200203 February 3, 2020

 

Editor's Note: While working on the reunion scheduled for later this year it was found several classmates have passed but we were just made aware of their passing. Here are some of the newly discovered lost classmates.

Robert Larry Harbin

LHS '66

? - January 14, 2003

    The Rev. Robert Larry Harbin, 55, of Tuscumbia, died Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2003.Visitation will be Thursday, Jan. 16, 2003, from 6 until 9 p.m. at Morrison Funeral Home, Tuscumbia. The funeral service will be Friday at 11 a.m. at First United Methodist Church of Tuscumbia.  Mark Puckett, Ira Laney, Hal Noble, Bobby Ray Halbrooks, Terry Bentley, Buzz Barrett and Herb Williamson officiated. Internment was in Tri-Cities Memorial Gardens.

    Brother Larry, as he was best known, was a native of Huntsville, Ala., and pastor of First United Methodist Church of Tuscumbia. Churches he previously served include Moody/Acmar; St. Andrews, Cullman; Pleasant Hill, Florence; Rogersville First; Cherokee; Center Springs/Antioch; Central, Decatur.He also served in many United Methodist Church offices including the Florence District Council on Ministries chair, Committee on Evangelism, district clergy president, North Alabama Conference Committee on Nominations, Conference Committee on Evangelism, Board of Ordained Ministry of the Florence District and the North Alabama Conference. He was also past president of the Tuscumbia Kiwanis, the Lions Club, Colbert County Caring Center board, Adjunct Faculty of Northwest- Shoals Community College and president of the Ministerial Association of Colbert County and supervising mentor of the United Methodist Church.

    Survivors include his wife, Joy Beggs Harbin, Tuscumbia; son, Mark Harbin, Madison, Ala.; daughter, Christie Harbin, Cullman, Ala.; brothers, Woodrow Harbin and Jack Harbin, Huntsville; and a host of nieces and nephews.Pallbearers are Florence District pastors, James Cotton, Bill Smith, Billy Redding, Kenny Baskins, Carl Long, Eric Browne, Frank Ellison, George Cobb, Gary Formby, Mike Butler and Chuch Worley. Honorary pallbearers are pastors of the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church.Memorials may be made to the Family Life Center of First United Methodist Church.Morrison Funeral Home, Tuscumbia, is directing.

    Published in Florence Times Daily on January 16, 2003

Gayleia Ann Hendrix

LHS '66

? - September 28, 2012

    Gayleia Ann Hendrix, 66, of Boaz, died Friday, Sept. 28, 2012 at Trinity Medical Center in Birmingham. Services were held at Concord Baptist Church and burial followed a tNew Home Cemetery in Kilpatrick. Survivors include her sons, Samuel A. (Jenette) Cobb, of Deatsville, and Lynn (Alicia) Cobb of Crossville and four grandchildren.

Miriam Anell Sims Ledbetter

LHS '65

? - May 2, 2018

    Mrs. Miriam Anell “Grandmother” Ledbetter, age 71 of Murfreesboro, Tennessee passed away Wednesday, May 2, 2018 at her residence.

    Funeral services were held Sunday, May 6, 2018 at Smyrna Holiness Church with Rev. Pat Coffey, Rev. Edward Atchley, and Bro. Kevin Key officiating. Burial will follow in the adjoining cemetery. The family will receive friends from 3-8 p.m. Saturday at Smyrna Holiness Church.

    Mrs. Ledbetter is survived by her husband, William Edward Ledbetter; daughter, Tammy Grant (Christopher); son, Timothy Ledbetter (Serena); grandchildren, Trevor Ledbetter (Whitney), Tailor Ledbetter, and Landon Grant; and brother, Collis Howard Sims, Jr. (Judy).

    She was preceded in death by her parents, Collis Howard Sims, Sr. and Mary Coffey Sims.

 

        Memphis, TN -

Memories of the Track Team

(Part Two)

Don Wynn

LHS ‘67

My Most Memorable Track Meet at Lee

    Perhaps the most memorable athletic event for me during high school was at a track meet at Sheffield in 1966.  I think that was a sectional meet where many teams were competing. I ran the 440, the 880 and anchored the mile relay team.  I don’t even remember the first two races but I definitely remember the mile relay.  In those days, the mile relay was always the last race.  By the start of the race, the coaches generally knew how important the outcome would be.  In this case, Coach Thomas told us that our team would win the meet if we won the final event.  If the desire to win wasn’t strong enough already, that just added to it.

