FRANCES LOUISE BRYD NELSON
Frances Louise Bryd Nelson, age 86, formerly of Opelika, passed away peacefully and entered the presence of the Lord Monday, May 12, 2025. Her parents were John W. Bryd and Ada Lee Bryd. She was preceded in death by her husband, Forrest Nelson, of 44 years. She was a mother to three children Connie (Jay) Harry of Alexander City; John W (Renee Smith) Nelson of Auburn; and Ronald Jerome Nelson; and grandmother to five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
She was a faithful member of Pepperell Baptist Church of Opelika. She loved early morning Bible studies, scripture reading, gospel singing, and watching Les Feldick Ministries on television.
A graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. Central on Friday, May 16, at Upson County Memorial Gardens in Thomaston, Georgia. The family would like to express our thanks for the wonderful help and care given by the Dadeville Health Care Center and Southern Care New Beacon.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggest donations be made to Pepperell Baptist Church of Opelika, “Lottie Moon Missionary Fund” in memory of Frances L. Nelson.
EVELYN L. MCCARTY
Evelyn L. McCarty, 83, passed away on May 10, 2025, at Arbor Springs Health & Rehab Center.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Lavelle McCarty, and son, Lamar McCarty.
Evelyn is survived by her son, Rick McCarty (Phyllis); grandchildren, Cory and Cole McCarty; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and other family members.
Visitation will be Thursday, May 15, at 11 a.m. in the Parlor at Frederick-Dean Funeral Home. A Chapel service will follow at noon, with Brother Vance McCollum officiating.
Irmgard Therese Schorn Cottingham
Irmgard Therese Schorn Cottingham peacefully left this world and was welcomed into her heavenly home by our Lord and Savior on May 11, 2025.
Irmgard was born on Aug. 18, 1926, to Wilhelm Schorn and Elisabeth Wilhelmine Schauff in Aachen, Germany, a city on the Belgium border.
She was in Aachen when World War II started in 1939. After the bombing of her hometown, she and her mother fled into Belgium. She was chosen by the refugees on the ranch to surrender to the Americans. On her 18th birthday, she waved a little white handkerchief in front of the big American tank to let them know they surrendered. After 1945 and the “Battle of the Bulge,” she worked for the first American government as an interpreter with Gen. Eisenhower and Gen. Patton.
In 1952, she married Marcus Carl Cottingham and sailed to America, where they settled down in Opelika, where her husband grew up.
Irmgard was a devout Catholic. She was a long-time member of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Auburn.
Irmgard was a devoted mother, grandmother, animal lover and phenomenal cook. She could best be described as loving, kind, courageous, strong-willed and full of wisdom from lifelong experiences.
She was preceded in death by her husband and her sister, Gudula “Jutta” Kalinowski.
She is survived by her three loving daughters: Mariele Elizabeth Cottingham Fischer (married to Robert “Bob” Kirby Fischer), with children Dorothy “Elizabeth” Fischer Gibbs and Robert “Rob” Anthony Fischer (grandchildren Walsh and Anne Roberts); Anita Therese Cottingham Brown (married to George “Randy” Randolph Brown), with children Scarlotte Ann Brown Vaughn (grandchildren Tripp, Georgia, and Thomas), Lindsey Gardner Brown Priester (grandchildren Gardner and Tap), and George Randolph Brown Jr. (grandchildren Chip, Huey, and Bo); and Belinda Cottingham Gordon (married to Mark Edward Gordon), with children Hollyann Katelyn Gordon Thomas and Mark Christopher Gordon.
Serving as pallbearers are: George Brown, Rob Fischer, Mark C. Gordon, Tyler Priester, Dale Vaughn and Tripp Vaughn.
Visitation will be held from 11 a.m. to noon at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Auburn on Thursday May 15. The funeral Mass will begin at noon, officiated by Rev. Msgr. Michael L. Farmer. Burial will follow at Garden Hills Cemetery in Opelika.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Irmgard’s memory may be made to CARE Humane Society or Woof Avenue Rescue in Auburn.
Carolyn Patricia Walters Speaks
Carolyn Patricia Walters Speaks passed away peacefully at her home in Auburn on May 10, 2025, at the age of 82. Carolyn was born in Mobile to Rush and Pauline Walters on Aug. 10, 1942. She grew up in Mobile, graduating from Murphy High School where she enjoyed her time as a majorette. She went on to attend the University of Montevallo, where she studied music, majoring in piano with a minor in voice.
Carolyn married the love of her life, Mike, on Aug. 24, 1963, at Toulminville Baptist Church in Mobile. They moved to Auburn, where Carolyn worked at Samford Hall, supporting Mike’s dream to graduate in Civil Engineering.
