George Elias Ward of Geneva, Alabama passed away on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at his residence. He was 76 years old.
George was born April 4, 1949, to George Washington Ward and Maggie Mae Ward.
George always worked construction in one form or another. He owned a roofing business. In the rain, sleet, or snow George would help out his brother by driving escort for his mobile home business. In his younger years, he managed orange groves in Orlando, Florida.
George, also known as Elias, loved to fish. He would always have a pole in his truck and would cast a line anywhere! He loved westerns and would always shuck you an oyster if you wanted one.
George is preceded in death by his parents George W. Ward and Maggie Mae Massey Ward; his son, Gary Elias Ward; late wife, Mary Jane Ward; sisters, Jean Hall and Teresa Golden; and brothers, Charles Ray Ward, Andrew Jackson Ward, Grady Lee Ward and Leroy Ward.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, December 5, 2025, at Bottoms Garden Chapel Funeral Home in Hartford with Rev. Chris Adams officiating and Shelby Lett directing. Burial will follow in Esto Community Cemetery. The family will begin receiving friends at 1:00 p.m. until service time at the funeral home.
Left on Earth to cherish his memory are his sisters, Jeanell Miller (Danny), Jeanette Smith (Dennis); baby brother, Billy Wayne Ward (Sherry); son, Chris Hagler (Tina); daughter-in-law, Jennifer Ward; grandchildren, Maria Ward Pruett (Dustin), Garrett Ward, Elias Ward (Hannah) and Gunner Ward; great grandchildren, Gianna, Will, Drake, and Houston; great great grandchildren, Kellin and Reese; among many other nieces, nephews, family, and friends.
George will be remembered for how much he loved his family and friends and casting a pole. We know he is going to find the first fishing hole in heaven and cast that line!
Serving as pallbearers: Tim Ward, Joe Ward, Tyler Ward, Gunner Ward, Elias Leis-Ward, and Paul Lee Ward.
Eris Ann Johnson Ellenburg of Samson, AL went home to be with the Lord on Monday, December 01, 2025. She was 76.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Thursday, December 04, 2025 in the chapel of Warren Holloway Ward Funeral Home in Geneva, AL with Rev. Jimmy Eddins officiating. Burial will follow in Piney Grove Assembly of God Church cemetery in Samson, AL with Warren Holloway Ward Funeral Home directing. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Thursday beginning at 1:00 p.m. Flowers will be accepted.
Ann was born on October 05, 1949 in Coffee County, AL to the late Noah Arcus and Minnie Vester Hodge Johnson. She was known to love the outdoors and enjoyed a good fishing trip, so much that she worked at the Geneva County Lake for some time. She enjoyed meeting people, selling them fish bait and sharing secrets of the best fishing holes. She was a hard worker, working at Reliable Metal Products for many years. Ann also loved to dance and attend wrestling matches in her youth, even working in the wrestling industry. She was always young at heart and never intended to “grow up” or “grow old”. She was loved by many and will be missed. Ann loved to attend church and was of the Assembly of God faith.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by two brothers, Arcus and Chamus “Bug” Johnson and two nephews, Donnie and Steven Johnson.
Ann is survived by six siblings, Pasteen Kilpatrick and Catherine Wise, both of Samson, AL, Glennie Mullins of Snellville, GA, AL Johnson (Tina), Gail Barton and Letty Jones, all of Samson, AL and a number of very special nieces and nephews.
James Lee “Jamie” Wambles, passed away unexpectedly on November 30, 2025, in Dothan, Alabama.
Born on February 5, 1961, in Hartford, Alabama to the late William Foy Wambles and Geraldine Greer Wambles. He leaves behind a legacy of love and dedication in his wife of 39 years, Debbie Lynn Wambles, and their children: Chris Wambles, Crystal Wallace (Brandon), Joshua Wambles (Jessica), Tristan Folkes (Janel), Manon Folkes-Mims (John), and Trevor Folkes (Stephanie). Jamie’s joy was multiplied by his 18 grandchildren, among them a special granddaughter, Kalysta Folkes, and his 2 great-grandchildren, who will carry forward his spirit of curiosity and affection. Jamie’s sisters, Kay Hairston (Donnie) and Melissa Miller (Clay) will fondly remember their brother’s inventive nature and the countless memories they shared.
An avid tinkerer, Jamie found solace and excitement in taking things apart and reassembling them, often transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. His hands were rarely still, as he was always on a quest to create treasures from the most unusual things. Jamie’s love for the outdoors was evident to all who knew him. He spent many a day fishing, surrounded by nature, with his faithful dogs by his side.
