Eva Belle Fuhrman

The Celebration of Life and Home-Going of Eva Belle Phillips Fuhrman will be in the sanctuary of Southside Baptist Church at 3 P.M. Sunday, March 17, 2019. Visitation will be from 1 to 3 in the Commons Area of the church. Those officiating will be Pastor Matt Wethington, Lauil Thompson, Bill Drummons, Rev. Larry Fuhrman, and Rev. Bob Thornton. Music will be provided by Terry Conn, Gloria Johnson, Corey Stringer, and Bill Drummons.

Mrs. Belle was born in October of 1921 and spent the majority of her 97 years loving and serving God and others and teaching family and other children to put their faith and their lives in Christ’s care. She was a woman of influence with daily wisdom and inspirational encouragement. Along with working on the dairy farm for 35 years with her husband Eugene, she gardened, preserved food, reared 5 children and helped with their 16 grandchildren. She was always a mothering, nurturing and fun person to be with and was considered “Ma Belle” to dozens in the community. The Etowah Pregnancy Center Committee gave her the “Mother of the Year” award in 2001. She was awarded Southside PTA Award in 1979 for 33 years of service. She was made a Lifetime Member of Southside Band Boosters for her continuous active membership. Teaching Sunday School in the children’s department was a continuous position for Belle at Southside Baptist Church for more than 4 decades. She and Eugene became choir members and contributed their voices for most of their adult lives. Above all the numbers and awards is the loving devotion Mrs. Belle showed to anyone she met; sharing meals, teaching practical skills, baby-sitting, mentoring younger women, and being a friend to anyone wise enough to make contact with her. Her loving generosity, warmth and Christ-likeness sparked with fun, will be missed and will be aspired to by many who have known her.

Belle Phillips Fuhrman was preceded in death by her husband of 54 years, W. Eugene Fuhrman; her parents Henry and Sallie Bean Phillips; her siblings Roxie P. Parker, Marshall (Mutt) Phillips, Harold, Hoyt, and Henry B. Phillips and their spouses: Ison, Runette and Gladys, Bertha, Jessie, and Mildred, respectively. Also, her grandchildren Clay Fuhrman and Jimmie G. Harp, Jr.

Left to cherish her inspirational love and memories are her brother Billy E. Phillips and sister-in-law Kathryn Patterson; children Warren (Sandy) Fuhrman, Sally (Tommy) Robertson, Susan (Bill) Firestone, Phillip (Glenda) Fuhrman, Cindy (Glen) Abbott; grandchildren Toni Fuhrman McCord, Bart (Dre) Fuhrman, Ginger (Guy) Vickers, Tammy (Paul) Thornton, Garry (Michelle) McBride, Kim (Dave) Clough, Lori (Lee) Wadsworth, Jill Robertson, Mandy (Shane) Youngblood, Cassie Harp (Robbie Schomberg), Anna (Marc) Miller, Cory (Alisha) Fuhrman, Doug (Kristen) Fuhrman, Benji Abbott, Brent (Erin) Abbott.

There are 34 great-grandchildren and 8 great-great grandchildren. God be praised for all His blessings.

Great-grandsons will serve as pallbearers.

Honorary pallbearers will be all the children she taught in Sunday school class.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Southside Baptist Church Building Fund 3975 Hwy 77, Southside, AL 35907 or Etowah Pregnancy Testing Center at 119 Church St, Rainbow City, AL 35906.

Interment will be at Pilgrims’ Rest Cemetery following the service.