Obituaries for February 5

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, February 5, 2003

Robert Cutis Jr.

Robert Cutis Jr., 52, of Selma, died Monday, February 2, 2004 at a Montgomery hospital.

Services are at 1 p.m. Saturday, February 7, at Shiloh Baptist Church, Potters Station, with the Rev. D.M. Moore officiating.

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Burial will follow in Craig Hill Cemetery with Lewis Brothers Funeral Home directing.

Survivors include his fiance, Carla Cook; one son, Robert Curtis III; two daughters, Melissa Curtis and Charlane Curtis; adopted daughters, Kim Cook, Michelle Cook, and Sweet Little Baby Fruity; four brothers, George Curtis, Clarence Curtis, Jake Curtis and Eddie West; six sisters, Doris Pope, Dasie Curtis, Francine Wade, Elizabeth Allen, Annie Ruth Browder and Cassandra Harville; four grandchildren; two brothers-in-law; and a host of nieces and nephews, uncle and aunt.

Mr. Curtis was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Annie Curtis and a brother, David Curtis.

Chelsea A. Davis

Chelsea A. Davis, 1, of Selma, died Tuesday, February 3, 2004 at Vaughan hospital.

Services are at 1 p.m. Friday, February 6, at New Life Christian Church with the Rev. Bishop Letha Rumph officiating.

Burial will follow in the Rising Star Baptist Church Cemetery with Lewis Brother Funeral Home directing.

Survivors include her parents, Tina Thomas and Napolean Davis; brother, Bhristrian Allen Davis; two grandmothers, Delois Willoughby and Mary Ann James; three grandfathers, Johnny Johnson, James Davis, and Elmore King; three great-grandmothers, Annie M. Turner, Mary L. Moore, and Nellie Davis; great-great-grandmothers, Minnie Gamble; five aunts, April Willoughby, Yolanda Barley, LaTrendia Bossie, Jennifer Bossie, Melody Bossie, all of Selma; five uncles, Anthony Thomas, Everett Thomas, Corey James, Calvin McGhee, Prince James; a host of great aunts, uncles, cousins, and many friends.

Jack Lewis

Jack Lewis, of Marion, died Monday, January 26, 2004, at his home

Survivors include a loving and devoted wife, Gertrude Lewis; two sons, Ron and Don Carmichael of New York; four step-daughters, Amanda (Edward) Miree, Ora Dunkin, Lois Webster all of Marion and Ann Wallace of Mobile; a very devoted brother-in-law, Richard Parrish; three sisters-in-law, Essie Parrish, Mary Lewis of Marion, and Pearlie Parrish of Pensacola, Fla.; 16 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.

Mr. Lewis was born on Dec. 27, 1927.

Merle Killgore Harrison

Merle Killgore Harrison, 90, of Marion, died Monday, February 2, 2004, at a Birmingham hospital.

Services were at 2 p.m. Wednesday, February 5, at the Chapel of Kirk Funeral Homes of Marion with the Rev. Mark Tew officiating.

Burial followed in the Marion Cemetery with Kirk Funeral Homes Chapel directing.

Survivors include, one son, Bomar Harrison Jr. of Birmingham; one daughter, Ann H. Standridge of Oneonta; one brother, Andrew T. Killgore of Washington D.C.; one sister, Grace Perolio of Demopolis; one granddaughter, Camille Asbury of Clay; one great-grandson, Harrison Asbury.

Charles W. Sykes

Charles W. Sykes, 40, of Selma, died Thursday, January 29, 2004, at a local hospital

Services were at 1 p.m. Wednesday, February 4, at the Chapel of Miller Funeral Home with the Rev. Ernest Wright officiating.

Burial will follow in Elmwood Cemetery with Miler Funeral Home directiung.

Survivors include his wife, Robin Sykes.

Lovice L. Bryan

Lovice L. Bryan, 82, of Stanton, died Friday, January 30, 2004, at a Montgomery hospital.

Services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, February 1, at Ebenezer Baptist Church with the Rev. Denny Rasberry and the Rev. Alvin Porter. Burial followed in Tabernacle Methodist Church Cemetery in Lawley.

Survivors include brother, Donald (Berry Jo) Lawrence of Opelika; sisters, Vernell (Bob) Davis of Stanton, Evelyn (Welch) Roebuck of Maplesville, Inez Lane of Roanoke, Va., Nettie Smith of Maplesville, Geneva Atchison of Selma, Augusta Harris of Maplesville, Bettye (John L.) Mitchell of Opelika and Barbara (C.W.) Rush of Clanton; sister-in-law, Joyce Quatrinni of Nashville, Tenn.; and a host of nieces and nephews.

Lucile Carson Bell

Lucile &8220;Momma Bell&8221; Carson Bell, of Mobile, formerly of Orrville, died Sunday, January 18, 2004, at a healthcare facility.

Services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 24, at Eleventh Street Chruch of God in Christ in Mobile, with Elder Grady Gordon Sr. and

Elder Grady Gordon Jr. officiating. Burial followed in Oaklawn Cemetery in Mobile.

Mrs. Bell was born on October 14, 1918, in Orville, to the late George Henderson and was raised by his sister, the late Charity Carson. She confessed Christ at an early age. She was a faithful member of the Eleventh Street Church of God in Christ.

