Millard Franklin Guffey, of Cullman, Alabama, was welcomed into the presence of our Lord and Savior on Oct. 6, 2023, at the age of 82. Mr. Guffey was born in Cullman County, Alabama, on Feb. 14, 1941.
At the age of nine, Millard fell in love with a pretty little girl named Natalie Golden and proposed to her. Nine-year-old Natalie was not looking for marriage, so she politely declined his offer. While Millard’s love for Natalie never wavered, her love for him began to grow. At the age of nineteen, Millard and Natalie wed, and a love story written by God began to unfold over the course of their fifty- eight years of marriage.
The two moved several times, rejoiced at the birth of each of their seven children, grieved the loss of one of those children, loved and spoiled grandchildren, and most importantly, they loved and served their God through each chapter of the story He gave them.
Millard received the Holy Ghost on Mother’s Day, May 8, 1960 and was a minister of the Gospel for over fifty-five years. He pastored the Brooklyn (Mt. Zion) Holiness Church for fifty of those years. As much as Millard loved his wife and children, serving the Lord was the most important thing in his life. He was gifted with an amazing bass voice, and he loved to sing. Millard enjoyed bird hunting, playing golf, and had a love for life that was evident in all he did. Millard was an amazing husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and witness to the world of God’s saving power. He will be missed greatly.
Mr. Guffey was welcomed into God’s presence by his wife of fifty-eight years, Natalie Guffey; mother, Kate Bell Guffey; son, Millard Franklin Guffey, Jr.; sisters, Dorthy Nell Guffey, Wanda Moon, Oma Roach, Lula Bowen; and brother, Vester Guffey.
He is survived by his children, Cara Guffey, Keith Guffey (Diana), Carmon Ryder (Tom), Dionne Smith (Jason), Paula Kilgore (Kevin), Dana Guffey; grandchildren, Logan Guffey (Tiffani), Landon Tweedie, Morgan Guffey (Leigh), Brian Kilgore, Tiffani Kilgore, Nathan Ryder, Jacob Ryder, Nathan Frasier (Magon), Derek Frasier (Jennifer); great-grandchildren, Natalie Ann Guffey, Lauren Frasier, Ethan Frasier, and John Frasier.
Friends are invited to join the family for a time of visitation on Monday evening, Oct. 9, 2023, in the Holly Pond Funeral Home Chapel from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Mr. Guffey will lie in state on Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, from 12 noon until services begin at 1 p.m. Services will be held at the funeral home with Ronald Case and Tom Ryder officiating.
Burial will follow in Brooklyn Cemetery where Jason Smith, Kevin Kilgore, Logan Guffey, Landon Tweedie, Bryant Roberts, and Brian Kilgore will serve as pallbearers, with James Golden and Ronald Patterson serving as honorary pallbearers.
Holly Pond Funeral Home is honored to serve the Guffey family.
