Oct. 4 obituaries

Helen Elizabeth

Retana, 61

Helen Retana, aged six­ty-one, of Tuscumbia, Ala­bama, entered eternal rest on September twenty-fourth, two thousand twenty-five. A funeral service will be held Saturday, October fourth, at 2:00 p.m., at Morrison Funeral Home, with Doc Shell and Chad Mackey officiating. Interment will follow at a later date at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Memorial Park in West­lake Village, California.

Helen, founder of Bless­ed Be Ministries, was born August tenth, nineteen six­ty-four in Houston, Texas, raised beneath Atlanta’s magnolias, and received a degree in anthropology from West Georgia Col­lege. She spent decades walking Renaissance fairs, Comic-Cons, and beachside booths-handing out bless­ing stones, water, burri­tos, prayers-to wizards, warriors, the homeless; to anyone who needed to hear: God has not forgot­ten you. Thousands car­ried that truth like treasure.

She is survived by her husband Alex Retana; step­children Jason Retana and Lauren Cervantes (Dan­iel); mother Sonya West; twin sister Holly Har­din; brother Russell Rusty West; numerous nieces and nephews including Ashley, Brittany, and Devin West; beloved corgi Babette; and grandsons Jacob and Josh­ua-whose Bubby taught them God’s love never falters.

Martha Carole Hays, 86

Martha Carole Hays, 86, Florence, passed away on Monday, September 22, 2025. A graveside ser­vice will be held Thurs­day, September 25, with Casey Hagel officiating at 1:00 p.m. in Harris Chap­el Cemetery, Cherokee.

Martha was a retired of­fice administrator for Farm­ers Home Administration and a member of First Bap­tist Church in Florence, AL. She was a native and life long resident of the Shoals and spent many years in the Rock Creek community.

Martha was preceded in death by her husband, Au­brey Hays; parents, Oma and Price Kent; brothers, Harley Kent and Lawrence Kent; grandson, Kent Hays.

She is survived by her children, Pamela Bunch (Rob), Stephanie Leigh Malone (Rusty) and Bert Anthony Hays (Jewel); sister, Marjorie Benson; grandchildren, Brad Bolton (Stephane), Jason Bolton (Ashley), Melissa Ledbet­ter (Michael), Chuck Hays, Justin Hays (Whitney), Brittany Newsom (Chad), Allie McNabb (Bryan) and 11 great grandchildren.

Grandchildren will serve as pallbearers.

Special thanks to Lou-Ann McDonald, Shellie Thigpen, Simona Pace, Monica and Makay­la for their loving care.

Memorials may be made to the Caring Place of the Shoals, P.O. Box 207, Flor­ence, AL. 35631 or car­ingplaceshoals.org/donate.

James Bolling Seats, 78

James Bolling Seats, 78, of Tuscumbia, passed away on Sunday, Septem­ber 21, 2025. No services are scheduled at this time.

James was a veteran of the US Navy and the US Marines, serving during the Vietnam War. He was pre­ceded in death by his par­ents, Oden Cline and Bernice Ophelia Seats; and brothers, Robert Patrick Seats and George Christopher Seats.

James is survived by his wife, Emily Seats; children, Jennifer Sessions-Spivey, Amie Simison, Tracie Davis, and Katie Hadley; brother, Michael Timothy Seats, Sr; twelve grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Judy Darlene Stark, 77

Judy Darlene Stark, 77, of Sheffield, passed away on Friday, September 26, 2025. Visitation will be at Morrison Funeral Home in Tuscumbia on Wednes­day, October 1, 2025 from 11:00-12:00 with the funeral service following at 12:00 in the funeral home chapel. President Eric Stevens will officiate the service. The burial will follow in Oak­wood Cemetery in Sheffield.

Judy was retired from the University of North Al­abama and was a devoted member of The Church of Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Russellville Ward. She was preceded in death by her parents, Dennis and Hazel Terry; best friends of over fifty years, Gary and Nan­cy Brewer; and her siblings.

Judy did not have any children of her own, but she is survived by friends who became her family: Christy (Tim ) Kennamore, Kay­la (Justin) Miller, Darlene Flowers, Debbie (Steve) Charles, Brandi Charles, Stephanie (Ross) Harper, Carolyn (Dennis) Hasha, Carolyn Patrick, Laura Sch­reiner, Tay Alexander, and her little fur baby, “BB”.