Jamie’s creative spirit was matched only by his generous heart. He was always ready to lend a hand or share his latest project with friends and family. His children and grandchildren, in particular, benefited from his wisdom and his eagerness to teach them the value of creating something with their own hands.
To know Jamie was to know a man who lived life with passion and purpose. He was a family man through and through, and his absence will be deeply felt by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. Jamie’s legacy will continue to inspire and influence future generations, as they remember a man who could see the potential in everything and everyone.
Stanley Erwin Jones IV, age 36, a resident of Basalt, Colorado (formally of Dothan), passed away on Tuesday, November 25, 2025.
Celebration of Life Services will be held at 2:00PM on Monday, December 8, 2025 at First United Methodist Church in Dothan, Alabama with Dr. David R. Saliba officiating and Glover Funeral Home directing. The family will receive friends from 12:30PM until 1:45PM on Monday in the Fellowship Hall. Services are available to watch livestream at https://www.fumcdothan.org/sanctuary-live-stream
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The Shepherd School or In Christ Name c/o First United Methodist Church, 1380 West Main Street, Dothan, Alabama 36301.
Stanley Erwin Jones IV, was born in Dothan, Alabama, on January 20, 1989, to Stan and Julie Jones. He was the second-born of twins, arriving just after his brother David. Julie and Stan had already decided that the first twin born would be named David, after Julie’s father, and the second would continue the family name. Stanley joined his big brother, Turner—only 15 months older—and later welcomed his younger brother, Rush, born in 1993.
From the beginning, Stanley was anything but ordinary. Stan recognized early the natural athletic gifts that seemed woven into Stanley’s very being. Stanley grew up loving sports, competition, and the joy of physical challenge. He excelled in nearly every sport he attempted.
At age 12, a friend, Tim Gannon, asked if he planned to compete in the city-wide track meet. Stanley decided he would—and promptly won. He not only took the city title but went on to win the state 100-meter race and compete in the Junior Olympics in Virginia as part of a Birmingham-based relay team that recruited him for their 4×100 squad.
Stanley continued to shine as an athlete at Houston Academy, where, under the guidance of Coach Rodney Dollar, he became one of the top football players in the state. As a senior, he was named Alabama’s 2A Back of the Year and earned a starting spot at tailback in the Alabama/Mississippi All-Star Game. In 2007, he graduated from Houston Academy and committed to playing football for Coach Larry Blakeney at Troy University. In 2020, Stanley was inducted into the third class of Houston Academy’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
As remarkable as his speed, strength, toughness, and intelligence were on the field, it was Stanley’s heart that truly set him apart. He loved deeply and openly and made sure the people in his life felt that love. Children especially held a tender place in his heart, including his nieces and nephews, who adored him.
Stanley shared a unique and unbreakable bond with his twin, David, and with their brothers Turner and Rush. Their memories together are countless and will be cherished forever. Stanley loved his parents, Julie and Stan, with his whole heart, and there was nothing he wouldn’t do for them. Stanley lived with his heart on his sleeve. His superpower was forming deep, intentional relationships, something he learned from his beloved grandmother, Mimi, whom he deeply cherished.
Stanley made his home in Colorado, a place where he found peace in the beauty of the outdoors. He embraced all that Colorado offered—golf, fishing, hiking, biking, skiing, anything that brought him outside. In 2016, Stanley graduated from Colorado Mountain College.
His natural warmth, love for people, and hospitable personality shaped his career path. He spent several years in Dothan working at Flowers Insurance Agency. Most recently, he worked at The Little Nell Hotel in Aspen, Colorado, where he quickly rose through the ranks and earned the position of Front-End Manager—a role in which he thrived and was deeply valued.
Stanley was preceded in death by his grandparents, Jake and Martha Jo Jones, David Harold Johnson, and Jane Brackin Adkinson.
He is survived by his parents, Stan and Julie Jones; his brothers, Turner Jones (Mary Olivia) of Dothan, David Jones (Claire) of Huntsville, and Rush Jones (Olivia) of Birmingham; grandparents, Jerry Adkinson, and Carmen Johnson; his beloved nieces and nephews, Tee, Asa, Brackin, Sarah Louise, Wheeler, and Presley Jane Jones. Also, his aunts, uncles, and cousins, all of whom loved him dearly.
