Jefferson County Alabama Genealogy Trails A part of the Genealogy Trails History Group

Obituaries
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THOMAS EARL SISSON (Descendant of William Green Sisson)
Thomas Earl Sisson, 79, on  July 3, 2007. Beloved husband of 55 years of Elizabeth Brigtsen Sisson, and cherished father of Carol and Sally Sisson. Brother of Doris Rodgers, Howard Sisson and Rita Nuernberger, and the late Carroll Sisson, Theron  Sisson and Gloria Sisson Cruce. Also survived by a host of nieces &  nephews. Born to Henry and Dora Sisson in Birmingham, AL and a resident of  New Orleans since 1948. He was graduated from Phillips High School in  Birmingham, and received both a Bachelor's degree and MSW from Tulane University, and worked as a school social worker for the Orleans Parish  School Board for many years. He served in the U.S. Navy and later as a  Major in the U.S. Army Reserves. He loved the outdoors, bicycling and  traveling, was a member of the Sierra Club and Good Sam Club, and had lifelong interests in photography, music, woodwork and house renovations.  He was a charter member of the Community Church Unitarian Universalist.  Though recently slowed by Parkinson's disease, he still awoke each day  with a sense of wonder, curiosity, adventure and concern for others. He  will be sorely missed. Relatives and friends of the family are invited to  the memorial service Tuesday, July 10, 2007, at 12 noon, at Salem Church, 4212 Camp St. (corner Milan). Visitation from 10am Published in The Times-Picayune from 7/8/2007 -  7/9/2007,
[Submitted by Janice Rice.]

ROBERT PAUL SOUTHERN
Robert Paul Southern, 68, of 119 Van Street, Hueytown, who died Thursday, was a native of Alabama and retired from U. S. Steel.  He was working as a guard in K-Mart at Midfield at time of death.  He was a sergeant major at Ensley Salvation Army.  Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Saturday at the Ensley Salvation Army Chapel with burial at Elmwood Cemetery, Angwin Mortuary Center directing.  Survivors include one daughter, Mrs. Juanita Moore, Birmingham; and two foster sons, Victor B. Lauderdale, Corpus Christi, Texas, and George W. Williams, Birmingham.  
[Birmingham (AL) News, November 13, 1970, page 36, Transcribed by C. Anthony]

Mrs. MARY VELMA STAMPS
Mrs. Mary Velma Stamps, 69, of 211 Republic Avenue, Bessemer, died yesterday.  Funeral will be at 1:30 p.m. today at Brown Service, Bessemer, with burial in Highland Memorial Gardens.  She was a member of Raimund Heights Baptist Church.  Survivors include a son, Billy Joe Stamps; two daughters, Mrs. Betty Watkins and Mrs. Charliene Findley, all of Bessemer, and a sister, Mrs. Louise Pounds, Tulsa, Okla. 
[Birmingham (AL) Post-Herald, July 24, 1980, page A-7, Transcribed by C. Anthony]

Mrs. STEWART
Graveside services for Mrs. Anna Crump Stewart, a longtime Birmingham resident who died at a local hospital Sunday, will be held at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at Elmwood Cemetery, Johns-Ridout's directing.

Mrs. Stewart's son, Max L. Stewart, is owner of Stewart Discount Sporting Goods Co.
[Birmingham (AL) News, Monday, April 6, 1964, Transcribed by C. Anthony] 

Mrs. DRUSIE REYNOLDS STEWART
Mrs. Drusie Reynolds Stewart, 87, of 2912 Avenue H, Ensley, died Tuesday. She was a teacher and principal of Shannon Elementary School for 23 years. She was a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and BIrmingham-Southern College, and received her master's degree from the University of Alabama. She was a member of teh Retired Teacher's Association and a lifetime member of the Alabama Education Association. She was a member of Ensley Christian Church where she was a Sunday school teacher for 50 years. Funeral will be at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Angwin Ensley, with burial in Oakland Cemetery. Survivors include her husband, John Edward Stewart, Sr.; a son, John Edward Stewart, Jr., and a daughter, Mrs. Marjorie Stewart Tucker, both of Birmingham.
[The Birmingham (AL) News, Wednesday, March 28, 1984, Submitted by Dianne Armstrong]

Mr. JOHN EDWARD STEWART, SR.
Stewart, Mr. John Edward, Sr., age 95 passed away Tuesday, November 23, 1993. Mr. Stewart was born in West Blocton, October 5, 1898. He was married there in 1921, to the former Durssie Reynolds, who preceded him in death, March 27, 1984. They moved to Birmingham where he worked for the U.S. Postal Service as a mail carrier for 37 years. In 1926 he began working from the Ensley Station where he delivered mail for four years. He then transferred to the Fairview Station where he worked mail routes in Ensley Highlands for 33 years until he retired December 31, 1963. Determined to keep active, he became the caretaker of teh Shannon Elementary School, where his wife, Drusie, had been principal for 19 years. They both retired from the Jefferson County Board of Education in 1967. They had both been members of the Ensley Christian Church. Mr. Stewart is survived by one son, John Edward, Jr., Birmingham, a dauther, Marjorie S. Tucker, Vestavia, two grandchildren, Dianne W. Armstrong, and Larry J. Watson, both of Helena, MT.; and two step-grandchildren, Debbie T. Wright, Vestavia, and Ann Baswell, Cropwell, Ala. Graveside service Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Oakland Cemetery, Angwin Mortuary Center, Ensley Chapel directing. Visitation Monday, 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the Funeral Home.
[The Birmingham (AL) News, Monday, November 29, 1993, Submitted by Dianne Armstrong]

