Huey Parnell Hartsell

Published 2:45 pm Friday, March 18, 2016

Huey Parnell Hartsell, 85, passed from this life Thursday, March 17, 2016, in Cullman, Ala., while surrounded by family and friends.  

Mr. Hartsell grew up in Haynesville, La., and worked on his family’s dairy farm.  By the age of 15, he had begun to take an interest in preaching the gospel. He later attended Freed Hardiman College in Hendersonville, Tenn., where he met Betty Ellis of Mt. Vernon, Ill. After college, he began preaching full-time in Cleveland, Miss., where he married Betty on Aug.15, 1950. They moved throughout the south working with local congregations of the Lord’s people in Mississippi, Illinois, Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida, Alabama and Texas. He also devoted much of his time to writing hymns of worship to God and songs of admonition to the saints. In 2008, he retired from full-time preaching and moved to Cullman, where he resided until his death.

He was preceded in death by his father, Shack Hartsell; his mother, Nicie Sue Hartsell; his brother, S.B. Hartsell; his sister, Anne Iverson; and son-in-law, Bruce Hall.

He leaves behind his wife of 65 years, Betty, along with his seven children, Dana Chappell (John), Carol Partain (Joseph), David Hartsell (Belinda), Beth Crawford (Dennis), Danny Hartsell (Katie), Jana Marshall (Matt), B.J. Dutton (Tarry); 20 grandchildren; and 19 great-grandchildren. He will be dearly missed.

Funeral services will be at noon Saturday, March 19, at Moss Service Funeral Home, with burial in Oakwood Memorial Gardens in Gardendale. Visitation will be from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday.

Friends can leave a message of sympathy for the family or upload memorable pictures which will be used to create a family keepsake at www.mossservicefh.com.