Obituaries and Tributes

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

Ora Dell Taylor Gurka, age 92, of Blountstown passed away Monday, March 8, 2010 in Blountstown. She was a retired homemaker and bookkeeper. She was a member of Gateway Baptist Church and was a very active member of her community. She was a fifty year member of the Blountstown Order of Eastern Star #179, a member of AARP, and Blountstown First Baptist Church Women’s Missionary Union. She was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph Edgar Holley and Lilly Mozelle Wingate Holley; her husband, Henry E. Gurka and a brother, Henry Holley.
She is survived by three sons, James N. Taylor and his wife, Barbara of Plano, Texas, Joseph C. Taylor and his wife, Joyce of Lillian, Alabama, and Paul E. Gurka and his wife, Zelda of Tallahassee, Florida; a sister, Lillie Joe Caraway of Marianna, Florida; nine grandchildren, Erin Taylor of Charlotte, North Carolina, Mark Taylor and his wife, Tina of Grapevine, Texas, Terrie Taylor Wessell and her husband, Mark of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Joseph E. Taylor and his wife, Rebecca of Pensacola; Christine Halperine and her husband, David of Solon, Ohio, Michelle Taylor Hamilton and her husband, Jim of Pensacola, Jeffery Taylor of Pensacola, Anthony Gurka of Marianna and Catherine Gurka of Crawfordville, Florida; nine great-grandchildren; and three great-
great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, March11, 2010 in the Adams Funeral Home Chapel with Reverend Roger King officiating. Interment will follow in Nettle Ridge Cemetery in Blountstown. The family will receive friends 4:00 – 6:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 10 at Adams Funeral Home.

Grace E. Stiteler, age 101, of Clarksville passed away Monday, March 8, 2010 in Blountstown. She was a retired teacher and a member of Poplar Head Baptist Church in Clarksville. She was an inspiration to all she met.
She is survived by two sons, Ron Stiteler of Clarksville and Kurtz Stiteler of Lewisburg, Tennessee; a daughter, Gloria Sheaffer of Melrose, Florida; eight grandchildren, and many great and great-great grandchildren.
No services are planned. Memorialization is by cremation.

Graham Daran Williams, age 42, of Blountstown passed away Wednesday, February 24, 2010 in Panama City. He was a maintenance worker for Marriott Hotels and was active in Special Olympics. He was preceded in death by his brother, Terry Henderson; a sister, Rhonda Hallford; two nephews, Ben Lisiecki and Ron Hallford.
He is survived by his parents, Graham Luther Williams of Hosford and Jessie Mullenax of Blountstown; four sisters, Melody Culler of Robert, Louisiana, Ramona Woodhouse of West Palm Beach, Florida, Doni Barnes of Hosford, and Denise Harris of Fernandina Beach, Florida; eight nephews, seven nieces, eight great-nephews; six great nieces; and two great-great-nieces.
Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m., Sunday, February 28, 2010 at Victory Hill Pentecostal Holiness Church with Reverend Dewayne Tolbert officiating. Interment will follow in Good Hope Cemetery near Telogia. The family will receive friends 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., Saturday, February 27 at Adams Funeral Home.

Glenn Curlee, age 71, of Altha passed away Wednesday, February 24, 2010 in Blountstown. He was a retired truck driver, was of the holiness faith, and served in the U.S. Army Reserves.
He is survived by his wife, Belinda of Altha, a son, Glenn Franklin Curlee of Ft. Mead, Florida; a daughter, Deborah Hemm of Ft. Mead; a brother, Ronald Cecil Curlee of Medella, Florida; two sisters, Lorine Gainous of Dothan, Alabama and Beulah Clark of Abbeville, Alabama, two grandchildren, Christopher and Daniel and one great-grandchild, Hayden.
Graveside services will be held 2:00 p.m., Saturday, February 27 at Victory Hill Cemetery with Reverend Dewayne Tolbert officiating. The family will receive friends at 1:00 p.m. at the cemetery.

Jerold N. “Jerry” Phillabaum, age 72, of Marianna, Florida passed away Saturday, February 20, 2010 in Calhoun-Liberty Hospital after a very short bout with cancer. He was born October 8, 1937 in Dayton, Ohio and was of the Protestant faith.
He became a policeman at age eighteen in Miamisburg, Ohio and continued that work in the nearby village of West Carrollton, Ohio where he was Sergeant for many years. He then had his own logging and truck operation in Piqua, Ohio but developed very serious oral cancer. After recovery he moved to southern Florida and owned a home pressurized cleaning business. He and his wife Donna owned and drove a straight truck for three years hauling expedited freight and owned the local Blue Springs Apartments. His heart was always in police work so he became a Security Officer until his illness. He was the officer for the Social Security Office in Marianna for some time.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Virginia and Lawrence Phillabaum and his brother, James Phillabaum all of Piqua, Ohio.
Jerry is survived by his wife, Donna Jean (Ray) Phillabaum whom he knew since high school; a son, James Phillabaum and his wife, Regina of Yelm, Washington; three daughters, Crystal Reed of Miamisburg, Ohio, Dr. Sheri Phillabaum Ellzey and her husband, Roy of San Antonio, Texas, and Kelly Turner and her husband, Craig of Piqua, Ohio; a step-daughter, Bobbie Frenton and her husband, Steve of Marianna; a niece; nephews; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Memorialization is by cremation. Donations may be made to Covenant Hospice, 4440 Lafayette Street, Suite C, Marianna, Florida 32446 if desired or to a dog rescue unit of your choice.

