Lori of Hortonville, Wisc., and Steve Fitzgibbon and wife Ellen of Panama City, and three great-grandchildren.
Interment will be held in Bedford at a later date.
Fredrick W. Kenniston
Fredrick W. Kenniston, 68, died Nov. 28 at home. He had cancer.
He was born Dec. 14, 1932, the son of the late Winfred and Mary Catherine Kenniston. He lived most of his life in Connecticut, where he worked for many years at Pratt and Whitney as a tool and die maker. He enjoyed his retirement years living in Destin, where he was active in the Coast Guard auxiliary. He lived for and loved to fish.
Besides his wife, Janet Diamond, he leaves former wife, Patricia Kenniston; three sons, Michael Kenniston, Shawn Kenniston and wife, Diane, and Colin Kenniston; two daughters, Felicia Huey Kenniston and Stacie Tessman and husband, David; eight grandchildren, Dillion Kenniston, Chancey, Bry, Annalicia and Shane Huey, and Alexandria, James and Steven Tessman.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Covenant Hospice, 101 Hart St., Niceville, Fla., 32578, in memory of Fred.
A funeral mass was scheduled for Tuesday, at Corpus Christi Church in Destin. Fred’s remains will be buried at sea by the Coast Guard at a later date.
Arthur H. Strate
Arthur H. Strate, 86, of Destin and formerly of New Port Richey, Fla., died Monday.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Margaret; children, Richard and wife, Judy, of Dover, N.H., Ginny Gagnon and husband, Dennis, of Santa Rosa Beach, and Marilyn Brumbergs and husband, Peter, of Solon, Ohio; and a sister, Eileen Seykota of Kokomo, Ind.
He was a loving uncle, grandfather of nine and great–grandfather of seven.
Interment was scheduled to be in Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola, Fla.
Donations may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church, 4125 Highway 19, New Port Richey, Fla., 34652.
Pallie L. Shelley
Pallie L. “Pat” Shelley (1923–2001), a lifetime resident of Walton County, die Sunday at the age of 78 while visiting her daughter in Lawrenceville, Ga.
She was preceded in death by her husband, R.C. Shelley, and son, Clinton Shelley. Pat and R.C. were bridge tenders at Choctawhatchee Bay Bridge, starting in 1947.
She is survived by two daughters, Dora Jean Daniel (Mason) of Lawrenceville, Ga., and Cathy Harley (Jim) of Tallahassee; seven grand–children, and four great-grand–children.
A memorial service was scheduled for Friday at First Baptist Church of Freeport. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that an equivalent donation be made to the National Kidney Foundation or the Leukemia Society of America.
Eva Hooper Parris
Eva Hooper Parris, 91, of Destin, died Nov. 25. She was born on July 12, 1910, in Guntersville, Ala., and had been a local resident since 1955.
Parris was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Destin.
Survivors include her great-nephews, Dewayne Couch of Monette, Ark., and Ricky Nall of Memphis.
Services were scheduled for Wednesday at Grace Lutheran Church with Pastor Paul Kummer officiating. Burial was to follow in Destin Cemetery.
McLaughlin Mortuary in Fort Walton Beach handled the arrangements.