Pallbearers are Tim Kennamore, Dennis Ha­sha, Steve Charles, Avon White, Haywood Low­ery, and Terry Kennamore.

Honorary pallbear­ers are Jim Patrick and Larry Flowers.

The family expresses special thanks to The Pearl of the Shoals and Genti­va Hospice Care for the great care they gave Judy.

Christene Hart Johnson, 92

Christene Hart Johnson, known by most as “Gran­ny”, 92, of Ford City, passed away September 25, 2025. Visitation will be held Sun­day, September 28, 2025, from 12:30–3:00 at Colbert Memorial Chapel, with the funeral service to follow at 3:00, officiated by Rich­ard Marks and Will Vaden. Burial will take place in Colbert Memorial Gardens.

After retiring from the Florence Clinic where she served as the Patient Ser­vices Coordinator, Granny continued sharing her love through her faith, her family, her cooking and her service. A devoted member of Shady Grove Methodist Church, she served faithfully for many years through her leadership of the choir, Bi­ble studies and community projects. She was the found­er of the Backpack Ministry for Hatton and Leighton El­ementary Schools, providing backpacks of food and neces­sities to needy students on a weekly basis. Granny also created the Junior Garden­er’s Club in Colbert County, mentoring young students for over 40 years. She was a beloved member and lead­er in the UNA Institute for Learning in Retirement, where she served as the Hospitality Chair, joyfully preparing meals and snacks for participants. Granny also served on the Emmaus Walk Team, sharing her deep love of Christ with all she en­countered. Known for her warm spirit, she never met a stranger and left a lasting mark on countless lives.

She is preceded in death by her father and moth­er, Roy E. Hart and Pearl E. Hart, her sister, Betty Hart Lambert, and her hus­band, Billy J. Johnson Sr.

She is survived by her children: Jack Johnson (Emma Lee), Mike John­son (Jan) and Jan John­son; grandchildren: April Jung (Alan), David Wright (Beth), Anna Simmons (Ja­son), Abbie Speyrer, Lau­ren Knight, Jenilee Ross (Eric), Michael Johnson; great grandchildren: Mary Emma Box, Camden Jung, Daniel Box, Conner Sim­mons, J.D. Wright, Owen Jung, Liza Box, Callie Beth Wright, Langley Jung, Kate Speyrer, Harper Jung, Emi­ly Speyrer, Vivi Champion, Darby Champion, Chandler Johnson, Grayson Johnson, Stella Knight, Noah Ross.

Pallbearers will be Michael Johnson, Da­vid Wright, Daniel Box, Conner Simmons, Owen Jung, J.D. Wright.

Honorary pallbearers will be Alan Jung, Jason Sim­mons, Eric Ross, Jeff Garrett.

In lieu of flowers you may donate to Shady Grove Methodist Church or Shady Grove Backpack Minis­try for Hatton and Leigh­ton Elementary Schools.

Sue Nell

Middleton

James, 78

Sue Nell James, 78, of Russellville, passed away on September 25, 2025. Vis­itation will be on Monday, September 29, 2025 from 12-2 pm at Colbert Memori­al Chapel. Burial will be in Colbert Memorial Gardens.

She was preceded in death by her grandson, Jesse James.

She is survived by her husband of 57 year, Ron­ny James; children, Ron­ny James, Jr. (Mona) and Christopher Michael James (Kristi); grandchildren, Cody James, Kelton James, Britt McCormick, Kris­tin James, Haley Thigpen, and Lauren Coleman; great grandchildren, Eli James, Farris James, Gracie James, and Zyah Sullivan; broth­ers, Jerry Middleton (Kar­la) and Bobby Middleton and sister, Tammy Flowers.

John Thomas

Zahnd, Jr., 69

John Zahnd Jr. age 69, of Muscle Shoals Alabama, passed away Saturday, September 27, 2025 Visi­tation will be 11:00- 1:00 pm Tuesday, September 30, 2025 at Colbert Memorial Chapel with service to fol­low at 1:00pm with burial at Colbert Memorial Gar­dens. Officiating will be Bro. Greg Beasley of Val­ley Grove Baptist church, and nephew Steven Gris­som will deliver the Eulogy.

