Paula Mauldin Watson
May 31, 2022
Mrs. Paula Mauldin Watson, age 59, of Bratt, FL; passed away, Friday, May 27, 2022 in Pensacola, FL. She was born in Pensacola, FL; and resided most of her life in Bratt, FL.
Mrs. Watson valued her time she got to spend with her family and taking care of them. She was an avid Alabama Football Fan. She enjoyed Christmas, loved going to the beach and spending time at her swimming pool. She loved her dog Chief.
Mrs. Watson is preceded in death by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Paul G. (Margaret Blanton) Mauldin, two brothers, William Mauldin, and Gary Mauldin.
She is survived by her loving husband of 37 years, James W. Watson, of Bratt, FL; one son, Ryan N. (Jean) Watson, of Pensacola, FL; one brother, James (Jenny) Mauldin, of Pensacola, FL; other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be held Wednesday, June 1, 2022, at 10:00 AM at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home, LLC with Rev. Ronald Hall officiating.
Burial will follow at Barrancas National Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, June 1, 2022 from 9:00 AM until service time at 10:00 AM at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home, LLC.
Petty- Eastside Chapel Funeral Homes, LLC. Atmore, AL. is in charge of all arrangements.
Viola Willornease Wooten
May 31, 2022
Mrs. Viola Willornease Wooten (Mawmaw), lifelong resident of Atmore, Alabama was born July 27, 1932 and passed away peacefully in her home on May 27, 2022.
Mrs. Wooten is preceded in death by her parents, Roy and Fannie Boggan Smith. She is also preceded in death by two brothers, Obin Smith and Bobby Lee (Sonny) Smith and one great-grandson, Drake Boutwell.
Mrs. Wooten is survived by her loving husband of 67 years, Mr. Clark Wooten, her brother Gladden (Ruthie) Smith of Atmore, AL, her children, Danny (Mary Jean) Sanspree of Birmingham, AL, Gail (Randall) Miller of Little Rock, AL, Judy Wooten Pouncey of Stapleton, AL, Debbie (Tony) Patterson of Canoe, AL, Bobby (Cheryl) Wooten of Little Rock, AL, Don (Lila) Wooten of Birmingham, AL, 12 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, and 6 great-great grandchildren. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law Jean (Joe) Pennington of Spanish Fort, AL and Adeline Rhinehart of Canoe, AL.
In her young adulthood, she graduated from Flomaton High School and after, worked at Vanity Fair in Atmore, Alabama. In her later years, she worked driving a school bus for Escambia County. She was a member of Robinsonville Baptist Church. In her lifetime, she enjoyed spending time with her family the most. She was a adamant follower of Jesus Christ, and did her best to instill that in every person she came into contact with.
She was the epitome of a Proverbs 31 woman. Her family believes that she was more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her. She draws on her strength. Her hands reach out to the poor and she extends her hands to the needy. Her mouth speaks wisdom and loving instruction. She watches over the activities of her household and is never idle. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also praises her. A
woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate to a foundation of your choice, Southern Care Hospice, or place Gideon International Bibles in her honor.
The family would like to say a special thanks to Brigitte Covington with SouthernCare Hospice for her loving kindness and dedication while taking care of Mama.
Arrangements are as follows: Funeral services will be at Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home on Tuesday, May 31, 2022. Visitation for family will be at 1:30 pm. Visitation for friends and others will be at 2:00 pm. Services will begin at 3:00 pm with Bro. Phil Johnson officiating. Burial will be at Robinsonville Baptist Church.
Pallbearers include: Jacob Williams, Tony Patterson, David Womack, Garry Baggett, Jimmy Smith and Michael Smith.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
James Wheeler Crook, III
May 31, 2022
James “Jimmy” Wheeler Crook III died on Friday, May 27 th at the age of 71. He is preceded in death by his parents, James Wheeler Crook Jr and Mattie Lou Brantley Crook. Mr. Crook is survived by his wife of 48 years, Carol Edwards Crook of Brewton; his sisters, Deborah Crook Ray (Joe) of Montrose and Patricia Crook Threadgill (Bill) of Pensacola; his children, Carey Crook Miller (Jamie) of Huntsville, Lindsey Crook Cranford (Alex) of Newnan, and J. Wheeler Crook IV (Laura) of Montgomery; as well as nine grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.
