William “Miles”
Lester, Sr.
William “Miles” Lester, Sr., 51, of Auburn passed away Tuesday, April 28, 2015 at East Alabama Medical Center with his wife, Cindy, by his side. He was born in Valdosta, Ga., June 22, 1963 to the late William “Bill” McMorris Lester, Jr. and Bobbie Wells Lester. After graduating from Valdosta High School, Miles attended Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, GA., where he met his future wife their freshman year. Miles then followed in his older sister’s footsteps and transferred to Auburn University. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Management of Information Systems.) Following graduation, he began working for Auburn University, the school he loved so much, and could never quite bring himself to leave the “Loveliest Village on the Plains.” Miles was beyond proud to be part of the Auburn Family for nearly 30 years.
Miles was a true family man; he took great pride in his children and their accomplishments and was honored to be their father. His favorite pastimes included traveling with his family, spoiling his dogs, reading, building relationships with his long distance computer game friends, listening to music (especially the band “Rush”), and attending as many Auburn football and baseball games as he could. He had a ritual of eating Chuck’s Bar-B-Q every Saturday, and you could often find him sitting at the Johnny Brusco’s bar eating “Miles Style Lasagna.” Miles was a loving husband, father and friend who impacted the lives of many and will be missed and remembered by everyone who knew him.
Miles is survived by his wife of 26 years, Cynthia Widener Lester and four children, Ashley Lester McCauley (Tyler), Elizabeth Connelly Lester, Catherine Ansley Lester and William Miles Lester, Jr.; mother Bobbie Wells Lester, sisters Cathy Lester Perry (Charles) and Cheryl Lester Tunkle (Richard), and brother William “Tripp” McMorris Lester III. Nieces and nephews include: Sarah and Caroline Tunkle, Will and John Wells Lester, Lisa Moseley, Joanna Legg, and Cam Widener. Other survivors include in-laws Tom and Carolyn Widener, brother-in-law Jef Widener (Dee Dee) and other extended family.
Funeral service was held Friday, May 1 at 3 p.m. at Auburn United Methodist Church. Visitation was from 2-3 p.m. at the church, prior to the service. Interment followed at Town Creek Cemetery. Rev. Charles Cummings officiated, along with Miles’s dear friend Dr. Chad Smith. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Lee County Humane Society at leecountyhumane.org/ways-to-help/donate/.
The family would like to thank East Alabama Medical Center, especially Dr. Barry Crowe and the CVICU staff, for their wonderful care.
Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home directed.
www.jeffcoattrant.com.
Reva S. Brau
April 28, 1922 –
May 2, 2015
Local services for Mrs. Reva S. Brau wiere at Congregation Beth Shalom, 134 S. Cary Dr. Auburn, AL 36830. Beginning Wednesday, May 6 from 6-6:15p.m., and Thursday, May 7 from 6-6:15 p.m. Services will resume Sunday, May 10, 2015 from 6-6:15 p.m., and Monday, May 11 from 6-6:15p.m.
Mrs. Reva Shaivitz Brau lived in Baltimore, MD, Easton, PA, Lake Worth, FL and Auburn, AL. She passed away at Bethany House in Auburn at the age of 93. Reva was a loving mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend and she will be missed by all who knew her. She was preceded in death by her husband, Albert Brau. She is survived by her daughter, Marjorie Brau Teeter (Larry), grandsons Adam (Naomi) and Benjamin and her son, Michael Brau (Rachel), grandsons Joshua, Seth and Noah. A special thanks goes to caregivers Claree Stovall and Donna Trammer.
Graveside services were held at Eternal Light Memorial Gardens in Boynton Beach, FL, Tuesday May 5. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a charity of your choice or Congregation Beth Shalom, PO Box 1888, Auburn, AL 36831.
Michael
Preston Moore
Michael Preston Moore, 47, of Oceanside, California, died April 21, 2015, after a lengthy battle with cancer. A native of Opelika he was born October 03, 1967.
His funeral services were held 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday May 2 at Jeffcoat- Trant
Chapel visitation was from 12-2 p.m. Interment was in Gardens Hills Cemetery in Opelika.Mr. Moore is survived by his wife, Eloisa Moore of Oceanside, California: Mother
Kitty (Amos) and step-Father Jack Grimes of Ellerslie, Ga: Twin Sister Audrey (Moore) Sullivan and Robert Sullivan of Beaumont, Texas, Nieces Sasha and Magan Cox of Tallassee, Alabama: Sister Amanda Culpepper and Niece Madelyn Culpepper of Ellerslie, Ga: Brother David Chris Grimes Gossman and Mara Gossman and two Nephews Kane and Byron Gossman of Hunter, North Carolina, Aunts Judy ( Moore) John Waller of Opelika, Alabama, Eloise (Amos) Jackie Robinson of Opelika, Carolyn (Smith) Wayne Hollis of Foley, Alabama, Faye (Amos) McVickers of Attalla, Alabama and several first cousins.
He is preceded in death by his Father, Aubrey Preston Moore. Jr: parental
Grandparent: Aubrey Preston Moore, Sr. Vivian (Craft) Moore Green, Step- Father Roy Green. of Auburn, Alabama: maternal grandparents, Herbert Lee Amos, Sr. of Phenix City, Alabama, Mildred ( Allen) Amos- Baker of Opelika, Alabama.
Jeffcoat- Trant Funeral Home directed.
www.jeffcoattrant.com.
Urban
Lowell Diener
Urban Lowell Diener was a thoughtful, reserved man of German decent. He was born in Lima, Ohio, May 26, 1921. He died May 26, 2015, exactly one month prior to his 94th birthday. He was educated in the public schools of Celina, Van Wert, and Fremont, Ohio, where his father was the superintendent of those school systems. He received his B.S. degree from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, M.S. degree from Harvard, and his Ph.D. in Botany and Plant Pathology from North Carolina State in Raleigh.
