Josephine H. Hamer 1926-2012
Josephine H. Hamer, age 86 of Opelika, was born in Lee County on Feb. 2, 1926, and passed away at Oak Park Nursing Home in Auburn on Feb. 3. She was a member of Pepperell Methodist Church.
Hamer was predeceased by her husband, Owen Earl Hamer. She is survived by her son, Thad (Diane) Rogers; step-daughter, Catherine Taylor; granddaughter, Amy Rogers; grandson, Michael (Leigh) Rogers; great granddaughter, Libby Rogers; and great grandson, Logan Rogers.
A funeral service was held on Feb. 6, at 2 p.m. in the Chapel at Fredericks Funeral Home. Interment followed in Rosemere Cemetery. Visitation was held prior to the service from 1 p.m. until the funeral hour.
Fredericks Funeral Home directed. www.fredericksfh.com
Johnny W. Winslett 1940-2012
Johnny W. Winslett, age 71, was born in Opelika, on Sept. 8, 1940, and passed away at Bethany House in Auburn on Jan. 31. He was born to the late J. D. and Ethel Winslett. He was a member of New Covenant Fellowship Church.
Winslett was preceded in death by a grandson, David Bryan Winslett; and a daughter-in-law, Cynthia L. Winslett. He is survived by his wife, Betty Ann Winslett; three sons, David, Chip and Steven Winslett; one granddaughter, Kalyn Winslett; one brother, Charles Winslett; two sisters, Merlene Shirey and her husband Billy and Dorothy Baker and her husband Henry Lee; and his adopted daughter, Dawn Kendall.
A funeral service was held on, Feb. 3, at 2 p.m. in the Chapel at Fredericks Funeral Home. Rev. Robert E. Bragdon officiated. Interment followed in Garden Hills Cemetery. Visitation was held one hour prior to the service at Fredericks Funeral Home.
Flowers will be accepted or memorial donations may be made to Bethany House – Inpatient Hospice.
Fredericks Funeral Home directed. www.fredericksfh.com
Jewell Gladys Daniels 1919-2012
Jewell Gladys Daniels of Opelika, died on Feb. 4, at Bethany House in Auburn.
A funeral service was held at 2 p.m. on Feb. 7, at Central Baptist Church, in Opelika. Pastor Gerald Sykes officiated. Interment was held at Garden Hills Cemetery.
The family received friends from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m. at Central Baptist Church.
Daniels was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph M. Daniels; and her parents, Charlie Monroe Senn and Fannie Daniel. She is survived by her brother, Charles Luther Senn of Smiths; sisters, Catherine Griswold and Sharon Adams of Phenix City; Clyde Lee of Troy; Betty Munro Kelly of Smiths; as well as several nieces and nephews, extended family and friends.
Fredericks Funeral Home directed.
Susan Elizabeth Henry Harden 1970-2012
A memorial service for Susan Elizabeth Henry Harden of Opelika was held at 11 a.m. on Feb. 4, at Providence Baptist Church with visitation to follow the service. Dr. Rusty Sowell officiated.
Susan passed away on Feb. 1, at her home. She was born Aug. 10, 1970. Susan graduated from Auburn High School in 1989 and attended Auburn University. She will be greatly missed by friends and family.
She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Jewel and Leroy Taylor of Chelsea, Pauline and Torbit Henry of Marion Junction; and her aunt, Lou Taylor Koen of Homewood.
She is survived by her sons, Sean Torbit Harden, Trace Wildon Harden and their father, Dwayne Harden; her mother and father, Nancy and Torbit Henry of Auburn; brother, Steven and his wife Megan, and their sons, John Taylor and Bennett Bradford of Auburn; her Aunt Katie (Herman) Cook of Pelham; her uncle Johnny (Susan) Taylor of Pensacola, Fla.; her uncle Jerry Koen of Homewood, and many cousins.
The family wishes to thank Mrs. Gwen Sistrunk for her love and care. We also appreciate all that Tanya and Angel with Lake Martin Home Health, and Susan Merrells with Hospice Advantage did. Dr. Steven Dekich was kind to take Susan as a patient in January 2008, and has cared for her for four years. We especially want to thank our church family at Providence for their prayers and support.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Providence Baptist Church, 2807 Lee Road 166, Opelika, Al 36804, Lake Martin Home Care of Dadeville, AL or Hospice Advantage of Auburn, AL. Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home & Crematory directed. www.jeffcoattrant.com
Rebecca “Inez” Royal Evans Cooper 1921-2012
Rebecca “Inez” Royal Evans Cooper, of Opelika, was born on Sept. 25, 1921, in Opelika and passed away on Jan. 30, at East Alabama Medical Center. She was 90 years old. She was a lifelong member of Liberty Baptist Church.
Cooper was predeceased by her husband and father of her children, Dave Edd Evans; and in her later years by her husband, Marcellus Cooper; her infant daughter, Angie Elizabeth Evans; her son, James Daniel Evans; and her grandson, Jimmy Dale Satterwhite.