Mr. Crook was a devoted citizen and community advocate for his hometown of Atmore. He served as a longstanding board member and ultimately as the President of the Atmore Chamber of Commerce; as a board member of the Escambia County Industrial Development Authority; as Finance Board Chair at the Atmore First United Methodist Church; and President, Treasurer and Board Member of the Atmore chapter of the Lions Club. As a result of his service, he received the prestigious Lions Club Melvin Jones Fellowship Award. Mr. Crook was a certified public accountant and retired from his position as partner at Waller, Crook, & Jones after over forty years of ardent commitment to his clients and their families; he was passionate about guiding and influencing others during good times and bad.
Mr. Crook met his wife while they were both students at Auburn University where he served as President of Pi Kappa Alpha. He could almost always be found wearing his favorite Auburn ball cap, a tribute not only to his time at Auburn but also to his lifelong love of the outdoors and to sports of all kinds. He spent countless hours coaching his children and teaching them his famous hook shot in basketball or the best way to get a base hit; he never missed a game. Mr. Crook loved to be in the quiet of nature: hunting, fishing, bird watching, or taking care of his yard. While he was generally a man of few words, his Valentine’s Day poems and wedding toasts always struck the perfect chord: sometimes rhyming, sometimes embarrassing, sometimes funny… but always touching and personal. He loved to rock babies, throw toddlers in the air, and teach his grandchildren to fish or wrestle.
Family and friends will gather Graveside at Oak Hill Cemetery on Tuesday, May 31, 2022 at 1:00pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Atmore Public Library, your local library, or to www.alz.org.
Johnson-Quimby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Florida Memorial Day Gas Prices Set New Record High
May 31, 2022
Florida gas prices held relatively steady through the holiday weekend.
Memorial Day gas prices were officially the holiday’s most expensive on record. The Florida state average price of $4.57 per gallon was $1.71 per gallon more than last year’s holiday and well above the previous Memorial Day high of $3.93 per gallon – set in 2008.
The lowest price Monday night in North Escambia was $4.28 per gallon at a station on Muscogee Road, while the lowest price in Pensacola was $4.12 on Pensacola Boulevard.
“Gas prices appeared to level out over the weekend, but there’s renewed upward pressure on pump prices after an active week on the oil market both last week and overnight,” said Mark Jenkins, spokesman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Tightness in the global fuel market has kept a high floor on fuel prices. The price of oil traded higher overnight after the European Union announced a partial ban on Russian oil imports. The region, which is historically reliant on Russian oil and gas, will now have to find alternative suppliers, in what is already an extremely tight fuel market.”
NorthEscambia.com photo, click to enlarge.
Charlene Norman
May 31, 2022
Mrs. Charlene Norman, age 71, passed away, Tuesday, May 24, 2022 in Brewton, AL. She was born in Century, FL; and resided most of her life in Flomaton, AL. She retired as a Warehouse Clerk with Florida Department of Corrections with many years of employment. She was a member of Flomaton First Baptist Church.
Mrs. Norman loved spending time with her family. She enjoyed taking care of the animals especially her dogs. She was a great homemaker, she enjoyed cooking, cleaning, sewing and really enjoyed traveling.
She is preceded in death by her father Charles Ellis.
She is survived by her loving husband of 19 years, Mitchell Norman, of Flomaton, AL; one son, Kevin (Annie) Bishop, of Pinellas, FL; two step-sons, Brent Norman, of Gainesville, FL; Blaine Norman, of Lake Butler, FL; one sister, Cheryl Ellis, of Bandera, TX; three grandchildren, Taryn Norman, Nadia Norman, Perry Norman, other relatives, and friends.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, May 31, 2022 at 11:00 AM at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home, LLC with Rev. Waylon Stuckey and Rev. Eric Johnson, officiating.
Burial will follow at Flomaton Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, May 31 2022 from 10:00 AM until service time at 11:00 AM at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home, LLC.
Pallbearers will be Donald Jordan, Eric Johnson, Bill Harris, Blaine Norman, Lamar Morris, and Jared Norman.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home LLC. are in charge of all arrangements.
