Mabel Harris Land
Mabel Harris Land, age 93, passed away June 15, 1999, at Fort Walton Beach Medical Center.
Born in 1906 and educated in Alabama, she worked with Southern Bell in Birmingham, St. Augustine and the Jacksonville area and retired after 38 years. She was a life member of the Pioneer Club in Jacksonville and a charter member of Dart Sunday School Class and Southside United Methodist Church of Jacksonville. She had been a resident of Sunpointe Retirement for Seniors in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., since 1997.
Mrs. Land was preceded in death by her husband, Leroy Milton Land Jr.; and daughter, Mary Frances Barlow. She is survived by 12 nieces and nephews and a son-in-law, Anthony D. Barlow.
Visitation will be in Jacksonville at Hardage Giddens Funeral Home on Hendricks from 6 to 7 p.m. Friday, June 18.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Heart Association. Flowers will be accepted.
Funeral services will be conducted at Southside Methodist Church on Hendricks at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 19.
Martin J. Russell
Martin J. Russell, age 21, of Niceville, Fla., died Monday, June 14, 1999, at his residence.
He was born on April 25, 1978, at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and had been employed as a landscaper.
Survivors include his 9-month-old son, Patrick Russell; fianc�e, Candy Goodyear; mother and stepfather, Irene and Dave Petit; father and stepmother, Martin and Marie Cruz Russell; maternal grandparents, Dorothy and Joe Bress; paternal grandparents, Helen and Martin Russell; sisters, Renee and Amanda Russell; half-sister and brother, Catherine Russell and Sean Russell; loving adopted great-grandfather, Col. William Ross; and longtime faithful friend, Curtis Tigress; maternal aunts, Jeanette Gaut and Laura Mason; maternal uncle, Joey Brass; paternal aunts, Cathy Coulourides and Carol Roberts; paternal uncles, Willie Russell and John Russell; and many other friends and relatives who loved him dearly.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday and a rosary will be recited at 8 p.m. at McLaughlin Twin Cities Funeral Home.
A funeral Mass will be conducted at 10 a.m. Friday, June 18, at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church with Father Daniel Butler officiating. Following the services, Martin will be cremated.
McLaughlin Twin Cities Funeral Home, 1405 John Sims Pkwy., Niceville, entrusted with arrangements.
Walter Ray Roberts
Walter Ray Roberts, age 57, of Navarre, Fla., passed away June 12, 1999.
Graveside services will be conducted at 1:15 p.m. Friday, June 18, in Barrancas National Cemetery.
Lewis Funeral Home, Navarre Chapel, is in charge of arrangements.
Mae Van Lindt
Mae Van Lindt, age 68, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., passed away Tuesday, June 15, 1999, at her residence.
Mae was born in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 8, 1930. Mae and Fred moved to Fort Walton Beach in 1961. She retired from the School Board in 1995 after 21 years as a school bus driver. Mae was a devoted wife to Fred for 50 years and a very special mother to her children, Kathy, David and her special Lisa. The Elkettes of Lodge 1795 not only lost their past president of 1977 and 1979, their current president and life member, but truly the best friend ever. She was also an active member of the Fort Walton Beach River Rats.
Mae gave so much of her life in doing for others that those who knew her have truly suffered a loss.
Mae is survived by her husband, Fred; daughter, Kathy and husband Johnny Grimmes; son, David and wife Cindy Van Lindt; daughter, Lisa Van Lindt; and granddaughters, Stephanie Bass and Tammie Grimmes.
We will celebrate Mae's life on Friday, June 18, at 10 a.m. at Emerald Coast Funeral Home Chapel. Elkettes of Lodge 1795 will conduct a memorial service. Immediately following the services, the family will receive friends at the Elks Lodge on Okaloosa Island.
Flowers will be accepted, but those who wish may make a donation to the Elkettes Beautification Committee in memory of Mrs. Mae Van Lindt.
Emerald Coast Funeral Home, 113 Racetrack Road N.E., Fort Walton Beach, is in charge of arrangements.
Mary Inez Merritt
Mary Inez Merritt, age 89, of Baker, Fla., died Tuesday, June 15, 1999, at West Florida Regional Medical Center in Pensacola, Fla.
