On the morning of September 6, 2025, God called home one of His special servants, Dr. Myland Brown.
Dr. Brown was born on May 30, 1933, in Dothan, Alabama, to the late Henry and Willie May Brown. He was the second oldest child in a family of four, with two sisters and one brother. The Brown family grew up on Acid Plant Hill in Dothan, where Dr. Brown accepted Christ at an early age while attending Greater Beulah Baptist Church.
After graduating from Carver High School in Dothan in 1952, and with the support of Coach Bryant, Dr. Brown enrolled at Alabama State University. His studies were interrupted after his freshman year when he was drafted into the United States Army. He served faithfully at Fort Gordon, Georgia, where he trained as a military police officer. Following his honorable service, Dr. Brown utilized the G.I. Bill to complete his Bachelor’s Degree in History at Alabama State University, later earning his Master’s Degree in History, with a thesis focused in Guana.
Dr. Brown continued his academic journey at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, where he became the first African American to earn a Doctorate in Education from that institution. While studying at Ball State, he was selected for an assignment in South America, where he served as an educational consultant and was deeply impressed by the structure and organization of their school systems.
Over his remarkable 45-year career as an educator, Dr. Brown touched countless lives. He taught with passion and dedication, receiving numerous awards and accolades, but he always said the honors given to his students meant the most. He was named “Favorite Teacher of the Year” multiple times while teaching in Bainbridge, Georgia. Among his many students, one of his proudest was Kirby Smart, who went on to become the head football coach at the University of Georgia. Former student Alan Blankstein, a Nobel Prize winner and author of several books including Failure Is Not an Option, credits much of his success to the guidance and inspiration of Dr. Myland Brown. Dr. Brown also worked for Delaware State, Fort Valley State, New York State, Barber Scotia College, South Carolina State, and Ball State.
Dr. Brown was also a respected author and philanthropist. His book, Pure Butter, became a Top 10 bestseller. He explained the title by recalling how his mother always used pure butter rather than anything artificial-a principle he carried into education, believing students must be taught with truth, purpose, and sincerity. His philosophy emphasized returning to the basics, instilling values, and guiding young people toward their God-given purpose. His work has inspired countless students to rise above adversity and realize their potential.
Beyond the classroom, Dr. Brown was a pillar of his community. He was an active member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Inc., where he gave selflessly through community service. He served on the boards of Southeast Health Medical Center and the Medical College, consistently championing education and healthcare. He was also honored by former Mayor Mike Schmitz with the Key to the City of Dothan for his lifelong contributions to education and philanthropy.
Dr. Brown’s personality was as impactful as his achievements. He connected instantly with people, often sharing jokes and his warm, gregarious laugh. He was a true Southern gentleman- an accomplished professional, yet humble and approachable.
Dr. Brown was preceded in death by his loving wife, Janie Evans Brown, his parents, and his siblings, M.L. Brown, Flora Lee Brown, Willie Henry Brown, and John Brown.
He leaves to cherish his memory: his son, Patreace Brown; granddaughter, Toure Ashlynn Collins-Brown; cousins,
Wanda Christiani, Linda White, Barbara Parker, and Jean Page Dunbar; and his caregivers, Anthony Fleming and James Tillman. He also leaves behind Dr. Charles Corbitt, like a son to him; Wanda Tennyson, Twyla Peoples, and Rose Patterson Medo (Jay Medo), like daughters to him; and Samuel Medo, Esther Medo, and Ezra Medo, who were dear to his heart as they were like grandchildren to him. He also leaves behind his special friends, Rosalind and Farmer James.
A celebration of Dr. Brown’s life will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at 11am at Great Beulah Baptist Church located at 254 Headland Ave, Dothan, AL. He will be laid to rest in Sunset Memorial Park following military honors. A visitation will be held on Friday, September 12, 2025, from 5pm-7pm at Sunset Memorial Park Funeral Home. A visitation will also be held on Saturday at Greater Beulah Church from 10am until 10:30am prior to the service.