A Local Marine Never Forgotten: ‘I Died Doing Something Meaningful’
May 30, 2022
For Memorial Day, we take you back to August of last year, the 10 year anniversary of the death of local LCpl. Travis M. Nelson, who gave his life in Afghanistan on August 18, 2011.
Gold Star Mom Beckie Nelson spoke with NorthEscambia.com about the last decade and her son’s sacrifice in Afghanistan.
I Died Doing Something Meaningful.
And she shared with us a short, simple note LCpl Travis Nelson left behind in his field book just in case he did not return.
“Dear friends & family, If your reading this it seems I didn’t get to come home. I love each and every one of you and I want you to know I have no regrets. I died doing something meaningful.”
He died a few short weeks after writing that note.
Beckie Nelson clings to those words that provided her peace and understanding.
“We received Travis’ belongings weeks after the funeral. The emotions we felt as we opened the trunk are unexplainable. Still in disbelief, our hearts still in pieces, it was gut wrenching to say the least. When I saw this page I closed the book, laid down on his bed with it in my arms and I actually slept for the first time in weeks.”
Growing Up With A Promise To His Mother
A young Travis Nelson grew up in Bratt, just two doors down from the modern day Travis M. Nelson Park that was named in his memory about a year after its 2010 opening.
He would play on those very grounds, shooting his BB gun and riding his go cart. His first love in his young life was fishing. At four years old, he would spend hours with relatives fishing on the Escambia River. No matter how old he got, he never gave up the love for a fishing pole and hook. He also loved playing baseball at Northwest Escambia’s Bradberry Park in Walnut Hill.
On Sept., 11, 2001, Travis Nelson was nine years old when America was attacked. He was not playing; he was fixated on the news.
And he made a promise that day. The kind of promise to a mother that a young man will do anything to uphold.
“I’ll never forget him saying ‘Momma, I will protect you. I will be a soldier’,” Beckie Nelson said.
The family last saw Travis on July 13, 2011, as he deployed for Afghanistan. Their last phone conversation was Monday, August, 15, 2011, as he requested items for a care package.
That care package was still sitting by the front door three days later. It never made it to the mail.
August 18, 2011.
It was about noon on Thursday, August 18, 2011, at the Nelson home in Bratt.
An American flag fluttered in the breeze on the porch.
And three men in military uniforms stood at the door. Beckie Nelson knew what that meant.
“I just screamed and said no,” she said. “I just went to my knees and said don’t let them come in. I knew right away that he was gone.”
My Biggest Fear
The next day, Beckie Nelson sat in the middle of her bed with a laptop, reading the scores of reader comments on a NorthEscambia.com story about Travis Nelson’s death.
“He really was our hero,” she said, clutching a 5×7 photo of her son.
“I didn’t think I could see past that day. I felt like it would always be that day. I didn’t imagine that I could ever talk about it,” she said. “But I can, and it has to do with the support groups, the military support groups, and the community support.”
She was remarkably strong as she talked about the heart wrenching pain of that day.
But during our interview, her voice broke.
“My biggest fear,” she said before pausing. “My biggest fear was that Travis would be forgotten. I was scared I was going to forget.”
A Fallen Marine Returns.
LCpl. Travis M. Nelson was never forgotten.
The rain poured down at Pensacola Naval Air Station August 24, 2011, as Nelson’s body arrived on the final leg of his journey home.
Outside the main gate of Pensacola NAS, people gathered to pay their respects to the young soldier. The rain did not send them running; they stood silently — many holding American flags — as the hearse carrying an American hero departed on a 55-mile journey to Atmore.
Along the way, some of Pensacola’s busiest roadways came to a complete standstill as the motorcade passed. Many motorists stood outside their vehicles and paid their respects.
In Walnut Hill, just a few miles from Nelson’s boyhood home in Bratt, the motorcade slowed as it approached Ernest Ward Middle School. Nelson was a Golden Eagle, attending Ernest Ward in the sixth and seventh grades.
Hundreds of Ernest Ward Middle School students and teachers dressed in red, white and blue lined Highway 97, American flags in hand, waiting for the arrival of the motorcade.
Several of Nelson’s middle school teachers were among the crowd that suddenly grew silent as the first sirens could be heard. As the procession passed, the students stood with their hands over their hearts, waving Old Glory. The thunder of 127 Patriot Guard motorcycle riders vibrated the ground and echoed across the country fields near the school.
