Addie Lee Gorham Lovelady Evans, 94, passed away on March 22, 2016 at Hanceville Nursing Home after a short illness. She had lived in her own home in the Berlin Community until December 26, 2015. She was born on September 23, 1921 to Charlie and Ludie Gorham of Holly Pond.
Addie was preceded in death by her parents; by four brothers, Kermit Gorham, Earl Gorham, "Tink" Gorham and Rex Gorham; and by three sisters, Delba House, Deura Gibbs, and Glenell Lenz. Her surviving sibling is sister Rhonwyn Plagmann.
She is survived by her husband, Bill Evans; two sons, John David (Linda) Lovelady, Charles Mark Lovelady; and by two daughters, Lydia (Darrel) Haynes and Lynne (Philip) Hardee. Also surviving are four grandchildren; Ben (Whitney) Haynes, Bart Haynes, Caroleene (Bobby) Dobson, and Garrett Hardee; and three wonderful great-grandchildren, Jack, Lola Kate, and Charlie Haynes.
Addie was one of the Greatest Generation engaged in WWII. After graduating Holly Pond High School in 1939 and Massey Business College in Birmingham one year later, she was employed by the Loew's Theatre Corporation in Detroit, Michigan. As the War escalated, she felt duty call and enlisted in the US Army. She was selected to be in the group of the first one hundred women sent to the South Pacific, assigned to the Signal Intelligence Section, to work on the Japanese Code.
She served in Australia, New Guinea, and then followed General MacArthur back into the Philippines. After returning home, she married John Lovelady and had four children and helped run a Cotton broker business with the New Orleans Cotton Exchange. In 1957, duty called again. As the Cold War escalated, she was recruited by the US Army and subsequently worked 30 years with Army Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal. After retirement she kept busy with commercial catfish ponds and beef cattle.
Addie loved God, her family, her country and she loved music. She was a self-taught pianist/organist and played both not only at her church, all of her life, but also at community and civic events. She worked with the Cullman Lions Club for 31 years with the Cullman County Fair Queen Pageant. She so admired all of the Lions and Lionesses and the good they accomplished. With her health already in decline, she was able to play the grand piano at her church, Concord Baptist, one last time for the funeral of family member, Howard E. "Bud" Haynes this past August.
Her philosophy of life was described in a poem by Emily Dickerson:
If I can keep one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain.
If I can spare one heart from aching, or cool one pain, or lift a fallen sparrow into its nest again. I shall not live in vain.
Visitation will be at Concord Baptist Church on Friday March 25, 2016 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. with the service immediately following. Followed by the funeral service.
She will be interned, with Military Honors, at Cullman City Cemetery immediately following the service.
Holly Pond Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to: (local) V.F.W. Post 2214, 112 Veterans Drive S.W., Cullman, AL 35055, Attn: Commander Sam Bates.
The family would like to thank Dr. Michael Hall and Paulette Trimble for their loving care over the last 35 years, the CRMC Emergency Room staff during her many recent visits, Hospice Care of Cullman County, and all of the Staff and Therapists at Hanceville Nursing and Rehab Center for their caring attentiveness to her and her family over these last several weeks.