While living in Mobile for 50 years, Carolyn worked alongside Mike to build and maintain his successful engineering business. She was a devoted member of Cottage Hill Baptist Church and Luke 4:18 Fellowship, where she sang in the choir, worked in the youth, taught Sunday School and served for many years every Friday at 11 a.m. in the 24-hour prayer room.
Upon moving to Auburn five years ago, Carolyn became passionate about singing in the choir and her Sunday school class at First Baptist Opelika, where she enjoyed many friendships. She looked forward to going each day to her part time job at RE/MAX Realty and taking long walks in the afternoons. Her favorite past times were going to the beach, eating seafood and watching Auburn football.
In addition to her parents and husband, Carolyn was preceded in death by her granddaughter, Kaylee Marie Allison, and brother, Russell Walters.
Carolyn is survived by her brother, John Walters; son, Tim Speaks, (April); daughter, Tammy Allison; grandchildren, Jackson Speaks (Carson), Harrison Speaks (Jordan), Griffin Speaks (Mackenzie), Sullivan Speaks, Lily Allison and Sam Allison; and great-grandchildren, Noah, Saylor, Jack Timothy (JT), Scottie Jane and Reynolds.
A celebration service will be held Thursday, May 15 at 3 p.m., with visitation at 2 p.m., both at First Baptist Church Opelika.
Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Mercy Medical Ministry, 1702 Catherine Court, Suite 1A, Auburn, AL 36830 (mercymedicalministry.org).
JAMES “LARRY” COWART
James “Larry” Cowart, 82, passed away peacefully on May 5, 2025.
Larry was born in Sylacauga to Rufus and Myrtle Kelley Cowart, the oldest of their three children. His parents moved their young family to work in Opelika so that they could en-sure their children would have the educational opportunities that they did not have. Lar-ry famously had his first job at age 9, selling vegetables from the family garden, then moving on to a paper route not long after, winning paper boy of the year. Smart as a whip, he was either working or studying from a very early age.
After graduating from Auburn High School, Larry was the first in his family to attend college. He graduated in 1967 from his beloved alma mater, Auburn University, with a Doctorate of Pharmacy. Beginning his career in research pharmacy for the Beecham Massengill Corporation, he quickly realized that his real gift was in sales, which began a more than 40-year career in the pharmaceutical industry, including many years as a pio-neer in the world of generic pharmaceutical sales. His customers across the southeast and beyond became lifelong friends and mentors.
Larry had an unmatched passion for cars and spent his life collecting, restoring and driving. The Blue Ridge Parkway in the fall with the top down was one of his favorite places to be. He would take a car apart and put it back together just to find a small rattle, unheard by the average mortal. He was blunt and opinionated, but you knew you were loved. We will all miss his vast knowledge on most any subject, quick wit and sparkling blue eyes.
Larry is survived by the love of his life since high school, Virginia Hatchett Cowart; daughter, Kelley Cowart Thackston (Galen) of Montgomery; son, Jay Cowart (Anna Ma-ria) of Greer, South Carolina; brother, Duane Cowart (Clynda) of Baton Rouge, Louisi-ana; sister, Elizabeth Cowart Borg of Opelika; and five grandchildren who brought out the very best in him, Patrick Thackston, Jack Thackston, Ben Thackston, Amelia Cowart and Maxwell Cowart.
The family would like to thank all of his wonderful caregivers from Home Helpers, Inter-im Hospice and Rolling Green. In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite charity and maybe wear a little orange or blue in his memory.
Visitation will begin at 1 p.m. on May 16 at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home, followed by a funeral service at 2 p.m.
GLENDA KAY LIVINGSTON GIVINS
Glenda Kay Livingston Givins, our beloved mother, grandmother (Grand) and great-grandmother (GG) passed away on May 3, 2025, at the age of 80.
She was born in LaGrange, Georgia, on Oct. 18, 1944, the oldest of three children to Margaret Louise Middlebrooks Livingston and Roscoe Tuggle Livingston. She was preceded in death by her mother, father and former husband, William Marshall Givins.
She leaves behind her daughter, Cynthia Louise Givins Sickler; granddaughter, Courtney Louise Sickler Hewitt (Daniel); great-granddaughter, Lilly Catherine Hewitt: brothers, Roscoe Tuggle Livingston (Judy) and Anthony Wayne Livingston; and several nieces and nephews.
We are thankful for the many wonderful years we shared with her as the three (then four) generations of women traveling and doing the things she loved most. She loved the beach, traveling, scrapbooking and spending time with her great-granddaughter.
With her love for the beach, we plan to scatter her ashes at a later date. Close friends and family will be notified when plans are made.
In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made in her memory to the youth of Unity Baptist Church of LaGrange or your church.
TIMOTHY “TIM” JAMES MCCULLARS
Mr. Timothy James McCullars, 49, of Opelika passed away May 7, 2025.
