Obituaries (10/03)
John “JW” Franklin
Danville
John “JW” Franklin, 92, of Danville passed away Sept. 4.
Mr. Franklin was born Jan. 1, 1926, in Morgan County to Johnnie and Ever Mae Franklin. He was a member of the Shady Grove Baptist Church and had been employed by Worthington Steel and then Federal Mogul.
Mr. Franklin is preceded in death by his parents and a son, John Wayne Franklin; four brothers, Bronner, Farris, Buddy and Bobby; and two sisters, Wanda and Elizabeth.
He is survived by his wife, Patricia Franklin; his daughter, Janet Reynolds; a sister, Katie Mae Kirby; four grandchildren, Dana Lynn, Valeria Sapp, Lelie McAbee and Trenton Reynolds; seven great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Laura Jane Knop Copeland
Hartselle
Laura Jane Copeland
Funeral service for Laura Jane Knop Copeland, 91, was held at 1 p.m. Oct. 2 at Peck Funeral Home Chapel. Brother David Guttery officiated with Peck Funeral Home directing. Burial followed the service in Hartselle Memory Gardens.
Mrs. Copeland died Sept. 18 at Summerford Nursing Home. She was born July 25, 1927, in Cullman County to John William Knop and Arneta Moore Knop. She graduated from West Point High School in 1946. She spent the remainder of her life in Hartselle raising her family.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 72 years, Loyd Stancel Copeland; her parents; and six brothers and sisters, Paul Knop, Sadamma Bibb, Franklyn Knop, Jack Knop, Ray Knop and Ann Blair Sullins.
Survivors include a daughter, Glenda Copeland of Atlanta, Ga., and a son, Paul Copeland (Cali) of Oxnard, Calif.; two grandchildren, Laura Catherine Dowling of Atlanta, Ga., and Sarah Baxter of Gilbert, Ariz.; one sister, Betty McLemore of Decatur; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.
Shirley Hughes King
Crane Hill
Memorial service for Shirley Hughes King, age 83 of Crane Hill, was held at 2 p.m. Sept. 30 at Bethany Baptist Church with Pastor Brad Philbeck officiating; burial was in adjoining cemetery.
Cullman Heritage Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. King passed away Sept. 24. She was born Jan. 23, 1935, in Alexandria, Ind., to the late Rev. Nutter and Georgia Hughes.
Mrs. King was passionate about music and enjoyed teaching piano lessons for more than 20 years in Decatur. She wrote and published gospel music that was featured on many gospel quartet albums. She also loved tending to her rose garden and always had a soft heart for any stray animal that came her way.
Most of all she loved her family, children and grandchildren. They were her pride and joy.
Survivors include her husband James E. King, son Dr. Kevin (Lynn Ann) Windsor, daughter Shonna (Daryl) Slate, stepdaughter Jan King and stepson Tony King; and grandchildren Paul, Alexa and David Windsor, Madison and Hugheston Slate, Brittney Sneed and Jackie Walker.
In lieu of flowers and in honor of Shirley’s love and concern for animals, donations may be made to the Greater Birmingham Humane Society or to an animal rescue of your choice. GBHS, 300 Snow Dr., Birmingham, AL 35209.
Aaron Blaine Lee
Hartselle
Funeral service for Aaron Blaine Lee, 26, was held Sept. 28 at 1 p.m. at Peck Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. A. Ray Lee and the Rev. Clint Lee officiating and Peck Funeral Home directing. Burial was in
Lebanon Baptist Cemetery.
Mr. Lee died Sept. 25. He was born March 30, 1992, in Morgan County to the Rev. Clint Lee and Deidra Moorehead Lee. Aaron was a one-of-a-kind guy who loved his two sons more than anything. He loved to hunt and fish and be with friends and family. He was a welder for Hubbard and Drake Construction. He will truly be missed.
Survivors include two sons, Vincent Ray Lee and Mason Ridge Lee; parents, the Rev. Clint and Deidra Moorehead Lee; fiancé, Amber Hope Moyers; one brother, Joshua Cyle Lee; one sister, Lynsey Nicole Lee; grandparents, the Rev. A. Ray and Effie Lee, Stephanie Moorehead and Billy and Lisa Moorehead; and uncles and aunts, Scott and Jenny Morris, Richard and Laura Myer and Mardy and Tammye Brammer.
Pallbearers were family and friends.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Hartselle, Redstone Federal Credit Union, in care of his children.
