By Staff
Imogene Brantley
ATMORE - Miss Imogene Brantley, 98, a retired teacher and faithful member of the First United Methodist Church of Atmore died Monday at 5 a.m. at Baptist Hospital in Pensacola, Fla.
Her parents, Henry H. Brantley and Eugenia Betts Brantley and a sister, Mary E. Brantley preceded her in death.
Survivors include, two nieces, Joyce Brantley of Pensacola, Fla. and Louise Vernon of Dallas, Texas; a cousin, Sara Paggett of Canoe and leaves a host of friends.
She was a native of Conecuh County and attended Alabama College of Montevallo and Troy University where she received her bachelor’s degree.
Miss Brantley taught school in Conecuh and Talladega Counties for nine years before coming to Atmore where she taught 3rd grade for 33 years before retiring. She was active in school, church and civic affairs. She was a member of the Atmore Garden Club, served four years as a United Fund Director and served as Trustee for the First United Methodist Church and at one time served directing the Primary Choir. She was a faithful member and teacher of the Agape Sunday School class and a local chairperson of the Wesley Manor at Dothan. She was honored with a life Membership in the United Methodist Women, supporter of the United Methodist Children’s Home in Selma, the Atmore Public Library and was an avid reader as a subscriber of four newspapers. She was also a supporter of the Atmore Historical Society.
In February of this year she presented the First United Methodist Church with a new electronic Digital Allen Organ in memory of her sister, Mary E. Brantley. Several years ago she and her sister, Mary, created a trust for the Preyerville cemetery’s upkeep and maintenance, located near Burnt Corn in Monroe County.
Her influence will live on in the hearts of her family and friends, especially in the lives of her former students. Her motto was “100 years from now, it won’t matter what car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much money I had in my bank account, nor what my clothes looked like, but the world may be a little better because I was important in the life of a child.”
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. today, Aug. 13, 2008 at the First United Methodist Church at 311 S. Pensacola Ave. with the Rev. Dr. John Brannon, the Rev. Dan Rhodes and the Rev. Jim Reece officiating. Graveside services will be held in the Preyerville cemetery at 12:30. Visitation will be held at 10 a.m. today, Wed. Aug. 13, 2008.
Active pallbearers will be Tim Currie, John Garrard, Terre McGill, Ed Ray, Ollie Strawbridge, Clint Smith, Floyd Adams and Jim Kiser. Honorary pallbearers will be the third grade boys she taught 33years in Atmore, Dr. Jonah McIntyre, Charles and Gail Ellis, Dr. Fred Cook, Mrs. Tom Bryars, Dr. Thomas Moore, Mr. and Mrs. Herb Bullard, Dr. David Maxwell, Dr. William Smith, Edith C. Mays, Annie Ruth Whitten, Dorothy F. Faircloth, Dot Albert, the Agape Sunday School class, Mary Dennis, United Methodist Women, Elise Crook, Jeanette Ray, Marcelete Harris, Mabel McBride, Atmore Public Library personnel, Mr. and Mrs. Brannon Wagget, Joyce Bolden, Ralph Smith Jr., Alan Davis, David Gehman, Kelly Drew, Chipper Staff, Joe Nall, the Hon. Burt Rice, Ted French. Will Chapman, Mayor Howard Shell, Becky Phillips, Sam Crook, George VanPelt, G. Robin Swift III, Robert Faircloth Sr., Earl Everette and the Rev. Diane Everette, Lou Vickery, B.L. Hendrix, Jerald Jaye, Mark Lucas, Glen and Guy Cunningham, Bobby Davis, Bill Smith, Richard Dickinson, Bobby Mays, Jimmy Mays, Richard Monroe, Randy Nichols, Jimmy Crook, Ed Brown, Dale Gehman, Tommy Byrne, Webb Nall, Byard Swift, Winston Rushing, Dan Currie Jr., Leon Esneul, Danny Broughton, Keith Vinson, Raymond Bolden, Gary Frazier, Pellar Lowery Jr., John McMurphy, Bill McMurphy, Joe McMurphy, Wiley Long Jr., Rob Faircloth Jr. and Claude Steele Jr.
Freddie J. Grissett
ATMORE - Mr. Freddie J. Grissett, 57, of Atmore exited into eternal existence on Aug. 8, 2008 at Atmore Community hospital after an extended illness.
He was a native of Atmore and was a graduate of Escambia Training School. He was a member of the Greater Mt. Triumph Baptist Church where he served as deacon and a Sunday school teacher. He was a member of the male chorus and the Brotherhood of the Church. He was a retired Machine Operator for Masland Carpet with more than 33 years of service before retiring in 2005.
