Charles Weyant

Charles Weyant of Opelika passed away peacefully at his home Monday, Jan. 5, 2015.
He was born in Opelika and was an outstanding football player in high school. He graduated from Auburn University and had a successful life in business with his wife. They operated Jan’s for 36 years.
He was a beloved husband and father. He loved playing in the Farmville Church Orchestra. He enjoyed the farm and driving the tractor. Friends and family respected his honesty, humility, and talent.
He will be greatly missed.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Janice Wright Weyant, and father, Charles Weyant Sr., and great aunt Helen Holt.
Survivors include his wife of 63 years, Jan Henderson Weyant; children, Deborah  Hurst (Larry), Susan Norris, Greg Weyant (Barbara) and Eric Weyant (Robin); granddaughters, Melissa Doster (Brad), Abby Weyant and Ione Weyant; and grandson Andrew Weyant.
Funeral service was held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015, at Jeffcoat-Trant Chapel. The Rev. Tom McClendon officiated. The family received friends at the Weyant home after the services.
A very special thanks to the care givers at “Home Instead” and “Hospice Advantage.”
Contributions and gifts may be made to Farmville Baptist Church.
Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home directed. www.jeffcoattrant.com.

Chester F. Tankersley

Chester F. Tankersley, 74, of Opelika passed away Dec. 30, 2014, at East Alabama Medical Center. A memorial service was held Friday, Jan. 2 at 2 p.m. in the Chapel at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home, with visitation preceding the service from 12:30-2 p.m.
Mr. Tankersley was born on Oct. 30, 1940, in Wetumpka. After moving to Opelika, he graduated from Opelika High School in 1960. Mr. Tankersley then proudly served his country in the U. S. Marine Corps for six years.
Upon his return to Opelika, Mr. Tankersley was employed at Uniroyal/Goodrich, retiring after 26 years.  He volunteered for Hospice of EAMC, and served on the board of the Lee County Red Cross.  He enjoyed square dancing, participating in three different clubs, and was a Charter Life Member of the Billy Stelpflug Detachment #1064, Marine Corps League in Auburn. He was an active member of Beulah Baptist Church.
Mr. Tankersley is survived by his wife of 52 years, Donna Belcher Tankersley; sons, Danny Tankersley of Auburn and David Tankersley of  Opelika; daughter, Dana Tankersley Del Brocco (Vincent) of Phoenix, Ariz.; nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, all of whom he adored; a sister, Barbara Tankersley Fuller; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, R. C. and Violet Tankersley; a sister, Patricia Tankersley Bennett; and daughter-in-law, Lisa Sanderson Tankersley.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home and Crematory directed. www.jeffcoattrant.com.

Sentell Harper

Funeral service for Sentell Harper, 78, of Reform and Auburn, was held at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015, at Auburn United Methodist Church Founder’s Chapel. Dr. George Mathison officiated. The family received friends in the parlor of the chapel after the service.
Mr. Harper was born March 1, 1936, in Lee County. He died peacefully in his sleep Sunday, Jan. 4, 2015. He had homes in Reform and Auburn. He was a retired educator and businessman and was a U.S. Army and Marine veteran. Mr. Harper was a member of Reform United Methodist Church and former member of Auburn United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife Mrs. Janis Clements Harper of Reform; daughter Anna (Chris) Reed of Auburn; two grandchildren, Harper and Ellis Reed, whom he adored; and several nieces and nephews.
Donations may be made to Southern Union Foundation Scholarship Fund P.O. Box 1000 Wadley, AL 36276 or charity of your choice.
Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home directed.www.jeffcoattrant.com.

John W. Gullatte Sr.

Funeral service for John W. Gullatte Sr., 83, of Salem, was held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 3, 2015, at Jeffcoat-Trant Chapel.
The Rev. Richie Ashburn officiated. Burial was held in Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Cemetery. Visitation was Saturday from 12:30-2 p.m. prior to the service at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home.
Mr. Gullatte passed away Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014, at Bethany House in Auburn. He was born Jan. 1, 1931, in Lee County, where he lived all of his life. He was a U.S. Navy veteran and retired from the U.S. Postal Service. Mr. Gullatte was a member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church where he served as Deacon and other positions of the church.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Ruby and John D. Gullatte, and two sisters, Rebecca Helms and Peggy Banks.Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Mrs. Evelyn Hovey Gullatte of Salem; son John (Donna) Gullatte Jr., of Auburn; sister Polly (Dan) Davis of Salem; two grandchildren, John Adam Gullatte, Caitlyn Rebecca Gullatte; and several nieces and nephews.
Donations may be made to Pleasant Grove Baptist Church.
Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home directed. www.jeffcoattrant.com.

Max Dale Waddington Sr.