Mrs. Merritt was born in Brantley, Ala., on Sept. 12, 1909, to Stephen Ewell and Mary Lee Whatley Mount and had been a lifetime resident of the Northwest Florida area. Mrs. Merritt was a loving mother and grandmother and will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.
She was a pastor's wife and a dedicated Christian, teaching Sunday School and serving as church pianist until her health did not permit.
She was preceded in death by her husband, the Rev. Earl H. Merritt in 1987. She was a member of Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church.
Survivors include her son and daughter-in-law, Winston and Marie Merritt of Baker; daughters and sons-in-law, Carzie and Gerald White of Elberta, Ala., Orpha Swilley of Pensacola, Earldeen and D.J. Brunson of Cantonment, Fla., Joyce and Cliff Troyer of Clearwater, Fla., and Donnie Rae and Jim Proctor of Pensacola, Fla.; sister, Thelma Higdon of Pensacola; 14 grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren; seven great-great-grandchildren; and many extended family members of cousins, nephews and nieces.
A time of visitation will be conducted at Whitehurst Funeral Home from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday.
A funeral service will be conducted at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church in Baker on Friday, June 18, at 10:30 a.m. with the Rev. Don Smith officiating. Mrs. Merritt will be placed in the church at 9:30 a.m., one hour prior to the service, for a period of visitation.
Floral tributes will be accepted at the funeral home, or for those who so desire, the family suggests contributions to the Pilgrim Rest Cemetery Fund in memory of Mrs. Merritt.
Arrangements and services under the direction of Whitehurst Funeral Home, 436 W. James Lee Blvd., Crestview.
Barbara Ann Yates
Barbara Ann Yates, age 53, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., passed away June 14, 1999, in a local medical center.
She was a native of Troy, Ala.
Funeral services will be conducted at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 19, at St. Mary AME Church in Caryville, Fla., with the Rev. Annie Baldwin officiating. Interment will follow in St. Mary Cemetery. Mrs. Yates will be placed in the church one hour prior to services.
The family will receive friends from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday at St. Mary Church, where the remains will lie in state.
Survivors include her husband, George Yates Sr.; son, George Yates Jr., both of Fort Walton Beach; brothers, Frankie Williams of Fayetteville, N.C., and Freddie Williams of Fort Walton Beach; sister, Deloris; and many other relatives and friends.
Cooper Funeral Home, Chipley, Fla., is in charge of arrangements.
Gertrude Jeanette Settle
Gertrude J. Settle, age 94, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., passed away in a local health care facility Wednesday, June 16, 1999.
She was born on Aug. 6, 1904, in Washington, D.C. She was the daughter of Augustus B. and Josephine McGinniss Balderson. Gertrude was a loving wife and mother.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Frederick G. Settle; brothers, Aubrey and Oliver; sisters, Thelma and Sylvia. Gertrude leaves as survivors her daughter and son-in-law, June and Eugene Brown of Fort Walton Beach; sons and daughters-in-law, Carl and Ceceil Settle of Middletown, Md., and Ronald and Mary Settle of Hollywood, Md.; grandchildren, Linda Fountain of Fort Walton Beach, Robert Brown of Milton, Fla., Steve Settle, Cathrine Clark, Laurie Biggs, Joan Moore, John Settle and Allen Settle of Maryland, and Karen Sydnor of Virginia; 10 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
Gertrude was a member of Wright Baptist Church.
The family will receive friends on Saturday, June 19, from 2 to 3 p.m. Funeral services will be held following the visitation at 3 p.m. with Chaplain Joel Underwood officiating. Her final resting place will be in Beal Memorial Cemetery at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to the American Cancer Society, 4 N.E. Jackson St., Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548, in memory of Gertrude Settle.
Little Chapel Funeral Home, 910 Beal Pkwy., Fort Walton Beach, entrusted with arrangements.
Ben C. Hicks
Ben C. Hicks, age 85, of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., passed away Sunday, June 13, 1999, in a local health care facility.