Urban worked for Gividan Chemical Company in New York City and Clemson before going to Harvard. While in New York for two years he began volunteering to work with Boy Scouts of America. He was an Eagle Scout and in later years was awarded the Silver Beaver. In 1952, he became a member of the Plant Pathology Department at Auburn University where he retired as Professor Emeritus in 1987. He was the world’s leading scientist in plant aflatoxin.
Urban married Jacqulyn Maund Diener in 1956 and they lived in Auburn where Jackie was a teacher while continuing her education. She received the Doctor of Education degree from AU and taught approximately 6,300 students.
They attended the Auburn United Methodist Church where Urban sang in the choir for 48 years. They were active in the Joel McDavid Class. During their 58 years together they traveled in Germany, France, Switzerland, England, Denmark, the Netherlands, Holland, Mexico, Thailand, Canada, and throughout the United States.
Urban’s hobbies included stamp collection, coin collecting, photography, deep sea fishing, and growing camellias. He was a Mason and Shriner. He was an active member of the Auburn Lions Club. He continued to be a leader in the Chattahoochee Boy Scouts of America. He lived the scout oath/promise: On my honor (1) I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country, to obey the Scout law, (2) to help other people at all times, (3) to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. Urban was a devout Christian.
Urban is survived by his wife Jackie and his two sisters’ children: Betsy Ellison, Jimmy Hicks, Martha Bonim, Jean Lrezel and David Secrist; special godchildren Amanda “Mandy” Harris Massengale, James “Kent” Harris, Jr.; and 35 other godchildren.
Funeral service was at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 2 at Auburn United Methodist Church visitation was from 1:30-3 p.m. at the church. Interment followed at Auburn Memorial Park. Dr. George Mathison and Reverend Charles Cummings officiated.
In lieu of flowers, please contribute to the charitable fund of the Auburn Lions Club or the Boy Scouts of America.
Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home & Crematory directed.
www.jeffcoattrant.com.
Alexander
Phillip Eidson
Alexander Phillip Eidson was born on November 14, 2014, at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, Alabama, and passed on May 3, 2015.
Alexander is survived by his mother, Kirstie Eidson; twin brother, Eric Edison; aunt Sydney Eidson and Justin Riley; grandparents, Marla and Bob Humphries, Mark Eidson; great-grandparents Joy and Thomas Eidson, Mary Jane and Malcolm Humphries; great-aunts, Christy and Wendy, Tobi and Jackie Weaver, Sandy and Rick Eastman; godparents Billy Jean and Stephen Herren, and Dave Steward, and many cousins, family members, and friends.
Funeral service was 1:30 p.m. May 7, at the First United Methodist Church of Opelika. Reverend Rick Lane and Reverend Randy Woodham are officiated. Visitation was be held in the fellowship hall from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home & Crematory is directed.
www.jeffcoattrant.com.
Roy Eugene Stevenson
Funeral services for Roy Eugene Stevenson (Gene), age 86 of Auburn were held 11 a.m. May 4 at First Baptist Church of Auburn with rites conducted by Reverend Tripp Martin. Burial followed at Auburn Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation was May 3 from 5-7 p.m. at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home.
Mr. Stevenson was born May 28, 1928 in Harvest, Ala. to Oscar Lee and Bessie Freeman Stevenson. He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Mavis Mayberry Stevenson; one daughter, Jane Stevenson Martin (Richard) of Birmingham; two sons, David Lee Stevenson (Michelle) of Auburn; and John Philip Stevenson (Lesa) of Lexington, KY. Survived by six grandchildren: Mary Kathryn Papaioannou (Jan-Paul), Adam Lee Stevenson, Jesse John Stevenson, Jack David Stevenson, Rachel Ann Stevenson and Lane Philip Stevenson. Survived by one brother: James Robert Stevenson (Frances).
He graduated from Madison High School in 1945 and from Alabama Polytechnic Institute in 1951. He served in the US Navy for 4 1/2 years, first serving in the closing days of WWII and later during the Korean Conflict as a Lt. Jr Grade aboard the USS Steineker. Stevenson’s greatest pride and accomplishment was his 36-year career at Auburn University which began in 1955 as a member of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station’s Department of Research Information. He began as Assistant Editor and later served 10 years as Editor and Head of the Department. He was an active member of the Agricultural Communicators in Education Association, where he edited the association’s official publications. He retired as Editor Emeritus from the Experiment Station in 1991. During his tenure as department head Stevenson served on the Alabama Resource Development Committee. He continued an active involvement in the Experiment Station until his death.
Mr. Stevenson collaborated with Dr. Joe Yeager in authoring “Inside Ag Hill”, Auburn’s official agriculture history, which was published in 2000. Funds from the book sales endowed the Gene Stevenson and Joe Yeager scholarship in Agricultural Communications. Students now and in the future will benefit from this scholarship. Mr. Stevenson was inducted into the Agricultural Alumni Association Hall of Honor in 2009, one the highest honors bestowed by the alumni association.
He was an active member of the Auburn Kiwanis Club and received the Ben Hagler Award in 2004 for his contributions. He was a member of Auburn First Baptist Church since 1956. He held many leadership positions in the church through the years including serving as an active deacon. He was an avid supporter of Auburn University. He purchased season tickets for football, basketball and baseball when season tickets were first established.
Donations may be made to the Gene Stevenson and Joe Yeager scholarship in Agricultural Communications of Auburn University.
Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home is directed.
www.jeffcoattrant.com.
