JANE PARDUE GUNN

Jane Pardue Gunn went to be with her Lord and Savior on March 16, 2012.

She was born in Springfield, La., on Nov. 10, 1941, to Hobart O. and Estelle Coats Pardue.

Those left to cherish her memory include her husband of 51 years, Dale Gunn; daughters, Danielle Griffin and Robin Reach; sons-in-law, Philip Griffin and Wayne Reach; granddaughters, ErinJane (Jacob) Crobsy, Savannah Reach and Vivian Reach; great-grandson, Ryder Dale Crosby; brother, Hobart O. Pardue; sister-in-law, Loretta Pardue; niece, Elizabeth Pardue Wolfe; nephew DeVan Pardue; great-nieces Rebecca Murray and Tara Pardue (Aaron) Varnado; great-nephew, Raymond Murray; and a host of additional family and friends.

She demonstrated Christian love and exemplified it in all aspects of her life. She served the Lord for 30 years as a warm and caring Christian professional at Bryce Hospital in Tuscaloosa. She was known for her radiant smile and gracious loving spirit. She spent her life caring for and helping others, which was her favorite thing to do.

She was formally a member of Christ Episcopal Church in Tuscaloosa, where she was a Sunday school teacher for years before retiring to Andalusia.

She became a member of the First United Methodist Church in Andalusia, where she especially enjoyed the Brown Bag and Prayer Groups. She also enjoyed being with her friends in the Pilot Club, the garden club and InterSe Study Club of Andalusia.

She was described as a true Southern lady – brave, bold, the epitome of unconditional love, and a pillar of strength for everyone and anyone who ever met her.

Graveside services were held Tues., March 20, at Coaling Cemetery, Wire Road, Coaling, Ala.

A memorial service will be held Fri., March 23, 2012, at 10 a.m. at First United Methodist Church, Andalusia.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First United Methodist Church Building Fund in Andalusia.

 

FAYE LANGFORD RAWLS

Faye Langford Rawls died peacefully March 18, 2012, after celebrating her 99th birthday on March 8.

Born in Cov-ington County, she was the oldest of seven children. Grad-uating from high school in 1930, she put

herself through Troy State Teacher’s College by teaching in elementary schools in South Alabama. In spite of a modest salary, she helped her brothers and sister financially with college and even paid for the new roof when the family home burned in 1934. Graduating in 1938, she continued to teach until she married Benjamin Haskel Rawls on Christmas Day 1940.

In Daytona Beach, Fla., the couple raised a family and built Rawls Veterinary Hospital together. It was her husband’s caring touch with animals and clients, and her management that made their business a success.

She was always a teacher – at home with three sons, and also for decades with 5-year-old children at First Baptist churches in Daytona and Holly Hill, Fla. She was a leader in Woman’s Missionary Union. She advocated for her children and those of others through PTA, ultimately serving as PTA County-Council President. In 1958, she co-chaired the Volusia county-wide bond drive to build new schools. The 1962 Mainland High School campus was one of several built with the revenue she worked to raise. Twenty-five years earlier, as a teacher, she had helped to pass a similar bond referendum for rural schools in South Alabama.

In addition to being wife, mother, educator and business partner, she was a skillful decorator and remodeler. Having three small children and a small post-war house, in 1952, she purchased the roomy 1877 Carter/Cole house in Holly Hill. Vacant for seven years and in need of updating for the current century, she painted, papered, knocked-out walls and refinished furniture, turning a dusty relic into an inviting home. She was a member of the Order of Eastern Star, Delta Kappa Gama, AVMA Auxiliary and Indigo Community Church. Her active spirit, graciousness and hospitality were an asset to her family and the community.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Haskel, who died in 2004.

She is survived by her three brothers, Fred Langford (Dorothea), John Langford (Rebecca) and Murray Langford (Clara Manell); three sons, Ben, John (Linda) and Andy (Malinda); five grandchildren, Morgan (Angela), Stan, Charles (Celena), Louis and Chris; and two great-grandchildren, Ryan and Kayla.

Visitation will be at Lohman Funeral Home in Ormond Beach, Fla., today, Thurs., March 22.

The funeral will be held on Fri., March 22, at 11 a.m., at Central Baptist Church in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Memorial gifts in her honor may be made to the Children’s Ministry of Central Baptist Church or Hospice of Volusia/Flagler, 3800 Woodbriar Trail, Port Orange, FL 32129.