Mary Ellen Glass, a resident of Ashford, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family Sunday, January 19, 2025 at Flowers Hospital. She was 82.
Graveside services for Mrs. Glass will be held at 3 PM Thursday, January 23, 2025 at Gardens of Memory with Pastor James Bell officiating. The family will receive friends following the service at the cemetery.
Mrs. Glass was born April 20, 1942 in Pansey, Alabama to the late Sidney and Ollie Croom McNiel. She was a graduate of Ashford High School and worked for Wex-Tex for many years. For the most part of her life she was a loving wife, mother and Caregiver to her husband and family during their time of illness. Mrs. Glass was a member of First Baptist Ashford and currently Bluff Springs Baptist church. She loved to read and work in her flower garden and loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren dearly.
Mrs. Glass is preceded in death by her parents, husband, Bennie Joe Glass; sister, Janie Arnold and two stepbrothers.
Survivors include her children, Mary Ann Page (Scott), Darrell Glass (Donna) and Becca Raybon; grandchildren, Emily Press (Josh), Alayna Power (Bryce), Cassey Glass (Christy), Dara Glass, Tanner and Jayden Raybon; great grandchildren, Camden, Chase and Callie; brother, Joe McNiel (Ruby); brother-in-law, Ed Arnold.
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.
