Elbert Lasseter "Ellie" Brown, Sr.
Elbert Lasseter "Ellie" Brown, Sr, 81, passed away Aug. 8, 2007 at his home in Chiefland. Born in Gainesville he has spent his lifetime in the area. Mr. Brown was a member of McCrabb Baptist Church, and Woodman Of The World. He worked for Georgia Pacific as a Heavy equipment operator for 28 years. He was very proud of his family and enjoyed fishing, hunting and gardening.
He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth Brown of Chiefland, daughter Mary Elizabeth (Gerald) Brehm of Chiefland, his sons, Raymond Elbert (Patty) Brown of Middleburg, FL, Elbert L. Brown, Jr. of Inverness, FL and Charles Anthony (Jenny) Brown of Cedar Key, brothers Henry J. Brown, Earl Brown, A. J. Brown, and Kyle Brown, all of Cedar Key and sister, Edna Goode of Orlando, FL, 9 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his daughter, Clara Ann Brown Watson.
Graveside services will be Sat. Aug 11 at 11:00 AM at Cedar Key cemetery in Cedar Key, FL with Pastor David Downing officiating. Visitation will be held Friday, Aug. 10 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at the funeral home.
Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services, 1301 N. Young Blvd, Chiefland are in charge of arrangements.
Jesse Quitman Hodges
Jesse Quitman Hodges, age 90, lifetime resident of Cedar Key, died Sunday, November 20, 2005. Mr. Hodges was born to Mollie Luttrell Hodges and Tyler Hodges in the annex area of the historic Island Hotel on December 4, 1914, and lived nearly all of his life on Cedar Key`s main street.
He quit school in the 10th grade to become a commercial fisherman to help support his mother, elderly father and younger siblings, Lucille and Willard.
During World War II, he moved to Jacksonville, Florida, with his parents and his sister Lucille and her husband Joe Wilder and their children. They moved there to work at the Merrill Stevens shipyard, and they stayed for the duration of the war. While in Jacksonville, his father and his 25-year-old sister both passed away.
Upon his return to the island, he and his widowed mother took guardianship of his two nieces and nephew and weathered lots of storms, including the hurricane of 1950 which took the back off of their two-story, 14-room home next to the Island Hotel. Fearing the structure would collapse with his family inside, Quitman crossed the street to the home of Randolph and Mildred Hodges and tied the end of a rope which the children and adults gripped as they crossed the flooded street while the storm roared around them. After the storm, Quitman salvaged all the lumber he could to rebuild their home on the same property, where he resided until his death.
At one time, the smallest man in town owned the largest boat. Quitman was a very skilled boat captain, and he proudly maneuvered his 42-foot-long "Miss Caledonia," with ease. Also, in the 1960s and 1970s
he owned and operated "Hodges Marine and Supplies" which was located alongside the old Post Office in the building which now houses Capital City Bank. He was at work there when he developed the severe back problem which eventually put him on crutches and then into a wheelchair.
Quitman was a Charter Member of the Cedar Key Lions Club, and was appointed by the Governor to the original Cedar Key Special Water and Sewerage District Board when it was created by the state in the 1960s.
He was first elected Cedar Key`s Mayor in 1962, and except for 1976, served the city as either Mayor or City Commissioner until his defeat in the 2003 election. He dedicated most of his life to the City of Cedar Key, and over the course of 41 years in city government, he served as Mayor for eight years. He was a member of the original Cedar Key Volunteer Fire Department, and was able to oversee that department as time passed by serving as the Fire Department liaison to the Commission. For many years he spent each day at the City Hall, and was able to act as a living historian throughout his life. To insure access to the wealth of his city knowledge, in 2003 the City hired him to act as a consultant and historian.
The Cedar Key Volunteer Fire Department previously had planned a dedication ceremony and open house for Saturday, December 3, at 11:00 am, at which time they planned to honor Quitman with the presentation of a plaque dedicating their new firehouse the "J. Quitman Hodges Firehouse." Even though now the guest of honor won`t be present for the dedication planned for his birthday, Chief James McCain told him of the plaque a few days before he passed away, and he chuckled.
