R.C. Farmer

Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Monday at Morgan Funeral Chapel for R.C. Farmer, 85, Ashville, who died Friday, April 13, 2007. The Revs. Billy Hunt and James Sampley will officiate. Burial in Ashville Cemetery. Morgan Funeral Chapel and Crematory is directing.

R.C. Farmer was born in Remlap on April 5, 1922. He attended Springville High School, where he was an outstanding basketball player. After high school, he worked for TCI and for Red Diamond Mines before enlisting in the U.S. Navy. He spent three-plus years in the Navy and then returned home to work for Republic Steel. After spending 36 years at Republic Steel, he retired and shortly afterwards began driving the school bus for Ashville High School, which he continued to do for 10 years.

He spent many hours of his life bird hunting and training bird dogs, which he loved dearly. He loved high school sports, especially if either of his two sons were participating or coaching in the sports. Mr. Farmer was one of the original founders of the Ashville Quarterback Club. He also played a major role in securing and raising money for the Ashville High School football field and stadium.

R.C. loved to sing gospel music. He sang with the following quartets in the 1950s: The Keytones, The Bama Boys and The Pioneers. He was a loving husband and father. He was a Christian and a member of the Ashville First Baptist Church.

As a man, he was as physically tough as they come. He was honest, loving, slow to anger and extremely hardworking, believing that one should do his best in everything he did. He raised his two sons accordingly. He was truly a "salt of the Earth" kind of man, and a real "man's man." He will surely be missed by all who knew and loved him.

He was preceded in death by his father, Barney Valentine Farmer; his mother, Emmalene Farmer; and by his oldest sister, Mildred Bachelor.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Sara Ruth Farmer, Ashville; sons, Billy Raymond Farmer (Madolyn), Attalla, and Randy Farrell Farmer (Jeannine), Ashville; sisters, Bernice Crowe, Moody, and Erna Ruth Webb (Allen), Muscle Shoals; grandchildren, Raymond Christopher Farmer (Kim), Vance, Michael Thomas Farmer (Mary), Attalla, and Kenny Farrell Farmer (Breanna), Jacksonville; step-grandchildren, Todd McClendon, Ashville, and Kristen McClendon, Gadsden; also seven great-grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.

Pallbearers will be grandsons, Chris Farmer, Mike Farmer and Kenny Farmer; nephews, Wayne Crowe, Don Crowe and Ken Crowe.

Honorary pallbearer will be Stanley Horn.

Special thanks to caregivers, Peggy Williams and nurse Shirley Cone, both of whom were God-sent. Also, thanks to special friends, Billy and Shirley Hunt and Jane and Terry Stewart. Also, many thanks to Mike Barry and the Ashville fire department, Larry Williamson, and the Ashville police department, the staff at Ashville Rural Metro Ambulance service and the St. Clair County sheriff's department.

Visitation will be tonight from 6 to 8 at Morgan Funeral Chapel.