This football season is perhaps the most important in Gene Chizik’s coaching life.Chizik was not exactly the overwhelming first choice for the job by the Auburn fan base when he was named Auburn’s new football coach following the 2008 football season. Let’s face it, as a head coach he didn’t have the most resounding resume…

(NEWELL) Joyce Cofield, 49, formerly of Jacksonville, died Monday, March 26, 2012, at RMC in Anniston. A family visitation will be held at K.L. Brown Funeral Home in Jacksonville on Wednesday, March 28, from 12-2 p.m. A private burial will be held at a later date. She is survived by her son, Brandon Cofield of…

(HAMILTON) Graveside service for James Ray Payne, 76, of Hamilton will be at 11 a.m., Wednesday, March 28, 2012, at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church Cemetery, Wedowee, with the Rev. Barrett Holloway officiating. Mr. Payne died Sunday, March 25. He is survived by one sister, Louise Shelnutt of Rome, Ga.; three brothers, Johnnie Payne, Lamar Payne…

(SARALAND) Harold Junior Cantrell, 67, of Saraland died Sunday, March 25, 2012, at his home. Funeral services will be at Forest Lawn Funeral Home in Saraland on Thursday, March 29, at 3 p.m. with burial at Memorial Gardens. Mr. Cantrell was a graduate of Daviston High School. He was an employee of Fulton County Public…

(ROANOKE) Fannie Mae “Josie” Taylor Brooks, 84, of Roanoke died Sunday, March 25, 2012, at her residence. The funeral will be at Rehope Baptist Church, Five Points, on Thursday, March 29, at 1 p.m. with the Rev. Harvey L. Jones officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. The remains will lie in state one…

(ROANOKE) Funeral services for Lillian Houston Watson, 83, of Roanoke will be at 11 a.m., Saturday, March 31, 2012, at St. Paul Baptist Church with the Revs. Jeffery Rosser and J.D. Darden officiating. Mrs. Watson will lie in state one hour before the service at the church. Burial will follow in East Roanoke Cemetery. Mrs.…

(MONTGOMERY) Eulette Fincher Evans, 95, of Montgomery, formerly of Phenix City, died peacefully Saturday, March 24, 2012, at her home, Bell Oaks Apartments, Montgomery. Funeral services will be at 3 p.m. EDT Tuesday, March 27, at Lakewood Baptist Church in Phenix City with the Revs. Charles Keown and Grant Parker officiating. Interment will follow at…

(DELTA) Funeral services for Earnest R. Clarke Sr., 99, of Delta will be Saturday, March 24, 2012, at 2 p.m. at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church with the Revs. Claude Bennett and Turk Holt officiating. Burial will follow in the adjoining church cemetery. Mr. Clarke died Tuesday, March 20, at Lineville Health and Rehabilitation Center. A…

(FIVE POINTS) Memorial services for Bradford Buddy Harmon, 42, of Five Points were Sunday, March 25, 2012, at 2 p.m. at Rock Mills Holiness Church with the Rev. Horace Harper officiating. Mr. Harmon died Thursday, March 22, at Bethany House in Auburn. Mr. Harmon was born Oct. 5, 1969, in Roanoke, the son of Dorsey…

(HOGANSVILLE, Ga.) Orbie B. Arrington, 76, of Hogansville, Ga., died Friday, March 23, 2012, at VistaCare Hospice at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta. Mr. Arrington was born Sept. 12, 1935, in Randolph County, Ala., son of the late Ervin Joseph Arrington Sr. and the late Lela Edmondson Arrington. A resident of Troup County most of…

(INDIANAPOLIS, Ind.) Dr. James Claris Wright Jr. of Indianapolis, Ind., died Thursday, March 22, 2012. Jim will be interred in the Columbarium at Trinity Episcopal Church during a private service for family. A memorial service will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 30, at Trinity Episcopal Church, 3243 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis. Jim was…

(BIRMINGHAM) Wiley Dennis Wood III, 34, died Friday, March 23, 2012, in Birmingham. The visitation is scheduled at 9 and the service is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday, March 26, at Riverchase United Methodist Church. A graveside service is planned at Cederwood Cemetery in Roanoke at 3 p.m. Wiley was the son of Carol Lane…

(HEFLIN) Funeral services for Johnny Wayne Lewis Sr., 43, of Heflin will be Monday, March 26, 2012, at 11 a.m. at Benefield Funeral Home in Lineville with Bro. David Holcombe officiating. Burial will follow in Union D Baptist Church Cemetery. Mr. Lewis died Friday, March 23, at East Alabama Regional Medical Center in Opelika. A…

(VALLEY) Magdleane Myers Ray, 86, of Valley died Friday, March 23, 2012, at her residence. The funeral will be Sunday, March 25, at 4 p.m. EDT in the Johnson Brown-Service Funeral Home Chapel with pastor Derreck Hubbard and Chris Ogle officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Cemetery in Lanett. Mrs. Ray was born March 16,…

(AUGUSTA, Ark.) Josephine Allen Freeman, 74, a native of Roanoke, residing in Augusta, Ark., died March 13, 2012, at St. John Providence Hospital, Southfield, Mich. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 24, at Mount Bethel United Methodist Church, Roanoke, with the Rev. William Crawford, officiating, along with the Revs. William Heard, LaMar…

(ROANOKE) Graveside services for Macie Bell Shelnutt, 82, of Roanoke will be Saturday, March 24, 2012, at 3 p.m. at Center Chapel Baptist Church Cemetery with the Rev. Bud Stiltner officiating Mrs. Shelnutt died Thursday, March 22, at Roanoke Health Care. Mrs. Shelnutt was born March 31, 1929, daughter of Joseph Ben and Sally Maude…

(LAGRANGE, Ga.) Gwendolyn McCarley Janney, 62, of LaGrange, Ga., died Saturday, March 17, 2012, at Hospice in LaGrange. Mrs. Janney was born in Roanoke on Aug. 6, 1949, daughter of the late Graham and Hazel McCarley. She was a member of Grace Baptist Church. She is survived by her loving husband, Mark Janney of LaGrange;…

(WADLEY) Funeral services for Carolyn Sayers, 78, of Wadley will be at 10:30 a.m., Friday, March 23, 2012, at Abanda Baptist Church with the Revs. Mickey Vaughn and Zenus Windsor officiating. Burial will follow in Wadley City Cemetery. Mrs. Sayers died Tuesday, March 20, at her residence. Mrs. Sayers was born Jan. 28, 1934, the…

(FORESTDALE) John Emanuel Lee, 89, of Forestdale died Wednesday, March 21, 2012. The funeral will be Friday, March 23, at 1 p.m. at Crestview Memorial Funeral Home, Adamsville, with visitation from noon until the funeral time. Burial will follow at Elmwood Cemetery. He was the youngest child born to Clifford Lorenzo and Georgia Penninnah Griffin…

(WOODLAND) Funeral services for Bonnie Mozella Clifton, 76, of Woodland will be Friday, March 23, 2012, at 2 p.m. Benefield Funeral Chapel, Wedowee, with the Rev. Larry Clifton officiating. Burial will follow in Valley Grove Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery, Wedowee. Mrs. Clifton died Tuesday, March 20, at her residence. Mrs. Clifton was born April 13,…