Obituaries 5/10

Published 8:13 pm Tuesday, May 9, 2006

The News Courier will publish, free of charge, death notices including the name, age and city of residence of the deceased, date and place of death, and time and place of funeral service and visitation. Family members may express themselves in a eulogy, list survivors and give detailed biographical information about the deceased in a paid obituary. The News Courier will accept these paid items from the family, funeral directors or other individuals. Paid obituaries may include a photo at no extra charge. For information, call Vanessa McKee at The News Courier, 232-2720.



Marion Lou Allfrey

The funeral mass for Marion Lou Gonnella Allfrey, 70, of Athens will be held at 10 a.m. today at St. Paul Catholic Church on U.S. Highway 72 West in Athens followed by burial in the Athens City Cemetery with McConnell Funeral Home directing.

The Rev. Charles Alookaran will be officiating. Eulogy will be delivered by Dr. Jerry Bartlett, president, Athens State University.

Mrs. Allfrey died at her home in Athens on May 7 after an extended illness with cancer.

She was born to Mr. and Mrs. Victor Gonnella Sr. on Sept. 7, 1935, in Mount Kisco, N.Y., She graduated from St. Mary’s Catholic School and went into the medical field in the Air Force. There she met her husband, now a retired Air Force pilot, and together they lived and traveled all over the world for 27 years before settling in Athens. During these years she was a very avid collector of crystal, silver, gold and porcelain objects.

Everywhere they lived, Mrs. Allfrey was very active in voluntary civic and charity activities. She was very benevolent in her contributions (money and time) to various charities. After returning to Athens in 1979, Mrs. Allfrey was placed on the University of North Alabama Foundation Board for several years. She was an active member of the Athens State University President’s Foundation Board for many years, as well as serving as its board president. She established and funded multiple scholarships at each of these universities.

Mrs. Allfrey is preceded in death by her two children, Darryl Allen Allfrey and Dawn Corine Allfrey, as well as her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Victor Gonnella Sr. She also has two deceased brothers, Victor Gonnella Jr. and Richard Gonnella.

Mrs. Allfreey is survived by her husband, Lt. Colonel William Dyral Allfrey, UASF Retired, of Athens. She has three surviving brothers, Harold Gonnella (West Palm Beach, Fla.), Louis Gonnella (Brewster, N.Y.), Donald Gonnella (Huntsville, Ala.), and two sisters, Tina Patchett (Cedaredge, Colo.), and Yolie Zellers (Brewster, N.Y.) She is survived by 11 nieces and nephews.

Pallberaers and honorary pallbearers will be Dwaine Allfrey, George M. Allfrey, Tommy Woodroof, Fred Martin Jr., Billy Gordon, Jack Catlett, Joe Broadwater, Lenard Stromquist, George Fiegley, Jerry Evans, Todd Booth and Tommy Smith.

In lieu of flowers, make donations to Hospice of Limestone County.



Nella Rogers Christopher

The funeral arrangements for Nella Rogers Christopher, 57, of Athens, will be announced by Limestone Chapel Funeral Home. She died Monday, May 9, 2006, at home.



Randall E. Crabtree

The funeral for Randall E. Crabtree, 43, of Ardmore, Tenn., will be at 1 p.m. today at Ardmore Memorial Funeral Home with Joe Jones and Herman Thompson officiating. Burial will be in Gatlin Cemetery.

Mr. Crabtree died Monday, May 8, 2006, at home.



Robert Mahlon “Bud” McFarland

The funeral for Robert Mahlon “Bud” McFarland, 89, of Elkton, Tenn., was at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Ardmore Memorial Funeral Home with Dennis Cleveland and William Suddarth officiating. Burial was in Elkton Cemetery.

Mr. McFarland died Sunday, May 7, 2006, at Hillside Hospital in Pulaski, Tenn.



Raymond Franklin Trafton

The funeral for Raymond Franklin Trafton, 84, of Athens, was be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Limestone Chapel Funeral Home with Ron Owens, Arvid McGuire and Johnny Bullington officiating. Burial was in Athens City Cemetery.

Mr. Trafton died Sunday, May 7, 2006, at home.

He was a member of and attended Central Church of Christ. He was a U.S. Army and Air Force veteran of World War II and a graduate of Athens College. Mr. Trafton was a former teacher in the Limestone County Schools System and was retired from employment with NASA in Huntsville. He was a member of the Athens Zoning and Adjustments Board, where he also served as chairman for many years. He was a member of the American Legion and was president of the Athens-Limestone Kidney Association. He was an amateur ham radio operator and operated two self-service laundromats in Athens.

Mr. Trafton was preceded in death by his wife, Rachel Holt Trafton.

He is survived by three daughters, Mary Elizabeth Stroud and husband Jimmy, Janice Lynn Moore and husband Buddy, and Rachel Ann Horton and husband Gary, all of Athens; four grandchildren, Kimberly Hill and husband Michael, Teresa Holland and husband Randy, and Micheal Clem and wife Beth, all of Athens, and Angela Chattin and husband Jeff, of Woodstock, Ga.; seven great-grandchildren, Jonathan Hill, Benjamin Hill, Victoria Holland, Brayden Clem, Randi Beth Holland and Raegan Clem, all of Athens, and Alexander Schwarz of Woodstock, Ga.; and three step-grandchildren, Clay Stroud, Jennifer Brown and Whitney Stroud.

Pallbearers will be Randy Holland, Michael Hill, Jon Hill, Ben Hill, Jeff Chattin, Jimmy Stroud, Tom Scott and Johnny Bullington. Honorary pallbearers will be van drivers of the Athens-Limestone Kidney Association.

Memorial donations may be made to Athens-Limestone Kidney Association, P.O. Box 417, Athens, Ala., 35612.