She is survived by her son, George Evans and his wife Sheila and their children, son Jim Evans and daughter, Susie Smart and her husband Tony, and their children, Michael and Evan; her late son Dan’s wife, Terry Evans, and children, daughter, Erin Evans and son, David Evans and his wife Louisa, and their children, Dave Jr., Jessica, Oliver, Lucas and Isobel; her daughter, Connie Evans Thomas, and her husband Steve and their children Amanda Hamby, and her husband Paul, and their children, Douglas and Lauren; and Amie Hart, and her daughter, Kaylan; and a host of nieces, nephews and friends.
A visitation was held on Feb. 3, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Fredericks Funeral Home.
A funeral service was held on Feb. 4, at 11 a.m. at Liberty Baptist Church. Interment followed in Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery.
Family and friends gathered at the home of Steve and Connie Thomas following the service and interment. Fredericks Funeral Home directed.
Ella Joan Renie
Ella Joan Renie passed away peacefully at Bethany House in the early morning hours of Feb. 2. She was born in Cushing, Okla. to Benjamin and Lucille Davidson Hall. She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Robert J. Renie of Opelika; two daughters, Tamara Ann Grizzle of Fayetteville, Ga. and Robin Lea Sommerville of Redford, Mich.; two son-in-laws, Glen Robert Grizzle and Scott Sommerville; two grandsons, Joseph Benjamin Grizzle and Jon Patrick Grizzle; two cousins, Mary Sue Dabbs and Robert Anderson, both of Paris, Texas.
Renie attended schools in two states before graduating from high school in Sands Springs, Okla. She attended college at the Oklahoma Teacher’s College in Tahlequah, Okla., earning bachelor’s degrees in speech and English. From there she moved to Centralia, Mo. in September 1955 to teach speech and English at Centralia High School. There she met Robert Renie and they were married in June 1956 in Tulsa, Okla. In July 1957, they moved to Chicago where she began teaching at Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, Ill.
In 1962, Robert was transferred to Milwaukee, Wis. and, while there, Joan substitute taught in the Milwaukee School System. In 1966 the family relocated to Detroit, Mich. where they lived for the next 33 years and raised their children. Joan worked as a paraprofessional at Tyler elementary school in the Lavonia School System until her retirement in June, 1995. While working in this role she served as president of the Paraprofessional Teachers Union and attended numerous school board meetings to fight for better benefits and salaries for the paraprofessionals she represented.
Bob and Joan retired and moved to Opelika in 1999 where Joan continued to serve young children as a volunteer tutor of first and second graders at Jeter Elementary for the next seven years. She was recognized as volunteer of the year for the Opelika City Schools for the 2000-2001 school year.
Joan was also very active in the Friends of the Library and Trinity United Methodist Church. Every week she delivered flowers to members in hospital.
Joan can best be described as a teacher’s teacher who helped children of all ages for a lifetime.
A memorial service was held on Feb. 4 at 2 p.m. at the Trinity United Methodist Church. Visitation was held at 1 p.m. in the fellowship hall. Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Trinity United Methodist Church or Friends of the Lewis Cooper, Jr. Memorial Library.
Martha Ann McKinney 1933-2012
Martha Ann McKinney was welcomed into the loving arms of her Lord on Jan. 27. Born in Ida, Caddo Parish, La., to the late John Wesley Armstrong and Daisy Louella Bain Armstrong, she lived there until moving to Atlanta (Dekalb County), in 1967. She retired from banking in 1993 and spent her time thereafter loving and “entertaining” her children and grandchildren.
Until her initial stroke in 2008, Martha Ann was actively involved with her churches, first at Brookhaven Baptist Church in Atlanta, where, among other ministries, she taught Sunday School and assisted with ESL classes, and then at First Baptist Church in Forsyth, Georgia. She was known by all for her sweet spirit and bright smile. She will be greatly missed and lovingly remembered by all who knew her.
Martha Ann is survived by her brothers, Jimmy (Anna) Armstrong of Brusly, La., and their sons and grandchildren, and Johnny (Glenda) Armstrong of Sylvania, Ga. and their sons and daughters and grandchildren in Georgia and Texas. She leaves behind four children: Teri Cain (Jed) Dunaway of Auburn, and Dixie Cain (LaMar) Griffin of Fort Belvoir, Va., Lynn McKinney (Don) Flowers of Dacula, Ga. and Joe (Kevonne) McKinney of Lawrenceville, Ga.
Her ultimate joy in life came from her 10 surviving grandchildren: Derek Dunaway of Forsyth/Macon, Georgia and Marti Dunaway of Forsyth, Ga./Auburn, Bethany Griffin (Brooks) Keisler of Warner Robins, Ga., Erin Griffin (Josh) Keel of Little Rock, Ark., Zach Griffin of Fairfax, Va., Katie Flowers (JK) King, Anna Flowers and Sarah Flowers of Dacula, Ga., Kelley McKinney and Ciara McKinney of Lawrenceville, Ga. Martha Ann is also survived by five great-grandchildren, Anna Brooke, Emma Kate, and Knox Keisler and Jackson and Molly Keel.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Bethany House, 1171 Gatewood Drive, Building 100, Auburn, AL 36830 in honor, tribute, and recognition of the compassionate care received by Martha Ann and her family during the days preceding her death.
Family and friends honored Martha Ann’s life with a memorial service at 11 a.m. on Feb. 4, at First Baptist Church in Forsyth, Ga. Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home & Crematory directed.