He leaves to cherish his memories, a loving wife, Yvonne Grissett of Atmore; two daughters, Tovjivanese L. and Tonyaneka C. Grissett, both of Atmore; one son, Jordan R. Lambert of Atmore; one sister, Esther Shuford of Mobile and four brothers, Otis Gray of Southfield, Mich., Willie McCants of Gulfport, Miss., Charles Jones of Mobile and Jessie L. Williams of Bay Minette.
Funeral services were held at 1 p.m. Monday, Aug. 11, 2008 at the Greater Mt. Triumph Baptist Church with the Rev. Willie Hawthorne, pastor, officiating. Interment was held in Fairview Cemetery in Atmore. Public viewing was held from 3 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008 at the funeral home and his body lied instate at the church two hours prior to service time.
Turner Funeral Chapel, LLC of Atmore was in charge of services.
John Larry Weaver
URIAH - Mr. John Larry Weaver, 66, of the Semirah Springs Community of Uriah died Aug. 7, 2008 at Monroe County Hospital.
Mr. Weaver was born in Walnut Hill, Fla. and resided in the Semirah Springs Community of Uriah for many years. He was of the Baptist Faith and a member of the Uriah Masonic Lodge #593. Mr. Weaver retired from the Alabama Department of Corrections and owned and operated Weaver’s Construction Company. He was a veteran serving in the United States Marine Corp. for four years and the Army Reserve for one year.
His parents, James Aubrey Weaver and Doris Mae Weaver; his brother Murray Winston and an infant brother preceded him in death.
Survivors included, his wife of 47 years, Shirley Weaver of the Semirah Springs Community in Uriah; one son, Larry Wesley Weaver (Rita) of Goodway; two daughters, Jonny Lynn Smith (Russell) of Goodway and Rachel Lynette Caraway (Wayne) of Uriah; six brothers, Douglas Weaver (Shirley) of Uriah, Aubrey Weaver Jr. (Marilyn) of Booneville, Donald Weaver (Ernestine) of Clayton, Ronald Weaver (Diane) of Orange Beach, Dick Weaver ( Vonda) of Booneville and Patrick Weaver of Sitka, Alaska; one sister, Linda Blake of Uriah; seven grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews, family and friends.
Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 11, 2008 at Monroe County Chapel Funeral Home with the Rev. Steve Dunn officiating. Burial followed at Mineola cemetery. Visitation was held from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008 at the funeral home.
Murray Greer “Mushy” Whitaker
ATMORE - Murray Greer “Mushy” Whitaker, 75, of Atmore died Saturday, Aug. 9, 2008 in Pensacola, Fla.
He was a retired Independent Petroleum Land Man. He attended Auburn University, served in the U.S. Army and was a Member of the First United Methodist Church of Atmore for 64 years.
His parents, Mr. and Mrs. H.B. Whitaker Sr. and his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Lonnie Greer preceded him in death.
Survivors include, his wife, Sandra K. Whitaker of Atmore; two sons, Murray Greer “Whit” Whitaker Jr. and wife Sandy of Atmore and Fred William Whitaker and wife, Pam Owens of Zebulon, Ga.; one daughter, Kelley Whitaker Turnage and husband Allen of Tallahassee, Fla.; one brother, Heiuliet Brent Whitaker Jr. of Atmore; six grandchildren, Abigail Lee Whitaker, Preston Creed Turnage, Anna Lee Whitaker, Jackson Greer Turnage, Nolan Jefferson Turnage and William Forest Whitaker and one great grandson, Malachl Gaden Whitaker.
Services were held at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 11, 2008 from the First United Methodist Church with the Rev. Jim Reece officiating. Interment followed in Oak Hill cemetery. Active pallbearers were, Jim Brown, Galen Walker, Dr. Tommy Moore, Dr. Allen Moore, Miles King, Bruce Akins and David Hadley. Honorary pallbearers were Bill Staff, Felix Nicholas, Ted Clayton, Wayne Baker, Nathan Lowry, Tommy Stallworth, George VanPelt, Roger Boutwell, Herb Hackman, Dick McCabe, Jack Beck and Earl Jeter. Family received friends from 9:30 a.m. until service time at the First United Methodist Church.
In lieu of flowers the donations may be made the First United Methodist Church of Atmore or Covenant Hospice of Southwest Florida.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home was in charge of all arrangements.