HEADLAND. . .Cathy Denise Lovvorn Swett, a resident of Headland, passed away early Thursday morning, June 18, 2026, in a Dothan hospital. She was 60.
Memorial services will be held at 10:30 A. M. Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in the Worship Center of the First Baptist Church of Headland with Dr. Cecil M. Sanders, Jr. officiating. A reception will follow the memorial service in the Ministry Center of the church. Holman-Headland Mortuary & /Cremations is in charge of arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 7023, Merrifield, VA 22116-7023.
Cathy Swett was born at Travis Air Force Base in California and was raised in Valdosta, Georgia, daughter of the late George Joseph Lovvorn and Frankie Mae Dunn Lovvorn. She was a graduate of Lowndes County High School in Valdosta. Cathy received a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from Valdosta State College and a Master’s Degree in Reading from Concordia University. She retired from the Dothan City School System at Kelly Springs School. In earlier years, Cathy taught at Pine Grove Elementary in Valdosta, DOD School System in Germany, Estrella Mountain Elementary School in Goodyear, Arizona, and A. M. Windham Elementary School in Daleville, AL.
Surviving relatives include her husband, Lowry Lee Swett, Jr.; a sister, Donna Lovvorn Brown Wilson (Eddie), Huntsville, AL.
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.
GRIMES…Jimmy Randell Peters passed away peacefully on Thursday, July 16, 2026, at the home he shared with his wife, Virginia, in Grimes, Alabama, following an extended illness.
Graveside services will be held 10:00 A.M. Monday, July 27, 2026 at Taylor Assembly of God Cemetery with his niece Charlotte Kirkpatrick speaking.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Taylor Assembly of God Cemetery Fund, c/o Mary Paulk, 131 Rice Rd, Taylor, AL 36301.
One of twelve children, Jimmy grew up knowing that if the family was going to make it, everyone had to do their part. At just thirteen years old, he rode his bicycle from Wicksburg to Dobb BBQ in Dothan to earn money to help his mother provide for their family. Eventually, he left school, setting aside his own education so he could help put food on the table.
It was simply what needed to be done.
He loved his mother deeply, and there was little he wouldn’t have done for her. Losing her in 1985 was another heartbreak in a life that would know more than most.
In 1977, tragedy forever changed Jimmy’s life. His wife, Brenda, and their young daughter, Christine, were taken from him in an unimaginable act of violence. Overnight, Jimmy became something almost unheard of in those days—a single father raising two toddlers, Eddie and Nina.
There were no instruction manuals. No support groups. Just two little children who still needed their dad.
So Jimmy went to work.
As an employee of White’s Plumbing, he spent his days building houses while dreaming of a home for his own children. While working on one particular house in Headland, Alabama, most laughed when Jimmy declared, “That’s going to be the house I buy for me and the kids.”
But Jimmy had a quiet determination that never needed anyone else’s approval.
He bought that house.
For years, 110 Terrace Drive became far more than bricks and mortar.
It became home.
His daughter lovingly called it “the orphanage,” because anyone who needed a place to stay—a night, a week, or however long life required—was always welcome there. Jimmy never seemed to have much to spare, yet somehow there was always room for one more.
If you wanted to understand Jimmy, you only needed to understand that house.
He believed that if someone needed help, and you were able to help, then you did.
He worked hard.
He sacrificed quietly.
And he made sure the people he loved were taken care of.
Life eventually brought love into Jimmy’s life again. In the early 1980s, he married Virginia, who came with a young son, Ladon. Jimmy never saw him as anything less than his own. Years later, that chapter came to an end, and Jimmy married Misty, with whom he welcomed his youngest son, Curtis. Although that marriage also ended, life has a way of coming full circle. In 2009, Jimmy and Virginia found their way back to one another.
True to the man he had always been, Jimmy stepped into the role of caregiver once again. After a workplace accident left Ladon paralyzed, Jimmy faithfully cared for the son he considered his own until his own declining health no longer allowed him to do so.
In 1996, Jimmy received another title that quickly became one of his favorites: Pepa Jimmy. When Bailey was born, a whole new chapter of his life began. Before long, Meghan, Garrett, Tucker, Madison, and Corilyn Rose joined the family, and each found their own special place in his heart. Becoming a grandfather gave Jimmy another generation to love, spoil, tease, and cheer on, and there was no mistaking the pride he carried whenever he talked about his grandkids.
Jimmy wasn’t a perfect man. No one who truly knew him would claim he was.
Like many families, theirs experienced seasons of closeness and seasons of distance. Time changed relationships, but it never erased the decades of sacrifice, devotion, and love that shaped the lives of his children.
