Powell, Hambrick, Johnson, Phillips

Edward Calvin Powell

Funeral services for Edward Calvin Powell, 83, of Cullman will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 4, 2006, at Moss-Service Chapel, Drs. Rick Lance and Edwin Hayes officiating, with burial in Hopewell Cemetery in Hanceville next to his wife, Frances, with military funeral honors.

Moss-Service Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Powell died Thursday, June 1 at Hanceville Nursing Home following a lengthy battle with heart problems. He was surrounded by several of his family members throughout his illness. He was born on Sept. 10, 1922, to Graham Vivian and Eva Jane Bailey Powell in Florence and spent his growing up years in Furman. He joined the U.S. Navy on Oct. 31, 1942, and served until April 25, 1946, and was honorably discharged holding the rank of pharmacist’s mate first class.

Mr. Powell began work in 1947 in the tire industry, became the owner of Cullman’s OK Tire Store and remained active in the business, serving as a consultant in his later years. For many years, he was an active member of First Baptist Church in Cullman where he served as a deacon, treasurer and youth leader.

In his later years, while suffering from heart problems, he had a lot of help maintaining his life, due in great part to the assistance of several local physicians and their staffs, including Drs. Rick Gober and Mir Kwon Wu Varquez; many wonderful and caring nurses at Cullman Regional Medical Center, as well as encouragement from CRMC’s Rehabilitation staff; Hanceville Nursing Home staff; and Hospice of Cullman County.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 53 years, Frances Adelia Almon Powell; his parents, Graham and Eva Powell; and infant brother, Leonard Bailey Powell; a sister, Doris Lea Powell Brown; and a daughter, Frances Ann Powell Mauldin Dodd.

Survivors include two brothers, Stanley Compton Powell of Helena and Graham Mason Powell of Greenville, S.C.; a sister, Virginia Lucille Powell Kelley of Enterprise; a son, John Edward (Susan) Powell of Cullman; three daughters, Doris Jean Powell (Jerry) Higginbotham of Roanoke, Va., Elizabeth Jane Powell (Ken) Sawyer of Pelham and Margaret Lorene Powell (Wayne) Weissend of Hanceville; 12 grandchildren, Clifton (Tamika) Powell, Jason Mauldin, Melinda Maudlin (Shawn) Willingham, Tina Weissend Bagwell (Joseph) Yovino, all of Cullman, Jacob Higginbotham of Johnson City, Tenn., Joseph Higginbotham of Raleigh, N.C., Lindsay Higginbotham of Charlotte, N.C., Robert (Anna) Sawyer of Groton, Conn., Benjamin (Rebekah) Sawyer of Memphis, Tenn. and John (Paula) Weissend of Montgomery; and 12 great-grandchildren, Brannon and Mandolyn Powell, Maggie Drummond, Mallory and Isaac Willingham, Alex and Vicki Sawyer, Carla and Frances Weissend and Sarah and Jake Bagwell.

In lieu of flowers, remembrances, if so desired, may be made to First Baptist Church of Cullman, the American Heart Association or CRMC Hospice of Cullman County.

Pallbearers will be his grandsons, John Weissend, Jason Mauldin, Clifton Powell, Jacob Higginbotham, Joseph Higginbotham, Benjamin Sawyer and Wesley Powell. First Baptist Church deacons will serve as honorary pallbearers.

Visitation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. today at the funeral home.



Verdie Lee Hambrick

Funeral services for Verdie Lee Hambrick, 83, of Cullman will be at 2 p.m. Sunday, June 4, 2006, at Daystar Church of God, Jerry Lawson officiating, with burial in Bethlehem Cemetery. The body will lie in state one hour prior to services.

Moss-Service Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Hambrick died Friday, June 2 at her residence.



James I. Johnson

Funeral services for James I. Johnson, 67, of Vinemont will be at 3 p.m. Monday, June 5, 2006, at Cullman Heritage Funeral Home, with burial in Cullman City Cemetery.

Cullman Heritage Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Johnson died Friday, June 2.



Bennie ‘Ben’ Franklin Phillips

Graveside services for Bennie “Ben” Franklin Phillips, 90, will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 10, 2006, at the New Hope No. 2 Cemetery near Holly Pond. Mr. Phillips died peacefully at his home in Redding, Calif., on Dec. 21, 2005. He was born in Cullman County on Jan. 20, 1915.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Iris Holden Phillips in 2001.

Survivors include his son, Wayne Phillips; two daughters, Norma Ingham and Carol Switzer; six grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; a sister, Odell Phillips Ray; and a brother, Douglas Phillips.

We look forward to the Lord’s coming, reuniting and restoring us to a world unmarred by sin, death and disease.

Remembrances may be sent to Redding First Baptist Church, 1959 Eureka Way, CA 96001.



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