Max Dale Waddington, Sr., 93, of Dover, Ohio, passed away peacefully Jan. 5, 2015, at Community Hospice House at New Philadelphia. He was born Sept. 13, 1921, to Carl David and Muriel Waddington at their home on 256 West High Ave., in New Philadelphia.
Max Sr. is survived by his wife of 72 years, Alicia “Lee” (Nichols) Waddington; a sister, Joanne Borror of Columbus, Ohio; a son, Max D. (Shirley) Jr. of Opelika; a granddaughter, Michelle (Jeff) Steiner of Fayetteville, Ark.; grandsons, Max D. (Alisha) Waddington III of Alpharetta, Ga., and Thomas M. (Jordan) Waddington of Canton, Ga.; great-granddaughters, Blaire Waddington and Ashley and Megan Steiner; a great grandson Otis Samuel Waddington; and many loving nieces, nephews and extended family.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Jon Lee; and his brother, Carl David Jr.
Max lived his first 15 years on West High Avenue until the family moved to Pleasant Valley farm, a valley settled by his great-grandfather in the late 1830’s. Max was a 1939 graduate of New Philadelphia High School and attended Akron University after returning from his service in WWII.
Prior to entering the Naval Service, he was inducted into the BPOE 510 Elks Lodge by his father, Carl, the exalted ruler, and was a lifelong member of the Elks. At the time of his death he was the oldest surviving member of the New Philadelphia Elks.
Max served in the Navy on the USS Custer during World War II and acquired the rank of Chief Petty Officer. Upon his return, his father gave him three adjacent acres, and they built the home that is now 2081 Pleasant Valley Road with money saved by his wife, Lee, while she had lived with his parents in Pleasant Valley. They tore down two homes in Goshen to get the majority of the structural lumber for the new home. One of the homes had belonged to the family of Leo Benjamin, a former high school classmate.
Max worked in the purchasing department of Ladel Industries, which later became Joy Manufacturing. He enjoyed an active social life with his wife and friends as he played golf at Sugarcreek Golf Course and fished on Tappan Lake.
In 1960 he had the opportunity to move to Opelika to assist in the expansion of Orr Industries, later to become a division of Ampex Corporation as Manager of Purchasing. While in that position, he initiated the Alabama Purchasing Association and served as the first President. He is also past president of the Opelika Exchange Club. He and his wife were very active in the social life of the area.
Max had a great passion for fishing, and in the early 1960s he leased property from Alabama Power Company and built his own cabin with the help of his son and friends. The cabin, now purchased and owned by his son, still sits on Lake Martin at the end of Waddington Lane. Many of his fishing trophies and memorabilia are still on display in that cabin. He hosted many fishing outings, fish frys and the annual Waddington Bass Invitational.  Max was also an active member of the Auburn Bassmaster Club.
Max and his wife, Lee, then returned to Dover, Ohio, in 1985 to be near family and friends. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church at Dover. He was an avid golfer at the Sugarcreek Golf Course into his late 70s and enjoyed the companionship of his friends and family.
Visitation was Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015, from 10-11 a.m. in the Linn-Hert-Geib Funeral Home & Crematory at New Philadelphia. A funeral service celebrating Max’s life followed at 11 a.m. in the funeral chapel with Pastor Dave Kowaleski officiating. Military honors were rendered at the funeral home with private burial taking place in East Avenue Cemetery at New Philadelphia.
Those wishing to do so may send the family a personal condolence and light a candle in remembrance of Max by visiting the funeral home website, www.geibcares.com.
Contributions may be made in Max’s memory to Community Hospice of Tuscarawas County, 716 Commercial Ave. SW, New Philadelphia, OH 44663.

Linda Lou Amos Piatt

Linda Lou Amos Piatt, age 71, of Auburn, formerly of Clarksburg, W.Va., passed away Monday, Jan. 5, 2015 at the Bethany House of East Alabama Medical Center in Auburn following a brief illness.
She was born in Sutton, W. Va., on Oct. 28, 1943, the only daughter of the late Arthur R. and Edith E. Gregory Amos.
Linda is survived by her loving daughter, Leslie Ann Piatt Parsons of Auburn; two granddaughters, Lindsey Parsons and Lauren Parsons, both of Auburn; step-children, Linda Ann Piatt of Auburn, Laura Ann Piatt Wallingford of Pleasant Praire, Wis.; Lisa Ann Piatt Henry of Carrollton, Texas; and Donn Piatt of Pleasant Praire, Wis. She is also survived by her brother, A. Randy Amos, and his wife Jeannine of Clarksburg, W. Va.; nephew, Phil Amos of Jane Lew, W. Va., and niece, Jennifer Amos Daggs of Bristol, Tenn.
Linda graduated from Lost Creek High School Class of 1961 and was a registered nurse graduating from St. Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing in Clarksburg, W. Va. She received an associate’s degree in accounting and retired from Auburn University Alumni Foundation as an accounting specialist.
Linda was active in school events while her children were growing up and was always active in her community. She was a good neighbor and friend to many. Linda was a gifted seamstress and hand quilted many beautiful quilts. She specialized in monogramming, giving most of her craft away, and was an accomplished and competitive tennis player.
Funeral service was at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 8, 2015, at Auburn First Presbyterian Church with burial in Notasulga City Cemetery.
Visitation was Wednesday from 4-6 p.m. at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home.
The family suggests memorial contributions to Domestic Violence Intervention Center P.O. 2183 Opelika, AL 36803-2183 or For Paws Rescue 1027 Opelika Road Auburn, AL 36830.
Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home directed. www.jeffcoattrant.com.