Obituary for Sun., June 18, 2017

Published 3:55 pm Sunday, June 18, 2017

William Rayford Davis

Mr. William Rayford “Pee Wee” Davis, 76, of Andalusia, passed away Sat., June 17, 2017, at his residence.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Monday from Foreman Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Jason Thrower and the Rev. Jim Carpenter officiating the service. The interment will follow in Macedonia Cemetery in Rose Hill. Visitation will begin at 9 a.m. Monday at Foreman Funeral Home. Visitation will be at 9 a.m. Monday at Foreman Funeral Home.

He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Hammett Davis of Andalusia; a son and daughter-in-law, Dwain and Tonya Davis of Andalusia; two daughters and sons-in-law, Terri and James Wilson of Arkansas, Debbie and Steve Posey of Andalusia; his grandchildren, Clayton and Claire Posey of Birmingham, Azaryah Wilson of Arkansas, and Bolton Davis of Andalusia; a sister-in-law, Joan Russell of Andalusia; and brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Seth and Nancy Hammett of Andalusia.

Pallbearers will be Bill Patton, Malcolm Peevy, Billy Lucas, Robert Stuart, Rusty Davis, and his three grandsons, Clayton Posey, Azaryah Wilson, and Bolton Davis.

Memorials may be made to the First United Methodist Church Building Fund.

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

Lister Elgin Hudson

Mr. Lister Elgin Hudson, age 79 of the Babbie Community, died Fri., June 16, 2017.

A funeral service for Mr. Hudson will be conducted at 11 a.m. Tues., June 20, 2017, at Wyatt Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Benji Wilson officiating. Visitation will be Monday evening from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Wyatt Funeral Home.

Mr. Hudson is survived by his wife, Mary Catrett Hudson; son, Mike (Shannon) Hudson; daughter, Connie Hudson; and grandchildren, Micheal Hudson and Brandon Hudson.

Wyatt Funeral Home of Opp is serving the Hudson family. Those unable to attend may sign the guestbook online at www.wyattfuneralhome.com.

William Eugene “Gene” Hardin

William Eugene “Gene” Hardin, Jr., 94, of Greenville died Wed., June 14, 2017.

Funeral services were held at 3 p.m. Sat., June 17, 2017, at Woodland Heights Methodist Church with the Rev. Joe Lisenby officiating. Interment followed at Magnolia Cemetery with Dunklin Daniels Funeral Home directing.

He was born April 10, 1923, in Bessemer to William Eugene and Vivian Lee Johnson Hardin. He grew up in Andalusia where he graduated from Andalusia High School (AHS) in 1941. While at AHS, he was named Mr. Andy High, lettered in three sports and was captain of the football team. During his

year, Hardin played every minute of every game and was offered a football scholarship to Troy University.

In 1941, the family moved to Macon, Ga., where he worked in the Cochran Field Hospital emergency room. Hardin enlisted in the Army Air Corps medical unit in 1942, where he saw stateside service in Bainbridge, Ga., Bangor, Maine, Stuttgart, Ark.; and Slippery Rock, Penn.  For 40 days, he was on a troop transport from Virginia to Bombay, India. His first assignment was as a medic in the jungles of Burma. He was then transferred to Division Headquarters in Calcutta where he was in charge of all records for enlisted personnel in Air Transport Command for the China-Burma-India Theatre of Operations. In 1945, Hardin was part of a medical team that flew two iron lung patients from India to California. In 1946, he was honorably discharged from service. He was a continuous member of American Legion Post 24 in Greenville for more than 50 years.

Hardin attended Mercer University. In 1946, he enrolled at The University of Alabama (UA) and joined Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. He announced UA basketball and football on WSGN radio.

With two fraternity brothers, Hardin moved to Greenville in 1948 to open Radio Station WGYV. Known to his many listeners as “The Boogie Man,” he was also the sports announcer for the station. He covered Jack McKeon who was playing then for the Greenville Pirates minor league baseball team. McKeon, nicknamed “Trader Jack,” later was the manager of the World Series Champion Team Florida Marlins.

In April 1949, Hardin married Marianne “Nonnie” Stanley, daughter of Glenn and Mary Louise Beeland Stanley. The coupled lived in Mobile where he worked for Radio Station WABB. They returned to Greenville in 1951, when Hardin began his long, distinguished career with The Greenville Advocate.

Upon the death of Glenn Stanley in 1967, Hardin became the third editor of The Greenville Advocate. Under his leadership, the paper moved from flat-bed to offset printing and eventually type-setting computerization. The paper consistently won awards in the Alabama Press Association (APA) Better Newspaper Contest. Following in the footsteps of his predecessors James B. Stanley, Glenn and Webb Stanley, Hardin was president of the APA. He received the APA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. Hardin served as editor and publisher of The Greenville Advocate until the paper was sold to Boone Newspapers in December 1994.

Always active in his community, Hardin served eight years on the Greenville City Council and as mayor pro tem for four of those years. He was manager and president of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce and was named Jaycee “Man of the Year”. A 66-year member of the Greenville Lions Club, he was twice-elected district governor. He spearheaded the club’s effort to establish the World War II Memorial on the grounds of City Hall. He was named a Melvin Jones fellow for dedicated humanitarian services by Lions Club International. Hardin was a charter member of the Greenville Industrial Development Board and was chairman until his death. He was a member and past president of the Butler County Manufacturers Association.

Hardin served in the Alabama House of Representatives for eight years during the gubernatorial terms of Lurleen B. Wallace, Albert Brewer and George C. Wallace. He sponsored a local bill while in the legislature which had a significant impact on Greenville. The bill changed ownership of Sherling Lake from the state to the city of Greenville. This bill laid the foundation for the development of Cambrian Ridge Golf Course. In 1972, Hardin received the Legislative Conservation Award from the Alabama Wildlife Federation.

A strong supporter of education, Hardin was president of W. O. Parmer PTA, on the board at Fort Dale Academy, and a member of the Advisory Board of Lurleen B. Wallace College. At the request of then-president Ralph Adams, he worked with Jimmy Faulkner of Bay Minette to establish the Hall School of Journalism at Troy State University. He served on the school’s advisory board for a number of years.

Hardin was a proud charter member of Woodland Heights Methodist Church, where he taught Sunday School for more than 50 years. He served his church as trustee and chairman of the board.

Mr. Hardin was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Raymond Lowery Hardin; and wife, Nonnie. He is survived by three daughters, Mollie Utley, Laurie Norman and Jean Hardin, all of Greenville; one son, William Eugene “Bill” Hardin, III and wife Elizabeth of Montgomery; seven grandchildren: Marianne Alverson Gilchrist (John), Birmingham, Leah Utley Coles (John), Nashville, Virginia Lee Alverson, Nashville, Elizabeth Utley Sheehan (Allen), Montgomery, Frank M. Alverson, Jr., Charleston, and, Caroline Elizabeth and William E. Hardin, IV, Montgomery; and four great-grandchildren: Katherine Louise and Anne Hardin Coles, Nashville; Ford Stanley Sheehan, Montgomery; and, Marianne Barganier Gilchrist, Birmingham.

Pallbearers were Frank Alverson, Will Hardin, John Coles, John Gilchrist, Allen Sheehan, Richard Hartley, Frank Hickman, and Todd Henderson.

Honorary pallbearers were Charles W. Jones, Sumpter McGowin, members of Woodland Heights Methodist Church, and, members of the Greenville Lions Club.

Memorial contributions may be made to Alabama Lions Sight in care of the Greenville Lions Club.