She was married to Elder Leroy Bell who preceded her in death on December 8, 1992. She was also preceded in death by her brother, Robert Le Shore; sister, Pinkie Marshall and stepfather, Mr. Coleman Le Shore. She leaves to cherish her legacy of Christian beliefs and loving memories, 16 children: Leroy Carson Bell Jr. (Addie), Mrs. Louise Jack son, all of Mobile, AL., Miss iona;y Gladys V Perkins (Elder Dave), of Oakland, CA., Mr. George D. Bell (Betty Mae), Mrs. Betty J C. Hughes (Noah), Mr. Jesse A. Bell and Mr. Charles K. Bell, all of Mobile, AL. A devoted daughter and son in law, Mrs. Odessa L. B. Gordon (Elder Grady Jr). 52 grandchildren, 99 great-grand-children, 33 great-great-grandchildren, five devoted: SSGT Sherwanda F Byers (SSGT Dremiel) of Fort Carson, Colo., Marcus D. Bell, La Prenda G. Gordon, Doritha L. Gordon and Paulette Pettaway. One brother Willie James Le Shore; Two sisters, Mrs. Mary (Reggie) Pierce, of Ft Wayne, IN., Mrs. Viola (William) Howard of Selma; one aunt, Mrs. Corine Green of Mobile; a special niece, Ms. Rose Mary Hill of Fort Wayne, IN; a host of nieces, nephews, and other relatives, friends and the Eleventh Street Church Family.

Josephine Bradford McKenzie

Josephine Bradford McKenzie, 97, of Selma, died Tuesday, February 3, 2004, at her home.

Services are at 10 a.m. Friday, February 6 at First Baptist Church with the Rev. Lee Tate officiating.

Burial will follow in New Live Oak Cemetery with Lawrence Funeral Home directing.

Mrs. McKenzie, a descendent of several pioneer families, was born Nov. 18, 1906 in Selma, the second of Dr. Harry and Ardelle Russell Bradford’s six children. She also lived in Plantersville, Montevallo, and Birmingham, graduating from Phillip’s High School and attending Birmingham Southern.

She, her husband, and two daughters returned to Selma shortly before World War II.

Mrs. McKenzie did defense work at Craig Army Air Base while her husband served in the European Theater.

She later did clerical work at Cotton States Life Insurance Co., Cleveland Table Co., Pilcher McBride Drug Co., and served as secretary at Houston Park Church of Christ.

After her husband’s death in 1969, she worked with the Dallas County Food Stamp Office for 10 years. She also kept books for her husband’s business, the Dallas Electric Company.

Survivors include her daughters, Jane Moore of Selma and Josephine (Howard David) Keney of Lanette; grandson, Walter Moore II of Alexandria, Va.; granddaughters, Katheryn (David) Follett of Birmingham, Lisa (Ronald) Ashley of Mt. Olive, Alyson (John) Strother of Selma, Loretta Bekhet of Clinton, N.J., and Elizabeth (Robert) Green of Opelika; great-grandsons, Joseph Delage of Pelham and Jacob Bekhet of Clinton, N.J.; great-granddaughters, Rebekah Keney of Lanette, Andrea Waits and Michele Burke of Opelika, and McKenzie and Liz Strother of Selma; one sister, Agnes Stough of Birmingham; two sister-in-laws, Sue Bradford of Birmingham, and Ruth Bradford of Horse Cave, Ky; numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Mrs. McKenzie was preceded in death by her husband, William (Billy) McKenzie; her parents, two brothers, Dr. Patton Bradford and Robert W. Bradford; two sisters, Hattie Anderson and Pauline King.

Mrs. McKenzie was a faithful member of First Baptist Church and Martin Owen’s Servitude Sunday School class.

Active pallbearers are Steve Spivey and nephews Patton Bradford, Jr., Harry Brandford, Robert W. Bradford, Jr, Patton G. Bradford, and Russell Bradford.

Honorary pallbearers are Milton Morrow, Miles Prestel, James Leonard, Corbrey Bailey, James Boatwright, Larry Booker and members of the Servitude class.

The family invites friends and relatives to gather on Feb. 5 from 5-7 p.m. at Mrs. McKenzie’s home at 1525 Old Orrville Road.

This will be a celebration of her life.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Cahaba Hospice are requested.

Thelma L. Jackson Todd

Thelma L. Jackson Tood, of Selma, died Friday, January 30, 2004.

Services are at noon Saturday, February 7, 2004, at the Summer Grove Missionary Baptist church with the Rev. A.L. Allen officiating. Burial will follow at Fairlawn Memory Gardens with Lewis Brothers Funeral Home directing.

Survivors include two daughters, Juandolyn Todd Fails and Pamela Todd, both of Mobile; son-in-law, Edward Fails of Mobile; two grandchildren, Jaelyn and Ashlin Fails of mmMobile; brother, Willie (Bettie) Steele of Rockford, Ill.; brother-in-law, Charlie Cunningham of Pensacola, Fla.; and a host of nieces, nephews, and other relatives and friends.

Mrs. Todd was employed by the Selma City School System as a elementary school teacher for over 30 years. She ws an educator at Knox Elementary School and taught first grade at Payne Elementary for the majority of her career. She was a member of the Retired Teacher’s Association, the Alabama Education Association and the National education Association.

Repast will be held at Payne Elementary School following the burial services.