Frank D. Sharrott
Hartselle
Graveside service for Frank D. Sharrott, 84, was held Sept. 29 at noon at Bethel Baptist Church with the Rev. Patrick McDonald officiating and Peck Funeral Home directing. Burial was in Bethel Baptist Cemetery.
Mr. Sharrott died Sept. 26. He was born Jan. 7, 1934, in Morgan County to Norman Sharrott and Clara Lucille Norris Sharrott. He was employed by 3M Company as an electronic engineer prior to his retirement. He also worked as a cabinet maker for 30 years during his lifetime.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Margaret Sharrott; one brother, Kenneth Sharrott; and four sisters, Amanda Sandlin, Dorothy Wright, Virginia Segars and Jan Griffin. Mr. Sharrott was a devout church member at Bible Baptist Church.
Survivors include two sisters, Ozelle McAbee, Hartselle, and Gail Puckett, Hartselle; and extended family, the McDonald Family in Love.
Pallbearers were Craig Segars, Billy McAbee, Ferrell Vest, Chris Sandlin, Mike Sandlin and Larry Vest. Honorary pallbearers were Jeff Sandlin, Tony Vest and Scotty Puckett.
Billy Jones
Hartselle
A Memorial service will be held by and for his family at a later date.
Mr. Jones died Sept. 29 at his residence. He was born Nov. 12, 1933, in Madison County to Calvin Jones and Annie Hooves Jones. He was a maintenance supervisor for Young Door Company prior to his retirement. He joined the U.S. Navy when he was 18 years old and spent four years serving. He then re-enlisted in the Air Force and spent 20 years serving in this branch of service before retiring.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Survivors include two sons, Marty Jones and Joe Jones, and one daughter, Donna Pitt.
Donald Lee White
Decatur
Funeral service for Donald Lee White, 72, of Priceville was held Oct. 2 at 3 p.m. at Cave Springs Baptist Church with the Rev. Brad Doss, the Rev. Edgar Griggs and the Rev. Eric Mattox officiating, with burial in the Friendship Cemetery at Danville with Military Honors and Peck Funeral Home directing. Mr. White laid in state from 1:30 p.m. until service time Tuesday at the Church.
Mr. White, who died Sept. 29 at his home, was born Sept. 24, 1946, in Lawrence County to Phil Moore White and Lois Mae Walker White. He retired from Amoco Chemical in Decatur, where he worked as a foreman. He was a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War. He was a member of the Lebanon United Methodist Church at Speake. Don had served as a board member for the Northeast Morgan County Water and Sewer Authority and for the Wheeler Basin Natural Gas Company.
Don and his wife Betty loved and supported their grandchildren and the Priceville Community. They were in charge of and operated the concession stand at Priceville High school for many years. Don loved to quail hunt, play golf and had even coached his grandson’s soccer team.
He was preceded in death by his parents and by his brothers, Hershell, Bob and Willard White.
He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Betty Jean Letson White; two daughters, Lynn Boyd (Mike) and Pam White, all of Priceville; a brother, Carl White (Nancy) of Addison; two sisters, Alice Blankenship (Willard) of Landersville and Barbara Grimes of Hartselle; two grandchildren, Sumer White (Chase) and Brock Boyd; and two great-grandchildren, Hank and Hannah White, all of Priceville.
Mike Boyd, Brock Boyd, Chase White, Winford Dutton, Matt White and David Hargrove served as pallbearers.
Arthur David Buckelew
Brownsboro
Arthur David Buckelew, 78, of Brownsboro, passed away Sept. 30. He is survived by his wife, Beth Buckelew; son, John David Buckelew; daughter, Robin Elizabeth Hines (Mike); six grandchildren, Katie Elizabeth McCay (Alex), Joye-Michael Doss, Garrett Campbell Buckelew, Stephen Hines (Katy), Ashley Clark (Micah) and Kevin Hines; and great-grandchildren, Isaac Clark, Hannah Hines and Charlie Hines.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Ellis and Ima Buckelew, and brother, Carolton Buckelew.
He was a native of Morgan County and a resident of Madison County since 1977. He retired from the City of Huntsville in 2002.
Honorary pallbearers were Wayne Barclift, Jerry Wilson, Gene Pinczewski, Billy Don Aldridge, Ken Gipson, John Ford, David Arthur Linn and Larry Moss.
The family will receive friends Oct. 3 from 4-6 p.m. at Berryhill Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to Land Trust of North Alabama, Greater Huntsville Human Society, Hospice Family Care or the Food Bank of North Alabama.