That was Jimmy.
He wasn’t always good with words.
He was better with actions.
When Jimmy wasn’t working, there was a good chance he could be found doing one of three things: fishing, riding his motorcycle, or sitting beside a cooler full of Bud Light.
It’s impossible to know how many miles that little red pickup truck traveled with a boat in tow, chasing fish across Lake Eufaula. The loud exhaust probably announced his arrival long before he reached the water, yet somehow the fish never seemed to mind.
Some of his family’s favorite memories were made there—camping, fishing, laughing, and simply being together.
For Eddie, those fishing trips became the language he and his dad spoke best. In middle school, Jimmy once checked him out of school just to spend the day on the water. That was the day Eddie caught his first big bass. As the years passed, the stories—and the fish—grew bigger until they became the legendary ten-pound bass every fisherman dreams about.
Thanksgiving was probably Jimmy’s favorite holiday. He loved gathering at his sister Theresa’s house, where the family was loud, the food was plentiful, and there was almost certainly a homemade peanut butter cake waiting for him. Those meals became some of life’s sweetest gifts.
Jimmy’s life wasn’t easy. It was marked by more loss than most of us could imagine.
But yesterday, that life was rewarded when he heard the words every faithful servant longs to hear:
“Well done, good and faithful servant.”
And in that moment, a nearly fifty-year wait finally came to an end. Jimmy wrapped his arms around Christine, the daughter he had missed every single day.
Jimmy was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Brenda; his precious daughter, Christine; his mother, Imogene Peters; his brothers, Gene and Johnny Robert; and his sisters, Carolyn, Molly, and Theresa.
He is survived by his wife, Virginia; his sons, Eddie, Curtis, and Ladon; his daughter, Nina; his six cherished grandchildren, Bailey, Meghan, Garrett, Tucker, Madison, and Corilyn; his sisters, Marilyn, Sharon, and Trina; his brothers, Johnny Harold, Ronnie, and Jeffrey; along with many nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends whose lives were made better simply because Jimmy was part of them.
His story wasn’t perfect.
But it was honest.
It was resilient.
It was generous.
Above all else, it was a life spent showing up, working hard, opening his home, and carrying the burdens of the people he loved.
If you wanted to understand Jimmy, you only needed to understand that house a dad made a home.
GRACEVILLE, FL… Lena Mae Miller, a resident of Graceville, Florida, passed away late Sunday night, July 5, 2026, at Dothan hospital. She was 72.
Celebration of Life Services will be held 2:00 P.M. Saturday, July 25, 2026 at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, 1117 Highway 171 Graceville, Florida.
Ms. Miller was born in Florida to the late Lee Andrew Bell and Melia Patterson Bell. She was a proud graduate of Poplar Springs High School and carried the values of hard work and dedication throughout her life.
For many years, she was employed by Sony Corporation in Dothan, Alabama, where she worked on the assembly line manufacturing videotapes. She was a member of Northside Assembly of God Church in Bonifay, Florida, where she found strength in her faith and fellowship with her church family.
Ms. Miller found joy in life’s simple pleasures. She loved playing bingo and treasured the friendships it brought. She also enjoyed spending time outdoors, especially camping and fishing, where she found peace and happiness surrounded by nature. She will be remembered for her kind spirit, hardworking nature, and the many cherished memories she created with her family and friends.
In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by her sister, Nancy Garner; and her brother, Andrew Bell.
Surviving relatives include her children, Michelle Miller, Thomas Bell and Denice Miller; her grandchildren, Lee Miller, John Simmons “Mikie”, Eli James Bell, Emily Elaine Bell, Morgan Dial, Katlin Ingram (Jacob), and Dustin Bohannon; her great grandchildren, Hadley Johnson, Raelynn Bohannon, Bennett Bohannon, Paisley Blankenship, and Sawyer Blankenship; her sister, Bernice Golden; her brothers, Charlie Bell (Judy), Edwin Bell (Maxine), Benny Bell (Brenda), George Bell, and Jackie Bell; and several other loving family members and friends.
Tammy Melinda Devane Mears, passed away unexpectedly on July 15, 2026, in Houston County, Alabama.
Tammy was born on February 19, 1963, the daughter of Bill and Linda Thorne and pursued her education at cosmetology school after high school and went on to work as a cosmetologist.
Tammy also had a deep affection for her canine companions, who were a constant source of comfort and companionship. Tammy loved camping and fishing, and she found peace and enjoyment in the outdoors.
Tammy is survived by her parents, Bill and Linda Thorne; her sons, Justin Miles (Jordan) and Kyle Jinks; six grandchildren; other relatives and friends.
