Bernice Ester (Koch) Roberts, 95, a resident of Dothan, passed away on Sunday, January 19, 2025, at her residence following a brief illness.
Bernice was born on May 25, 1929, in New York. She spent most of her life there, attending high school and college. Following school, she married, Richard B. Roberts, and had one child, Paul Richard Roberts. Together as a family, they founded and operated, “Triple R Campground” in Franklinville, New York, which is now one of the top campgrounds in the United States. She later relocated to the Dothan area in 2004. Since her time here, she worked as a private caretaker for many years. Bernice was a member of St. Columba Catholic Church.
She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Richard B. Roberts; her son, Paul Richard Roberts; her infant triplets at birth; and her brother, Paul Koch.
She is survived by her daughter-in-law, Patricia Roberts of Dothan; her granddaughter, Rebecca McNelley (David) of Dothan; her great-grandson, Lennon McNelley; her brother, Phillip Koch; and several nieces and nephews.
The family would like to express their gratitude to the staff of Enhabit Hospice for the love and care shown to their loved one during this time.
Per her wishes, no services will be held at this time.
Glover Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements. (334) 699-3888. Please sign the guestbook online at www.gloverfuneral.com
Mrs. Lois Mae Smith, age 76, of Dothan, passed away Sunday, January 19, 2025 at home surrounded by her family.
Born August 22, 1948 in Columbia, Alabama to the late A. J. Smith and Omie Mae Hughes Smith, Lois enjoyed playing softball in her younger days and enjoyed her family, spending time with her children and grandchildren.
In addition to her parents, Lois is preceded in death by her siblings, Foy Lee Smith, Reuben (A. J.) Smith, James Earl Smith, and Billy Ray Smith.
Lois is survived by her children, Steve Monday (Julie) and Donna Tate (Robert); her grandchildren, Weston Monday, Railey Miller (Eli), Wyatt Monday, Robin Smith (Zach), Rhett Tate, Walker Monday, and Wagner Monday; her great-grandson, Maverick Kash Miller (who was born on her birthday); her siblings, Annette Webb, Eugene Smith, Gloria Lampert, Geraldine Faust, Debra Kay Trawick, and her sisters-in-law, Martha Smith, Linda Ammons, and Sherry Agrella Harrison; numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be held at 2 PM, Monday, January 20, 2025 from the chapel of Ward Wilson Funeral Home with Pastor Brenda Yon officiating. The family will receive friends from 1 PM until 2 PM, prior to the service at the funeral home.
COLUMBIA. . .Thomas Lowell Bristow, a resident of Columbia, died Friday afternoon, January 17, 2025, in Baptist Health Princeton Hospital in Birmingham. He was 66.
Funeral services will be held at 3:00 P.M. Monday, January 20, 2025, in the First Baptist Church of Columbia with Pastor Vann Cooley and Pastor Tony Deese officiating. The family will receive friends from 1:00 until 3:00 P.M. Monday in the church sanctuary. Burial will follow in the Columbia City Cemetery. Holman-Headland Mortuary & Cremations is in charge of arrangements.
Flowers will be accepted or memorial contributions may be made to First Baptist Church of Columbia, P.O. Box 267, Columbia, AL 36319.
Lowell Bristow was a lifelong resident of Columbia, son of the late Charles Hubert Bristow and Ila Lingo Bristow. He was a 1977 graduate of Houston County High School in Columbia and attended Wallace Community College. Lowell was an active member of First Baptist Church of Columbia where he was currently serving as Chairman of Deacons. He was the President and Co-Owner of Columbia Peanut Company and he and his brother owned and operated Bristow Farms. Lowell was currently serving as a Trustee of Pea River Electric Co-Op and the Henry County Farmer’s Federation Board. He formerly served on the Board of Directors of National Peanut Buying Points Association.
Surviving relatives include his wife of forty-six years, Dot Knowles Bristow; a daughter, Courtney Bristow Henderson (Jamie), Columbia; a son, Caleb Bristow (Freda), Headland; a sister, Nancy Bristow, Dothan; two brothers, Phil Bristow (Sue), Columbia; and Reverend Mark Bristow (Debbie), Dothan; a sister-in-law, Beth Cain (Tom), Ashford; his four grandchildren who were his pride and joy, Hayes Henderson, Ila Kate Henderson, Cason Bristow and Sam Bristow; several nieces and nephews.
Serving as active pallbearers will be Mark Bristow, Phil Bristow, Scott Blankenship, Terry Pitchford, Marty Williams, Ronnie Tucker, Michael DeShazo and Gill Bristow. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be members of the Board of Trustees of Pea River Electric Co-Op and employees of Bristow Farms.
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.
DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER, FUNERAL SERVICES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2025.
Mathilda Dempster, affectionately known as “Tillie”, a long-time resident of Dothan, passed away on Monday, January 13, 2025, at the age of 97, in Midlothian, Virginia.
Funeral services will be held at First United Methodist Church of Dothan on Thursday, January 23, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. with Rev. Elizabeth Hinton officiating. A private family burial will held at Gardens of Memory Cemetery with Glover Funeral Home directing. The family will receive friends and relatives for visitation and viewing from 2:00 until 2:45 p.m. in the church sanctuary prior to services. Flowers may be sent to First United Methodist Church of Dothan.
