LAKE DALE OBITUARIES

William M. Branning
The Florida Advocate, Friday, March 23, 1951

William Millage Branning, 82, of The Lake Dale Section, died in his home Tuesday after several weeks of serious illness.  A native of Columbia County, Mr. Branning moved to Hardee County 28 years ago, where he took up farming.  He was a member of the Lake Dale Baptist Church.

He is survived by his widow, Mrs. W. M. Branning; four sons, Millage, Ozie, Aaron and Woodrow Branning, all of Wauchula; 10 daughters, Mrs. Wiley Godwin, of Olustee; Mrs. John Rigdon, Mrs. Wes Kersey, Mrs. D. B. Boyd, Mrs. Lacey Johns and Mrs. J. S. Edenfield, all of Jacksonville; Mrs. Harry Polk, or Orange Park; Mrs. Jack Jones, Mrs. W. E. Howell and Mrs. M. H. Platt, all of Wauchula, and two sisters, Mrs. Frank Brannen, of Lake Butler, and Mrs. Tom Alford, of Sanderson.

Services were held in the Lake Dale Baptist Church on Thursday, at 10:30 a.m., with Rev. J. D. Best in charge, assisted by Rev. Joe Smith and Rev. John Conerly.  Internment was in the Lake Dale cemetery.  The Coker Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Pallbearers were Orin Shackelford, Hugh Griffin, Jimmy Howell, J. F. Foskey, Eschel Hilliard and Edgard Davis.  Honorary pallbearers were Richard Lamb, Otto Foskey, Boyd Cowart, Herman Hilliard, Henry Wilson, D. W. Fletcher, John Richardson, Abe Shackelford, Jimmie Burnett, C. Coleman, Will Davis, Ed Davis, A. M. Fletcher, Ben Glover, Calvert Polk and Bob Pepper.

Annie V.  Branning
The Herald-Advocate, January 29, 1965

Annie V. Branning of the Lake Dale community died last Wednesday.  She was born in Starke on May 13, 1882, and came to this area 41 years ago.  She was the widow of William Millage Branning.

Survivors include three sons, Aaron Branning of Delray Beach, Ozie Branning and Woodrow Branning of Wauchula; eight daughters, Mrs. Teanie Howell of Delray Beach, Mrs. Jack Jones and Mrs. Marvin Platt of Wauchula, Mrs. Pansy Polk of Orange Lake, Mrs. Beadie Johns, Mrs. Daisy Zambeto, Mrs. Sarah Kersy and Mrs. Lizzie Rigdon all of Jacksonville; and one sister, Mrs. Della Dobson of Webster.

Services were held Friday afternoon at the Lake Dale Church with burial in the Lake Dale Cemetery.  The Rev. T. E. Ellerbe officiated.

Pallbearers were Charles Ray Cowart, Terry Shackelford, Calvin Herndon, James Williamson, Carl Coker and Milton Poucher.

Marvin H. Platt
The Herald-Advocate, September 23, 1971

Marvin H. Platt, 84, of the Lake Dale Community died Friday at Avon Park.  A native of Arcadia he had lived here for 40 years, and was a deacon at the Lake Dale Baptist Church. 

Survivors are his widow, Mrs. Cordie Branning Platt; a daughter, Mrs. Yvon Peele of Wauchula, and a son, Marvin H. Platt Jr. of Wauchula.

Funeral services were held Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Lake Dale Baptist Church with Rev. G. W. Martin and Rev. J. H. Rhoden officiating.  Burial was in the Lake Dale Cemetery.

Mada P. Cowart
The Herald-Advocate, December 21, 1978

Mada Phillips Cowart, 82, a longtime resident of Wauchula passed away, Sunday, December 17, at her residence.  She was born September 17, 1896 in Malvern, Arkansas.  She was a housewife and a member of Lake Dale Baptist Church.

She is survived by her husband, L. Boyd Cowart; one daughter, Frances Walton of Avon Park; two sons, Charles Ray Cowart of Wauchula and Ronald B. Cowart of Malaysia; two sisters, Mrs. Agnes Epstein of Lakeland and Mrs. Evie Wingo of Jacksonville; one brother, Max Phillips of Lakeland; 12 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

Services will be held Thursday, (today) at 3:00 p.m. at Lake Dale Baptist Church with interment in Lake Dale Cemetery.  Rev. Jerry Harper and Rev. J. H. Rhoden will officiate.

L. Boyd Cowart
Herald-Advocate, July 23, 1981

Lewis Boyd Cowart, 91, of Wauchula died July 19 at his place of residence.

