JOSEPH HARTRANFT, 80, of Tampa died Saturday at home. A native of Tuscaloosa, Ala., he moved to Tampa in 1928. He was a furniture refinisher, an Army veteran of World War II and Baptist. He is survived by several nephews and nieces, including Geraldine Scott of Thonotosassa and Barbara Jones of Tampa. National Cremation Society, Tampa.
(From January 1997)
JOHN CURTIS KELLER, 23, of Riverview died Monday. A native of Battle Creek, Mich., he moved to the area in 1986. He was a graduate of Brandon High School and a cook. He is survived by his father, John P. of Marshall, Mich.; his mother and stepfather, Stepheny and Larry Whittler of Riverview; two sisters, Michelle Cabbott and Deidra Whittler, both of Riverview; and his maternal grandparents, Jim and Claudia DeForest of Plant City. Stowers Funeral Home, Brandon.
(From January 1997)
MELVIN OSCAR NELSON, 87, of Lutz died Tuesday at University Community Hospital. A native of San Francisco, he moved to Florida 44 years ago from Chicago. He was a construction worker and member of Castle Heights Baptist Church. He is survived by his wife, Grace; a son, Melvin O. Jr. of Tampa; two daughters, Marilyn Margan of Lakeland and Karen Steingraber of Chicago; five grandchildren; and two great- grandchildren. American Family Cremation Society, Lakeland.
(From January 1997)
VIVIAN NORMAN, 80, of Tampa died Wednesday. A native of Ocala, she moved to Tampa in 1941 from St. Petersburg. She was a homemaker and member of Seminole Church of Christ. She is survived by a son, Fred of North Little Rock, Ark.; two daughters, Belinda McGahee of Lutz and Rachel Raymond of Penngrove, Calif.; seven grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Garden of Memories-Myrtle Hill Funeral Home, Tampa.
(From January 1997)
RONALD D. PORTER, 38, of Seffner died Monday at Brandon Hospital. A native of Fort Huachuca, Ariz., he moved to the area in 1964. He is survived by his parents, Louis C. and Annie J., both of Seffner; and three sisters, Brenda Neptune of Valdosta, Ga., Pamela Johnson of Tampa and Patricia of Seffner. Aikens Funeral Home, Tampa.
(From January 1997)
RAYMOND ROBINSON, 65, of Tampa died Jan. 15 at home. A native of Branford, he moved to Tampa several years ago. He was a retired roofer for Skyway Roofing Co. He is survived by his wife, Beulah; and two sisters, Mary Louise Richard and Thelma Reed, both of Ocala. Aikens Funeral Home, Tampa.
(From January 1997)
JIMMY ROGERS, 40, of Seffner died Tuesday at James A. Haley Veterans Affairs Hospital. A native of Morehead City, N.C., he moved to the area in 1972. He was a steel worker for Florida Steel Manufacture, an Army veteran and member of Church of God in Lexington, Ky. He is survived by a son, Clinton Andrew of Lexington; two brothers, Ted Owen of Ohio and Joey of Seffner; and three sisters, Lois Wall and Valerie Rogers, both of Morehead City and Phyllis Moon of Live Oak. Stowers Funeral Home, Brandon.
(From January 1997)
A. HENRY SALESON, 77, of Tampa died Sunday at Tampa General Hospital. A native of Boston, he moved to Tampa in 1991 from Westborough, Mass. He was a retired captain in the Navy, a veteran of World War II and the Korean War, member of the Navy League, Retired Officers Association, MacDill Air Force Base Golf Club and AARP. He is survived by his wife, Ruth I. Johnson; a son, Joel of Columbus, Mo.; two daughters, Georgia Comitte of Port Washington , N.Y., and Linda Cuellar of Placerville, Calif.; two stepsons, Alen Johnson of Oldsmar and Philip Johnson of Worster, Mass.; a stepdaughter, Lynne Johnson-Myerson of Harrisburg, Pa.; and two grandchildren. National Cremation Society, Tampa.
