COLUMBIA. . .Billy Joe Haynes, a resident of Columbia, passed away early Tuesday morning, March 24, 2026, in a Dothan hospital. He was 80.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M. Thursday, March 26, 2026, in the Camp Springs Baptist Church with Pastor Gregory Bevan and Pastor Jeff Brewer officiating. The family will receive friends from 1:00 until 2:00 P.M. Thursday in the church sanctuary. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Holman-Headland Mortuary & Cremations is in charge of arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Camp Springs Baptist Cemetery Fund, c/o Sharon Elliott, 13205 County Road 53, Columbia, AL 36319.
Billy Joe Haynes was born in Houston County and was raised in the Camp Springs Community of Henry County. He lived in Winchester, Virginia thirty-nine years before returning to Henry County, near Columbia, in 2022. Billy Joe was a 1965 graduate of Headland High School. He served his country for eighteen years in the Army National Guard in the Headland unit and also in the Virginia National Guard. Billy Joe was retired from the Winchester Regional Airport in Winchester, Virginia as an Aircraft Service Technician after thirty-two years employment. In earlier years, he was employed by Hayes Aircraft at Napier Field. Billy Joe was a member Camp Springs Baptist Church. He was preceded in death by his wife, Delores Haynes, his father, Richard A. Haynes, his step-father who helped raise him, Billie Vernon Enfinger, and his mother, Vera Victoria Johnson Enfinger, a sister, Jane Axtell and a brother, Steve Enfinger.
Surviving relatives include his sisters, Judy Tyson, Dothan; and Deborah Larsen (Felton), Columbia; his brothers, Bobby Enfinger (Malinda), Daleville; and Stanley Enfinger (Clara), Donalsonville, GA; numerous nieces and nephews including a special nephew, Tyler Larsen and his wife, Faith; a special caregiver, Cynthia Chambers.
HOLMAN-HEADLAND MORTUARY & CREMATIONS IS IN CHARGE OF ARRANGEMENTS. Phone 334-693-3371. You may sign a guest register at www.holmanmortuaries.com. This establishment does not own a crematory.
Tracey Lynn (McDonald) Drake, a resident of Clayton, Alabama, passed away Monday, March 23, 2026, at Southeast Health in Dothan, Alabama. She was 63 years old.
The family will hold memorial services at a later date.
Tracey was born on October 15, 1962, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to the late John Bernie and Doris Beverly (Wagner) McDonald. For 25 years, Tracey worked in the insurance business, for Florida No Fault, which later became Direct General. She was known as the Insurance Boss. She loved animals, especially Great Danes and Horses. Tracey was the life of the party and never met a stranger. To many children, that she loved so dearly and took care of, she was known as Momma Tay-Tay.
She is preceded in death by her parents.
Left to cherish her memories are her daughter, Amanda Permenter (Christian); brother, John McDonald (Michelle); three sisters, Beverly McDonald, Leslie Long (Joe), and Joan Floyd (Jeff); two grandchildren, Christian Permenter, Jr. and Camron Permenter; one great-grandchild, Christian Permenter, III.
Glover Funeral Home of Clayton was entrusted with the arrangements. (334) 775-3403. Please sign the guestbook online at www.gloverfuneral.com
OZARK…Mr. Ronald E. Shell (Senior Master Sergeant, United States Air Force, Retired) a resident of Ozark, died early Monday afternoon, March 23, 2026, at his home. He was 71.
A complete obituary with a list of survivors will be announced later by Fuqua Bankston Funeral Home of Ozark.
You may sign a guest register at www.fuquabankston.com
OZARK…Mr. Larry Edward Evans, a resident of Ozark, died early Sunday morning, March 22, 2026, at his home. He was 75.
Celebration of Life Services will be held at a later date. Fuqua Bankston Funeral Home of Ozark is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Evans, son of the late Fate Edgar Evans and Margaret Virginia Glass Evans, was born and raised in Birmingham. That city shaped his early years — the neighborhoods he knew, the friends he made, and the memories he carried with him throughout his life. He graduated from Woodlawn High School in 1969, a milestone he was always proud of, and one that marked the beginning of the hardworking life he would go on to build.
He spent his career as a plumber, working side by side with his father at Fate Evans Plumbing, Inc. in Birmingham. It wasn’t just a job to him — it was a family trade, something he learned with his hands and his heart. He took pride in doing things the right way, helping people, and being someone others could count on. Many folks remembered him not just for the work he did, but for the way he treated them: honest, steady, and kind.
In 2021, he made a new home in Ozark. Even later in life, he embraced the change with the same quiet strength that had carried him through the years. He attended Stonebridge Church of God.
Those who knew him will remember a man who lived simply and loved deeply. He didn’t need attention or fuss; he was content with the everyday things — good conversation, familiar routines, and the people who mattered to him. He carried himself with a gentle spirit and a calm presence that made others feel at ease.
Surviving relatives include his son, Brad Elliot Evans, Tennessee; sister, Sharon Webster (Chuck), Ozark; brothers, Terry Evans, Leeds, Alabama and Chris Evans; nieces and nephews, Wendy Claassen, Todd Webster (Sherri), Lisa Turvin (Matt), and Jared Evans.
Bennie Allen Sumlin
Born February 21, 1954, passed away March 20, 2026 at the age of 72.
Bennie Allen Sumlin, a beloved father, grandfather, friend, and Uncle passed away on March 20, 2026, at the age of 72, leaving behind a legacy of hard work, devotion, and a lifelong love of the open road.
Bennie spent 44 years as a long-haul truck driver — a career he didn’t just work, but truly loved. He was a man most at home with miles of highway stretching out before him, unbothered by the passing of time, content in the freedom that only the road could give. To Bennie, there was no better place to be.
Off the road, he was a diehard fan of the New York Yankees and the Alabama Crimson Tide, and there was never any doubt where his loyalties stood on game day.
Bennie is survived by his two daughters, Lisa and Sarah, and his four grandchildren, Lacy, Shay, Tyler, and Holly, who were among his greatest joys.
He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Myrtie Sumlin; his sister, Nancy Bartholomew; and his brother, Richard Sumlin.
Bennie will be deeply missed by all who knew him, but his memory will live on in the hearts of his family and in every mile of open highway.
Tracey Lynn (McDonald) Drake, a resident of Clayton, Alabama, passed away Monday, March 23, 2026, at Southeast Health in Dothan, Alabama. She was 63 years old.
Bennie Allen Sumlin