Obituaries for Fri., Jan. 9, 2015

Published 12:00 am Friday, January 9, 2015

LT. COL. GREY HOLT EDWARDS SR.

Retired Lt. Col. Grey Holt Edwards Sr., 92, of Holly Hill, husband of Margaret Maddox Edwards, died Tues., Dec. 30, 2014, at his home.

The funeral will be held at 2 p.m. Sat., Jan. 10, at the Liberty Home Baptist Church with Pastor Wayne Young officiating. Burial will follow in the Andalusia Memorial Cemetery with Keahey Funeral Home of Lockhart directing, and full military honors at the cemetery.

The family will receive friends at the church one-hour before the service and following the service in the social hall.

Lt. Col. Edwards was born in Perry, Okla., a son of the late Walthal Winston Edwards and Annie Harris Edwards. He was commissioned as an infantry officer upon graduation from Officer Candidate School in January of 1945, and later graduated from Auburn University. A decorated Army veteran, some of his military awards include the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and the Army Commendation Medal. Lt. Col. Edwards was a veteran of three wars, World War II, Korean and Vietnam.

After retiring from the Army, he worked for Firestone Rubber Company in Monrovia, Liberia. After retiring from Firestone and upon moving to Holly Hill, S.C., he became actively involved in Hope Lutheran Church. Lt. Col. Edwards, was a member and past-president of the Holly Hill Lions Club, member of the Tri-County Chamber of Commerce and a former board member of the Regional Medical Center.

Lt. Col. Edwards was preceded in death by a brother, Davey L. “Sonny” Edwards; and a son, John Winston Edwards.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by sons, Grey H. Edwards Jr. of Columbus, Ga., and Michael Allen (Kathy) Edwards of Atlanta; daughter-in-law, Laura Cranford Edwards of South Boston, Va.; grandchildren, Melanie (Joe) O’Donnell of Charlottesville, Va., Lauren (David) Stalcup of Summerville, S.C., Kate (Les) Hendricks of Easley, S.C,, Ann Cranford Edwards of South Boston, Va., Lindsay Grey Edwards, Kelsey Ryan Edwards and Shelby Kate Edwards, all of Atlanta; great-grandchildren, Abby Eanes, Rebecca Eanes, Maren Grey Eanes, Beckett Michael Edwards, Connor Hendricks and Brynnan Hendricks.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hope Lutheran Church PO Box 67, Vance, SC 29163.

Keahey Funeral Home of Lockhart will be assisting the family. www.keaheyfuneralhome.com

RALPH KIRKLAND
Mr. Ralph Kirkland passed away peacefully at his home in Ramer on his 90th birthday, Mon., Jan. 5, 2015. Family and friends surrounded him.

Memorial services will be announced at a later date.

Ralph was born in 1925 in Ruston, La. He served in World War II as a Navy pilot. After graduating from LSU he moved with Sannie, Scott and Jamie to Andalusia, where he resided from 1955-1975. He then moved to Pensacola, Fla., and married Ann Bell Smith in 1977. He and Ann remained in the Pensacola/Gulf Breeze area until 2009 when they moved to Ramer. Ralph retired from Anderson Chemical Company in 1984. At that time, he became an avid sailor and fisherman, spending many hours out on the inter-costal waterway near his home on Soundside Drive in Gulf Breeze, Fla.

Mr. Kirkland is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Jamie and Ralph Kirkland of Santa Fe, N.M.; sisters, Geraldine Meyers and Marjorie Blackwood both of Baton Rouge, La.; stepson and stepdaughter-in-law, Hoke and Gina Smith of Millbrook; stepdaughter and stepson-in-law, Betsy and John Herring of Sellers; grandchild, Kate Mullen of Charlotte, N.C.; nephews, Kirk Blackwood of Baton Rouge, Keith Blackwood of Orlando, Fla., and John (Sue) Kirkland of Shreveport, La.

He was preceded in death by his first wife, Phyllis Ann Torbert Kirkland in 1976; his son, Scott Q. Kirkland in 2006; and his late wife, Ann Bell Smith Kirkland in 2014.

The family would like to give a special thank you to his caregivers, Kitty, Angela, Delores and Lashawnda.

Family and friends unable to attend may sign an online registry at www.foremanfuneralhome.com.

WILLIE MERLE ARNOLD

Mrs. Willie Merle Arnold, 84, formerly of Andalusia, died Mon., Dec. 5, 2015, in Crestview, Fla., at her residence.

Funeral services for Mrs. Arnold will be held on Sat., Jan. 10, at 11 a.m. from Foreman Funeral Home Chapel with Brother Harold Morris officiating. Interment will follow in Antioch Methodist Church Cemetery in Conecuh County.

Mrs. Arnold is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Donald E. and Maria Arnold of El Paso, Texas; daughter, Brenda Arnold of Crestview; brother, Dennis Teate of Lexington, Ky.; sisters, Evelyn Smith of Andalusia and Melba Joyce Hagan of Ga.; grandchildren, Mafus W. Smith, Kayla M. Ibaugh, Stephanie D. Arnold and Bryan E. Arnold; and six great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be Fri., Jan. 9, at Foreman Funeral Home from 6 to 8 p.m.

Family and friends unable to attend may sign an online registry at www.foremanfuneralhome.com.