Obituaries for Fri., Oct. 24, 2014

Published 12:00 am Friday, October 24, 2014

THELMA HUCKABA

Mrs. Thelma Huckaba, 67, of Andalusia, passed away on Tues., Oct. 21, 2014, at Andalusia Regional Hospital.

Funeral services will be held today at 2 p.m., in the Keahey Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Wayne Sharpe officiating. Interment will follow in the Ables Cemetery with Keahey Funeral Home directing.

Survivors include sons, Michael Huckaba of Andalusia, Barney Randall (Anette) Huckaba of Red Level, Donald Ray Huckaba of Gantt and Trammell Richard Huckaba of Lynn Haven, Fla.; daughter, DeLana (Christopher) Henagan of Andalusia; and sister, Peggy (Joe) Holley of Gantt.

Mrs. Huckaba was preceded in death by her husband, Barney Raymond Huckaba in 2004.

BETTY HARPER

Mrs. Betty Harper, 68, of Gantt, passed away on Tues., Oct. 21, 2014, at Andalusia Regional Hospital.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m., Sat., Oct. 25, in the Keahey Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Billy Boles officiating. Interment will follow in the Goodhope Baptist Church Cemetery with Keahey Funeral Home directing. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m., Fri., Oct. 24, at Keahey Funeral Home.

Survivors include her husband, Lee Douglas Harper of Gantt; daughter, Patti (Danny) Hidle of Geneva; sons, Byron Harper of Gantt, John (Bobbie Jo) Harper of Gantt and Lee Douglas Harper Jr. of Gantt; brother, Austin (Jean) Bozeman of Gantt; grandchildren, Jody (Catherine) Spann II, Javin Spann, Jordan Spann, Colby Hidle, Laken Harper, Marina Harper and Brittany Harper; great-grandchildren, Jordyn Skanes, Karmyn Harper, Elizabeth Parnell and Tristyn Harper Marshall.

Mrs. Betty Harper was preceded in death by her son, Daniel Earnest Harper in 1998.

ANN BELL KIRKLAND

Mrs. Ann Bell Kirkland, 85, of Ramer, formerly of Andalusia, passed away at her home on Sun., Oct. 19, 2014.

Memorial services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Sat., Oct. 25, from Foreman Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Aaron Fleming officiating. Interment will follow in Andalusia Memorial Cemetery. Visitation will be at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, at Foreman Funeral Home.

Ann was an adventurer and had a real zest for life and knowledge. She graduated from Andalusia High School with the class of 1947. She began her college years at the University of Alabama, where she met her first husband, Hoke D. Smith Jr. They married and had two children and many adventures, living in California and New Orleans.

Ann was a member of “Great Books” in Andalusia, where she formed many lifetime relationships. She attended Troy State University majoring in psychology and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1968. She drove to Troy three nights a week while raising her two children and working as a librarian at the Andalusia Public Library. She helped to set up the library in the “new” building, it’s current location. She also covered local events and wrote feature articles for the Montgomery Advertiser at this time. In the 1970’s, she moved to Nashville to attend the University of Tennessee and completed her master’s degree in social work in 1975. Ann returned to Andalusia and began her career with the Covington County Department of Human Resources, retiring after 25 years as a supervisor.

During this time, she was a devoted daughter to her mother and found new love with Ralph Kirkland. She and Ralph were married in 1979 and enjoyed 35 wonderful years together. They traveled extensively, taking many ocean adventures on their sailboat, the Kile. They lived on the intercoastals and taught their grandchildren to appreciate the “beach” for its beauty and nature. She taught her family to catch and prepare their own meals from the wealth of the ocean in the front yard. She was a great cook, learning from her mother, Nell, and passing that love of cooking on to the next generations.