Funeral services for Tammy will be held at 2 PM Monday, July 20, 2026 from Ward Wilson Funeral Home with Reverend Doug Seale officiating. Burial will follow in Ashford City Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1 PM until 2 PM, prior to the service at the funeral home.
William “Bill” Edward Stiver of Slocomb, Alabama, went home to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Thursday, July 16, 2026, surrounded by loved ones. He was 79 years old.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at a later date.
Bill was born on Friday, October 18, 1946, in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, to the late William Albert Stiver and Loretta Marie Linkauer Stiver.
He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend whose greatest joy was the people he loved. Bill valued life, faith, family, and the lasting relationships he built throughout the years. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he enjoyed a successful career in logistics within the telecommunications industry. He had a deep passion for genealogy, spending countless hours tracing family roots and preserving stories for future generations.
Bill and his wife, Jann Beasley Stiver, lived in Florida for many years before retiring to Slocomb, Alabama, where they purchased land and created a home they truly cherished. He found great satisfaction in caring for and enjoying his property, embracing the peace and beauty of country life. He will be remembered for his unwavering faith, his deep love for his family, and the kindness, warmth, and generosity he shared with everyone who knew him.
In addition to his parents, Bill was preceded in death by his brother, Donald Stiver, and his nephew, Ryan Wesley Rader.
He leaves behind to cherish his memory his beloved wife, Jann Beasley Stiver; his sister, Gay Rader (Randolph); his brother, Ray Stiver(Barbara); his children: Monica Randez (Roy), Tina Ferrell (Paul), Charla Medina, and Charles Elwin Dann III (Tina); grandchildren, Lorelei Lehner-Farsakh (Aziz), Michael Lehner, Rachel Dworkin, Andrew Lehner (Kaitlin), Vincent Randez, Joseph Cagle (Shalaine), Billy Bishop, Claire Dann, Connor Dann, and Bryson Higgins; as well as a host of great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, other extended family members, and dear friends.
Thomas Bruce Duke, passed away at his residence on July 18, 2026, in Dothan, Alabama, at the age of 71.
Bruce was born on December 25, 1954, in Moody Hospital in Dothan, Alabama, and lived in Dothan during the early years of his life. He carried the values of his hometown with him throughout his life, and those who knew him best will remember a man who was loving, kind, and selfless in all that he did.
Bruce spent many years working in the glass industry, where he was respected for his skill, dedication, and strong work ethic. He worked with Dothan Glass Company and Commercial Glass Company, and later went on to own and operate his own business, Glazing Contractors, for more than 25 years. Through his work, Bruce built a reputation for dependability and pride in a job well done. He was also a member of the Dothan Elks Club, where he enjoyed fellowship and community with others.
Above all else, Bruce was a devoted family man. He shared 53 wonderful years of marriage with his wife, Anita Turner Duke, and he cherished her deeply throughout their life together. He was a proud and loving father to his son, Tony (Shannon) Duke. Bruce found great joy in his grandchildren, Alyssa (Casey) Bates and Haley Williams, and he was delighted by his great-grandchildren, Casey Junior Bates and Ruth Marie Bates. He is also survived by his sisters, Cynthia Letourneau, Debra Burke, and Teresa Sego, as well as several nieces and nephews who held a special place in his heart.
Bruce was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph Thomas Duke and Bobbie Joyce Waters. Their memory remained an important part of his life, and he carried their influence with him in the way he treated others, with compassion and quiet strength.
Those who knew Bruce will remember him as a compassionate and lovable teddy bear with a smile that could brighten any room. He had a gentle spirit and a warm presence that made people feel welcome and valued. He adored his wife, Anita, and never missed an opportunity to show how much she meant to him. His love for her was evident in the way he spoke of her and in the life they built together over more than five decades.
Bruce also loved the outdoors and especially enjoyed fishing. He was happy to fish anywhere, but Eufaula was his favorite place to cast a line and spend time in nature. Being outdoors brought him peace and joy, and he appreciated the simple beauty of creation. Whether he was near the water or spending time with loved ones, Bruce found contentment in the moments that mattered most.
His life was one marked by devotion, hard work, and kindness. He gave generously of himself to his family, his friends, his work, and his community. Bruce leaves behind a legacy of love that will continue to live on in the hearts of all who were blessed to know him. He will be remembered not only for what he did, but for who he was, a loving, kind, and selfless man whose life touched many.
Military honors will be held on Wednesday, July 22, 2026 at 3:00pm at the Sunset Helicopter Pavillion.