Mr. Hicks was born on Feb. 6, 1914, in Commerce, Ga., to John R. and Bertha Gober Hicks. He moved to this area in 1961 with his wife Jennie after serving over 24 years in the U.S. Air Force as a master sergeant, serving during World War II, Korea and Vietnam, as a member of the 57th Fighter Group.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Jennie Hicks, in 1990. Survivors include his nephew, Benjamin P. Grzyboski of Fort Walton Beach, who was his closest relative; sisters-in-law, Ruby Hix of Douglasville, Ga., Carolyn Hix of Eastpoint, Ga., and Mary Lou Hix of Commerce; cousin, Francine Hix of Commerce. He is also survived by nieces and nephews throughout Florida and Georgia.
The family will receive friends Sunday, June 20, from 3 to 5 p.m. at McLaughlin Mortuary.
Graveside services will be conducted in Beal Memorial Cemetery on Monday, June 21, at 1 p.m. with a U.S. Air Force chaplain officiating.
McLaughlin Mortuary, 17 Chestnut Ave., Fort Walton Beach, entrusted with arrangements.
Rev. A.M. Fell
The Rev. A.M. "Buck" Fell of Milton, Fla., went to be with his Lord on June 16, 1999.
He was a member of Olivet Baptist Church in Milton.
The Rev. Fell was preceded in death by his first wife, Dollie Mae Fell; brothers, Mack Fell of Foley, Ala., and Garfield Cross of Mobile, Ala.
Survivors include his wife, Gerry Fell; son, David Fell and wife Debbie of Tallahassee, Fla.; daughters, Ann Adams of Shalimar, Fla., Sue Wilson and husband H.D. of Milton, and Pat Smitherman and husband Tom of Shalimar; sister-in-law, Lillian Fell of Foley, Ala. He was a proud PaPa of 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, and a friend to a host of others.
Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Friday in Olivet Baptist Church with the Rev. Frank Godsey officiating. Burial will follow in Beal Memorial Cemetery.
Pallbearers will be H.D. Wilson, Tom Smitherman, Daryl Williams, Ron Robinson, Jessie Farrington and Biff Adams. Honorary pallbearers will be Tim Richardson, Bennie McCombs and his Sunday school class.
Eastern Gate Memorial Funeral Home, Pensacola, Fla., is in charge of arrangements.
Edwin Holt Hughes III
A memorial service for Edwin Holt Hughes III of Niceville, Fla., was held on Thursday, June 17, 1999, at Old South United Methodist Church in Reading, Mass. Mr. Hughes died on Tuesday, June 15, at the home of a daughter in Stonington, Conn.
Mr. Hughes was born on Oct. 2, 1922, in Malden, Mass. The son of a Methodist minister, Mr. Hughes attended schools in Kenmore, N.Y., Indiana, Pa., and Bridgeport, Conn. He graduated from DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind., served in the Pacific Theater for 39 months during World War II, and received his law degree from Indiana University School of Law in Bloomington, Ind. He was admitted to the bar in 1948 and practiced law in Indianapolis, specializing in real estate and probate law until his retirement in 1991.
He was a member of Delta Tau Delta and served his fraternity as editor of its magazine, The Rainbow, and on the Arch Chapter, its national governing body. He also was elected to Delta Tau Delta's Distinguished Service Chapter.
Active in civic and governmental affairs, Mr. Hughes was for many years counsel to the Indianapolis Board of Realtors and was a commissioner of the Indianapolis Housing Authority. He also was a member of the board of directors and president of the Boy's Club Association of Indianapolis.
Mr. Hughes was a member of Niceville United Methodist Church. While a resident of Indianapolis he attended Meridian Street United Methodist Church and served for three years on its official board. He was a former member of the Country Club of Indianapolis and of its board of directors, of the Highland Golf and Country Club in Indianapolis, and of the Bluewater Bay Men's Golf Association in Niceville.
Mr. Hughes is survived by Ann Holloway Hughes, his wife of 49 years; sister, Mrs. Clement G. Quay of San Diego; son, Edwin Holt Hughes IV of Lynn, Mass.; daughters, Holly Hughes-Ward of New York City, and Elizabeth Hughes-Sternberg of Stonington; sons-in-law, Robert J. Ward and William R. Sternberg; and his six beloved grandchildren, Annie, Molly, Hugh, Tom, Grace and Frank.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Mr. Hughes' memory may be made to the Delta Tau Delta Educational Foundation, 11711 N. Meridian St., Suite 100, Carmel, IN 46032-4540.
A.C. Dinoto Funeral Home, Mystic, Conn., is in charge of arrangements.