While in the Pensacola area, Ann participated in art classes with her step daughter, Jamie Kirkland. Ann became quite an accomplished painter and has left the family several beautiful pieces. She was a guardian ad litem and a docent for the Pensacola historical society. She also volunteered for the University of West Florida Archaeology department. She was instrumental in the discovery of the largest Indian mound in the Pensacola area. The mound was near her home and was named for her. She was acknowledged in the “Florida Heritage” magazine and the “Stones and Bones” newsletter in Montgomery regarding the discovery.

Hurricane Ivan was quite a turning point in her and Ralph’s lives, but God knows best. After Ivan wiped out their beautiful home on the water, they moved to south Montgomery county and have enjoyed and loved a beautiful view of the woods, and have been surrounded by family and friends.

Ann was a member of St. Mary’s Episcopal church in Andalusia and St. Monica’s Episcopal in Cantonment, Fla. She joined Providence Presbyterian church in Montgomery after moving to Alabama and cherished the love and spiritual guidance of Pastor Aaron Fleming and the congregation.

Ann was the best friend, sister, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and aunt to so many of us. Special thanks to Dawn, Angela, Kitty, Jeannie and Sonya for all their love and assistance.

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Hoke and Gina Smith of Millbrook; her daughter and son-in-law, Betsy and John Herring of Sellers; step-daughter, Jamie P. Kirkland of Sante Fe, N.M.; four grandchildren, Rivers (Tara) Herring, Brooke (Wayne) Taylor, Hoke Smith IV and Stephanie Smith; great-granddaughters, Ashleigh Tayor, Addison Taylor, Laney Nichols and Nolee Nichols; three sisters, Edy Taylor of Magnolia Springs, Rebecca Rogers of Washington, D,C., Kaye “Sisto” Grubbs of Alexandria, Va.; and a number of nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Vernon and Nell Bell; a brother, Joe V. Bell; and stepson, Scott Kirkland.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Providence Presbyterian Church Building Fund, 25 East Old Hayneville Rd., Montgomery, AL 36105.

Those unable to attend the services, may sign the guest registry online at www.foremanfuneralhome.com.

OLIVIA HUDSON BROWN

Mrs. Olivia Hudson Brown, 87, passed away on Sat., Oct. 18, 2014.

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m., Sat., Oct. 25, from Magnolia Cemetery.

Mrs. Brown was born in Gantt to Marvin and Bernice Goodwin Hudson. She and her daughter, Susan E. Crosby, moved from Niceville, Fla., to Hampstead, N.C., in 2012, after the death of her husband, John A. Brown in 2006. She was loved and will be greatly missed.

She is survived by her daughter, Susan E. Crosby of Hampstead, N.C.; a sister, Mary Hudson Ashby of Mt. Holly, N.C.; a niece, Deborah Ashby Aycoth of Mt. Holly, N.C.; a nephew, Glen Ashby of Mooresville, N.C.; a granddaughter and grandson-in-law, Constance Otte and Rodney Fleming of Wilmington, N.C.; a great grandson, Christopher Fleming of Wilmington, N.C.; and three step-children, Andre’ Brown of San Francisco, Calif., Rebecca Dworkin of Medford, Ore., and Susan Stewart of Oakland, Calif.

Those unable to attend the services may sign the guest registry online at www.foremanfuneralhome.com.

BETTY JOY HESS

BENTON

Mrs. Betty Joy Hess Benton, 74, of Andalusia, passed away Fri., Oct. 17, 2014, at her residence.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Sat., Oct. 25 at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church with Bro. Drexal Copeland officiating.

Survivors include her sons and daughters-in-law, Michael and Nancy Hess of Palm Bay, Fla., Glenn Hess of North Carolina, Randall and Tracey Hess of Colorado Springs, Colo.; three grandchildren; her sisters, Jeanette Bozeman of Andalusia, Myra Sivley of Hartselle and Fairstine Odom of Dozier; and two brothers, Ray Clark and Lawrence Clark, both of Montgomery.

Those unable to attend the services may sign the guest registry online at www.foremanfuneralhome.com.­­