Obituaries week of Feb. 2
Alton Parks Johnson Sr.
Falkville
Funeral service for Alton Parks Johnson Sr., 76, was held Jan. 27 at 11 a.m. at Peck Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Brian Wilbanks officiating and Peck Funeral Home directing. Burial was in Bell Springs Cemetery.
Mr. Johnson died Jan. 23 at Cullman Regional Medical Center. He was born Sept. 6, 1945, in Morgan County to Howard Presley Johnson and Edna Ora Anders Johnson.
He was an avid deer hunter and reader. He loved fishing, woodworking and gardening. He was never too busy to talk and was very family-oriented. He was a very good mechanic and loved to research fixing and making things.
He was preceded in death by his parents; son, Ashley W.H. Johnson; daughter, Leora Johnson; and two brothers, Jack Johnson and Alvin Johnson.
Survivors include his long-time love, Linda C. Johnson; son, Alton P. Johnson Jr.; son, Amos N. Johnson; daughters, Leila Johnson, Letitia Johnson, Loretta Gilstrap (Patrick) and Dusty Ellard (Dexter); sister, Helen J. Wilbanks; 10 grandchildren; six and a half great-grandchildren; and numerous honorary children and grandchildren, too many to list.
Pallbearers were Gene Southern, Aaron Williams, Colton Williams, Joey Rodgers, Wade Wilbanks and Timothy Williams. Honorary pallbearers were David Wilbanks, Dex Ellard and Lonnie Wilburn.
Gary Hodtwalker
Hartselle
Funeral service for Gary Hodtwalker, 73, was held Jan. 29 at 2 p.m. at Bethel Baptist Church with Bro. Bobby Decker and Bro. Walt Schmidt officiating and Peck Funeral Home directing. Burial was in Burningtree Memorial Gardens.
Mr. Hodtwalker died Jan. 23 at Decatur Morgan Hospital. He was born Oct. 22, 1948, in Lincoln, Nebraska, to Earl Louis Hodtwalker and Florence Sophia Ketterer Hodtwalker.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a daughter, Patricia Jean Hodtwalker.
Mr. Hodtwalker was a member of Bethel Baptist Church, and he loved his church. He was an auto technician and owned Gary’s Repair Service. He loved his wife, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren dearly.
Survivors include his wife, Sandra Hodtwalker, of almost 50 years; two sons, Scottie Hodtwalker and
Dennis Hodtwalker; six daughters, Winnie Boyer, Wilma Heimburger (Tom), Holly Hodtwalker, Sandy Schmidt (Butch), Tina Smith (Chris) and Connie Kyzer (Mike); two brothers, Francis Hodtwalker and
Richard Hodtwalker; four sisters, Wilma Turner, Mina Fox, Ada Hodtwalker and Flossie Hodtwalker; sister-in-law, Shirley Malloy; 11 grandchildren, Wendy, Daniel, Vaughn, Brent, Ayla, Cole, Nic, Heather, Anna, Will and James; and three great-grandchildren, Logan, Erin and Kase.
Pallbearers were Cole Schmidt, Nic Smith, Butch Schmidt, Chris Smith, Will Kyzer and Rick Page.
Truman Lee Shaddrix
Hartselle
Funeral service for Truman Lee Shaddrix, 75, of Hartselle was held Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. at Peck Funeral Home Chapel with Brother Mike Free officiating. Burial was in the Hartselle City Cemetery. Peck Funeral Home directed.
Mr. Shaddrix, who was born April 3, 1946, in Morgan County to Eugene Shaddrix and Myrtle L. Turner Shaddrix, died Jan. 23 at Decatur Morgan Hospital. He was a devoted Christian man who had a desire to win others to the Lord and was the former pastor at First Faith Falkville Church. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather and friend. He was a preacher and former plant superintendent at Chore-Time in Priceville.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two brothers, Dwight Shaddrix and John Shaddrix, and a sister, Betty Blackwood.
He is survived by his wife, Linda Shaddrix; a son, David Shaddrix (Shannon); a daughter, Melissa Chaffee; two brothers, Carl Shaddrix and Dwayne Shaddrix; six sisters, Naydean Montgomery, Carol Carden, Fayteen Cryer, Marveline Steel, Geraldine Smith and Vickie Steel; two grandchildren, Amber Fullerton and Luke Chaffee; and three great-grandchildren, Layla Fullerton, Dean Chaffee and Sam Chaffee.
Lovick Thomas Sharp
Somerville
A memorial service for Lovick Thomas Sharp was held Jan. 29 at 11 a.m. at Peck Funeral Home Chapel.
