Kenneth Earl Higdon, Jr.
January 24, 2014
Kenny Higdon, age 59, a lifelong resident of Beulah, entered Heaven’s Gate Tuesday, January 21, 2014. He was born January 17, 1955, the first born son of the late Kenneth Earl and Peggy Higdon. He is survived by his brother, Jamey Higdon and Jamey’s wife Sue Higdon; nephew Jeremy Higdon (Bullfrog), and niece Emily Higdon (Princess Emily/ Moe, the apple of his eye); and many relatives and friends. He was a devoted son, brother, uncle, cousin, and friend.
Kenny will be remembered by many and forgotten by few. He was a highly respected deep sea boat captain and fisherman. He knew where they were, and how to find where they hid. He was a giant of a man. To borrow one of Kenny’s unlimited reserve of sayings, he was “tougher than four kinds of nails”! But he had a heart so big it would be difficult to find someone who knew Kenny and did not love him.
Kenny lived an incredibly full life. His greatest loves were his family, fishing, boating, and serving as a cook extraordinaire for gatherings in Beulah, or wherever his boat was anchored. He was content sipping on a beverage, frying mullet, snapper, and shrimp and watching grateful diners enjoy the fruits of his labor.
Kenny’s friends from far and wide are so many they would overflow most auditoriums. If they all gathered in one spot and began recounting “Kenny” stories (most of which are suitable for mixed company), the tales would never end. Embellishment would not be necessary.
A visitation and memorial service celebrating Kenny’s life will be held Saturday, January 25th at Faith Chapel, 1000 S. Highway 29, Cantonment, Florida. Visitation will begin at 11:30 a.m.. The Service will begin at 2p.m.. Burial will follow at Beulah Baptist Church Cemetery. A fellowship will follow at “Kenyea’s on the Lake” on Beulah School Road. Messages of condolence may be posted at Higdonracing@aol.com.
FAITH CHAPEL FUNERAL HOME NORTH, 1000 Hwy 29S, Cantonment, FL is in charge of arrangements.
Fernie Cleveland Faircloth
January 22, 2014
Fernie Cleveland Faircloth, 89, of Bratt, went to be with the Lord on Monday, January 20, 2014, at his residence. He retired from St. Regis/Champion Paper Co. after 36 years. He was born on December 21, 1924, to the late Daniel Gabriel and Mary Chandron Faircloth. He was a Veteran of World War II and received an Honorable discharge from the Army in 1946. He was a member and former Deacon of Pine Barren Baptist Church, loved working outdoors and cherished the time he spent with family and his many friends.
He is preceded in death by his loving wife of 41 years, Opal Rutherford Faircloth.
Survivors include two sons, Larry Wayne (Janice) Faircloth and Glenn (Fay) Faircloth, both of Bratt; one daughter, Ruth Bethea of Knoxville, TN; five grandchildren, Andy (Stephani) Faircloth, Kelly (Charles) Taylor, Selena Steadham, Christie Faircloth and Misty Faircloth; five great-grandchildren, Devin and Shealyn Steadham, Sydney and Matthew Faircloth and Ariel Bethea; and two step-grandchildren, Leahna and Michael Taylor.
Services will be Thursday, January 23, 2014, at 11 a.m. from Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Mike Harper officiating.
Interment will follow at Pine Barren Baptist Cemetery with full military honors.
Active pallbearers will be Mickey Peterson, Jerry McElhaney, Johnny Steadham, Mark Dorriety, Jimmy McElhaney and Billy Darby.
Honorary pallbearers are Ronald Dove, Ralph Darby, Raymond Norris, J.R. Healey, Butch Fillingim, R.C. Rice, Doug Purvis, John Calvin Davis, Douglas Morgan, Mike Dormus, and Michael Peterson.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home, Inc., is in charge of all arrangements.
Cleve Taylor
January 21, 2014
Mr. Cleve Taylor, 78, passed away on Sunday, January 19, 2014, in Pensacola.
