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 services and visitation.

Family members now 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.

If a published obituary contains an error, The News-Courier will reprint a corrected obituary at no charge, provided the error was ours. The News-Courier does not issue refunds on obituary announcements.

For pricing information, call Vanessa McKee at The News-Courier, 232-2720.



Frank Anthony Cobb

A memorial service for Frank Anthony Cobb, 59, of Taft, Tenn., will be 6 p.m. Tuesday at Ardmore Memorial Funeral Home.

Mr. Cobb died Friday, March 10, 2006, at Huntsville Hospital.



Leatha Virgi Magnusson

Leatha Virgi Magnusson, 87, of Athens, died Saturday, March 11, 2006, at Athens-Limestone Hospital.

McConnell Funeral Home will announce arrangements.



Cheryl Joyce Szozda

A memorial service for Cheryl Joyce Szozda, 59, of Athens will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at Limestone Chapel Funeral Home with Tim Buchanan officiating.

Mrs. Szozda died Saturday, March 11, 2006, at her home.

She was a member of Elkview Church of Christ.

Survivors include her husband, Anthony Szozda of Athens; one son, Jason Douglas Waggoner of Madison; two daughters, Julie Melissa Brown and Terri Michelle Coffield, both of Athens; three brothers, Bruce Scarborough of Clearmont, Fla., Wayne Scarborough of Shubuta, Miss., and J.L. Scarborough of Moss Point, Miss.; one sister, Holly Kallsten of Hurley, Miss.; four grandchildren, Dustin Coffield, Blake Bivens, Jessica Coffield and Heather Brown; one unborn grandchild; and one unborn great-grandchild.

Memorials may be made at the service in lieu of flowers.



Michael Kevin Watkins

A graveside service for Michael Kevin Watkins, 44, of Elkmont, will be 2 p.m. today at Sylone Cemetery with Hubert Sims officiating.

Mr. Watkins died Friday, March, 10, 2006, at Hillside Hospital in Pulaski, Tenn.



George S. Van Kirk

The funeral for George S. Van Kirk, 82, of Athens will be 10 a.m. Monday at First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Sam Hobson and Father Charlie Alookaran officiating and Limestone Chapel Funeral Home directing.

Burial will be in Roselawn Cemetery.

The family will receive friends tonight from 5 to 8 at the funeral home and the body will be at the church one hour before the service on Monday.

Mr. Van Kirk died Friday, March 10, 2006, of surgical complications.

He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Helen Van Kirk, and a sister, Florence Van Kirk.

Mr. Van Kirk was born Aug. 24, 1923, in Merrittstown, Pa. He married Maria Grapaldi on July 8, 1951, in Ft. Dix, N.J. He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving for 28 years with assignments with the 9th (Phantom) Armored Division; the 3rd Army during World War II; the 714th Tank Battalion at Ft. Bragg, N.C.; NATO Headquarters, Athens, Greece, and Oslo, Norway; Honor Guard at the Presidio, San Francisco; Korean Military Assistance Group, Seoul, Korea; post sergeant major, Ft. Lawton, Seattle, Wash., and Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington, D.C. At the time of his retirement he was one of the Army’s most senior sergeants major with date of rank September 1959.

After retiring from the Army in 1969, Mr. Van Kirk moved his family to Athens. He worked for 13 years as a maintenance mechanic for 3M in Decatur. He was an avid golfer, having scored two holes-in-one; community volunteer, and member of First Presbyterian Church of Athens.

He is survived by his wife, Maria Van Kirk; two sons, George P. Van Kirk of Madison and Michael J. Van Kirk of Athens; and six grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Price Boyd, J.W. Watson, Bill Dunnavant, Mitchell Fuller, Shelby Wilson, Michael Van Kirk, George Van Kirk, and Todd Rose.

Memorials may be made to Hospice of Limestone County or First Presbyterian Church of Athens.