Mr. Sharp was born June 4, 1945, in Morgan County to Lovick and Alta Sharp. Mr. Sharp died Jan. 20 at his residence.
Mr. Sharp was a loving son, father, brother, uncle and grandfather. He always took care of his family before thinking of himself. He was honorably discharged from the Army. He loved taking care of his farm while working full time as a financial analyst.
Mr. Sharp was preceded in death by his parents and sisters, Betty Johnson, Sue Turney and Peggy Harris.
Survivors include his daughter, Audrey Reeves; sister, Vivian Smith; and two grandchildren, Dylan Reeves and Lilly Reeves.
Mary Rena Mills
Hartselle
Funeral service for Mary Rena Mills, 62, was held Jan. 29 at 1 p.m. at Peck Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Earl Holt officiating and Peck Funeral Home directing. Burial was in Antioch Cemetery.
Mrs. Mills died Jan. 25 at UAB Hospital. She was born Nov. 1, 1959, in Morgan County to Joe Howard Maxwell and Linda Sue Maxwell. She was a loving mother and grandmother.
She was preceded in death by her father and a brother, Brian Maxwell.
Survivors include her mother, Linda Sue Maxwell; son, Anthony Keith Mills; daughter, Kimberly Michelle Mills; brothers, Howard Maxwell and Barry Maxwell; sister, Casondra Bukszar; grandchildren, Victoria Mills, Eladio Villsenor, Maleke Villasenor and Tabias Clark; and six great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers were friends and family.
Willard “Doug” Blackwood
Hartselle
Funeral service for Willard “Doug” Blackwood, 81, was held Feb. 1 at 1 p.m. at Peck Funeral Home Chapel with Phillip Hines officiating and Peck Funeral Home directing. Burial was in Cross Roads Cemetery in Cullman County.
Mr. Blackwood passed away Jan. 26 at his residence. He was born Oct. 4, 1940, in Cullman County to William Elldredge Blackwood and Clovis Inez Hardin Blackwood.
Doug had a marked ability for attention to detail and completion of tasks all his life. He went to college at Montevallo briefly, but hearing of a job possibility in Texas, he bought a motorcycle and rode it to Dallas, only to find the job had been cancelled.
Undaunted, an uncle advised him to look for work in California; so, he proceeded to California on his motorcycle and found menial work as a janitor at the Bendix Corp. His attention to detail and work habits quickly earned him a promotion to their circuit board production line. This was his first training in electronics.
A desire to learn more about electronics led him to join the Air Force, where he was trained in electronics and instrumentation. While there, he received an award for outstanding attention to duty and competence, as observed by the base commander. Leaving the Air Force, he worked in electronics at Bendix, ITT, Ortloff and other companies until he helped found Navigation Communication Systems, which produced superior satellite receivers and antennae capable of low-power observation of satellites for commercial ship traffic navigation.
Returning to school, Doug earned degrees in computer science and mathematics and then secured employment at Intergraph in Huntsville, where he worked until his retirement.
It all started with attention to detail, work habits and a motorcycle.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Marlin Blackwood.
Survivors include his wife, Margaret Blackwood; daughters, Shawna Japhet (Dan) and Melissa Green (Donnie); sister, Dorothy-Lake Abbott; and grandchildren, Austin Stewart, Cayce Stewart, Mally Henderson (Garrett) and Katelyn Lawrence (Caleb).
Pallbearers were Austin Stewart, Cayce Stewart, Garrett Henderson, Caleb Lawrence, Greg Blackwood and Tommy Blackwood.
Mavine Lydia Springer
Hartselle
Funeral service for Mavine Lydia Springer, 80, of Hartselle was held Jan. 31 at 3 p.m. at Peck Funeral Home Chapel with Brother Ben Bates officiating. Burial was in the Mt. Tabor cemetery. Peck Funeral Home directed.
Mrs. Springer, who was born Nov. 20, 1941, in Limestone County to Hubert Lang and Lydia Henderson Lang, died Jan. 29 at her home. She was a homemaker and a member of New Center Baptist Church, and she enjoyed thrifting, sewing and eating with friends.
She is survived by her husband, Willard Springer; a daughter, Sonya Groves (Daniel) of Springfield, Tenn.; two brothers, Glenn Lang of Ardmore and Ernest Lang of Huntsville; a sister, Phyllis Ann Helms of Atlanta; two grandchildren, Bella Campbell (Zach) of Franklin, Tenn., and Will Frazier (Hannah) of Springfield, Tenn.; and two great-grandchildren, Greyson Frazier and Amelia Campbell.
