Theretha Alphelia Gibson
LAKE BUTLER -- Theretha Alphelia "Tee" Gibson of Lake Butler died Sunday at her home after a short illness.
She was 61.
Mrs. Gibson was a homemaker.
She was a lifelong resident of Union County.
Mrs. Gibson was a member of Little Rock Church Inc., where she served as a stewardess, trustee, president of the Missionary Society and member of the Pulpit Aide Board.
Survivors include her husband, Andrew Gibson of Lake Butler; seven daughters, Lorene B. Allen and Theretha Cummings, both of St. Paul, N.C., Claudette Stoutamire of Raiford and Harriette Cummings, Donella Cummings, Nadine Cummings and Precious Foster, all of Lake Butler; two sons, Edward Cummings of Lawtey and Leleious Cummings of Sanderson; a stepson, James Gibson of Macon, Ga.; two stepdaughters, Katrina Gibson and Sandra Gibson, both of Macon; 12 sisters, Carlene Graham of Belle Glade, Annette Redman, Lala Redman, Lola Lacy, Jeanette Bradshaw, Barbara Walker and Jannette Reeves, all of Lake Butler, Elizabeth Cosby of Fort Myers, Leola Lee of Palmetto, Linda Blue and Viviam Lee, both of Bradenton and Elvira Lee of Gainesville; five brothers, Wesley Lee of Gainesville, George Green, Dale Green and Alvhord Lee, all of Lake Butler and Oscar Green of Alachua; 22 grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Nell King Higginbotham
LAKE CITY -- Nell King Higginbotham of Lake City died Wednesday at her home. She was 75.
Mrs. Higginbotham was a retired office manager at North Florida Concrete in Lake City.
She was born in High Springs and moved to Lake City 50 years ago.
Mrs. Higginbotham was a member of Parkview Baptist Church in Lake City.
She was preceded in death by two husbands, David Pearce and Clyde Higginbotham.
Survivors include a stepdaughter, Joyce Sandberg of Orlando; a stepson, Lonnie Higginbotham of Kingsland, Ga.; a sister, Frances King Roberts of Gainesville; and 10 step-grandchildren.
Expressions of sympathy may be made as donations to Hospice of North Central Florida.
Donal Merriex Sr.
Donalcq Merriex Sr. of Gainesville died Saturday at his home after a long illness. He was 73.
Mr. Merriex was a retired custodian. He also served in the U.S. Army.
He was born in the city of Alachua and moved from Alachua to Gainesville 59 years ago.
Mr. Merriex was a member of Mount Herman Baptist Church, the Southland Gospel Singers and the Starlight Gospel Singers.
Survivors include his wife, Cenia Merriex of Gainesville; two sons, Donal Merriex Jr. of Wichita, Texas, and Charles Merriex of Tucson, Ariz.; three daughters, Gloria Jean Merriex, Mary Merriex Harrison and Janet Merriex, all of Gainesville; three brothers, J.D. Merriex of Denver and Ulysses Robinson and James Robinson, both of Alachua; four sisters, Essie M. Dixson and Ida Mae Keith, both of Alachua, Henrietta Groom of Orlando and Retha Mae Hall of Tampa; 15 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Betty Ann Traxler
Betty Ann Traxler of Gainesville died Sunday in Gainesville after a brief illness.
She was 54.
Mrs. Traxler was a caregiver.
She was born in Muskegon, Mich., and moved from Belleview to Gainesville 36 years ago.
Mrs. Traxler was a Baptist.
Survivors include her husband, William H. Traxler of Gainesville; her mother, Helen H. Harrison of Belleview; and a brother, Delbert John Harrison of Bridgeport, Conn.
Lonnie J. Whitfield
Lonnie J. Whitfield of Gainesville died Sept. 3 at Shands at AGH due to injuries suffered in an auto accident.
He was 53.
Mr. Whitfield served in the U.S. Marines during the Vietnam War.
He was born in Valdosta, Ga., and moved from Miami to Gainesville two years ago.
Mr. Whitfield was a graduate of A.L. Mebane High School.
He was a member of Allen Chapel A.M.E. Church in High Springs.
