Obituaries and Tributes

Here you will find recent obituaries and links for a video tribute to the individual.

Shirley Jean Burke, 67, of Blountstown, Florida, passed away Wednesday, July 1, 2009 in Panama City. Mrs. Burke lived most of her life in Calhoun County and worked for Calhoun County School Board as a bus driver for twenty-seven years and for Calhoun County Senior Citizens for seventeen years. She was a member of Williams Memorial Methodist Church in Scotts Ferry.
She is survived by her husband, Arlon Burke of Blountstown; three sons, Richard Burke of Blountstown, Keith Burke and his wife, Kelly of Altha, and Tim Jinks and his wife, Greta of Blountstown; two daughters, Cynthia Weeks and her husband, Phillip of Wewahitchka, and Shirley Michelle Reddick and her husband, Scottie Paul of Bristol; a brother, Johnny Frank Johnson and his wife, Winell of Clarksville; fourteen grandchildren, April, Tristen, Kayla, and Dillon Burke, Kelly, Michael, Britney, and Ishiah Weeks, Skyla, Destiny, and Anthony Reddick,, Becky, Kimberly, and Hunter Jenks.
Funeral services were held 10:00 a.m., Friday, July 3, from Adams Funeral Home Chapel with Reverend John Kramer officiating.

Jose Luis Cruz Ramirez, 18, of Blountstown, passed away in Blountstown Saturday, June 27, 2009. He was born in Santa Maria Huatulco, Mexico and lived in Blountstown for several years where he worked as a pine straw bailer.
He is survived by his parents, Policarpo Cruz Garcia and Paul Ramirez Lopez; his brother, Esteban Librado Santos Ramirez.
Funeral services will be held at a later date in Mexico.

Jeanette Paul, 78, of Bonifay, Florida, passed away Friday, June 26, 2009 in Bonifay. Mrs. Paul was born in Altha, Florida and lived here for many years before moving to Bonifay.
She is survived by three brothers, Charles O’Bryan and his wife, Martha of Tallahassee, Byron O’Bryan of Augusta, Georgia, and Brinson O’Bryan and his wife, Louise of Augusta, Georgia; a sister, Elsie and her husband, Jimmy of; and many nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held 5:00 PM Saturday, June 27, at the Sunny Hill Cemetery near Altha.

Ervin Robert Shiver, 67, of Bristol, Florida passed away Monday, June 22, 2009 in Bristol. Mr. Shiver lived in Bristol for thirty-five years and was a logger.
He was preceded in death by two brothers, Earnest Roy Shiver and John Mercer; two sisters, Evie Bell Mullins and Melissa White
He is survived by five sons, Robert Shiver of Jacksonville, Florida, John Ervin Shiver of Blountstown, Florida, Bobby Lynn Shiver of Bristol, Randy Shiver of Blountstown, and William Booth of Bristol; two brothers, E. J. Shiver of Sanford, Florida and Gene Mercer of Bristol; three sisters, Edith Mercer of Bristol, Lois Mercer of Blountstown, and Shirley Smith of Panama City, Florida; four grandchildren, Brittney Lean Shiver, Jessie Lee Griffin, Consuela Cheyene Shiver, and William Christopher Booth.
Funeral services will be held 10:00 a.m., Friday, June 26, in Adams Funeral Home Chapel in Bristol with Reverend Victor Walsh officiating. The family will receive friends 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Thursday, June 25 at Adams Funeral Home in Bristol.

Thadene L. Nance, 89, of Bristol, Florida passed away Friday, June 19, 2009 in Blountstown. Mrs. Nance was born in Hyden, Kentucky in 1919, moved to Clyde, Texas in 1951 and to Bristol in 2001. She was a member of the United Methodist Church in Trent, Texas. She was preceded in death by her parents, Roy and Mallie Lewis; a daughter, Ann Meyer; and a brother, George Lewis.
She is survived by four sons, Jerry Nance and his wife, Mary of Trent, Texas, Paul Nance and his wife, Mary of Weatherford, Texas, Jim Nance and his wife, the late Nell Nance of Graham, Texas, Richard Nance and his wife, Cindy of Austin, Texas; one daughter, Peggy Shoemake and her husband, Shelby of Bristol, Florida; a brother, Ralph Lewis of Hyden, Kentucky; fourteen grandchildren; twenty-three great-grandchildren and nine great-great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held 6:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, June 20, 2009 in Adams Funeral Home Chapel in Bristol, Florida with Darrel Hayes officiating. Interment will follow in Clyde Cemetery in Clyde, Texas at a later date. The family will receive friends 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. ET, Saturday, June 20 at Adams Funeral Home in Bristol.

Glenna Mae Kelley, 79, of Bristol, Florida passed away Wednesday, June 17, 2009 in Bristol. She was born in Williamsburg, Kentucky and lived in Bristol since 2007. She was a retired counselor for the state of Maryland and a member of Bristol First Baptist Church.
She is survived by a son, James Kelley and his wife, Carol of Panama City, Florida; a daughter, Donna Suess and her husband, Earnest of Bristol; a brother, Otis Clark of Texas; a sister, Amanda Doss of Ohio; six grandchildren, David, Jennifer, Jimmy, Susan, Angie, and Chris; and nine great-grandchildren.
Memorial services will be held 2:00 PM Wednesday, June 24, from the Adams Fuenral Home Chapel in Bristol.

