DOUGLAS EUGENE SOWELL

Douglas Eugene Sowell, 62, of Columbia, passed away Tues., Jan. 1, 2013, at his residence.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m.. today, Fri., Jan. 4, at Sunset Funeral Home with the Rev. Jim Corley officiating. Burial will follow in Sunset Memorial Park with Robert Byrd directing. The family will receive friends beginning at 1 p.m. at the funeral home.

He was born July 17, 1950, in Covington County, and lived the early part of his life in Red Level. He was employed as a welder for more than 45 years and was a member of the Plumbers and Steamfitters Local Union 52. He has resided in Columbia for more than 40 years. He was a Mason and a Shriner.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Myrtle Williams Sowell of Red Level.

Survivors include his wife Marilyn Smith Sowell; children, Suzanne Sowell, Desiree S. (Michael) Haselden, all of Columbia, Teri Ward Ashley of Donalsonville, Ga., and Malissa S. Hester of Opp; grandchildren, Karson Erp, Morgan Erp, Luke Erp, Emma Haselden and Acea Haselden; his father, Ralph V. Sowell; brothers, Roger (Bonnie) Sowell and Wendell (Cindy) Sowell; a sister, Brenda S. (Larry) Selman, all of Red Level; and several nieces and nephews.

 

JAMES C. ‘BOBBY’

WILSON

James C. “Bobby” Wilson, affectionately known as “Crow,” of Andalusia, passed away on Tues., Jan. 1, 2013, in a Birmingham hospital. He was 68.

Owner of The Crow’s Nest and Wilson’s Food Services, he was also a member of the United States National Guard.

Funeral services will be held 10 a.m., today, Fri., Jan. 4, at Southside Baptist Church with the Rev. Gary Miller, the Rev. Bill Pritchett and the Rev. Brent Cook officiating. Special music will be provided by Mark Rudd and Dr. Gabrielle Baldwin. Burial will follow in the Long Branch Cemetery with Keahey Funeral Home directing.

Survivors include his wife, Judy Hugghins Wilson of Andalusia; son and daughter-in-law, Cody H. and Johnetta Wilson of Red Level; daughter and son-in-law, Kelly and Gary Hart of Andalusia; and three grandchildren, Wil Hart, Alexandra Hart, Katherine Morgan Wilson.

He was preceded in death by his brother, David John Wilson.

Serving pallbearers will be Mark Harper, Jimmy Wilson, Wil Hart, Hugh Barrow, Cecil Ammons and Donald Bullard.

Honorary pallbearers will be members the local “Liars Clubs,” and Pete Riley, Terry Turner, Ottis Reynolds, Randall McCart, Donnie Bush, Brett Bozeman, Larry Sanders, Vick Danford, Glenn Cook, Bill Godwin Jr., W. R. “Peewee” Davis, Bill Patton, Malcolm Peavy, Dwayne Davis, Terry Bowden and Mr. Johnny.

 

EMMA SANDERS HILBURN

Emma Sanders Hilburn, 83, of Andalusia, passed away Mon., Dec. 31, 2012, in Pensacola, FL.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., today, Fri., Jan. 4, from Foreman Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Dennis Knowles and the Rev. Judd Holderfield officiating and interment following in Rawls Cemetery.

Survivors include her brothers, Pervis Sanders of Sarasota, Fla., Oma Neil “Bunk” Sanders of Gantt, Bill Sanders of Opp and Jerry Sanders of Loango; her sisters, Nell Morgan of Pensacola, Fla., and Joann Kirby of Andalusia; and several nieces and nephews.

She is preceded in death by her husbands, Dennis Brackin and the Rev. O.B. Hilburn; a brother, Jimmy Sanders; and sister, Buelah Mae Ramer.

Pallbearers will be Ronnie Sanders, Adam Sanders, Lee Sanders, Kyle Adams, Ryan Adams and J. D. Blocker.

Those unable to attend the services may sign the guest registry online at foremanfuneralhome.com.

 

MARIE BERGH COLLINS

Marie Bergh Collins, 83, died Jan. 1, 2013, at Andalusia Regional Hospital.

A native of Lake George, N.Y., she was a church pianist, a piano teacher and a former jazz pianist.

She was born Jan. 29, 1929, in Burlington, Vt., the daughter of the late Edwin Dewsnap Bergh and Carolyn Trask Bergh. She was a graduate of Bolten Central High School in Bolten Landing, N.Y., and graduated from Ward Belmont College in Nashville, Tenn. She went on to study music at Oberlin College Conservatory of Music in Oberlin, Ohio.

After college, she worked as a jazz pianist in Chicago. Later, she lived in Mobile, before moving to Andalusia. In Andalusia, she played the piano for the First Baptist Church of Opp, then Mt. Gilead Church, and for the last four years, at Zion Hill Baptist Church. She also taught piano for more than 40 years.

Survivors include her daughter, Louise Collins Johnson (Stephen Johnson) of Lakeland, Fla.; her son, Edwin Bergh Collins of Greenville, S.C.; a grandson, Thomas Parker Johnson; a sister; a nephew; four nieces; four grand-nieces; three grand-nephews; and a great-grand-niece.

Funeral services will be held on Sat., Jan. 5, at 10 a.m., at Zion Hill Baptist Church, located at 16018 Zion Hill Road, with Roger Lee officiating.

The family will receive friends tonight from 6 to 8 at Keahey Funeral Home and at the church after Saturday’s services.

Memorial contributions may be made to American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which was founded by her great granduncle, Henry Bergh.

She was preceded in death by husbands, Donald Charles Sheppard and Neil Tennille Collins, and a sister.

To sign the guestbook, visit keaheyfuneralhome.com.