Myrtle V. Phillips, age 89, of Blountstown passed away Wednesday, February 10, 2010 in Blountstown. She was a homemaker and seamstress.
She is survived by a son, Earl Phillips of Havana, Florida; a daughter, Sharon Mirambell of Fountain, Florida; and a sister, Pam Thomas of Blountstown; four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held 4:00 p.m., Thursday, February 18 in Adams Funeral Home Chapel.

Olive Towles Burns, age 96, of Grand Ridge, Florida passed away Friday, February 19, 2010 in Blountstown. She was a 1935 graduate of Florida State Women’s College in Tallahassee. She was an accountant in charge of the Ration Board in Albany, Georgia and was Chamber of Commerce Director in Ft. Myers, Florida. She moved to Grand Ridge in 1989 and was a member of Sneads First Baptist Church and Marianna Woman’s Club.
She is survived by a daughter, Joan Jefferson Bennett of Grand Ridge; grandchildren, Charles “Chuck” Lanier and his wife, Sharon, Stacy Lanier Rainey and her husband, Andy, Timothy Bennett and his wife, Michelle; and eleven great-grandchildren.
Memorialization was by cremation.

Richard Hinson, Sr., age 67, of Cottondale, Florida passed away Thursday, February 18, 2010 in Cottondale. He was an auto mechanic and veteran of the Vietnam Conflict serving in the U.S. Army. He was preceded in death by his son, William Taft Hinson.
Survivors include his significant other, Joy Boutwell of Cottondale; three sons, Richard Hinson, Jr. of Venus, Florida, Michael David Hinson of Sebring, Florida, and Perry Joe Hinson of Cottondale; a step-son, Patrick Boutwell of Blountstown,Florida; three daughters, Rosie Boswell and Famie Bush of Bonifay, Florida, and Angela Ann Hoodenpyle of Raymondville, Missouri; two brothers, Stuart Hinson and David Hinson of Live Oak, Florida; four sisters, Carolyn Miles and Ruth Addison of Lancaster, South Carolina, Judy Hinson and Elaine Balkinberry of South Carolina; and twenty grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 3:00 p.m., Saturday, February 20 at Adams Funeral Home Chapel.

Rosie Lee Layfield, age 99, of Clarksville passed away Friday, February 5, 2010 in Blountstown. She was a native and lifelong resident of Calhoun County and was the oldest member of Abe Springs Pentecostal Holiness Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Leroy Layfield; parents, John W. and Josephine Roberts; and a son, R. L. Layfield.
She is survived by two sons, Tommie Layfield and his wife, Thelma of White City, Florida and Jimmy Layfield and his wife, Darlene of Blountstown; six daughters, Erline Bishop of Blountstown, Liz Osborne of Blountstown, Nita Blackwell and her husband, Tom, of Clarksville, Carolyn Carroll of Clarksville, Linda Lolley of Clarksville, and Myrt Young and her husband, Charles of Clarksville; thirty-two grandchildren and numerous great and great-great grandchildren (up to six generations).
Funeral services will be 11:00 a.m., Sunday, February 7, 2010 at Abe Springs Pentecostal Holiness Church with Reverend Michael Morris officiating. Interment will follow in Abe Springs Cemetery. The family will receive friends 10:00 a.m., Sunday, February 7 at Abe Springs Pentecostal Holiness Church. Flowers are welcome but contributions may be made to the Abe Spring Pentecostal Holiness Church, 12579 SW CR 275, Altha, Florida 32421.

Sandra R. Curry, age 66, of Altha passed away Tuesday, February 2, 2010 in Altha. She was a retired ranch owner.
She is survived by three sons, Edward Lake of Houston, Texas, Robert Lake of Buna, Texas and Ronald Lake of Houston, Texas; a step-son, Wally Phillmon of Orlando, Florida; a step-daughter, Pamela Phillmon of Orlando; a brother, Gary Richter of Orlando; two sisters, Kathy Zuckero of Crockett, Texas and Sherill Gilver of Orlando; fourteen grandchildren and many great-grandchildren.
No services are being planned at this time. Memorialization will be by cremation.

Alfred Harris, age 75, of Blountstown passed away Wednesday, February 3, 2010 in Blountstown. He was a retired bus driver for Trailways and Greyhound bus lines and was owner of Side Track Restaurant in the early ‘90’s. He was a model train collector and an avid gardener. He was a veteran serving in the U. S. Army.
Survivors include his wife, Pat of Blountstown; a son, Clay Harris of Hosford; a daughter, Traci Powell and her husband, David of Panama City; brothers-in-law, Jerry Coward of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Jimmy Musgrove of Altha; a sister, Sally Griffith of Monticello, Arkansas; two sisters-in-law, Elouise Harris of Monticello, Arkansas and Glenda Bozeman of Blountstown; five grandchildren, Shayla, Katelyn, Jamie, Lilly Kate, and Anna Beth.
Funeral services will be held 10:00 a.m., Saturday, February 6 at the Adams Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow in Boggs Cemetery in Blountstown. The family will receive friends 5:00 – 7:00 p.m., Friday, February 5 at Adams Funeral Home. Flowers are welcome but contributions may be sent to Emerald Coast Hospice, 4374 Lafayette Street, Marianna, Florida 32447 or Covenant Hospice, 4440 Lafayette Street, Suite C, Marianna, Florida 32446.