(From January 1997)
INEZ G. SNEE, 77, of Valrico died Tuesday at home. A native of Pittsburgh, she moved to the area in 1982 from Carnegie, Pa. She worked in data processing at Mellon Bank, was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Brandon and Brandon Ladies of Elks. She is survived by five daughters, Marie Platts of Dover, Janet Ruprecht and Carol Carmichael, both of Pittsburgh, Alice Montagna of Bridgeville, Pa., and Elaine Prozzoly of Erie, Pa.; a sister, Betty Lou Fisher of Lake Alfred; 12 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren. Stowers Funeral Home, Brandon.
(From January 1997)
MAUDE EDNA STILES, 81, of Pittsburgh died Tuesday at Devine Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh. A native of New Alexandria, Pa., she was a former resident of the Tampa area. She was a homemaker and Protestant. She is survived by a daughter, Ruby Pulver of Pittsburgh; seven grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and six great-great- grandchildren. Hamilton Funeral Home, Riverview.
(From January 1997)
ALBERT C. SWARTZLANDER, 71, of Tampa died Jan. 16 at home. A native of Struthers, Ohio, he was a winter resident of Tampa since 1988. He was a security lieutenant for Revenna Arsenal in Ohio, a retired police officer in Newton Falls, Ohio, member of American Legion, and Masons. He is survived by his wife, Wanda Metheney; a son, Jack Cottrill of Warren, Ohio; two daughters, Reva Held of Newton Falls and Karen Elias of Lordstown, Ohio; a sister, Anna Mae Maffin of Boardman, Ohio; five grandchildren; and a great- grandchild. Mark III Family Funeral Home, Bay To Bay Chapel, Tampa.
(From January 1997)
LUCKY WHITWORTH, 77, of Tampa died Monday at home. A native of Glasgow, Ky., he moved to Tampa in 1957 from Louisville, Ky. He was an auto salesman, Army veteran of World War II, member of Riverview United Methodist Church, Masons and Future Farmers of America. He is survived by his wife, Catherine; three sons, James Michael Mann of Town Creek, Ala., Earl of Tampa and Ron T. of Riverview; a daughter, Annabel Lennard of Riverview; eight grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. Stowers Funeral Home, Riverview.
(From January 1997)
KEITH CAMERON BUCK, 22, of Mulberry died Monday of injuries sustained in a traffic accident in Lakeland. A native of Ames, Iowa, he moved to this area from Burlington, Iowa, four years ago and worked as a laborer for U.S. Agrico chemical/phosphate company. He was Baptist. He is survived by his parents, Edwin A. and Deborah of Hixson, Tenn.; two sisters, Wendy of Tallahassee and Stephanie Buck Robbins of Ames; and his maternal and paternal grandmothers, Nedra Thompson and Alta, both of Grinnell, Iowa. Heath Funeral Chapel, Lakeland.
(From January 1997)
JANE EVELYN CHERRY, 74, of Winter Haven died Monday at Winter Haven Hospital. A native of Battle Creek, Mich., she came to Winter Haven from Rockledge in 1985 and worked as a loan counselor. She was Presbyterian and a member of Ladies of the Elks. She is survived by a son, Ronald E. Olson of Sparks, Nev.; two stepsons, David of Tucson, Ariz., and Kenneth of Dallas; two brothers, Jerry Hubbell of Battle Creek and Jack Hubbell of Michigan; and six grandchildren. Family Funeral Services, Winter Haven.
(From January 1997)
LLOYD MERLE DUNN, 89, of Lakeland died Tuesday at Highlands Lake Center/Genesis ElderCare. A native of Tidioute, Pa., he moved to Polk County three years ago from Ruskin. He was a retired long-distance truck driver, a locksmith for Sears Roebuck & Co. in recent years and Protestant. He is survived by a son, Malcolm "Bud" of Hudson Falls, N.Y.; four daughters, Veronica Puccio of Hollywood and Irene Morgan, Mary Lou Munger and Dorothy Fish, all of Glens Falls, N.Y.; a sister, Eleanor of Lakeland; three brothers, Charlie of Sarasota, John of Sugarloaf, Pa., and Marshall of Fredericksburg, Va.; 13 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren. Lakeland Funeral Home.
