Shelby resident

Fonzie Benson Jr., 72, of Shelby died Oct. 16, 2002. He was born in 1930 in Shelby.

He is survived by three daughters, Shelia Jackson of Jemison, Connie Osborn of Shelby and Deborah Jones of Columbiana; one brother, Harold Benson of Shelby; one sister, Betty Sparks of Shelby; six grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Service was Oct. 18 at Bolton-Brown Service Chapel, the Rev. Lonnie Plunkett presiding. Burial followed in New Shelby Cemetery, Bolton-Brown Service Funeral Home directing.

LINDA ANNE DAVIS

Mother of two

Linda Anne Davis, 49, of Chelsea died Oct. 18, 2002. She was born Oct. 28, 1952, in Birmingham.

She is survived by her husband, Fred Davis; two daughters, Tami Seritt of Chelsea and Kelly Davis of Homewood; one granddaughter, Amber Seritt of Chelsea; her father, Lester Severson of Woodstock; her sister, Leslie Weeks of Hoover; her niece, Savanna Weeks of Hoover; and a host of family and friends.

Service was Oct. 21 at Bolton Brown Service Chapel, the Rev. Martin McCormick presiding. Burial will follow at Pinelawn Gardens, Bolton Brown Service Funeral Home directing.

WILLIAM DEAN &uot;BILL&uot; DAY

Montevallo resident

William Dean &uot;Bill&uot; Day, 71, of Montevallo died Oct. 19, 2002.

He is survived by a host of cousins and friends.

Service will be Oct. 23 at 11 a.m. at Rockco’s Funeral Home Chapel, the Rev. Mike Ratliff presiding. Burial will follow in Montevallo Cemetery, Rockco’s Funeral Home directing.

MELISSA LYNETTE GREEN

1985 graduate of Thompson High School

Melissa Lynette Green of Calera died Oc. 17, 2002. She was a lifelong resident of Shelby County, a 1985 graduate of Thompson High School and a member of the Freewill Baptist Church in Alabaster.

She is survived by her parents, Sylvester and Linda Green; her children, Marcus Green and Morry Green; her grandmother, Rosie Hale; and her brothers and sisters, Christopher Hale, Antonio (Cheryl) Hale, Valerie (Glenn) Taylor and Marlo Fecha.

Service was Oct. 22 at Westside Funeral Home in Calera.

BENJAMIN P. GROCE

Alabaster resident

Benjamin P. Groce, 49, of Alabaster died Oct. 19, 2002. He was born in November 1933 in Columbus, Ohio.

He is survived by his wife, Claudia Groce; children, Nora Wilson and Bobby Groce of Alabaster, Randy Fortenberry of Maylene, Cindy Ferran of Tarrant, Stacy Fincher of Jacksonville, Jimmy Groce, Sandy Borders, Candy Borders and Ruth Bush, all of Ohio; a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and one brother, Richard Groce of Ohio.

Service was Oct. 22 at Bolton Brown Service Chapel, Brother Bean presiding. Burial followed in Pinelawn Gardens, Bolton Brown Service Funeral Home directing.

NEIL HALE

Member of Alabaster First United Methodist Church

Neil Hale, 64, of Carrollton, Ga., formerly of Valley died Oct. 19, 2002. He was a member of the Alabaster First United Methodist Church. He had been employed by the Southern Company as an energy broker for 41 years.

He is survived by his wife, Brenda Cooper Hale; seven children, Stanley Hale of Kennesaw, Ga., Stacy Hale of Wichita, Kan., Kathy Collier of Rome, Ga., Casey Hale of Rome, Ga., Scarlett Blankinship of Carrollton, Ga., Cheryl Simpson of Pell City and Laura Woods of Alabaster; one brother, Robert Hale of Valley; one sister, Mickey McKinnon of Cottonwood; and 20 grandchildren.

Service was Sept. 21 at Johnson Brown Service Funeral Home Chapel in Valley, Dr. Jerome King presiding. Burial followed at Langdale Cemetery in Valley.

ANNIE K. LATINO

Helena resident

Annie K. Latino, 88, of Helena died Oct. 19, 2002. She was a member of Our Lady of the Valley Knights of Columbus Auxiliary and a longtime member of St. Joseph of Ensley.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul S. Latino.

She is survived by one son, Benny V. (Rosemarie) Latino of Helena; one daughter, Josephine L. (Mike) Contorno of Maylene; seven grandchildren, Michael (Tabatha) Contorno, Paul (Kelly) Contorno, Thomas (Amanda) Contorno, Ann (Jeff) Dillard, Paul Latino, Benny (Alice) Latino and Amy (Rob) Garner; nine great-grandchildren, Ashlee, Paul Jr., Brittany, Joey, Emily, Blake, Holly, Nicholas and Rob Jr.; and five sisters, Johanna Consoneri of St. Louis, Mo., Josie Tombrello of Florida, Mary Gilbert of Florida, Nancy Aliano and Concord and Josephi Triola of Tuscaloosa.