He will be missed by many, including his survivors, two nieces, Shirley Wilder Beckham of Cedar Key, and Jannie Wilder Williams of Port Charlotte, and one nephew, Bobby Joe Wilder of Dunnellon and Cedar Key, and his 19 great- and great-great-nieces and nephews. Services for Mr. Hodges will be graveside at the Cedar Key cemetery on Tuesday, November 22, at 11:00 am.
Robert "Bobby" Edward Bosarge
Robert "Bobby" Edward Bosarge, age 62, died January 17, 2006 at Malcom Randall VA Medical Center.
Mr. Bosarge was born in Mobile, AL and moved to Cedar Key 15 years ago. He was a retired heavy equipment carpenter. He served in the U.S. Navy.
He was a Catholic, a lifetime member of the VFW of Alabama, and a fan of the Auburn Tigers. He enjoyed golf, gardening and politics.
Mr. Bosarge is survived by his wife, Mary Rain Bosarge, of Cedar Key; a son, Shawn Bosarge, of Mobile, AL; a step-daughter, Vanessa Bastow, of Chiefland; a brother, Paul Bosarge, of Alabama; two sisters, Jackie Taylor and Kathy Bosarge, both of Alabama; and a granddaughter, Devin Bosarge, of Mobile, AL.
Services for Mr. Bosarge will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 21, 2006 at Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services in Chiefland.
Contributions may be made to the National Kidney Foundation of Florida, 1040 Woodstock Rd., Suite #119, Orlando, FL 32803 in Mr. Bosarge`s memory.
Arrangements are under the direction of Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services in Chiefland.
James T. Allen
1929-2006
James T. Allen, a long-time resident of Cedar Key, died January 28,2006 at North Florida Regional Hospital in Gainesville. He was 79 years old. Graveside services were held Tuesday, January 31 in the Cedar Key Cemetary.
Mr. Allen was born in Cedar Key and has been a lifelong resident. He was a graduate of Cedar Key High School and a veteran of the U.S. Navy. He was a commercial fisherman and later opened his own restaurant called The Other Place.
Mr. Allen was preceded in death by his wife, Millicent Olga Allen. He is survived by four sons: James Allen and John Michael Allen, both of Cedar Key, David Roger Allen, Birmingham, AL, and Gerald Scott Allen, Rosewood; three daughters: Linda Barber and Mary Ann Gore, both of Chiefland, and Cheryl Allen of Otter Creek; two sisters, Lucile Connell, Chiefland and Annie "Tink" Laurie Grisham, Jacksonville; 19 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.
Arrangements for Mr. Allen were under the direction of Knauff Funeral Home of Chiefland.
Johnnie Squires
Johnnie Squires died on August 26, 2005. He was 32 years of age.
Mr. Squires was born in Gainesville, Florida and has been a lifelong resident of Cedar Key. Squires was a Commercial Fisherman. He graduated from Cedar Key High School, played tennis, ran track and played basketball and baseball.
Mr. Squires served in the U.S. Navy during the Gulf War. He served as Third Class Aviation Machinist's Mate. He was honored with a Letter of Appreciation during his active duty.
Survivors include his father, Johnnie Squires; mother, Linda Squires, both of Cedar Key; his wife, Nicole Squires of Callahan, Florida; two daughters, Felicity "Lizzy" Squires of Cedar Key and Samantha Squires of Callahan, Florida and one sister, Renee' Dunaway of Jacksonville, Florida.
Memorial Services were held on Wednesday, August 31, 2005 at Knauff Funeral Home in Chiefland, Florida. Funeral services were held held graveside at the Cedar Key cemetery at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 1, 2005.