He was born in Lee County on Oct. 17, 1975, to Terry Wayne McCullars and Mary Marie Johnson.
Tim loved hunting, fishing and immersing himself in the wilderness of the mountains. He enjoyed searching for and finding artifacts, such as arrowheads. He loved animals and spending time with his family, especially his beloved grandchildren. Tim was diag-nosed with AML in 2003, but through the strength, love and support of his family, he overcame his illness and went into remission for 22 years.
Tim was preceded in death by his grandparents, Charlie and Annie Belle Jones and Ter-ry and Minnie Ella McCullars; father, Terry Wayne McCullars; and brother, Jason Barr.
He is survived by his wife, Ester McCullars; children, Trish (Zac) Morgan, Shelby (Angela) Morgan McCullars and James Lee McCullars; mother, Marie (Jesse) Johnson; siblings, Tammy Brewer, Terry (Leigh) McCullars and Russell (Emily) McCullars; grandchildren, Bentley, Remington, Colt, Treylyn and Gracie; and many other loving family members and friends.
A funeral service was held May 10, at Jeffcoat-Trant funeral Home. Pastors Tommy Wil-son and Aaron Pruitt officiated. Pallbearers were Shelby Morgan McCullars, James Lee Morgan, Russell McCullars, Luke McCullars, James Morgan and Logan Morgan. A committal service followed at Garden Hills cemetery.
SARAH CATHERINE GRIMES PASLEY
Sarah Catherine Grimes Pasley, lovingly known as Sally, passed away peacefully on May 8, 2025, at Bethany House in Auburn.
Born in Enterprise, Sally graduated from Enterprise High School in 1968 and earned a degree in special education from Auburn University. She dedicated many years to the Auburn City School System as a teacher, and she later coauthored educational books for individuals with special needs. In later years, she brought joy to many through The Veranda, her gift shop in downtown Auburn that she ran with her daughter.
She is survived by her daughters, Hayden (Howard) Weissinger and Anna (Rob) Keesee; grandchildren, Hill and Payne Weissinger and Ellie and Haynes Keesee; brother, Jim (Debbie) Grimes; sister, Lucy (Cy) Grimes Butler; and many cousins, nieces and neph-ews.
Sally was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Ty Pasley; sisters, Jean Grimes Bowline and Ann Grimes Thompson; and parents, Dr. James Grimes and Eleanor Warren Grimes.
A visitation was held May 10 at Jeffcoat-Trant Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to: Bethany House, 1171 Gatewood Drive, Auburn, AL 36830.
EDWARD (EBBIE) M. JONES JR.
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Edward (Ebbie) M. Jones Jr., a man whose life was a testament to hard work, resilience, joy and generosity. He was a man that believed life was too short to not stop and smell the roses. Ebbie passed away on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at Bethany House at the age of 95.
Ebbie was born in Opelika to Edward M. Jones Sr. and Emma George Capps Jones on Aug. 27, 1929.
He was preceded in death by his first wife, Mary Jon (Teeny) Jones; second wife, Joyce Windham Jones; son, Lee Windham; and sister, Emalyn Jones Allen.
Ebbie is survived by his sister, Susie Jones Goss; children, Edward Jones III, Cylle Jones Row-ell (Roth), Johnny Jones (Meghan), Georgeanne Jones. Kay Windham Draper (Tom) and Mike Windham (Alesia); grandchildren, Katie Rowell Brock (Cornel), Wes Jones (Amanda), Hunter Rowell (Katrina), Morgan Jones, Emma Jones, Katie Ehlers (Brian), Kate Dempsey (Nick), Jake King (Anne), Courtney Windham, Madison Jacobson (Ryne) and Savanah Windham; and great-grandchildren, Karabella Rowell, Evelynn Rowell, Rex Rowell, Roth Brock, Lilly Eh-lers, Hunter Ehlers, Marshall Dempsey, Elizabeth Dempsey and Parker King.
Ebbie was a graduate of the University of Alabama. Afterward he served four years in the U.S. Air Force. He became a banker in Opelika, where he began First Federal Savings & Loan and later became president of Farmers National Bank. He had a wide interest in civic affairs, or-ganizing the very first United Appeal drive held in Opelika. He also served two terms as city commissioner for Opelika.
He moved to Birmingham in 1980 where he met his wife of 40 years, Joyce. He attended church at Highlands Methodist Church and adored traveling all over the world.
There will be a small celebration of life for family and friends in the Chapel at Highlands Methodist Church in Birmingham at a later date. Frederick-Dean Funeral Home of Opelika assisted the family with arrangements.
In lieu of flowers the family requests contributions be made in his honor to Bethany House, 1171 Gatewood Drive, Auburn, AL 36830-4086.