Ernest Alfred Johnson
TRENTON - Ernest Alfred Johnson of Trenton died Tuesday at Hospice House in Gainesville. He was 89.
Mr. Johnson was a printer for W.F. Hall Printing Co. in Chicago.
Born in Chicago, he moved from Scio, cq Ohio, to Trenton four years ago. Mr. Johnson was a member of the Pine Grove Baptist Church in Trenton.
Survivors include his wife, Viola Johnson of Trenton; two sons, Daniel E. Johnson of Chicago and Leland D. Johnson of Lombard, Ill.; a daughter, Carrie A. Enstrom of Oak Park, Ill.; seven grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Expressions of sympathy may be made as donations to the Pine Grove Baptist Church Building Fund or to Hospice of North Central Florida.
David Lee McFaddin
WEST PALM BEACH - David Lee McFaddin of West Palm Beach died March 21 at Columbia Hospital of West Palm Beach. He was 55.
Mr. McFaddin was born in Williston. He served in the U.S. Army. Mr. McFaddin was a Methodist.
Survivors include two daughters; a son; a sister; a brother; and one granddaughter.
George B. Thomas
George B. Thomas of Gainesville died Friday at North Florida Regional Medical Center after a long illness. He was 73.
Mr. Thomas was employed by Cox Furniture Co. and also was vice president of the Bank of Melbourne and Trust Co. He later owned and operated his own bookkeeping service for small businesses in Gainesville. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and the Korean War.
Born in Williston, he moved to Gainesville 68 years ago.
He was an Eagle Scout, a Boy Scouts Master and Cub Master as well as senior post advisor for the American Legion and a member of the Loyal Order of Moose No. 1140.
He was a Baptist.
Mr. Thomas was preceded in death by his wife, Faye Thomas.
Survivors include two daughters, Susan Warren of Columbus, Ga., and Janet Thomas of Gainesville; his companion, Tina Kerchevalcq of Gainesville; and two grandsons.
Expressions of sympathy may made as donations to the American Lung Association or to Boy Scouts of America.
Raymond Alexander Elholm
SHILOH - Raymond Alexander Elholm of Shiloh died Wednesday at Surrey Place Convalescent Center in Ocala. He was 84.
Mr. Elholm was a retired house painter. He also served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II.
Born in Long Island, N.Y., he moved from Miami to Shiloh 56 years ago.
Mr. Elholm participated in a neighborhood crime watch and was a member of the Shiloh Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Thelma Downey Elholm of Shiloh; two daughters, June Wilson of Sarasota and Esther Horne of Lake Wales; two sons, Bob Mizell of Shiloh and Ray Elholm of Newberry; 14 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and 18 great-great-grandchildren.
Expressions of sympathy may be made as donations to Shiloh Methodist Church Elholm Memorial Fund.
Orval C. French
Orval C. French of Gainesville died Tuesday at North Florida Regional Medical Center. He was 91.
Mr. French was a professor and chairman of the agricultural engineering department at Cornell University. He previously taught at the University of California in Davis and worked on the atomic bomb development during World War II.
Born in Geneseo, Kan., he moved from Melbourne to Gainesville a year ago.
He received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Kansas State University.
Mr. French was past president of American Society of Agricultural Engineers, a former fire chief at Cayuga Heights Fire Department in Ithaca, N.Y., and a member of the Rotary Club and the First Presbyterian Church in Ithaca.
Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Helen Jane Pembleton French of Gainesville; a daughter, Nina L. French Glover of Punta Gorda; a son, Byron Thomas French of Gainesville; five grandsons; and two great-grandsons.
Louise Crump Hilliard
CROSS CITY - Louise Crump Hilliard of Cross City died Wednesday at North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville after a long illness. She was 91.
Mrs. Hilliard was a homemaker and a member of the Cross City Church of Christ.
She was a lifelong resident of Cross City.
Mrs. Hilliard was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Lee Hilliard Sr.; and a son, Richard Lee Hilliard Jr.