John was preceded in death by his children, Nikki LeShea and Les­lie Nicole Zahnd; parents John Sr. and Mary Zahnd.

John is survived by his best friend and loving wife of 37 years, Sharon (Sher­ry) Zahnd; brother Ricky Zahnd (Bonnie), sister Eliz­abeth Morgan, and host of nieces and nephews.

John and Sherry enjoyed fishing, watching football, sightseeing, and just being together. They were dog parents to Dusty, Bran­dy and Molly throughout the years. Earlier in life, he was an expert Rack­ing horse trainer and rider. He retired after 41 years from Wynne Enterprises.

Although not a big talker, John let all his family and friends know he was going to see the Lord soon and wanted them to meet him in heaven.

Pallbearers will be Steven Grissom, Kenny Aycock, Brandon Lewis, Ted Everett, Michael Knight and Donnie Reathford. Honorary Pall­bearer will be Mark Moon.

A special thanks to Sher­ry’s sister Sandra Hardwick, sister Jane and brother-in-law Kenny Aycock, and aunt Brenda Gail Clanton.

Ernest Nolen

Blasingame, Jr. 79

Ernest (“Ernie”) Nolen Blasingame Jr, 79, passed peacefully in his home on Wednesday, September 24th.

Ernie grew up in Cen­tral Heights and was valedictorian of Central Heights High School in

1964. From there Ernie attended Florence State Col­lege (University of North Alabama) where he majored in political science with as­pirations of being a lawyer. He continued to work toward those aspirations by attend­ing law school at the Uni­versity of Tennessee, where he graduated at the top of his class and was editor and chief of the Tennessee Law Review. Ernie was a part­ner at Potts & Young before branching out on his own, spending decades serving the people in his community.

“Ernie the Attorney” loved practicing law and having a positive impact in people’s lives, but he loved being with friends and fam­ily even more. Whether be­ing on the river or playing golf (poorly), his quick whit and genuine joy of fellow­ship was always on display and there was a joke on the ready for each occasion. Later in his life Ernie be­came very focused on his spirituality and felt he was deeply blessed by God! He enjoyed spending time read­ing scripture and sharing the gospel with friends, which provided comfort and guid­ance as his health faltered over the last several years.

Ernie is survived by his beloved daughter Chris­ty Duncan, his pride and joy, and her husband Tim Duncan and grandchildren Rachel, Brooks and Gar­rett. Watching their fam­ily and his grandchildren gave him great fulfillment. He is also survived by two siblings, Ben Blasingame and Bonetha Massengale (Rob). He cherished his time with his special niece Bon­nie Drake (Tad) and great niece Raylee Drake as well as his other nieces, cousins and family that loved him dearly. He is proceeded in death by his parents Nolen and Reba Blasingame and his wife, Kathy Blasingame.

The family will post a time and venue for a pri­vate celebration of life in the coming weeks.

In lieu of flowers, do­nations can be made to the Ernest Blasingame Memori­al Scholarship Fund, which will provide scholarships to local students interested in a career in law to attend the University of North Al­abama. Donations can be made by visiting UNA.EDU/GIVE and searching Ernest or Blasingame, or by mailing checks made payable to the UNA Foundation with the memo line referencing the Ernest Blasingame Memori­al Endowed Scholarship to: UNA Foundation, UNA Box 5113, Florence, AL 35632

As Ernie’s health de­clined it took a supportive village to administer his care, for which we are ex­tremely grateful. We want to extend a Big thank you to Marti McKean for her incredible, tireless effort. We would also like to thank Cornerstone Caregiving, Affinity Hospice, Amanda Jefferies, Kim Hill, Nicole Hickman, Amanda Echols, and Lea Anne Carter for the outstanding care pro­vided- you were a blessing to our family and he loved each and every one of you.

Elinor Quay

McCollister, 85

Elinor McCollister, who loved to be called “Mee­mom” by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, departed her loving fami­ly on Sunday, September 28, 2025. Visitation will be on Wednesday, October 1, 2025 from 1 to 3 at Colbert Memorial Funeral Home, Tuscumbia, AL. The funer­al service will immediately follow in the chapel with Chip Henley officiating. Interment will be in Col­bert Memorial Gardens.