(From January 1997)
SAMUEL LEE JACKSON, 57, of Winter Haven died Sunday at Winter Haven Hospital. A native of Lake Wales, he was a lifelong area resident, a contractor with Dundee Citrus Growers, member of Second Street Church of Christ in Winter Haven and Army veteran of the Korean War. He is survived by his wife, Gwendolyn; a son, Raymond of Baltimore; three stepchildren, Arhie Forte and Melissa Forte, both of Winter Haven, and Leanna Lee of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.; his mother, Mary of Lake Wales; four brothers, John and William, both of Lake Wales, R.B. Sr. of Dundee and Joseph Jr. of Rochester, N.Y.; five sisters, Emma Owens of Lake Wales, Clara Hayes, Annie Morgan and Charity Russell, all of Buffalo, N.Y., and Mary Bellenger of Rochester; and 10 grandchildren. Epps Mortuary, Lake Wales.
(From January 1997)
ETHEL KENNEDY, 84, of Lake Wales died Monday at home. A native of Bartow, she returned to Polk County from Belle Glade last year. She was a homemaker. She is survived by a son, Arthur J. of Lake Wales; a sister, Virginia Williams of Dunnellon; a brother, Joe Lindsey of South Bay; and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Epps Mortuary, Lake Wales.
(From January 1997)
FRANCES M. KLOHR, 72, of Holiday died Tuesday at Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital in Tarpon Springs. A native of Long Acre, W.Va., she moved to this area 22 years ago from Seaforth, Del. She was a retired secretary to the superintendent of the C & O Railroad in Newport News, Va., and a member of First United Methodist Church in Holiday. She is survived by her husband, William "Ernie;" a daughter, Doris A. Cashen of Sarasota; a sister, Eloise M. Otey of Las Vegas; and a niece. Thomas B. Dobies Funeral Home, Bartelt Road, Holiday.
(From January 1997)
MELVIN OSCAR NELSON, 87, of Lutz died Tuesday at University Community Hospital. A native of San Francisco, he moved to Florida 44 years ago from Chicago. He was a construction worker and member of Castle Heights Baptist Church. He is survived by his wife, Grace; a son, Melvin O. Jr. of Tampa; two daughters, Marilyn Margan of Lakeland and Karen Steingraber of Chicago; five grandchildren; and two great- grandchildren. American Family Cremation Society, Lakeland.
(From January 1997)
IRIS IRENE O'DELL, 83, of Winter Haven died Tuesday in Niceville. A native of Westville, she moved from Haines City to Winter Haven in 1942. She was a retired supervisor for Bordo Citrus Products and member of First Baptist Church of Winter Haven. She is survived by a daughter, Patricia O. Partin of Winter Haven; two sons, Wallace C. of Haines City and E. Wayne of Niceville; six grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren. Ott-Laughlin Funeral Home, Winter Haven.
(From January 1997)
VIRGINIA ELLEN SAMEK, 76, of Winter Haven died Wednesday at Winter Haven Hospital. A native of Toledo, Ohio, she came to Winter Haven in 1985 from Ohio. She was a retired machine operator for an automobile manufacturer and Protestant. She is survived by five sons, Keith Wegener of St. Petersburg, Larry Wegener, Max Wegener and Tom, all of Swanton, Ohio, and Fred Wegener of Port Angeles, Wash.; three sisters, Marjorie Welch of Winter Haven and Jane Roach and Doris Moorehead, both of St. Petersburg; two brothers, Richard Moorehead of Bradenton and Larry Moorehead of Toledo; and 11 grandchildren. Kersey Funeral Home, Auburndale.
(From January 1997)
SIDNEY H. WILLS, 80, of Lakeland died Tuesday at Lakeland Regional Medical Center. A native of Macon, Ga., he came to Polk County 62 years ago from Orlando. He was a retired administrative assistant for Pepsico Corp., a member of First United Methodist Church and past president of Homebuilders Class. He is survived by his wife, Ada Lee C.; a son, Talley E. Sr., and daughter, Helen W. Edgar, both of Lakeland; two brothers, Richard B. of Lakeland and Harold S. of San Angelo, Texas ; seven grandchildren; and 12 great- grandchildren. Heath Funeral Chapel, Lakeland.
(From January 1997)
