Obituaries for Monday, Jan. 28, 2008

Published 12:00 am Sunday, January 27, 2008

Norma Baker Friday

Norma Baker Friday passed away Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008 at the Vaughan Regional Medical Center.

Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, January 29, at the Church Street United Methodist Church with interment following at New Live Oak Cemetery officiated by Rev Fred Zeigler and directed by Lawrence Brown-Service Funeral Home.

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She was born in Rock Run Station, Alabama on April 27, 1923.

She graduated from Dallas County High School where she was named &8220;Best Speller in the State of Alabama&8221; and was also named &8220;Best Girl Driver in Alabama&8221; in 1941 by the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan. She met and married the love of her life, Paul M. Friday, on September 7, 1941 and upon his return from WWII, they moved to Selma where she began employment at Craig Air Force Base.

They were married for sixty-two and a half years.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul M., her parents, Estelle and Percie Baker and an infant brother, Donald.

She is survived by her daughter, Paula Friday (Wayne) Vardaman of Selma; grandsons, Wayne (Kim) Vardaman Jr. of Selma; Paul Clay Suzanne Vardaman of Birmingham; three great granddaughters, Anna Grace Vardaman, Paige Monroe Vardaman of Selma and Katherine Baker Vardaman of Birmingham; sister, Carolyn Baker Loy of Dallas, TX; numerous nieces and nephews, and a host of friends.

Active pallbearers will be:

Catesby ap Roger Jones III, the Thomas ap Roger Jones, Ken Morrison,

Randy Boone, Guy Empie, and Kendall Laughlin. Honorary Pallbearers will be Ken Capps. S. A. Fleming, Theron Funk, Will Pearce, Jackson Register, Hardy Traylor, and Scott Weaver.

Mrs. Friday was a member of Church Street United Methodist Church, the Berrey-Plant United Methodist Women&8217;s Circle, the Epicurean Club, Pandora Dance Club, Trellis Garden Club and was a sustaining member of The Selma Charity League.

She enjoyed bridge and played with several groups for many years.

The family would like to express their gratitude to many friends for their care and concern and especially to F.A. Fleming, Esther Pettaway and Margaret Smith.

Memorials can be made to Leika&8217;s School at Church Street United Methodist Church, or the charity of your choice.

Kenneth &8216;Kenny&8217;

Erwin Allen

Kenneth “Kenny” Erwin Allen, 49 passed away on Jan. 26, 2008 after a brief but valiant fight against cancer.

Funeral services were held January 28,2008 at Crowder Funeral Home Chapel in Houston. Graveside service and interment in the family plot will be at New Live Oak Cemetery in Selma on Friday, February 1, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. directed by Lawrence Brown-Service Funeral Home

He was born on August 25, 1958 in Selma, Al. He is survived by his son Miles Erwin Allen and daughter Lauren Ashley of Houston and by his mother Mary E. Erwin of Phoenix, AZ and father Newton E. (Alice) Allen, Jr. of Panama City, FL. Kenny is also survived by his brothers Rives Allen and Creed Allen of Panama City, his uncles Walter(Diane) Allen and Jere (JoeAnn) Allen , and by numerous other relatives and friends. His grandparents were the late Dr. and Mrs. Newton E. Allen.

Kenny graduated from Wichita State University. He had a passion for computers and loved to surf and make people laugh. In his professional life, he was a systems engineer and worked for Boeing, CDSD College of Mainland, G&S Marketing and owned Allen Network Systems.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund benefiting Kenny’s children has been set up as Kenny Allen Memorial Fund, Wells Fargo Account # 9322780504, 2323 Clear Lake City Blvd., Houston, TX 77062.

Bryant Smith

Bryant Smith, age 36, a resident of Valley Grande, AL, passed away Jan. 26, 2008.

Surviving are his daughter, Hunter Smith and her mother, Heather Smith; mother, Ethel Merritt; father, Jerry (Kathy) Smith; brothers, Kendall (Terri) Smith, David Smith, Phillip (Jen) Carter, Randall (Amanda) Carter, Justin (Lydia) Smith, Tom Tom Swindal and Rusty (Candy) Merritt; sister, Lisa Merritt; paternal grandmother, Alma Smith grandparents, E. J. and Marlena Hayes; aunts and uncles,

Sonny (Carolyn) Gilmore, Margarette (Greg) Foster, Jody (James) Small, Debbie Odom, Dorothy Albritton, Michael (&8220;Bo&8221;) Gilmore, Charles Lambert, Mason Harris, Jesse (Linda) Harris, Gervis (Sara) Smith, JoAnn (Clifton) Parker, Jan (Jerry) Franklin, Debbie Orange and Laura (Terry) Liveoak; nieces and nephews, Blaine, Brittney, Little David, Tori, Brooklyn and Alex; great niece, Regan; 38 cousins and a very special cousin, Jimbo Small and a special friend, Sherry Stoudenmire.

He was preceded in death by his; paternal grandfather, Carlos Smith; maternal grandparents, James Earl Gilmore and Nellie Estelle Trammell and aunt, June Gilmore

The family would like to extend a special thank you to his aunt, Jody Small, his other mother.

Funeral services will be Wednesday, January 30, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. at Crosspoint Christian Church with Rev. Alan Yarbrough and Dr. Kenny Hatcher officiating.

Interment will be in Old Live Oak Cemetery with Selma Funeral Home directing.

The family will receive

friends Tuesday, January 29, 2008 from 6-8:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be his brothers and Jimbo Small.

Honorary pallbearers will be everyone whose life he touched.

Bryant was a WONDERFUL FATHER and lived for his daughter.

He was the ultimate BIG BROTHER and a WONDERFUL SON.

He was a SOLDIER OF GOD and

attended Crosspoint Christian Church.

He graduated from Dallas County High School in 1990 and attended Wallace Community College for 2 years.

He loved riding four wheelers and coaching the softball team that his daughter, Hunter was on.

Bryant will be missed by all that knew him, but especially by the love of his life, his daughter, Hunter.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to the National Kidney Foundation, 30 East 33rd Street, New York, NY

10016 or the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 4002018, Des Moines, IA

50340-2018.

Please visit http://www.selmafuneralhome.com/

to make on line condolences to the family.