Fronie Howard Killabrew
Fronie Howard Killabrew of Chiefland died March 14, 2006 following a battle with heart disease and cancer. She was born December 25, 1921 in Cedar Key and moved to Chiefland in 1923. She was a graduate of Chiefland High School in 1940. In June of 1946 she married
Ross D. Killabrew, a career Army soldier.
They lived in Japan and Germany during the U.S. Occupation after World War II. After retiring from the Army in 1961, they moved from Ft. Benning, GA to Jacksonville then back to Chiefland in 1986.
She was predeceased by her husband, Ross, who died in 2004. She is survived by her two sons, Charles Howard Giles of Lake Butler and Colen Ross Killabrew of Tampa; a daughter, Nancy K. McKoy (Michael) and grandson Connor Killabrew McKoy of Jacksonville.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, March 18 at 4 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Chiefland and internment will follow at Chiefland cemetery with Pastor Bob Block officiating. The family will receive visitors at the church one hour prior to the service on Saturday.
MILDRED RAIN OWENS
Mildred Rain Owens of Gainesville died May 9. She was 96. Mrs. Owens was born in Cedar Key but lived most of her life in Gainesville. She was a homemaker and enjoyed flower gardening.
She was a charter member of the Women of the Moose Lodge, Chapter 1098 in Gainesville. She was a Baptist.
Survivors include a sister, Wynelle Golden of Raleigh, N. C.
Arrangements by Williams Thomas Funeral Home in Gainesville.
If you have any questions, please call Rick @ 352-376-7556
Michael Williamson
Michael Williamson, of Cedar Key died July 30 at Shands Hospital in Gainesville. He had suffered a cerebral aneurysm July 24. Mr. Williamson was forty-eight years old and from Kentucky prior to moving to Chiefland and more recently Cedar Key where he was a co-owner of Accord Insurance Company along with his friend and partner Judy Duval.
Mr. Williamson, who was known as Mike to the many people who knew him, was a past president of the Cedar Key Lions Club, a founder of the Chiefland Lions Club and a member of the local Chamber of Commerce. He was also an organ donor.
Mr. Williamson is survived by his mother Betty Hicks, his stepfather Charles Hicks, a brother Rick Williamson of Lake City and a daughter Robin Williamson of Kentucky.
A memorial service will be held at the Cedar Key Lions Club August 9 at 4:00 PM. In lieu of flowers the family asks for donations to the Cedar Key Lions Club. For further information please call Eileen Senecal at 543-9850 0r Jennie Pinto at 543-5757.
Norman Cason
1927 – 2005
Norman S. Cason of Cedar Key died at his home on January 23 after an extended illness. He was 77. Mr. Cason is survived by his wife, Rona Watson Cason, of Cedar Key; one son Joseph Cason and his wife Kathy of Shreveport, LA; two grandsons, Joe Cason of Shreveport, LA and Jeff Clemens of Cedar Key; and a sister, Esther Baylor of Cedar Key.
The burial service will be held at Christ Episcopal Church, Cedar Key on Wednesday, January 26 at 10:00 AM.
The Family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to Christ Episcopal Church, or the charity of your choice.
Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services of Chiefland is in charge of arrangements.
Esther Cason Baylor
Esther Cason Baylor died August 16, 2005 at TriCounty Hospice Care Center in Chiefland. She was eighty-one years of age. Mrs. Baylor was born in Fowlers Bluff and spent her lifetime in Cedar Key.
Mrs. Baylor was a retired secretary for the Cedar Key School. She was a member of Christ Episcopal Church of Cedar Key.
She is survived by her son, Horry Baylor, Monticello; granddaughter Samantha Baylor Jacobs, Tallahassee; granddaughter Jessica Baylor, Winter Haven; grandson D. Benjamin Baylor, Monticello; and two great-grandchildren.
Memorial Services will be held Friday, August 19, 2005 at Christ Episcopal Church of Cedar Key at 11:00 AM with Jack Watson officiating.
Contributions may be made to TriCounty Hospice Care Center or Christ Episcopal Church, Cedar Key. Arrangements are by Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services in Chiefland.