Mr. Taylor was a native of Bluff Springs and a lifelong resident of Bratt. Mr. Taylor was a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He attended the Bethel Temple Holiness Church. He is preceded in death by his parents, Jewel Taylor and Bartell Adcox; brother, J.W. Taylor and stepmother, Minnie Taylor.
He is survived by his wife, Marcia Taylor of Bratt; five daughters, Janice (Clayton) Flowers of Atmore, Louise (Woody) Bozeman of Monroeville, Marie (Randy) Hatfield of Bratt, Lynette Colbert of Atmore and Annette (Glen) Carr of Milton; one sister, Shirley Wambels of Dothan; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be Friday, January 24, 2014, at 2 p.m. at the Godwin Cemetery with Rev. John Coleman officiating.
Pallbearers will be Glen Carr, Matthew Wilson, Jeremy Hatfield, Clayton Flowers, Woody Bozeman and John Coleman.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes, LLC is in charge of all arrangements.
Marilyn Dianne Davis Rice
January 21, 2014
Marilyn Dianne Davis Rice, 57, passed away January 20, 2014, in Gainesville, FL. She was a lifetime resident of Century and a charter member of Faith Bible Baptist Church in Century. She is preceded in death by her beloved husband James L. (Jim) Rice; her godly parents, Willie and Geraldine Davis; grandparents, John and Katie Henderson, Thelma Weaver; and niece, Jeri Dense Davis. She had a special love for children and babysat from her home. She always put others first and would help someone in need. We will miss her and we will never forget her beautiful face.
She is survived by her children, Derek (Casey) Rice and Whitney (Timothy) Dunsford all of Century; grandchildren, Zoey Dunsford, Chandler, Braiden, Mary Grace, Adam, Madison and Cooper Rice; sisters, Jackie (Jason) Thomas of Jay and Susan (Daniel) Macks of McKenzie, AL; brothers, Billy (Karen) Davis and Keith Davis both of Century; nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and special friends.
Marilyn was a loving mother, wonderful sister, a great daughter and a caring friend.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 25, 2014, at 11 a.m. from the Faith Bible Baptist Church with Rev. Ricky Dunsford officiating.
Burial will follow in Byrneville Methodist Church Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Saturday, January 25, 2014, from 9:30 a.m. until service time at Faith Bible Baptist Church.
Donations can be made to the Marilyn Rice memorial fund at United Bank in Flomaton.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home in Atmore is in charge of arrangements.
Nicholas “Nick” Aaron Rolin
January 21, 2014
Mr. Nicholas “Nick” Aaron Rolin, 22, passed away on Monday, January 20, 2014, in Atmore.
Mr. Rolin was a native and lifelong resident of Perdido. Mr. Rolin was happy and he never met a stranger. His grandparents, Carlis & Beulah Johnson and Charles Rolin precede him in death.
He is survived by his father and mother, Danny & Pat Rolin of Perdido; one daughter, Autum Hastings of Nokomis, AL; two brothers, Brandon (Donyel) Rolin of Perdido and Patrick Rolin, all of Perdido; one sister, Kimberly (Kevin) Douglas of Lake City, FL; grandmother, Betty Rolin of Atmore; one aunt, Melinda (Dennis) Ferrell of Rabun; three uncles, Mickey (Gena) Johnson of Perdido, John Paul (Chea) Johnson of Bay Minette and Charles Edward Rolin of Monroeville; special great-aunt, Annette McCreary of Daphne; one niece, Madyson Rolin of Perdido; three nephews, Peyton Rolin, Hunter Ganey and Cameron Ganey all of Perdido; Jodi Vinson Stewart and very special cousins, Jessica Ferrell, Logan Ferrell, Hunter Johnson, John Taylor Johnson, Haley Johnson Dillon Johnson and Teri Tolbert.
Funeral services will be Thursday, January 23, 2014, at 2 p.m. at the Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home with Rev. Reo Pugh and Sis. Helen Stewart officiating.
Burial will follow at the Oak Hill Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, January 22, 2014, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Petty- Eastside Chapel Funeral Home.
Pallbearers will be Brandon Rolin, Patrick Rolin, Dywayne Hadley, Justin Johnson, Willie Hall, Charles Thomas Rolin, Josh Plant and Rolando Martinez.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes, LLC is in charge of all arrangements.