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JAMES THOMAS

DUG HIS OWN GRAVE - A Birmingham special to the St. Louis Republic says: The statement is often heard that a man is digging his own grave, but it does not prove true literally very frequently.  In the cemetery at Pratt City, Ala., is buried a man who dug his own grave.  He was no crank preparing to die.  On the contrary, he had no idea that he would fill the grave when he was preparing it.  The story is a peculiar one.  The man was JAMES THOMAS, a railroad employee.  His brother had been ill in Tennessee for quite awhile.  He received a telegraph announcing his death, and saying that the body would be shipped to Pratt City on a certain train, and that it was imperative on account of the condition of the corpse that it be buried immediately upon its arrival. In his hurry to prepare a grave for his dead brother, Thomas dug it himself.  The next day the body had not come and he received a message saying that the corpse was so badly decomposed that it could not be shipped and had been interred in Tennessee. The grave was left unmolested, and just 10 days later Thomas himself was ground to death under the wheels of his train and his body laid in the grave he had dug for his brother.

[From The Hamilton Appeal, Marion County AL, Feb 28, 1896 - Transcribed and submitted by Veneta McKinney]

 

ROOSEVELT J. THOMAS
Roosevelt J. Thomas, 40, of 807 11th Place North, was a male beautician and gospel soloist.  He was a member of Saint James Baptist Church and served as director of all choirs.  Funeral will be Sunday noon at the church with burial at Grace Hill Cemetery, Smith & Gasten directing.  Survivors include his father, Roosevelt Thomas, Sr., Detroit, Mich.
[Birmingham (AL) News, November 13, 1970, page 36, Transcribed by C. Anthony]

MARJORIE S. TUCKER
Marjorie S. Tucker, 67, died Sunday, Sept. 3, 2000, at St. Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham, Ala., of respiratory failure after a brief, unexpected illness.

She was born Sept. 15,1932, to John and Drusie Stewart, the younger of two children.

After graduating from Ensley High School, she married Jim Watson in 1950. They had two children, Dianne and Larry.

Jim and Margie ran a TV and applicance store in Fairview until they divorced in 1961. Marjorie then returned to school and graduated from Birmingham-Southern College with a BA in Mathematics and Education. She subsequently completed two years of graduate study in mathematics at Samford University in Birmingham. She taught high school for a year but quickly decided teaching wasn't for her, so she accepted a job as a computer programmer in the heart research program at the VA Hospital in Birmingham. After the grant expired, she continued to work at the Veteran's Administration Medical Center and the UAB Medical Center until her retirement.

Marjorie married James H. Tucker in 1967. Their best times were spent working in their beautiful gardens. She was an excellent seamstress who enjoyed antiques and traveling, but her greatest love was genealogy. She had long been interested in chronicling her family history, and in 1983 she fulfilled her dream by publishing a book documenting her ancestors' presence in the south as early as 1700. She made many trips throughout the Deep South gathering pictures of remaining family plantation homes, cemeteries, and tombstones for her book. Marjorie, a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution was very proud of her southern heritage.

Marjorie's world turned to sorrow in 1992 when her son, Larry was diagnosed with AIDS. She made a number of trips to Montana during Larry's illness and in the process developed a friendship with Larry's stepmother, Marta Watson and former husband, Jim Watson that amazed everyone. Marjorie, Marta, and Jim worked side-by-side sewing panels for the AIDS quilt to commemorate the son they all loved. After Larry died, Marjorie and Marta accompanied Dianne and Ron on an Altrusa tour of Georgia as roommates, which raised more than a few eyebrows much to Margie's delight.

Marjorie was a brilliant woman who lived her life exactly as she wanted without regret. It would have pleased her to know that her death brought the possibility of sight for two people through organ donation.

In addition to her parents, Marjorie was preceded in death by her son, Larry and his twin Allen Ray who died at birth. She is survived by her husband, James H. Tucker of Birmingham; daughter and son-in-law, Dianne and Ron Armstrong of Helena; brother Johnny Stewart of Birmingham; stepdaughter and husband, Debbie and Bill Wright, and son Brian of Birmingham; stepdaughter, Ann Baswell and daughter, Sherry and her children of Birmingham; former husband, Jim Watson and his wife, Marta of Helena; Jim's sister and brother-in-law, Dorothy and the Rev. George Harper and family of Helena; and close friend Sr. Elizabeth Henry of Helena.

A memorial service will take place at 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 9, at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Helena with the Rev. Ed Hislop officiating. Interment has taken place in Birmingham. Memorials are suggested to the Lewis & Clark AIDS Project, Box 832, Helena, MT 59604.
[Independent Record (MT), 2000, Submitted by Dianne Armstrong]

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