Frances Nunnelee Ray

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, July 24, 2001

Frances Nunnelee Ray, 77, of Troy died Saturday, July 21, 2001 at Pike Manor Health Care Center.

Services were at 4 p.m., Monday, July 23 at Dillard Funeral Home Chapel in Troy with the Rev. W.O. Sanders officiating. Burial was at Goodhope Cemetery in the Goodhope Community with Dillard Funeral Home of Troy directing.

Survivors include daughters, Linda Ray of Montgomery, Nina and Kenneth Hamm of Troy; grandsons, Danny and Holly McClure of Troy, Michael McClure of Panama City Beach, Fla. and Kenny Hamm Jr. of Troy; great-grandsons, Hunter McClure of Troy; numerous nieces and nephews.

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Memorial contributions may be made to the Goodhope Cemetery Fund.

Barbara "Bob" Blackmon

Barbara "Bob" Blackmon, 86, of Troy died Saturday, July 21, 2001 at Edge Regional Medical Center.

Services were at 2 p.m., Monday, July 23 at Dillard Funeral Home Chapel in Troy with Dr. Milton Cutchen officiating. Burial was at Green Hills Memorial Park in Troy with Dillard Funeral Home of Troy directing.

Survivors include daughters and sons-in-law, Jamie and Tony Gardner of Panama City Beach, Fla., Barbara and Ralph Freeman of Troy; grandchildren, Lee Gardner of Birmingham, Maggie Gardner of Panama City Beach, Trent, Tripp and Trey Freeman of Troy; sister, Oleta Ledbetter of Troy; brother and sister-in-law, Lex and Ruth Griffin of Troy.

Pallbearers were Kenneth Carter, Robert K.T. Cole., Brent Walker, Ricky Williford, Sonny Williford, Talbot Lawrence and Duncan Lindsey. Honorary pallbearers were remaining male members of Bob’s family.

Helen Cox Enzor

Helen Cox Enzor of 109 Montgomery Street in Troy passed away Friday, July 20, 2001 at Pike Manor Health Care Center after a lengthy illness.

Helen was born at Allred in Pike County. She was the daughter of Arkie Antoinette Allred and Wesley Pinckard Cox. She was educated in the Troy Public Schools, Troy Normal School and graduated from the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa with a master’s degree in education. She taught school for many years. Helen was a faithful life member of First Baptist Church of Troy, serving in many departments and teaching both young people and adults. She was a member of the J.O. Colley Sunday School class and a former member of Baptist Missionary Society and a board member of the Baptist Student Union. Mrs. Enzor was active in social, civic and educational organizations, including the Troy Women’s Club, Oliver Wiley Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Alumni Association of the University of Alabama.

Mrs. Enzor was preceded in death by her husband, J. Lane Enzor; her three sisters, Dot Cox Starling (Mrs. Hugh), Lucie Cox Chapman (Mrs. Corley) and Nell Cox Sellers (Mrs. Hubert).

She is survived by a niece, Ann Chapman Cox (Mrs. James) of Birmingham; two nephews, Dr. Kenneth Starling of Atlanta and Corley Chapman Jr. of Troy; great-nieces, Kimberly Lee Bean (Mrs. Nelson), Josephine Meagher Lee, Lucie Lee Haynes (Mrs. Brad), Helen Lee Hyde (Mrs. Cabot), Mary Nell Starling Yarbrough (Mrs. Lance) and Emily Starling Mannion (Mrs. Lance); great-nephews, Jefferson Allen Starling and Braxton Chapman Lee; eight great-great-nephews and four great-great-nieces.

Serving as honorary pallbearers will be members of the J.O. Colley Sunday School class, directors of Henderson Bankshares, Dr. J.A. Brantley, Dr. J.C. Brantley, Dr. Allen Young, Dr. Peter M. Dichiara, Allen Cox Jones, Roberts Lawrence, Alonzo H. Lee Jr. and Dr. Jeff Smith.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m., Tuesday, July 24 at Dillard Funeral Home Chapel in Troy, 231 Bypass North, with Dr. Ellis Bush officiating. A private burial will follow later that afternoon in Oakwood Cemetery with Dillard Funeral Home of Troy directing.

Visitation will be 10-11 a.m. today at Dillard Funeral Home in Troy.

Memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church, 200 West College Street, Troy, Alabama 36081 or to a favorite charity.

Dorothy Sorrells Woodham Watkins

Dorothy Sorrells Woodham Watkins, 90, died Saturday, July 21, 2001 at Hartford Health Care in Hartford after an extended illness.

Services were at 1 p.m., Monday, July 23 at Hurricane United Methodist Church with the Rev. Kenneth Martin officiating. Burial was at the church cemetery with Sorrells Funeral Home of Slocomb directing.

She was born Feb. 4, 1911 in Geneva County to the late E.R. and Alice Hagler Sorrells. She was a lifelong resident of Hartford and the Dundee Community. She was a member of Shiloh Baptist Church.

Survivors include her daughter, Faye Woodham Eldridge (Maylon) of Slocomb; son, Edward Woodham (Patsy) of Chattanooga, Tenn.; sister, Gladys White Dixon of Hartford; two brothers, C.R. Sorrells and Billy Sorrells, both of Hartford; seven grandchildren, Stan and Kelley Eldridge of Slocomb, Brian and Terry Eldridge of Dothan, Lene Watson Ellis of Troy, Kevin and Wendy Watson of Troy, Bart and Beth Woodham, Debbie and David Bates, all of Chattanooga, Kim and Steve Brandt of Atlanta, Ga.; 12 great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Loyce Carthell Woodham; daughter, Virginia Woodham Watson; one sister and two brothers.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hurricane United Methodist Church, c/o Tal Wright, 674 South County Road 69, Hartford, Alabama 36344.

Pallbearers were Stan Eldridge, Brian Eldridge, Kevin Watson, David Bates, Steve Brandt and Jerry Sorrells.

James Michael Youngblood

On July 17, 2001, Mike Youngblood got out of his wheel chair and walked through the gates of Heaven.

He died in Carolina Medical Center, Charlotte, N.C., from complications caused by his lifelong disease of Friedreich’s Ataxia, a neuromuscular disease. Because of his mother’s and his sister’s diligent care, Mike lived 30 years beyond his life expectancy. To the end, despite the fact that he was blind and could not feed himself, he was witty and mentally alert.

Recently, he commented, "I have had a wonderful life!"

Mike was born on September 12, 1945, in Troy. He grew up in Shellhorn and Ansley.

Mike attended Shellhorn Junior High School, Charles Henderson High School and received a bachelor of science degree from Troy State University in 1972.

He worked for the State of Alabama Revenue Department in Montgomery until he was 38, when he took an early retirement.

Mike’s passions in life were his nephew, his nieces, national politics and sports, especially Alabama football.

He loved to eat his Tiger meat!

His beloved mother, Susie Kelley Youngblood, who devoted her life to his care, preceded him in death.

He is survived by his father, Thomas H. Youngblood Sr. of Montgomery; older sister, Suzanne Youngblood Lawrence of Lenexa, Kan.; older brother, Thomas H. Youngblood Jr. of Oak Ridge, Tenn.;

baby sister, Sharon Youngblood Williams and her husband, Steven Paul Williams, both of Charlotte; nephew, Zachary Lawrence of Lenexa;

niece, Cassie Lawrence of New York, N.Y.;

niece, Jessica Williams of Charlotte;

niece Kelley Williams of Charlotte; five aunts; three uncles; and many cousins and friends.

Honoring his oft-made statement, "I am not taking this body with me. There are no wheelchairs in Heaven," Mike’s body has been cremated.

A graveside burial service will be held at Elam Cemetery in Goshen with the date and time to be announced later.

Contributions can be made in honor of Mike Youngblood, with a notation

"for FA Research" to: The National Ataxia Foundation, Suite 119, 2600 Fernbrook Lane, Minneapolis, MN 55447.

Rest in God’s peace, precious son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, and friend.

We are so grateful we had you with us and now we rejoice in your wholeness.

Joanne Knotts

Joanne Knotts, 58, of Brundidge died Saturday, July 21, 2001 at Edge Regional Medical Center in Troy.

Visitation will be from 6-8 p.m., Tuesday, July 24 at Skeen Funeral Home in Troy.

Complete announcement in The Messenger will run Wednesday, July 25.

Updated July 23, 2001 10 p.m.