Otelia McDonald was born on May 3, 1955 to James and Kathreen Daniels McDonald.
At an early age, Otelia joined Little Rocky Mt. Freewill Baptist Church in Tumbleton, Alabama. She attended Houston County High School. Otelia worked at Wex-Tex for a short period of time.
Otelia departed this life on Monday, September 1, 2025 at Ascension Sacred Heart in Pensacola, FL. She is preceded in death by her parents, James and Kathreen McDonald; one grandchild; five sisters, Rose Crews, Linda Buzz, Alice Allen, Virginia M. Crews and Addie Springfield; and one brother, Frank McDonald.
She leaves to cherish her memories: One daughter, Amanda A. McDonald; her grandson, Timothy Z. McDonald; five sisters, Florene Pierce, Willie Mae Freeman. Essie Allen, Martha McDonald, Gloria Allen; three brothers, Jessie (Evie Mae) McDonald, Samuel McDonald and Morris McDonald, and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
FAMILY VISITATION WILL BE HELD ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2025 FROM 1 TO 3 P.M., AT HORACE WILLIAMS MORTUARY, 1457 E. MAIN STREET, DOTHAN, AL.
FRIENDS’ VISITATION WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2025 FROM 10:30 TO 12 NOON AT LITTLE ROCKY MT. FREEWILL BAPTIST CHURCH, 332 COUNTY RD. 270, TUMBLETON, AL.
FUNERAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 AT 12 NOON AT LITTLE ROCKY MT. FREEWILL BAPTIST CHURCH, 332 COUNTY RD. 270, TUMBLETON, AL.
INTERMENT WILL BE HELD FOLLOWING THE SERVICE AT LITTLE ROCKY MT. FREEWILL BAPTIST CHURCH CEMETERY, TUMBLETON, AL.
REPAST WILL BE HELD AT LITTLE ROCKY MT. FREEWILL BAPTIST CHURCH FELLOWSHIP HALL.
Obituary from Holman Funeral Home of Ozark – Ozark, Alabama
SGT Michael Claude Oliver (United States Army), a resident of Ozark, died Friday, September 5, 2025. He was 74 years old.
Funeral services for SGT Oliver will be 11:00 A.M. Saturday, September 20, 2025, in the Chapel of Holman Funeral Home in Ozark with Reverend Joey Hudspeth officiating. Military Honors will be presented at the funeral home following the service. Interment will be in Barrancas National Veterans Cemetery in Pensacola, Florida. The family will receive friends at the funeral home in Ozark Saturday (September 20, 2025) from 9:30 A.M. until service time.
Michael Claude Oliver Sr. also known as “Pointman,” born to the late Fred and Helen Oliver was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Immediately following high school, he volunteered to join the United States Army. After enlistment, he was assigned to Company D, 4/503, 173d Airborne Brigade and shipped off to Vietnam at the young age of 17. He served honorably with the 173d Airborne Brigade and was a proud Infantryman and Paratrooper. He would return home a wounded veteran and a Purple Heart recipient, but still proud of his time served. Michael was a proud father and an even prouder grandfather. Michael was also a talented artist, and after returning from the Vietnam War, he secured a job at then, one of the “Big Five” accounting firms, in downtown Chicago, Arthur Andersen. He was hired on as a mailroom employee, and after notice of his artistic talents, professionalism and candor, spread to leadership, he was invited to participate in an Advanced Study Conference on Slide Making with Computer Graphics from the Institute for Graphic Communication where he received a completion Certificate of Training. He would move on to complete training in Advertising Design and Typographic Layout and eventually became a Supervising Employer and received numerous recognitions for his work as a Cooperative Education Advisory Council Member for Arthur Andersen. The wounds from going to war at such a young age would prove to be deeper than he realized. He took a step away from corporate life and decided to spend some time on the open road doing what he enjoyed most-driving across the highways of the United States. He worked proudly and honorably as a truck driver for J.B. Hunt for over 10 years and truly enjoyed talking about the many different towns and cities he was so privileged to have gone through. He also enjoyed being the resource and highway expert for his family as they planned their own travels across the country, often offering his experienced advice on routes for safety, good food, and sight seeing. After traveling the open road, Michael came back home to Chicago and became a Transportation Supervisor at the United States Post Office.