Six Florida Highway Patrol trooper vehicles led the hearse past the school. Many students and teachers broke down in tears at the sight of a flag draped coffin. Others cried as they made eye contact with Nelson’s parents and their daughter — who was a sixth grader at Ernest Ward at the time.
“I look back at those pictures now,” Beckie Nelson said. “Those pictures from the middle school. It meant so much. Those kids are now fathers, mothers, some are now serving in the military.”
My Travis.
“Travis knew at nine years old that nothing was going to hold him back. That was his heart’s desire,” Beckie Nelson said 10 years later. “That’s what he wanted to do with his life.”
“God had a greater plan for my Travis.”
Above: NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Two Teens Missing For Hours Found Safe Along The Perdido River Near Fillingim Landing
May 30, 2022
Two teens were safely located Sunday night over six hours after they went missing along the Perdido River.
Authorities are searching for two teens last seen Sunday afternoon at Fillingim Landing along the Perdido River near Barrineau Park.
Keeth Cooper Martinez, 17, an Gage Wallace Eicher, 16, were last seen at the landing at 2:30 p.m.at Fillingim Landing near Barrineau Park
They had crossed the river and were headed westbound into the woods on the Alabama side of Perdido River. They were unable to safely cross back over the river, which was at about nine feet Sunday night. That’s over double the four-foot reading early last week before heavy rains.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Escambia Search and Rescue, other agencies and numerous volunteers took part in the search.
A Few Clouds Monday Night
May 30, 2022
Here is your official North Escambia area forecast:
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 66. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Tuesday: A 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. East wind around 5 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Calm wind becoming east around 5 mph in the morning.
Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 69. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming southwest around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68. Southwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Friday: A 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.
Friday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68.
Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 88.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 68.
Sunday: A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly sunny, with a high near 90.
No Serious Injuries In 9 1/2 Mile, Pine Forest Rollover
May 30, 2022
There were no serious injuries in a single vehicle rollover accident in Cantonment Sunday evening.
The crash happened about 6:20 p.m. near Pine Forest Road and West 9 1/2 Mile Road. A SUV came to rest upside down in a ditch
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
Reader submitted photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Claudeen Kimmons
May 30, 2022
Rev. Claudeen Kimmons, age 86, passed away, Wednesday, May 25, 2022 in Brewton, AL. She was born in Canoe, AL; and resided most her life in Byrneville, FL. She was a member of Ebenezer Church.
Mrs. Kimmons valued her time she got to spend with her family. She enjoyed sewing, fishing, and her flower garden. She enjoyed preaching and spreading the gospel.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Elbert (Ester Mae Burkette) Boutwell, husband of 65 years, Charles “Bud” Kimmoms. one son, Tim Kimmons, two sisters, Margie Brown, Luleen Tollin, three brothers, Marvlee Dukes, Alton Ray Boutwell, and Levon Boutwell.
She is survived by her four sons, Charles (Kathy) Kimmons, of Pensacola, FL; Donnie (Linda) Kimmons, of Pensacola, FL; Bernie (Shelia) Kimmons, of Cedar Bluff, AL; Doug (Melinda) Kimmons, of Andalusia, AL; one daughter, Cynthia (Jesse) Burch, of Brewton, AL; sixteen grandchildren, forty-four great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren, two special friends, Stella Knowles, Christine Fowler, numerous nieces, nephews, and other relatives.
Funeral services will be held Monday, May 30, 2022 at 3:00 PM at Beulah Chapel Assembly of God Church with Rev. Bobby Carnley, Rev. Tim Floyd, and Rev. Donnie Kimmons officiating.
Burial will follow at Beulah Chapel Cemetery.
Visitation will be held Sunday, May 29, 2022 from 6:00 PM until 8:00 PM at Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home, LLC.
Pallbearers will be Chris Burch, Justin Burch, Steven Kimmons, DaKorey Kimmons, Dwain Kimmons, and Lester Kimmons.
Honorary pallbearers will be Lee Ledbetter, Daniel Burch, and Chris Fowler.
Petty-Eastside Chapel Funeral Home LLC. in charge of all arrangements Atmore, Alabama.