    Our first runner took off at the gun and almost matched the pace of the top two teams.  On the baton exchange, our team lost a little more ground.  Our second guy may have gained a little ground but we were still in third place when his leg was over.  We bungled the baton exchange but the third guy gained a little on the 2nd place team but we were still in third when I finally got the baton.

    Adrenaline kicked in pretty hard for me and I quickly passed one guy to move into 2nd place.  The leader was a full 10 yards in front of me.  When you are only covering 440 yards, a 10 yard lead is tremendous.  I focused on the back of his jersey and chased him with all my might.  With each stride, I was gaining a few inches.  When we entered the last turn, I had closed the gap to the point that he could hear me breathing and he could hear my foot falls.  It reminded me of my first track meet ever.  I simply kicked in another gear and started to pass him on the outside in the curve.  He sensed my move quicker that John Blue had in that first meet.  As I pulled even with him, he found more speed.  For a long time, we traded strides and raced toward the finish line as though we were one person. 

    This was an important track meet and spectators had been allowed to line the track.  We raced through a sea of people.  Most of the spectators were from Sheffield.  They were screaming and cheering their runner on.  Sprinkled through the group were my team-mates.  They were cheering like crazy for me.  About 10 yards before the finish line, I finally pulled in front of him.  I stretched my chest out and broke the tape at the line with a lead of a few yards.  There was a very strong feeling of elation that I can still remember about 40 years later. 

Michael S. Overcast

LHS '64

October 28, 1946 - May 27, 2019

    The Lord has taken another angel. Michael Overcast ended his earthly journey on May 27, 2019 and ended the path that his disease has taken him.

    Mike was born October 28, 1946 to John Lee Overcast and Marie Overcast Frakes in Murray, Kentucky. He served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War, then went to college and worked to earn his degree in Agriculture Business from Murray State University.

    Mike started his career with the Farm Credit system in Kentucky and then moved to Lockhart, Texas. He then went to Farm Credit Bank in Austin, Texas. With a short break, he opened a Sears store which sold in 2002. Back in the Farm Credit system, and a move to McKinney, Texas, Mike managed the Heritage Land Bank. After retiring in 2012 and planning to enjoy retirement to travel, God had other plans. In 2015, Mike was diagnosed with Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD)- a rare neurological disease. Spending the last 3 years of his life in his chair, but never complained. Mike always had a smile on his face and a Hello for everyone.

    Mike is survived by his wife Linda, whom he married January 1, 1982. She was his caregiver and by his side every day of his illness. Also surviving is his mom- Marie Frakes and step dad Ray Frakes. Siblings Roger (Carol) Overcast, Linda (Morris) Sheffield, Sharon (Ricky) Hobbs all of Huntsville, Alabama. Also surviving extended family.

 

  

Save the Date!

September 25 & 26, 2020

LHS Reunion

The Westin at Bridge Street

Huntsville, AL

More Information to Come Later

Reunion Contacts

Ann Wilson Redford (redforda@uah.edu)

Niles Prestage (napjr@me.com)

Sarajane Steigerwald Tarter (starter@hiwaay.net

Last Week's Name That Tune

    

 

Max Kull, LHS '67 "I think some of these must have been found in the back of the locker under a pair of dirty gym socks. Not too sure about the first couple but here's my submission for this week:"

1 - Hey Little Girl (In the High School Sweater) - Dee Clark

2 - High School Hop - Lee Denson (Waitin' in School - Ricky Nelson)

3 - Be True to Your School - Beach Boys

4 - School Days - Chuck Berry

5 - Beauty School Dropout - Frankie Avalon

    P.S. FWIW, February 3rd is the anniversary of Buddy Holly's Clear Lake plane crash.

Jeffrey Fussell, LHS '66, "Humbled this week --I couldn’t even muster a gentleman’s “C”. (He got the last three correctly).    #1 sounds like “Willie and the Hand Jive” but it wasn’t the old Johnny Otis version. The intro for #2 is a standard rock ‘n’ roll riff that I couldn’t tie to a particular song,  After identifying #3 and #4, I picked up a theme of “School”, but that didn’t help me with the first 2. Fortunately, the theme as well as the long intro to #5 reminded me of one of Frankie Avalon’s lesser songs. Must have been a contract obligation to get that stinker released. His other songs are much better.

(Editor's Note: Song 5 was not released when we were in high school, but was featured in a movie about those days - Grease!)

Linda Collinsworth Provost, LHS  '66, "Sorry, Tommy, but i'm sitting in the corner wearing my dunce cap.  I only recognized one of the tunes this week."

Jeff's Missing Song of Last Week

Hey Little Girl (In the high SCHOOL sweater)

Dee Clark

This Week's Name That Tune Group