Bernice Rowell
January 19, 2014
Bernice Rowell, age 98 of Jay, passed away Sunday, January 19, 2014, in Milton. A visitation will be held 6-8 p.m. on Monday, January 20, 2014, at Jay Funeral Home.
Funeral services will be held 2 p.m., Tuesday, January 21, 2014, at Berrydale Baptist Church. Burial will follow at Fidelis Cemetery.
Jay Funeral Home is in charge of services.
Larry S. Mathis
January 18, 2014
On Sunday, December 15, 2013, Larry S. Mathis passed away in St. Thomas, VI. Larry was a native of Century; born on January 11, 1949. He attended Century High School where he excelled in sports and set many records for the school. He was a member of the graduating class of 1967 and he went on to attend and play football for the University of West Alabama in Livingston, AL. In his class annual, the most written about by his friends was “He had a great smile.” And he did! His smile and laughter was contagious!
After college, Larry returned to Century to work with his dad, Noah Mathis, in the construction business. Mathis Development was formed and Larry had a knack for learning the construction side of the business. He was a heavy equipment operator until his dad retired. He went on to work for several companies as an operator in Tennessee and in Miami, and then in 1995, after Hurricane Marilyn, he took a job working for a company in the Virgin Islands. His current job was with G.E.C. Company operating a 90 ton friction crane based out of the Virgin Islands. The owner had seen his work on another job and wanted to hire him on the spot. Larry told him once he finished the current job, GEC could hire him. Within a few weeks, he was working for GEC and had mastered the crane. The company owners said that they had never seen anyone learn so quickly and have such a great work ethic like Larry. He continued working on various islands for GEC during the past 19 years.
While living in St. Thomas, he met and married Mari Hamer on January 9, 1999 in a ceremony overlooking the beautiful scenery of the island. Larry & Mari loved the ocean and the sun: living in the peaceful serene setting in St. Thomas suited them. His wish to Mari was that he be cremated and ashes spread on the island; a place that he loved and now he called home. Mari will fulfill this wish with friends at a later date.
Larry was a workaholic, loved to garden and work on his boat. He was always busy working on something unless he was watching football. He was a Crimson Tide fan and wore a ‘Bama hat proudly to work everyday. As the days go by, he has been and will be forever missed by his family and friends.
Larry was preceded in death by his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Noah Mathis, Sr, and Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Moore. He is survived by his wife, Mari Mathis of St. Thomas; his parents, Noah and Chiquita Mathis of Century; three sisters, Betty Jackson, Judy Dunsford and June Thompson; also Scott Moore, Jimmie Moore and Brandon Mathis and his beloved pet dogs, Braveheart and Gidget.
A memorial service will be held at Hudson’s located at 7241 N. Century Blvd in Century, on Monday, January 27, 2014, from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Carlos J. Morris
January 16, 2014
Carlos J. Morris, age 70, of Jay passed away on Wednesday, January 15, 2014. He was a lifelong resident of Jay. Carlos was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed arranging flowers. He also loved his two dogs, Tooey and Bear. He was preceded in death by his parents, Emory and Irene Morris.
Carlos is survived by his loving wife, Marie Stacey Morris; sisters, Mae (Melvin) Lowery, and Margie (Orrell) Spears; in-laws, Mrs. Evelyn Simmons, and Mr. and Mrs. Holice Stacey; sisters-in-law, Louise (Bennie) Godwin and Shirley (Wayne) Allen; brother-in-law, Holice (Karen) Stacey; special nieces, Nelda Rogers and Sandy Cox; special nephews, Ricky Lowery, Gregory Spears, and Jeremy Word; two special cousins, Melvin (Bobby Jean) Langham and Leon (Barbara) Carnley; two special dogs, Tooey and Bear and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
A visitation will be held on Friday, January 17, 2014, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at Jay Funeral Home.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, January 18, 2014, at 11 a.m. at Jay Funeral Home with Brother Bobby Carnley officiating services.