Survivors include four sons, Lonnie Whitfield of Texas, Lonnie Whitfield and Lonnie Whitfield, both of Miami, and Lonnie Whitfield of the Philippines; two daughters, Makiba Whitfield of Miami and Sonya Whitfield of the Philippines; a sister, Elouise Swinson of Newberry; and a brother, Fred Whitfield of Hastings.
Howard Everett Creasman
CEDAR KEY -- Howard Everett Creasman of Cedar Key died Friday in his home following a short illness. He was 74.
Mr. Creasman was born in Old Fort, N.C., and moved to Cedar Key from Homestead 19 years ago. He was a retired journeyman electrician and a member of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 349. He was an Episcopalian and active in the Cedar Key Lion's Club, of which he was man of the year in 1984, 1993 and 1996, and a member of the board of directors.
Survivors include his wife, Frances Creasman of Cedar Key; one son, Ronald Creasman of Miami; three daughters, Carol Perry, Linda Hudgins and Sharon Spadaro, all of Homestead; eight grandchildren and four great- grandchildren.
James B. McCann
James B. McCann of Gainesville died Saturday in Gainesville after an extended illness. He was 69.
Mr. McCann was born in Alachua County and was a lifelong resident of the area. He was a furniture salesman, a Mason in Micanopy Lodge 29 and a Methodist.
Survivors include one daughter, Linda Close of Port St. Lucie; one son, James L. McCann of Portland, Maine; three sisters, Eunice Smith of McIntosh, Sarah Knight of Winter Haven and Jeannette Carwile of Boone, N.C.; and two brothers, Fred McCann of Ocala and Andy McCann of Cocoa.
Thelma C. Stalvey
TRENTON -- Thelma C. Stalvey of Trenton died Friday in North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville. She was 85.
Mrs. Stalvey was born in Trenton and was a lifelong resident.
She was a homemaker and a member of Church of Christ Center Hill.
Mrs. Stalvey was preceded in death by her husband, Ed Stalvey, and one son, Charles Stalvey. Survivors include one daughter, Edna Carlson of Trenton; one son, Roosevelt Stalvey of Trenton; seven grandchildren and 10 great- grandchildren.
Arthur Thornton
LAWTEY -- Arthur Thornton of Lawtey died Saturday in his home. He was 60.
Mr. Thornton was born in Baker County and moved to Lawtey from Lake Butler.
A retired tow motor operator for Winn-Dixie, he attended Union County schools, served in the U.S. Army and was a Baptist.
Survivors include his wife, Marilyn Southerland Thornton of Lawtey; one son, Wayne Thornton of Lawtey; three daughters, Vicki Hendrix of Dyersburt, Tenn., Donna Bennett of Lake Butler and Paula Hersy of Lawtey; one sister, Alice Woods of Raiford; three brothers, Elbert Thornton and Jay Thornton, both of Raiford, and Lamar Thornton of Lake Butler; eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Kathryn Caldwell
Kathryn Caldwell of Gainesville died Friday at her home. She was 76.
Mrs. Caldwell was an elementary school substitute teacher.
Born in Lakeport, she moved to Gainesville 29 years ago.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Cordell Caldwell Jr. and her son, Stephen Caldwell.
Survivors include two daughters; Carol Lynn Mattox of Alachua and Kathryn Berry of Cumming, Ga.; two sons, Jonathan Caldwell of San Clemente, Calif., and Cordell Caldwell III of Gainesville; a brother, Roger Norton of Brooksville; four sisters, Carol Pardue of Lakeport, Joyce Norton of Lakeport, Linda Parrish of Trussville, Ala., and Evelyn Winger of Abilene, Texas; seven grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
John Asa Roquemore
CHIEFLAND -- John Asa Roquemore of Chiefland died Saturday at his home after a short illness. He was 72.
Mr. Roquemore was a retired aircraft maintence supervisor with Pan-American World Airways for 34 years. He also was a World War II veteran, serving in the U.S. Navy.
Born in Nashville, Ga., Mr. Roquemore moved from Miami to Chiefland 17 years ago.
He was a Baptist. Mr. Roquemore also belonged to the Chiefland Lions Club, serving as past District Governor of District 35-L and project chairman of the Lions Foundation.
Survivors include his wife, Dorette J. "Mickey" Roquemore of Chiefland; two daughters, Dorell "Jo" Dean of Chiefland and Cheryl Diane Dunn of Seattle; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