Daniel Groves, Will Frazier, Zach Campbell, Randy Lang and Ernie Moses served as pallbearers.
Laverne Ramey
Hartselle
Graveside service for Laverne Ramey, 89, of Hartselle was held Feb. 1 at 2 p.m. at Salem Cemetery with Bro. Michael Gunter officiating and Peck Funeral Home directing.
She was born March 6, 1932, in Morgan County to William Horace Draper and Bertha Robinson Draper.
Mrs. Ramey passed away Jan. 29 at Falkville Health Care.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Roy Ramey; and son, Steve Ramey.
Laverne was a member of Salem United Methodist Church. She was a loving mother and grandmother.
Survivors Include son, Dennis Ramey (Debbie); daughter-In-Law-Pat Ramey; sister- Margaret Hammack; four grandchildren, Paula Ramey, Lindsey Ramey, Julie Ramey and Kelly Ramey; and one great-granddaughter, Gwyneth Dean.
Mildred “Millie” Myers Prater
Danville
A graveside funeral service and interment for Mildred “Millie” Myers Prater, 88, were held Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. at Friendship South of Danville with Bro. Francis Proctor and Bro. Geoff Halbrooks officiating and
Peck Funeral Home directing.
Mrs. Prater died Jan. 27 at her residence. She was born April 19, 1933, in Morgan County to Abraham Jackson Franklin Myers and Necie Ora (Hensley) Myers.
She was a member of the Penn Church of God, and after being a floral designer for many years, she opened her own business, Millie’s Florist, in 1992. She was the owner and operator of Millie’s until the decline of her health.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Alfred Prater; her parents; a brother, Robert Meyers; and a granddaughter, Kelcie Prater.
Survivors include sons, Joel Prater and Dewayne Prater (Jayne); six grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers were grandsons and great-grandsons.
Phillip Alan Mabrey
Hartselle
Funeral service for Phillip Alan Mabrey, 57, was held Jan. 31 at 1 p.m. at Peck Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Milan Dekich officiating and Peck Funeral Home directing. Burial was in Oak Ridge Cemetery.
Mr. Mabrey passed away peacefully Jan. 28 at his home surrounded by those who loved him. He was born Sept. 4, 1964, in Morgan County to Gene R. Mabrey and Mary Ellis Pearcy Mabrey. He was a 1982 graduate of Hartselle High School.
Phillip was a people person and was well known and loved by many friends he had made over the years in his employment with Aramark Uniform Services; his time as a business owner at Pup’s Place; and at Vulcan Materials in the maintenance department.
After a traumatic brain injury in May 2008, from which the doctors said he wouldn’t survive, Phillip became a shining example of God’s glory by proving the doctors wrong. Though confined to a wheelchair for the last 13 years of his life, Phillip was a man people looked up to and marveled at his strength. Even those friends he had never really met except on Facebook loved him and were in awe of his perseverance.
Phillip was a member of Fairview Church of God. His favorite verse was Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Survivors include his wife of 38 years and caregiver for the last 13 years, Regina Gossett Mabrey; daughter, Sara Mabrey Baker (Taylor); and brother, Tim Mabrey (Barbara).
Pallbearers were members of the Fairview Church of God Men’s Group.
Dorothy-Lake McCleskey Lake
Hartselle
A private funeral service for Dorothy-Lake McCleskey Lake, 98, was held Friday, February 4, 2022 at 3p.m. at Peck Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Nicky Pressnell officiating and Peck Funeral Home directing. Burial was in Johnson Chapel. A visitation will be for one hour prior to the service at the Funeral home. Mrs. Lake died on Sunday, January 30, 2022 at her residence. She was born April 20, 1923, in Morgan County, to Farris Calloway McCleskey and Mary Lou Thompson McCleskey. She was employed as a seamstress for United Stage Equipment prior to her retirement.
She loved her church and was a church of Christ member for 62 years. She was a loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
Preceding her in death were her husband, Harold L. Lake; her parents; two brothers, James McCleskey and Bernard McCleskey; two sisters, Mary Gray and Ruby Higdon; and a son-in-law, Don Garner.
Survivors include son, Rayburn Lake (Debbie); daughters, Jannice Garner and Reatha Tanksley (Tim); grandchildren, Donna Garner, Jarod Tanksley (Emily) and Stuart Tanksley (Rebecca); and great-grandchildren, Alex Garner, Austin Screws, Maddie Tanksley, Pierce Tanksley, Caroline Tanksley, Mary Brents Tanksley, Harlen Tanksley, and Jack Tyler Tanksley.
Pallbearers were family and friends.
