Obituaries (05/22/24)
Matt Oden
Eva
A Graveside Funeral service and Interment for Matt Oden, 49, was held
Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at 1:00 PM at Rock Creek Cemetery with Bro. Bobby
Hill officiating and Peck Funeral Home directing.
Mr. Oden passed away on Sunday, May 12, 2024, at his residence. He was born
June 1, 1974, in Morgan County, to Stanley Oden and Carolyn Maxine Bennett.
He was employed as a maintenance manager for Custom Engineered Wheels, prior to his passing. He was married to his wife, Rita Scott Oden, for 12 years.
He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers, Bufford, Mike and
Jeff Oden.
Survivors include his wife, Rita Scott Oden; son, Cary Oden; daughters, Tori Cunningham (Jonathan), Caitlin Latham, Alex Latham, Hannah Oden and AnnLynn Latham; seven grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be John Hall, Tim Oswald, Michael Childers, Shawn Scott,
James Scott and Jonathan Cunningham.
Jerome “Cowboy” Borden
Somerville
Funeral service for Jerome “Cowboy” Borden, 56, was held Friday, May 17, 2024
at 6:00 PM at Peck Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Steve Barber officiating
and Peck Funeral Home directing.
Mr. Borden died on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at his residence. He was born
July 9, 1967, in Morgan County, to Thomas Henry Borden and Thelma Ann
Edwards Borden.
He loved spending time with his children and grandchild, enjoyed riding
motorcycles and going to the ballfield to watch his grandchild play ball.
His mother preceded him in death.
Survivors include his wife, Tammy Tucker Borden; daughter, LeAnn Patterson (Jason Bailey); sisters, Sonya Dingler and April Carden (Randy); grandchild, Khloe Patterson; and father, Thomas Henry Borden.
In lieu of flowers, family requests meal gift cards.
Mary Ferguson
Auburn
Mary Ferguson, 77, of Auburn, Alabama, passed away peacefully May 7, 2024, leaving behind a legacy of love, laughter and compassion. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Jimmy Ferguson, with whom she shared 40 years of marriage. She is survived by her loving children, Jim Ferguson and his wife Lee and Mary Huddleston and her husband Patrick.
Mary was born in Mason, Ohio, and later moved to Falkville, Alabama, where she raised her family for more than 30 years. Those years in North Alabama were among her happiest, filled with the joy of family gatherings and the simple pleasures of life. She loved her husband and two children deeply and was proud to add their spouses to her family – welcoming Lee and Patrick and loving them like children of her own. Regular talks with her sister, Donna Johnson, and brother, Joe Martin, were a treasured pastime that helped transcend the miles between them.
Mary had a successful career as a medical insurance coder before her retirement. She spent the latter part of her retirement in Auburn, where she lived for nearly 15 years, becoming a parishioner at St. Michael’s Catholic Church. She cherished the fellowship of her church community and the friendships she made there.
Mary had a kind heart and a big sense of humor. She loved meeting new people and had a gift for making people feel loved and appreciated. Her ability to bring laughter into any situation was a testament to her joyous spirit.
Her passing leaves a void, but her family rejoices in knowing she is united with her loving husband.
A mass will be held at St. Michael’s Catholic Church on July 16, 2024 followed by a celebration of life. Details of the service will be provided later.
Coach William Booth
Hartselle
William Mason Booth, 79, of Hartselle died Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
Mr. Booth was born August 11, 1944, in Hartselle, Alabama to DeWitt Vaughn
and Minnie Rea (Thompson) Booth.
He attended Hartselle public schools and graduated from Morgan County High
School in 1962. He attended Florence State College and Athens College
graduating with a Math Education degree in 1967 and graduate degrees in
education from Alabama A&M.
As a product of Hartselle schools in the years after World War II, William
experienced first-hand the high expectations of a rigorous public school. He
began his career as a classroom math teacher in 1966. It is estimated that
he taught more than 4,500 students throughout his career – many of those,
including three of his four children, were influenced to pursue engineering
and STEM careers.
Hartselle City Schools transitioned from Morgan County Schools into a city
system in 1975. At the same time, William began to assume various
administrative roles in the new district. These included assistant principal
at Hartselle High School, Chapter I/II Coordinator, Advanced Placement
Coordinator, Title I/II Coordinator and Transportation Coordinator. He took
on these roles in addition to his math classroom. It was during these years
that William led the advancement of the HHS mathematics curriculum to
include more robust Calculus instruction, including Advanced Placement
courses.
Significantly, William was an example, contributor and leader of an
ambitious academic mindset at Hartselle City Schools that has been
solidified over the almost two generations that spanned his tenure and
continues to this day.
In 1988, at 43 years old, and after over 20 years as a math teacher, he took
on the role of head baseball coach at Hartselle High School. His experience
and enjoyment from coaching his son’s little league teams influenced his
decision to take on this new role to continue his time with Mason and his
baseball teammates.
Coach Booth approached his new endeavor with the same enthusiasm,
competitiveness and expectations for himself and his student athletes. He
viewed his players as students first and made that obvious in many ways. As
he did in his classroom, he understood that success was not only defined in
terms of a team but also as individual growth and achievement. He
energetically made his students and players understand that success is
measured by how much you advance from where you start, as a function of
individual effort. It was not uncommon for students and players – and in
later years his grandchildren – to be found in the evening at his kitchen
table where he would assist with math concepts and homework.
The result of that philosophy was spectacular. He led his teams to nine
State Championships, four State Championship runner up placements and 21
area championships. With his 648th win in 2006, Booth became Alabama’s
winningest high school baseball coach and continues to hold the title with
1,217 wins. He has been inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
(ASHOF), the Morgan County Sports Hall of Fame, and was named the Decatur
Daily’s 5A-7A Coach of the Year 17 times. The Alabama Sports Hall of
Fame awarded Booth the 2023 Frank “Pig” House Award named after the ASHOF
founder. In addition, earlier this year, the Alabama Baseball Coaches
Association awarded Booth with the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award.