Tillie was born on October 15, 1927, in Dothan, Alabama, to Arthur and Essie Lee Johnson. She graduated from Dothan High School in 1946. During her time at Dothan High, she was honored with an award for congeniality and was a member of the school band. Following her high school years, she lived in Dothan and played piano for The Southernaires. Afterwards, she moved to Pensacola, Florida, and worked as a bank teller for Florida National Bank. She met her future husband, Raymond Dempster, at this time, and they were married on April 25, 1959.
Raymond and Tillie moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in June of 1969, and raised two sons, Douglas and Gregory, before returning to Dothan in 1992 to retire. They moved to Midlothian, Virginia, in January of 2023 to be close to their youngest son, Gregory, and his wife, Michaux.
Tillie is survived by her beloved husband, Raymond Dempster, of Midlothian, Virginia; her sons, Douglas, of Dothan, and Gregory, of Midlothian, Virginia; her sister, Betty Sanchez, of Selma, Alabama; and one grandchild, Douglas Schulz, of Mountain Home, Idaho. She was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Essie Johnson, of Dothan, and her brother, Herschel Johnson, of Sacramento, California.
Tillie’s legacy is one of kindness, compassion, and love for her family, friends, and her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Her memory will continue to live on in the hearts of those she touched.
Glover Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements. (334) 699-3888. Please sign the guestbook online at www.gloverfuneral.com
Patricia Ann Parker Sewell of New Brockton, AL passed away on Thursday, January 16, 2025. She was 78 years old.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, January 20, 2025 in the chapel of Warren Holloway Ward Funeral Home with Rev. Danny Sherrer officiating. Burial will follow in the Asbury Church Cemetery with Warren Holloway Ward Funeral Home of Geneva, AL directing. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Monday beginning at 10:00 a.m.
Mrs. Sewell was born on April 26, 1946 in Samson, AL to the late Jessie W. and Oyer Ruth Sorrells Parker.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Eugene “Gene” Sewell; one granddaughter, Crystal Morris; one son-in-law, Ricky Taylor; one sister, Sue Stafford and one brother, Charles Parker.
Mrs. Sewell is survived by two sons, Larry Sewell of Westville, FL, and Terry Sewell of the Asbury Community; one daughter, Sheila Taylor of New Brockton, AL; five grandchildren, Gary Sewell, Brad Sewell (Cassie), Tyler Sewell, Brian Taylor (Jessica) and Bron Taylor (April) and ten great-grandchildren.
Cecil Gordon Motley went to be with the Lord on January 17, 2025 at his home in Holmes County, Florida. He was 94 years old.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 71 years, Ruthie Merle English, his parents, Lillie Emma (Scott) and Henry Jesse Motley, one sister, Annie Belle Schilling, six brothers Lester, Howell, Joe, Wade, Lawson and Carl Motley and one great-grandson, Gavin Deedrick.
He is survived by his five children, Rhonda Joiner (Jesse), Becky Motley, Gordon Motley all of Westville, FL, Lisa Peeples (Forrest) of Palatka, FL, and Christy Paul (Lee) of Bonifay, FL; ten grandchildren, Jesse Joiner III (Audrey), Katie Castaneda (Nate), Ashley Porter (Michael), Raven Clark (Andrew), Willow Motley (fiancé, Ethan McVay), Dyan Deedrick, Michelle Azula (J.D.), Justin Peeples, Trey Paul (Laura) and Jacob Paul; sixteen great-grandchildren, and two sisters-in-law, Shirley English and Patricia English Jackson..
Cecil served seven years in the U.S. Army and sixteen years in the U.S. Air Force. His military career was transformed when a superior officer found out that he was a self-taught, proficient typist, a skill at which few soldiers excelled. Among his favorite tours of duty were Frankfurt, Germany; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Anchorage, Alaska; and Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. By the time of his retirement in 1972, he had achieved the rank of Senior Master Sergeant—not bad for someone who never graduated from high school.
After retirement from the military, Cecil went on to grow chickens for Showell Farms, serve one term on the Holmes County School Board, and work for the Holmes County Chamber of Commerce. He was instrumental in bringing a new correctional facility to Holmes County through his work on the Chamber and eventually served as the first Personnel Director of Holmes County Correctional Institution.
The major turning point in Cecil’s life occurred on October 23, 1962. That was the day he and his wife Merle made the decision to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. This decision changed the course of their family’s future. He has been a long time member of West Pittman Baptist Church and served in the capacity of Song Leader, Sunday School Teacher and Deacon. He participated in multiple mission trips throughout the United States and abroad, working in countries such as Guatemala, Honduras, Tanzania and the island of St Lucia. He has been a member of The Gideon’s International for many years and enjoyed visiting and speaking at numerous churches throughout the Panhandle.
He loved to fish and garden and by the grace of God was able to do both of those activities well into his old age. He will be missed by his immediate and extended family, his Church family and his longtime friends.
Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 p.m. Monday, January 20, 2025 at West Pittman Baptist Church with Rev. Daniel Smith and Rev. Nate Castaneda officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery with Warren Holloway Ward Funeral Home of Geneva directing. The family will receive friends at the church beginning at 1:00 P.M.
Flowers will be accepted or memorial contributions may be made to Samaritan’s Purse, P.O. Box 3000, 801 Bamboo Rd, Boone, NC 28607 or to The Gideons International PO Box 140800 Nashville, TN 37214-0800.