Elinor Quay Crowder was born January 1, 1940, in Itawamba County, Mis­sissippi along with her twin brother, Eldridge Clay to William Marvin Crowder and Mary Wilson Crowder. She grew up in rural Mississippi with four sisters and two brothers.

As a young person she worked in the fields along with her entire family. She attended school at Fairview in Golden, Mississippi. Af­terwards, she began working in a local factory in the area. She married Bill McCollister and moved to Russellville, Alabama. They moved to Il­linois for a brief time before moving to Tuscumbia and finally making their home in Muscle Shoals. Elinor was mother to Ricky, Jeff, and Pam. She was a homemaker for many years raising her children with love and devo­tion. She began working lat­er in life at Gracie’s Cakes and Catering, then several years at Jitney Jungle Gro­cery store, and then retired at Wal-Mart after 25 years. She stayed home a couple of years after retirement; at the age of 82 she went back to work part time at Chick-Fil-A. Elinor was always a people person and met everyone with a smile. She often spoke of missing work because of the customers she had come to know over the years. She loved Christmas and having family over on Christmas Eve for games, fun, and a traditional steak dinner. She was a member of South Highland Church over 50 years. She enjoyed paint­ed, shopping, and spending time with family and friends who she dearly loved.

She was preceded in death by her parents; sis­ters, Audrey Watts, Willard Brown, Wilma Funderburk, and Verlon Culver; broth­ers, W.T. Crowder, Doyle Ray Crowder, and twin brother Eldridge Crowder.

She is survived by her children, Ricky McCollis­ter (Tammy), Jeff McCol­lister (Heather), and Pam Rutland (Darryl); grand­children, Matthew McCol­lister (Kelsey Beth), Macy Kreitz (Naden), Kyle Mc­Collister (Alia), John Mi­chael McCollister (Kate), and Blake McCollister; great-grandchildren, Elsey Sue, Coy Holland, Josie Rae and Jackson Wallace McCollister; sister-in-law, Elois Crowder; and many nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers are Naden Kreitz, Matthew McCol­lister, Kyle McCollister, John Michael McCollis­ter, and Blake McCollister.

In lieu of flowers, dona­tions may be made in Elinor’s memory to South Highland Church or St. Jude Chil­dren’s Research Hospital.

Emma Jean Ricks

Warren, 71

EMMA JEAN WAR­REN was born on March 2, 1954, to the late James and Queen Ester Ricks.

She was preceded in death by one sister, Fannie Lucille Garner; four brothers, James Louis Ricks, Harry Thom­as Ricks, Larry Ricks, and Richard Ray; three nephews, Wesley Garner, Harry James Ricks, and Jamerious Ricks; and two nieces, Tammy Jones, and Bridgett Perkins.

She confessed hope in Christ at an early age and joined St. James Mission­ary Baptist Church, and later united with Chris­tian Living Ministry.

She leaves to cherish her memory: Two sons, Nor­ris (Tyanna)Warren and Demarcus(Vanessa) War­ren; eleven grandchildren, Antwon (Brittany) Owens, Apriel (London) Burnett, Norris Warren Jr., Marquise Fuqua, Ty’Neisha Warren, Jada Warren, Raven Fuqua, Nija Warren, Gage War­ren, Raylynn Jackson, and Norre Warren; ten great grandchildren; one sister, Betty Koger; one brother, Robert Ricks; one sister-in-law Delia Ricks; three aunts, Evelyn Neloms, Edith Robinson, and Janice Rob­inson; one uncle, Marshall (Jean) Robinson; six nieces, Faye, devoted niece Vivan (Bruce), Lisa, Nycole (Ter­rell) Elisa and Alisha; eight nephews, Michael, Dwight (Maria), Tommy, Corin­thian (Shannon), Antonio (Latisha), Romulus (Tonya), Thomas (Tasha) and Stacy; two special cousins, Polly Garrett and Melissa Bon­ner; two special friends, An­nie Stevenson and Thomas Bates; and a host of cousins, other relatives, and friends