Michael enjoyed all the simple things in life such as spending time with his family, especially on a road trip, and like most Chicagoans, he loved a good bratwurst. He enjoyed listening to jazz on his record player and recorded all the songs from his record player, onto his iPod to enjoy away from home. While he loves his Jeep, driving his van was a big part of his heart and a big part of his children’s lives. His children often recall fond memories of countless road trips in their dad’s van. As he drove down the highway, with a cooler full of sandwiches, and his children in the back playing cards or trying to get a signal on the television Dad installed, it was an adventure they will always remember. As his children grew too big for the van, Michael transferred his mode of travel to his beloved Jeep. However, family trips never stopped, they just looked different. Instead of everyone in Dad’s van, the family traveled convoy style. He would even decide in the middle of their own road trip to meet them somewhere on the highway because it was truly hard for him to miss a road trip opportunity. One notable time in 2018, Michael drove from Ozark, AL to meet his daughter and her family in Washington State as they were driving from Alaska to Florida. It was a two week long road trip full of sight seeing, joy, and family time. With all of his children having homes in different states, it was not unusual for one of them to get an unannounced door bell ring, and discover that Dad had just driven for two-four days, “just because.” His loss is felt deeply and he will forever be missed. “Rest in Heaven, Dad, aka Grandpa, aka, Grampy, aka Pointman.”
Michael’s awards and decorations include the Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars, Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross With First Class Unit Citation Badge, Vietnam Campaign Medal with 60 Duc, Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Honor Medal, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Expert Qualification Badge with Automatic Rifle Bar, Sharpshooter Badge with Rifle Bar, Parachutist Badge.
Michael is preceded in death by his brothers, Fred Oliver Jr., and Cecil Oliver; his sister Patricia Williams and brother-in-law Robert Williams Sr. He is survived by his brother, Warren Oliver and sister-in-law Joselyn Oliver, sister Phyllis Akinyele and brother-in-law Akinyinka Akinyele, his children Lawrence Smith, Chiquita Smith, Valena Mychelle Hamilton and son-in-law Torin Hamilton, son Michael Claude Oliver Jr., daughter Candace Sheree Battles, son Matthew David Oliver, loving grandchildren, extended family, and friends.
NEWTON…Mr. Floyd “Buddy” Stone, a resident of Newton, died Monday evening, September 8, 2025, at Wesley Place on Honeysuckle in Dothan. He was 89.
Graveside services will be held at 2:00 P.M. Friday, September 12, 2025, in the Pinckard Memorial Cemetery with Chaplain Eddie Biss officiating. The family will receive friends from 12:30 until 1:30 P.M. Friday at the funeral home. Fuqua Bankston Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Stone, son of the late James Stone and Florrie Heath Stone, was a native of Dale County. He was engaged in road construction in Columbus, Georgia and was formerly employed with Wiregrass Construction in Dothan. Mr. Stone was preceded in death by a sister, Janice Dillard and two brothers, Joe Stone and Harold Stone.
Surviving relatives include his daughter, Katy McQuirt, Waycross, Georgia; four sisters, Evelyn Willis, Ewell Community, Mary Ann Dailey (Bob), Midland City, Sarah Elizabeth Stone, Ozark, and Nelda Stahl (Bill), Dothan; brother, James Stone, Midland City; nieces, nephews, and cousins.
You may sign a guest register at www.fuquabankston.com
MIDLAND CITY…Mr. Albin Wayne Carroll, a resident of Midland City, died early Thursday morning, September 4, 2025. H was 45.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. Tuesday, September 16, 2025, in the Fuqua Bankston Funeral Home Chapel with Reverend John Dowdey officiating. Burial will follow in Chalkhead Baptist Church Cemetery. Fuqua Bankston Funeral Home of Ozark is in charge of arrangements. The family will receive friends from 10:00 until 11:00 A.M. Tuesday at the funeral home.
