U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014Jerry Chance
Jerry Chance of Lake Wales, Fla. died Saturday, July 31, 2004 at his residence. He was 68.
He was born July 26, 1936 in Cullman, Ala. moving to Lake Wales from Cullman in 1955.
Mr. Chance was a supervisor in engineering and roads department for Polk County. He was a member of the Golfview Baptist Church and the Lake Wales Lions Club. He was a veteran serving in the U.S. Army from 1953 to 1956.
Mr. Chance was preceded in death by his wife, Ernestine Chance.
He is survived by two sons, Gerald Chance and Donald Chance, both of Lake Wales; two step-daughters, Kimberly Holt of Polk City, Fla. and Debra Keath of Saint Cloud, Fla.; a brother, Joe Chance of Cullman; three sisters, Jane Hyche, Judy Gay and June Lovvorn, all of Cullman and five grandchildren.
Visitation was held Tuesday, Aug. 3, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Marion Nelson Funeral Home.
Funeral services were held Wednesday, Aug. 4, at 10 a.m. at the funeral home with Reverend Jim Furno officiating, followed by interment at the Lake Wales Cemetery.
Marion Nelson Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Ellamay P. Clara
Ellamay P. Clara of Fernandina Beach, Fla. died Friday, July 30, 2004 at the Quality Health Nursing Home. She was 81.
She was a native of Cass City, Mich. She was a former resident of Rochester, Mich. and Lake Wales, Fla., where she lived for 20 years before relocating to Fernandina Beach five years ago.
During her working career, Mrs. Clara was employed as a dental assistant. She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Fernandina Beach.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Courtney R. Clara.
Survivors include a daughter, Martha Meece of Fernandina Beach; a son, Courtney Clara, II of Belleview, Wash.; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Memorial services will be held Saturday, Aug. 7, at 11 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church with Reverend Dr. Conrad Sharps and Reverend Dr. John Harland officiating.
Interment will be at a later date at the White Chapel Memorial Cemetery in Troy, Mich.
Memorial donations may be made in Mrs. Clara's name to the American Cancer Society, 1599 Clifton Road, N.E., Atlanta, Ga., 30329.
Oxley-Heard Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.
Hazel Williams Epps
Hazel Williams Epps of Belle Glade, Fla. died Saturday, July 24, 2004 at the Glades General Hospital in Belle Glade. She was 73.
She was born July 25, 1930 in Sumter, Ga.
She was a retired educator with the Palm Beach County Schools, retiring after 31 years from Gladeview Elementary in Belle Glade. She was a graduate of Albany State with a B.S. in Elementary Education. She earned a Masters of Art degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of North Colorado and she attended Bethune Cookman College for special math studies. Mrs. Epps was a member of the Community House of Prayer Church in Belle Glade, the St. Peter's Missionary Baptist Church in Vero Beach, Fla.
She is survived by her husband, Reverend Lawrence Epps, Sr. of Belle Glade; nine sons, Lawrence Epps, Jr. of Lake Wales; Wilbert Williams, Gene Williams, Jeffery Epps, Kenneth Epps and Johnny Mitchell, all of Belle Glade, Lorenzo Epps and Victor Epps, both of West Palm Beach, Fla. and Lawrence Harrell of Pittsburgh, Calif.; a sister, Olivia Morris of Portsmouth, Va.; 21 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Visitation was held Thursday, July 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the House of Prayer Church in Belle Glade.
Funeral services were held Friday, July 30, at 1 p.m. at the St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Belle Glade.
Epps Mortuary was in charge of arrangements.
Lucretia C. Essery
Lucretia C. Essery of Lake Wales, Fla. died Sunday, Aug. 1, 2004 at the Winter Haven Hospital, Winter Haven, Fla. She was 49.
She was born April 11, 1955 in Jacinto City, Texas. She came to Lake Wales from Gary, Texas seven years ago.
She was a rural carrier associate for the U.S. Postal Service in Winter Haven and she was a member of the Grace Baptist Church in Lake Wales.
Mrs. Essery was preceded in death by her mother, Melma Nadine Keating.
She is survived by her husband, Mark Essrey of Lake Wales; two daughters, Melissa Donohue of Haines City, Fla. and Kimberly Smith of Lake Wales; a son Mark Steven Essery of Lake Wales; her father, Walter Chadwick of Timpson, Texas; three brothers, Mike Chadwick and Jonathan Chadwick, both of Timpson and Andy Chadwick of Gary; a sister, Patricia Maddox of Gilmer, Texas and six grandchildren.
Visitation was held Monday, Aug. 2, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Marion Nelson Funeral Home.
Interment will be held at Corinth Cemetery in Timpson, Texas under the direction of Taylor Funeral Home.
Wilson Norman "Skip" Furr
Wilson Norman "Skip" Furr, of Hudson, Fla. died Saturday, July 31, 2004, in Astor, Fla. He was 58.
He was born June 6, 1946 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. He was a former resident of Lake Wales, Fla., having attended area schools.
He was a high school teacher at Hudson High School recently retiring after 30 years. He was a graduate of Polk Community College and earned a Bachelors degree from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Fla. where he also earned a Masters degree. He was veteran of the U.S. Army serving in the European Theatre in Germany and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Survivors include his parents, Brigham Wilson Furr and Evelyn Jean Furr, of Lake Wales and two sisters, Mary West of Astor and Sally Wildmon of Winter Haven, Fla.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice, the American Cancer Society or a charity of choice.
Interment was held Tuesday, Aug. 3, at the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Fla.
Beyers Funeral Home in Umatilla, Fla. was in charge of arrangements.
Gail Lewis Grob
Gail Lewis Grob of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. died Monday, July 26, 2004 at her residence. She was 56.
She was born Feb. 2, 1948 in Lake Wales, Fla. She moved to Ft. Lauderdale 30 years ago from Bartow, Fla.
She was a bookkeeper and of the Catholic faith.
She is survived by a daughter, Leigh Ann Grob of Ft. Lauderdale; her father, Cecil M. Lewis of Lakeland, Fla. and a brother, Bradley Lewis of Orlando, Fla.
Funeral services were held Saturday, July 31, at 1 p.m. at the Whidden-McLean Funeral Home in Bartow.
