Obituaries 11-23
Published 5:23 pm Wednesday, November 22, 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.
J.L. Bryan
The funeral for J.L. Bryan, 101, of Falkville, will be 1 p.m. Friday at Peck Funeral Home in Hartselle with Chuck Smith and Jeremy Oden officiating. Burial will be in Rock Creek Cemetery in Eva.
Mr. Bryan died Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006, at Hartselle Medical Center.
Visitation will be tonight from 6-9 at the funeral home.
Mr. Bryan was born to Jesse Petway Bryan and Ella Jacobs Bryan. He was a member of Eva United Methodist Church where he served as a Sunday school teacher. He was a schoolteacher for 11 years in the Morgan County School System. He also was a farmer and was in general business. He was preceded in death by his wife, Hassie Oden Bryan, and a son, Jesse Orville Bryan.
Survivors include six sons, Lavonis Bryan and wife, Peggy, Marshall Bryan and wife, Sherry, Wendell Bryan and wife, Sondra, Alfred Bryan and wife, Linda, Billy Bryan and wife, Patricia, and Keith Bryan and wife, Becky; four daughters, Dean Nelson, Peggy Nelson and husband, Brownie, Lay Jones and husband, Ronald, and Reba Pevahouse and husband, Arthur; two sisters, Edith McDaniel and Dortha Igou; 18 grandchildren; and 31 great-grandchildren.
Grandsons will be pallbearers.
Aubrey Lee Coffman
The funeral for Aubrey Lee Coffman of Athens will be 2 p.m. Saturday at Spry Funeral Home with Dr. R.C. Craft and Dewey Craft officiating. Burial will be in Roselawn Cemetery.
Mrs. Coffman died Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2006, at Athens Convalescent Center.
She was born in Limestone County and retired from Athens Lingerie and was church secretary-treasurer of First United Pentecostal Church in Athens. Mrs. Coffman was preceded in death by her husband, Lavon Coffman; infant son and daughter, grandson, Steve Kimbrough, and great-granddaughter, Madison Kennedy Wells.
Survivors include two daughters, Martha Kimbrough of Athens and Betty Wells of Harvest; two grandchildren, Kim Scott of Nashville and Ronald Wells Jr. of Fayetteville, Tenn.; three great-grandchildren, Jeffrey Scott and Jonathan Scott, both of Lowell, Ind., and Christian Wells of Fayetteville, Tenn.
Pallbearers will be Jerry Kimbrough, James Abernathy, Ronald Wells, David Coffman, Ronald Wells Jr., and James Jackson.
Johnny Lane
The funeral for Johnny Lane will be noon Saturday at New Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church with the Rev. Larry Lockett directing and Peoples Funeral Home directing. Burial will be in Thatch-Mann Cemetery.
Mr. Lane died Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2006, at Athens-Limestone Hospital.
Rupert Wyatt McElyea
The funeral for Rupert Wyatt McElyea, 77, of Athens, will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Spry Funeral Home Chapel with Casey Harbin, James Bridges and Kevin Harbin officiating. Burial will be in Limestone Memorial Gardens.
Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p..m. today.
Mr. McElyea died Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2006, at his residence.
Born Oct. 17, 1929, in Limestone County, he was a member of the Church of Chbrist. He was a Korean War veteran and was retired from NASA.
Survivors include wife Ella Ruth McElyea; son Dale McElyea of Athens; daughter Janice Moss of Athens; brother Ridhard McElyea of Athens; sister Donna Ruth Taylor of Athens; five grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Travis Lee Wimberly
Mr. Travis Lee Wimberly, 44, of Madison died at his residence. As a young child
Travis traveled the world with his parents. Mr. Wimberly attended Athens High School
and graduated with honors. Travis graduated from University of Alabama with a
degree in Business Administration/Human Resources, where he was “Big Al” from 1982-
1984. Travis was Vice-President for the United Way in Madison, Wis., and Chicago, Ill.
He was also Vice-President of the Chicago Youth Centers.
Travis was preceded in death by his father, James “Randy” Wimberly, and his brother,
Keith Edward Wimberly. He is survived by his mother and step-father, Sheila Wimberly
Henderson and Owen Henderson, of Ocala Fla.; one sister, Karen Ann Smith of Hartselle; one sister-in-law, LeAnn Johnson of Athens; niece and nephews, Kurt Wimberly, Jake Wimberly, James, Smith, Sheila Smith and Koby Johnson.
Family and friends will gather Saturday at Travis’s home from 1-5 p.m. to celebrate his life. The family would like anyone who wishes to attend to please call (256) 325-9240.
All arrangements were handled by Valhalla of Huntsville.