Clyde Winston Stone, age 94 passed away to his heavenly home on March 21, 2010, in the presence of his loving family. Burial will be in Crestwood Cemetery. Crestwood Memorial Funeral Home will direct.
Mr. Stone was born April 28, 1915 in the community of Concord near Sylvania, AL, to Andrew and Della Summerhour Stone. Other than his parents, he is preceded in death by his first wife of 34 years, Sarah Stringer Stone, second wife of 21 years, Ruby Tillison Stone, brother Orland Stone, Sisters Velma Newsome Thrasher and Gartrell Alred, and a very special friend Margie Mitchell.
Mr. Stone was a graduate of Sylvania High School, Gadsden State Business College, and The Alabama School of Trades. He was owner of Stone's Department Store in Attalla from 1948 to 1972. In retirement he continued to sell and repair sewing machines and televisions. He was considered a local expert in a successful monogramming business. His early church affiliation in Gadsden was at the West End Baptist Church where he served with his wife, Sarah, in various areas of the ministry. In his later years he served faithfully at the Glencoe Cumberland Presbyterian Church where he enjoyed serving in the tape ministry. Mr. Stone's salvation was firm and unwavering. He loved to share his love for the Lord with people that he met. He was very active in church lay leadership roles his entire adult life. He was a frequent speaker at his church and was an excellent bass singer in the choir.
A proud veteran of World War II and a soldier in the famed 7th Combat Engineer Battalion, Mr. Stone and his unit entered Europe in 1944 at Normandy in support of Patton's Army in the march for Germany. Even in his later years, he loved to recall details of his experiences during the War and about the countries he thought he would never get to visit as a boy from Sand Mountain.
Mr. Stone's love of life and his passion for the earth and soil was evidenced by his boundless energy in tilling his famed gardens. Throughout the years, he would share his bounty with friends, shut-ins, and relatives. He had the heart of a helper and an encourager with always a word to lift whomever he met along the way.
In his later years, Mr. Stone was active in the Glencoe Senior Citizens Organization where he helped with the music at their weekly programs. His love for music was immeasurable and his determination to learn and play anything with a string or key on it was amazing. He dearly loved music in any form and one of his greatest loves was the many configurations of "pickers" that would gather in garage on Saturday nights and play for hours.
Mr. Stone is survived by his loving sisters Dorothy Hall, Audrey Peek, Elaine Ferguson, Maxie Lee Rice, and Nell June Powell. Clyde Stone was loved very much and will be dearly missed by his daughters, Nancy Stone Morton (Farris) Gadsden, Alicia Stone Williams (Jim) Canton, OH; grandchildren Lisa Beavers (Gary) Gadsden, Daryl Pruett, Gadsden, Jeannine Williams Keim (Paul) Canton, OH, Taylor Williams (Joanna) Canton, OH; and Great Grandchildren Sarah, Stone, and Steele Beavers, Madison Pruett, Logan and Isabella Keim, Noah and Gracie Williams.
Funeral service will be at 1:00PM on Tuesday March 23, 2010 at Crestwood Funeral Home. The Revs. Robert Tant, Taylor Williams, and Wade Acton will officiate, with burial at Crestwood Memorial Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 1100 am to 1:00pm prior to the service. Pallbearers will be Gary Beavers, Mike Erwin, Paul Keim, Daryl Pruitt, Jim Tillison, and Taylor Williams.
Special Thanks to caregivers Tereasa Dodd, Candi Satterfield, Regina Hopper, Lee Beecham, Hope Hospice, and Gadsden Regional Hospice.