Mr. Cowart was born May 22, 1890, in Hardee County.  He was a cattleman and a citrus grower, a veteran of World War II, a deacon of the Lake Dale Baptist Church, and was a lifelong resident of Hardee County.

He is survived by one daughter, Frances Walton of Avon Park; two sons, Charles Ray of Wauchula and Ronald of Malaysia; 12 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held Wednesday afternoon at the Lake Dale Baptist Church with the Rev. Glenn Collins, the Rev. T. E. Ellerbe, and the Rev. George Martin officiating. Burial services followed at the Lake Dale Cemetery with the Rev. Jerry Harper officiating.

Fred T. Jackson, Sr.
The Herald-Advocate, January 8, 1981

Fred Tyrus Jackson Sr., 67, of Lake DAle community, died January 4 at Winter Haven Hospital.

He was born October 11, 1913, in Georgia and had lived in this area 28 years.  He was a construction worker; a veteran of World War II, and a member of Lake Dale Baptist Church.

He is survived by his wife, Edna Jackson; two daughter, Blanche Edge of Palmetto and Pat Bell of Georgia; two sons, Fred Jackson, Jr. and Leon Richard Jackson, both of Wauchula; his mother, Blanche McWilliams of Wauchula, three sisters, Mary Dangler, Iris Register, and Essie Deer, all of Wauchula; three brothers, Pratt Jackson of Pennsylvania, John Foskey of Dundee, and Leonard Foskey of Fort Myers; and five grandchildren.

Funeral services are scheduled for today (Thursday) at 2 p.m. at Lake Dale Baptist Church with Rev. T. E. Ellerbe and Rev. George Martin officiating. Burial will follow at Lake Dale Cemetery.

William H.  Minton
The Herald-Advocate, November 12, 1981

William H. Minton, 70, of Wauchula, died November 8, 1981, in Lakeland General Hospital.

He was born December 16, 1910 in Starke.  He was a vegetable farmer and resided here since 1942 and attended Lake Dale Baptist Church.

He is survived by his wife, Ruby (Grantham) Minton; two sisters, Murray Rogers and Mettie Minton of Atascadero, Calif.; and one brother, Nathan Minton.

Burial was Tuesady at Lake Dale Cemetery with Rev. T. E. Ellerbe officiating.

Onnie M. Richardson
The Herald-Advocate, January 22, 1981

Onnie Mae Richardson, 72, of Bowling Green died on Jan. 14 in Hardee Memorial Hospital.

Richardson was born on May 15, 1908, in Georgia.  She was a housewife and a member of the Faith Evangelistic.

She is survived by six daughters, Lorene Noel of Wauchula, Margaret Simpson of Bowling Green, Frances Kirkland of Davenport, Hazel Calloway of Stuart, Ruth Gilmore of Wauchula and Belle Villanueva of Naples; three sons, Noah Richardson of Ft. Meade, James Richardson of Englewood and W. H. Richardson, Jr. of Englewod; three sisters, Nina Pratt, Edith Blount, and Mary Lee Bryant all of Nashville, Ga.; two brothers Jessie Lee Godwin and Albert Godwin both of Nashville, Ga.

Funeral services were held Jan. 17 at the Lake Dale Baptist Church with the Rev. James Miller officiating, burial services followed at the Lake Dale Cemetery.

Rheba V. Smith
Herald-Advocate, April 27, 2000

Rheba V. Smith, 89, of Frostproof, died Thursday, April 20, 2000.

She was born Sept. 10, 1910, in Henry County, Alabama.  She was a resident of Frostproof from 1926 until 1950, when she moved to Bowling Green.  She lived there until 1995 when she returned to Frostproof.  She attended the First Baptist Church of Bowling Green and worked over 30 years at the Bowling Green Packing House.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bascom Smith.

Survivors are nine children, Lavonia Duke and friend Robert Crane of Frostproof, Lamar Smith and wife Margaret of Hermosa Beach, Calif., Claudie Conley and husband Clyde of Lake Dale, Juanita Tindell and husband Earl of Wauchula, J. T. Smith and friend Marlene Lloyd  of Bowling Green, Roy C. Smith and friend Dessie Douglas of Lake Wales, Vera Sherman and friend Bill Miller of Frostproof, Mitchell Smith and wife, Phyllis of Fort Meade, and Pat Rubin of Venice; 17 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren; and 13 great-great grandchildren.

Graveside services were Saturday, April 22, at 2 p.m. at Lake Dale Cemetery with the Rev. J. H. Rhoden officiating.

Last revised: December 17, 2004.
Copyright 2000 Teresa McGowin
All Rights Reserved.