Mr. Carroll was born on December 29, 1979, in Ozark, Alabama—a small town that shaped the big-hearted man he became. He grew up with a love for the simple things: dirt roads, loud music, and the kind of laughter that comes easy when you’re surrounded by family.
He went to Enterprise High School, and after graduation, he jumped straight into the world of construction. He wasn’t afraid of hard work—he rolled up his sleeves and got things done, always with a quiet determination and a strong back. Whether he was building something with his hands or fixing up a car system, he had a knack for making things work.
Mr. Carroll found joy in the everyday. He loved riding back roads with the windows down, four-wheeling through thick Alabama mud, and tinkering under the hood of a car until it purred just right. Rap music was his soundtrack—he’d crank it up and let the beat carry him through the day. And when it came to football, he bled orange and blue. A true Florida Gators fan, he cheered loud and proud, win or lose.
But above all, Mr. Carroll loved his people. Time with his children and family was what mattered most. He was the kind of dad who showed up, the kind of brother who had your back, and the kind of son who carried the love of his parents with him every day. His heart was full when he was surrounded by those he cared about, and he made sure they knew how much they meant to him.
He carried deep loss in his life, having been preceded in death by his beloved son, Jordin Orian Carroll; his parents, Albin Wayne LeBlanc, Sr. and Sarah Carroll Meeks; and his brother, Matthew Blake Ivey.
Surviving relatives include his wife, Brittany Carroll, Midland City; two daughters, Torance Madison and Marley Lynn Carroll; his brother, Christopher Carroll; granddaughter, Hilary McAllison; cousins, aunts, and uncles.
You may sign a guest register at www.fuquabankston.com
Mary Eliza Bolding, 83, a resident of Dothan, Alabama and formerly of Brantley & Luverne, passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 6th, 2025, at Henry County Health and Rehabilitation after a long and vigilant fight. Funeral services for Mary will be held at 11 AM on Friday, September 12th, at Brunson Chapel Methodist Church with Rev. Malcolm Butts and Rev. Danny Ray Duncan officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery there. The family will receive friends at the church on Friday for one hour prior to the service time.Mary was born on August 26, 1942 and raised in Brantley, Alabama. She proudly graduated from Brantley High School in 1960, and she went on to work at Luverne Slacks where she became a supervisor. She also worked at the police station in Luverne as a dispatcher and as a certified paramedic with the Rescue Squad. She was very devoted to her family. So when her kids moved to Dothan and needed her, she went too. She was hired at Houston County Sheriff Office where she worked until she retired as a sergeant and she was known as one tough cookie throughout her time there. Due to her love of people and service, after retirement she continued to volunteer. She was once, at different times, the president of Senior World and the president of the Women’s Auxiliary at the VFW in Dothan. Mary also volunteered at the food bank and Red Cross. There are so many others but she truly enjoyed volunteering at Landmark Park in Dothan, which gave her the opportunity to enjoy people and do something she truly loved, educate children. Although she was never blessed with grandkids of her own, she always jumped right into conversation about them as she proudly pulled out pictures of her four-legged furbabies! Above all, she was a very independent, strong woman who touched so many lives and was truly one of a kind.
Mary was preceded in death by parents, Sam Kyser & Mary Atwell Fowler; brothers, Jenkins Fowler and Bill Fowler; sisters, Joyce Garner and Barbara Bradley; along with her cherished son, George William “Buddy” Bolding. She is survived by her beloved daughter, Wanda Bolding Alphord, and most devoted son-in-law, Michael Alphord; sister, Betty Baum; and several loving nieces and nephews.
Active pallbearers will be Mike Alphord, Phillip Garner, Jessie Holley, Perry Fowler, Paul Allen, and Danny Ray Duncan.
The family would like to thank Henry County Health and Rehabilitation and Southern Care Hospice for their kindness and loving care during her time with them.