Serving as pallbearers are Davis Flowers, Lit Flowers, Charles Flowers, James Gannon, William Gannon, Tyler Jordon, Zach Kelly, Murray Kiesler, and Watson Downs.
Stanley’s life was a gift—full of love, laughter, adventure, and devotion to the people he cared for. He will be forever missed and forever loved.
Glover Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements. (334) 699-3888. Please sign the guestbook online at www.gloverfuneral.com
Darlene Marie Wilson, a vibrant soul known for her boundless energy and infectious love for life, passed away peacefully on December 1, 2025, in Dothan, Alabama. Born on December 16, 1957, in Hollywood, Florida, Darlene’s life was a tapestry of joy, adventure, and unwavering love for her family and friends.
Darlene was preceded in death by her parents, George O’Neal Austin and Deloris Kastenhuber Austin, as well as her brothers, Bryan and Glenn Austin. Her memory will be cherished and kept alive by her loving husband, Cletis Wilson, Jr.; her sons, Ryan Tice and Joey Tice (Christina); grandchildren; Niccolas Tice, Harper Tice, Braydee Tice, Teigen Tice, and Leightyn Tice; great-grandchildren, Max Tice and Liam Tice; sister, Deloris, and brother, Curtis Austin, who will miss her dearly.
Darlene’s zest for life was evident in her many interests and hobbies. She found joy in painting figurines and collecting Hallmark Precious Moments, loved fishing, and could strike up a conversation with anyone she met, making friends wherever she went. Her adventurous spirit kept her always on the go—a busy body who loved her family fiercely. A woman of faith, Darlene was a cherished member of the Midway Assembly of God Church, and her love for reading and devotion to her church community were sources of great comfort and inspiration throughout her life. Her bond with her mother was special; they were best friends who shared a love for the beach and many cherished moments together.
Darlene’s days were often filled with the sounds of her favorite gameshows, “The Price is Right” and “Let’s Make a Deal,” as well as the suspense of drama and FBI shows like “NCIS.” These simple pleasures brought her immense joy and were a staple in her daily routine.
Described by those who knew her as adventurous, Darlene leaves behind a legacy of love, laughter, and joy. Her memory will be treasured by all who knew her, and her spirit will continue to inspire those she leaves behind. Darlene Marie Wilson’s story is a celebration of a life well-lived and a reminder to cherish every precious moment.
A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, December 13, 2025, at Gardens of Memory Cemetery.
DAWSONVILLE, GEORGIA. . .Tommie Ann (Harris) Hudgens, a current resident of Dawsonville, Georgia, and a former long-time resident of Dothan, passed away early Sunday morning, November 30, 2025 in Dawsonville, GA. She was 90.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Thursday, December 4, 2025, in the Holman-Headland Mortuary Chapel with Pastor Cory Solomon, her great-nephew, officiating. Burial will follow in Gardens of Memory, near Headland. The family will receive friends from 10:00 until 11:00 A.M. Thursday at the mortuary in Headland.
Memorial contributions may be made to Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama, 300 Office Park Drive, Suite 225, Birmingham, AL 35223.
Mrs. Hudgens was born in Tampa, Florida during a category 5 hurricane (which her sisters said was appropriate), and was raised in various locations. She was a graduate of Gadsden High School, and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education from Auburn University. While a student at Auburn, Mrs. Hudgens was inducted into the Education Honor Society and was a member of the Synchronized Swimming Club. Her granddaughters were taught to swim at an early age due to her love of swimming. Immediately after her graduation from Auburn, she taught in the Dale County Public School System; however, upon her marriage to John, she embarked upon her true life’s calling, which was to be a homemaker creating a wonderful life and memories for her adored husband and daughters. Mrs. Hudgens was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Dothan and the Pathfinders Sunday School Class for 45+ years. She moved to Georgia after John Hudgens’s death to be close to her daughter.
Mrs. Hudgens was preceded in death by her father, Frederick James Harris, Sr., her mother, Catharine Carney Binns Harris, her husbands, Joseph Brinson Phillips and John Frank Hudgens, sisters, Kit Keefe and Betty Martin and brothers, Fred Harris, Jr. and John Harris.
Surviving relatives include her daughters, Kathleen Dyar (Ben), Arley, AL; and Beth Hudgens Massey (Paul), Gainesville, GA; a brother, David Paul Harris, Orlando, FL; grandchildren, Ashlyn Dyar, Sarah Dyar Crockett (Sam), Catharine Massey Wadkins (Jacob), and Abbie Massey; great-grandchildren, Blair Crockett and Everett Wadkins.
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.