Survivors include a son, Jerry Ray Hilliard of Macclenny; five daughters, Van Edith Dees of Jacksonville, Pauline Coleman of Gainesville, Ginger Lindsey of Trenton, Joyce Bryan and Rachel Roberts, both of Cross City; 23 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; and 12 great-great-grandchildren.
Mary Jane Purser
Mary Jane Purser of Gainesville died Tuesday at North Florida Regional Medical Center after a short illness. She was 70.
Mrs. Purser was born in Orlando and lived in Germany and Japan before moving from Howey-In-The-Hills to Gainesville 12 years ago.
She attended Florida State University, where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority.
Mrs. Purser was past president of numerous Officers Wives Clubs and Howey Garden Club, and was captain of a 300 Club tennis team.
She was preceded in death by a son, William Dodge Purser.
Survivors include her husband, Col. Henry W. "Buddy" Purser of Gainesville; three daughters, Rebecca Purser and Shelly Purser, both of Ponte Vedra Beach, and Nana Schneider of Gainesville; a sister, Sue Lilley of Orlando; two brothers, W.O. Anderson and Lane Taylor, both of Mount Dora; and a granddaughter.
Expressions of sympathy may be made as donations to the Community Church of Howey in Howey-In-The-Hills.
William W. Tyre
MAYO - The Rev. William W. Tyre of Mayo died Tuesday at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Lake City after a long illness. He was 81.
The Rev. Tyre was a pastor at several Florida churches, including the Pine Grove Baptist Church and Evergreen Baptist Church, both in Lake City, and the Kingsley Lake Baptist Church in Starke.
Born in Lulu, he moved from Greenville to Mayo 19 years ago.
The Rev. Tyre was a member of the New Hope Baptist Church and the North Florida Baptist Pastors Conference and was the church training director of the Middle Florida Baptist Association.
He enjoyed yard work and gardening.
Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Ola Tyre of Mayo; two sisters, Lucille Ellis of Virginia and Jeannie Jackson of White Springs.
Neal Matthew Dukes
LAKE CITY - Neal Matthew Dukes of Lake City died Thursday at the Lake City Medical Center after a long illness. He was 80.
Mr. Dukes was a retired director of Agricultural Extension Services in Columbia County through the University of Florida. He also served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
Born in Dukes, he moved to Lake City 49 years ago.
He graduated from the UF with a bachelor's of science in agriculture.
He was a member of the fellowship Sunday school class and Methodist Men's Club at First United Methodist Church of Lake City, where he was a former treasurer and board chairman.
Mr. Dukes helped start the Columbia County Fair Association, where he was a board member and a former secretary/treasurer.
He was also a past member of the Lake City Lions Club, the Florida Cattleman's Association, the Santa Fe Soil Conservation, Florida Farm Bureau, Florida State Fair Board of Directors, Community Resource Development Committee, Epsilon Sigma Phi and Gamma Sigma Delta fraternities.
Survivors include his wife, Nell Doke Dukes of Lake City; three sons, Kay Dukes and Andy Dukes, both of Lake City, and Eric Dukes of Atlanta; two brothers, Hugh Dukes of Birmingham, Ala., and Carl Dukes of Newberry; a sister, Ethel Harris of La Crosse; and four grandchildren.
L.C. Harris
NEWBERRY - L.C. Harris of Newberry died Wednesday at North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville. He was 80.
Mr. Harris owned and operated the former L.C. Harris Paving and Construction Co.
Born in Alachua County, he was a lifelong resident of the area.
Mr. Harris was a Baptist.
Survivors include six daughters, Shelby Goode of Fort White, Laverne Ramos of Hudson and Myrleen Holt, Glynda Harris, Gwen Coons and Mary Harris, all of Newberry; a son, Jerry Harris of Alachua; two brothers, Joe Harris of Newberry and J.T. Harris of Gainesville; three sisters, Callie Humphries of Newberry, Clara Baylor of Umatilla and Joyce McDilda of Gainesville; 13 grandchildren; and 17 great- grandchildren.