Billy Dewayne Helson, 42, of Panama City Beach, Florida passed away Wednesday, June 17, 2009 in Panama City Beach. Mr. Helson was a business machine repairman and was a veteran of the U.S. Navy. He was preceded in death by a sister, Regina Helson.
He was survived by his mother, Clara Cain and her husband Marlin of Kinard, Florida; a son, Anthony Michael Helson of Wewahitchka, Florida, two daughters, Amanda Nicole Helson and Elizabeth Helson of Wewahitchka; a brother, Curtis Cain of Port St. Joe, Florida; a sister, Teresa Chase also of Wewahitchka.
Graveside services will be held 3:00 p.m., Sunday, June 21, 2009 in Cypress Creek Cemetery in Kinard, Florida with full military honors. The family will receive friends 3:00 – 5:00 p.m., Saturday, June 20 at Adams Funeral Home in Blountstown, Florida.

Brenda Rae Cannon, 64, of Altha passed away Saturday, June 13, 2009 in Blountstown. Mrs. Cannon was born in Falls City, Nebraska and had lived in Calhoun County since 2008 moving here from Naples, Florida. She was preceded in death by a son, Daniel.
She is survived by a son, Kevin Douglas Day and his wife, Laurie of Plain City, Ohio; a daughter, Bernita Starr and her husband, Danny of Altha, Florida; a sister Barbara Grice of Crestview and nine grandchildren.
Memorial services will be held at a later date.

Richard Gene Varnum, 52, of Nashville, Tennessee passed away Friday, June 5, 2009 in Nashville. Mr. Varnum grew up in Port St. Joe, Florida and graduated from Port St. Joe High School in 1976. He served in the U. S. Army.
He is survived by his parents, Billie G. and Louise Varnum of Nashville, Tennessee; two sisters, Sandra Hart and her husband Randy of Atlanta, TX and Tanya Varnum of Cleveland, TN; several aunts and uncles including Janie and Doug Pelt of Clarksville and Syble Firestone of Bristol; also several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m., Monday, June 8, 2009 in the Adams Funeral Home Chapel with Reverend Jeff Ward officiating. Interment will follow in New Shiloh Cemetery near Altha. The family will receive friends 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., Sunday, June 7 at Adams Funeral Home.

Jefferie Scott Rector, 28 of Blountstown, passed away Monday, June 1, 2009 after a boating accident. Jefferie was a native and lifelong resident of Blountstown and worked as an oil rig crane operator for Bay Limited in Louisiana.
Survivors include his son, Joseph Quinton Rector and a daughter Jocelyn Nicole Rector both of Burwick, Louisiana; his father, Ronald J. Rector of Fair Oaks, Indiana; his mother, Tammy Rector Bottoms of Rensselaer, Indiana; his grandparents, Henry and Bessie Hesson of Rensselaer, Indiana and Louise and the late Joseph Rector of Fair Oaks, Indiana; six brothers, Donny Rector of Crossville, Tennessee; Mike, Tim, Doug and Scott Rector all of Fair Oaks, Indiana, and Nathan Rector of Adica, IN; 11 sisters Joann Thatcher of Merritt Island, FL, Linda Bellamy of Sweetwater, TN, Deborah Thornton Smith of Blountstown, Kathy Lynch of Louts, IN, Shellie Barrett, Jody Rector Lloyd, Kalee Rector, Tami Spencer all of Rensselaer, IN, and Jenna Rector Aguilar of Logansport, IN, Makenzie Rector of Wheatfield, IN, Sheena Armstrong of Rensa, IN; many loving nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles and friends including his best friend and “brother” Jeremy Thornton.
Funeral services will be held 2:00 PM Thursday, June 4, 2009 from the Adams Funeral Home Chapel. The family will receive friends 6-8 PM Wednesday, June 3, 2009 at the Adams Funeral Home in Blountstown.

James Clifford Shiver, 58, of Blountstown passed away May 28, 2009 in Blountstown. Mr. Shiver was a lifelong resident of Calhoun County and was a truck driver.
He is survived by his daughter, Selena Maine of High Springs, Florida; a brother, Steven David Shiver of Georgia; three sisters, Catherine Francis and Barbara Maybin of Tallahassee, and Sybil Owens of Bristol; two grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
No services are planned. Memorialization will be by cremation.

Nell Taylor, 86, of Blountstown passed away Friday, May 29, 2009 in Blountstown. Nell was born in Portchester, New York and moved from Jacksonville to Blountstown in 1964. She was a member of First Baptist Church were she served as secretary for twenty years. She was preceded in death by her husband Ben Hugh Taylor.
She is survived by five sons, Jeffery Riley Taylor of Oklahoma, Christopher Hugh Taylor and William Charles Taylor of Chicago, Illinois, Russell Glenn Taylor of Tallahassee, and Jonathan Ben Taylor of Connecticut; four daughters, Valerie Ann Sies of North Carolina, Christine Benton of Bristol, Florence Powers of Tallahassee, and Susie Summerlin of Hosford; twenty-six grandchildren; and twenty-five great-grandchildren.
A graveside service will be held 11:00 a.m. CT, Tuesday, June 2, 2009 in Nettle Ridge Cemetery with Reverend David Throckmorton officiating. The family will receive friends 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. CT, Monday, June 1 at Adams Funeral Home.