This award will be named for Coach Booth for future recipients.
Throughout these successes on the baseball field, William continued to teach
advanced mathematics. He left the classroom in 2016 and went on to serve as
Interim Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Director of Operations
and Transportation Coordinator. He formally retired from the Hartselle City
Schools in 2023 after 58 years of service to the district and continued as
head coach for the high school team.
William Booth was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Pearl
McCarley, and son, Bruce Vest.
He is survived by his wife, Peggy Collins Booth; children, William Mason
Booth III (Shannon); Andy Vest (Monty); Lori Vest Cline (Todd);
grandchildren Mary Elizabeth Booth, William Mason Booth, Olivia Vaughn
Booth, Eleanor Vest, Catherine Cline and Drew Cline and sisters Sally
Cheatham, Lucy Booth and Annie Lemmons.
A graveside service was held on Saturday, May 18 at Hartselle Memory
Gardens at 2:00 pm presided by Reverand Milan Dekich and Reverand Charles
Orr and directed by Peck Funeral Home.
The family will receive friends at a Celebration of Life Reception from 3:00
– 5:00 pm at Hartselle High School located at 1000 Bethel Road, Hartselle,
AL.
Pallbearers will be Jake Miles, John Hall, Keith Wright, Kody Vest, Cody
McCormick and Chris Wallace. Honorary pallbearers will be Mickey Hembree,
Dr. Mark Hendrix, Kevin Corum, Billy Tillman and Dwight Tankersley and all
current and former Hartselle High School baseball team members.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice of North Alabama or St.
Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Eugene Lawrimore
Hartselle
Funeral services for Eugene Lawrimore, 84, of Hartselle will be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at 3:00 PM at Peck Funeral Home Chapel. Bro. Brent Lawrimore and Bro. Billy Bryan will officiate, with burial to follow in Hartselle City Cemetery. Peck Funeral Home is directing the arrangements. Mr. Lawrimore passed away on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at Hospice Family Care.
He was preceded in death by his father, Andrew Lawrimore; mother, Sally Bailey Lawrimore; and four brothers: Raymond, Travis, Pete, and Eldred Lawrimore. Eugene attended school at Mount Hope in Lawrence County and graduated from Falkville High School in 1957. He worked for Chemstrand for three years, 3M Company for eight years, and Dunlop Tire and Rubber for twelve years, where he was a boiler operator and Maintenance Supervisor. In 1971, he married Linda O’Barr Lawrimore. He was a Charter Member of First Faith Church in Falkville, AL. After retiring from Dunlop, he spent 18 years in the family business, G&L Heating & Cooling. He also enjoyed building and renovating houses and restoring antique tractors.
Survivors include his wife, Linda Lawrimore; daughter, Pam (Mark) Blankenship; son, Lane (Kim) Lawrimore; grandchildren, Blaze, Will, and Lydia; sister, Shirley Lawrimore; and sister-in-law, Jo Lawrimore.
Pallbearers will be Blaze Lawrimore, Will Lawrimore, Mike Lawrimore, Brent Lawrimore, Brian Lawrimore, and Greg Barnett.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Faith Church in Falkville, AL.
Joan E. Jenkins
Hartselle
Funeral services for Joan E. Jenkins, 88, of Hartselle will be held on Thursday, May 23, 2024, at 2:00 PM at Roundtop Community Church. Bro. Pearl Jenkins, Bro. Bobby Smith, and Bro. Michael Gunter will officiate, with burial to follow in the Somerville Church of God Cemetery. Peck Funeral Home is directing the arrangements. Mrs. Jenkins was born on February 12, 1936, in Washington, DC, to Wallace Beattie Hoover and Charlotte Lydia Archer Hoover. She passed away on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at her residence. Joan was a member of Roundtop Community Church.
She was preceded in death by her parents; daughter, Debbie Walker; four brothers; one sister; and two grandsons, Joshua Lambert and Steven Jenkins. Joan was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and a devoted Christian.
Survivors include her husband, Bro. Pearl Jenkins; son, Tom Jenkins (Claudia); daughters, Donna Allen (Brett) and Denise Lambert (Chris); eight grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Westlund Allen, Caleb Ward, Justin Reed, Tom Jenkins, Brett Allen, and Chris Lambert.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Aveanna Hospice in Decatur, AL.
Glenda Wilhite
Vinemont
Funeral services for Glenda Wilhite, 69, will be held on Wednesday, May 22, 2024, at 3:00 PM at Peck Funeral Home Chapel. Bro. Larry Duke will officiate, and Peck Funeral Home will direct the services. Burial will follow at Friendship Cemetery (south of Danville). Visitation is scheduled for Wednesday, May 22, 2024, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Peck Funeral Home.
Ms. Wilhite passed away on Sunday, May 19, 2024, at Cullman Regional Medical Center. She was born on May 20, 1954, in Morgan County to Hubert L. May and Tinnie Melinda Franklin May.
A beloved sister, mother, and grandmother, Ms. Wilhite was preceded in death by her parents and siblings, Ruby Jewel May Norris, Brice May, Curtis “Buddy” May, Clenton May, and Evelyn May.
She is survived by her daughters Denise Wilhite, Bobbie Jo Wilhite, Christy McCormick (Bo), and Whitney Wimberley; her son Jeff Wilhite; and her sisters Sandra Dean, JoAnn Alexander, Brenda Glover, Patricia Morton, and Shirley Steele. She is also survived by numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Bo McCormick, Anthony Thomas, Isaiah Ortiz, Chase Sibley, Joey May, and Justin Allred.