Service was Oct. 22 at Our Lady of the Valley Church with burial following in Ensley, Southern Heritage Funeral Home directing.

SHIRLEY ALENE LITTLE

Birmingham resident

Shirley Alene Little, 56, of Birmingham died Oct. 18, 2002, after a long illness. She was born in April 1946 to Cecil Spurgin McNair and Doris Alene Martin McNair, who both preceded her in death.

She is survived by her cousin, Alma Underwood of Birmingham; three aunts, Elsie Dubose of Birmingham, Deloris Wanninger of Birmingham and Hazel Kircus of Texas; special friend, Mary Snow; and other family and close friends.

Charter Funeral Home directed the service.

ETOILE &uot;LUCY&uot; LUCAS

Sunday school teacher

Etoile &uot;Lucy&uot; Lucas, 70, of Homewood died Oct. 19, 2002. She was a member of the Raleigh Baptist Church where she had been active as a Sunday school teacher and nursery worker.

She is survived by her husband, George Lucas of Homewood; two sons, Bob (Mary Jane) Lucas of Hot Springs, S.D., and Mark (Jane) Lucas of Hoover; five sisters, Sara Cole of Sun City, Ariz., Armada Thomas of Havre, Md., Mary Waddell of Bremen, Ga., Vera Weldon of Jacksonville, Fla., and Faye Bice of Aldridge; one brother, Ken Goggins of Modesto, Calif.; five grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.

Service was Oct. 22 at Rockco’s Funeral Home Chapel in Montevallo, Brother David Prince presiding. Burial followed in Ryan’s Baptist Church Cemetery, Rockco’s Funeral Home directing.

The family requests memorial donations be made to Raleigh Avenue Baptist Church or the Barnabas Hospital Foundation.

LINDA MAE HAMM NORMAN

Wilsonville resident

Linda Mae Hamm Norman, 57, of Wilsonville died Oct. 20, 2002, at Brookwood Medical Center in Birmingham.

She is survived by her husband, John S. Norman of Wilsonville; one son, Corey J. Norman of Wilsonville; one daughter, Tammy Hyte Adams of Clanton; one grandchild of Clanton; one great-grandchild of Clanton; one brother, George Hamm Jr. of Milton, Fla.; and one sister, Jerrye Burnett of Clanton.

Service was Oct. 22 at Bethsalem Baptist Church, the Rev. Charles Brooks presiding. Burial followed in the Bethsalem Baptist Cemetery in Billingsley, Ala., Martin Funeral Home directing.

SAMUEL MAXWELL SPATES

Harpersville resident

Samuel Maxwell Spates, 78, of Harpersville died Oct. 20, 2002. He was born there in March 1928. He is retired from Operating Engineers Local 312.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Nora Spates; one son, Samuel Kyle (Lori) Spates of Harpersville; two grandchildren, Jason and Jonathan; and a brother, Felton Spates of Alexander City.

Graveside service was Oct. 22 at Harpersville Cemetery, the Rev. William Rayfield presiding and Bolton Brown Service Funeral Home directing.

STEVE SPRUELL

Vincent resident

Steve Spruell, 62, of Vincent died. He was a member of Vincent United Methodist Church.

He is survived by his wife, Louise Spruell; two sons, Stephen Spruell II of Atlanta, Ga., and Richard Spruell of Vincent; his mother, Janye Spruell of Vincent; and his brother, Samuel Spruell of Smokerise.

Service was Oct. 22 at Kilgroe Funeral Home, the Rev. Kurt Russell presiding. Burial followed in Vincent City Cemetery, Kilgroe Funeral Home in Pell City directing.

MARGUERITE (MOONEY) VERNON

Licensed practical nurse

Marguerite (Mooney) Vernon, 83, of Thorsby died Oct. 19, 2002, at UAB Medical Center in Birmingham. She was a licensed practical nurse. She was preceded in death by her husband, Sylvester Vernon.

She is survived by one daughter, Jolene V. Armstrong of Birmingham; one son-in-law, Thomas R. Armstrong of Birmingham; one son, Edward L. (Karen) Vernon of Mineral Springs; one step-daughter, Shirley Vernon of Deerfield Beach, Fla.; 10 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Service was Oct. 22 at Martin Funeral Home Chapel, the Rev. Von McQueen presiding. Burial followed in Randall Cemetery in Calera, Martin Funeral Home directing