Burial will follow at Cora Baptist Church Cemetery.
Active pallbearers will be Greg Spears, Tommy Cox, Wayne Allen, Mike Rogers, Greg Brown, and Pedro Hopkins.
Honorary pallbearers are William Lowery, Milton Lowery, Ricky Lowery, Curtis Wiggins, and Gene Wiggins.
The family would like to thank Dr. El-Sayeh and LeeAnn for all their care and support.
Jay Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Glenda Harigel Gulsby
January 16, 2014
On Tuesday, January 14, 2014, Glenda Harigel Gulsby, died at home, surrounded by family. Born in Pensacola on April 23, 1942, Glenda lived in Molino her entire life. She graduated from J. M. Tate High School in 1960. She was a very talented pianist who began playing before the age of 12; loved to teach music and throughout the years was the pianist for Highland Baptist Church, Pugh’s Chapel Assembly of God Church and Bay Springs Full Gospel Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, Clarence Bill Gulsby, Sr.; her parents, Vincent and Ethel (Hanks) Harigel; brothers, Fred Harigel., Richard and V.J.; granddaughter, Shana Marie Sanders.
Glenda is survived by her daughter, Sue (Dennis) Garrett; sons, Bill (Debbie) Gulsby; Wayne (Abbie) Gulsby; grandchildren, Susan Wyse-Wright; Cassey Gulsby (Steve) Surles; Dellaina Gulsby (Sean O’Donovan) Jordan and Aaron (Meighan) Gulsby; great-grandchildren, Lyndzi Wright; Aubree Jordan; Jase O’Donovan; Lane Surles and Gabe Rhea. She is also survived by seven step-grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren; her sister, Judy Harigel Herring; her aunt, Marnelle (Wesley) Weekley; her uncle, J.D. (Lettie) Hanks; and many nieces and nephews.
She loved and adored her family as much as life itself, enjoyed playing the piano and organ and loved reading.
The family wishes to thank Covenant Hospice, and especially Glenda’s nurses, Patti, Trish, Amanda and Sunday; Dr. Thomas Messe, M.D.; Dr. Henry W. Langhorne, III, Cardiologist; and Dr. Thabet Alsheikh, Cardiologist; Baptist Home Health Care, and especially Brandon and Sara.
Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Saturday, January 18, 2014, at Faith Chapel Funeral Home, 1000 Hwy 29, Cantonment, with Rev. Ken Johnson officiating. Burial will follow in the Oliver Pugh Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Jason Herring, Sean Harigel, Shane Harigel, Jerry Gulsby, Alan Gulsby and Frank Gulsby. Honorary pallbearers will be Wendell Hall, Dennis Rigby, Harold Holder, Gene Valentino, Wilson Robertson, Jonnie Gibson and Kevin Biggs.
The family will receive friends at Faith Chapel North from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday, January 17.
Memorial contributions may be made to Covenant Hospice, 6479 Caroline St., Milton, FL 32570.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home, 1000 Hwy 29 S, Cantonment, is in charge of arrangements.
Douglas Glen “Bubba” Pierce
January 15, 2014
Douglas Glen “Bubba” Pierce, age 49, of Cantonment, passed away Sunday, January 12, 2014, from a lifelong battle with chronic asthma. He was born to Glenn R. and Dell Pierce of Molino.
Glen spent his career as a truck driver using the trucker handle “lightening”. He loved to sing, play music and fish during his time off from work.
Glen is survived by his wife, Becky Pierce of Cantonment; son, Daniel (Kelly) Pierce; daughter, Heather Pierce (Steven) Moize; sisters, Lisa Gollub and Glenda “Coco” (James) Goundas; step-daughters, Kim and Kerry Weekley; numerous grandchildren, nieces, nephews and many friends.
Visitation will take place Thursday, January 16, 2014, from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North.
Services will be held Friday, January 17, 2014, at 1:15 p.m. at Faith Chapel Funeral Home North with Pastor Gene Hudson officiating. Interment to follow at Pineville Cemetery in Walnut Hill.
Faith Chapel Funeral Home North is entrusted with the arrangements.