On January 19, 2021, Huelee Adams’s soul left this Earth to be with his Savior. His family will miss the way he always told them he loved them and prayed for them and the way they knew that it was a fact. Huelee Adams of Vinemont, AL, married Carolyn McAnnally of Garden City, AL, in 1958. They were married 62 years and had four children: Pamela Hanners (Greg) of Columbia, TN, Barry Adams of Vinemont, AL, Stephen Adams (Nancy) of Hartselle, AL, and Jonathan Adams (Suzanne) of Jacksonville, AL. He was blessed with six grandchildren: Julian Adams, Jacob Adams, Mary Adams O’Barr (Clayton), Caleb Adams, Kyle Hanners, and River Lily Soulshine (Justin Williams). He had four great grandchildren: Sipsey Ponder, Nanalee Ponder, Jax Williams, Ayden Salmen, and Isabel Salmen. He also leaves behind his brother, Jerald Adams (Joyace), and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Gladys Arcadia Adams and Zecue C. Adams, his sister, Arvella Parker (Gene), and his brother, Dewayne Adams (Betty).
In college, Huelee took an astronomy course, and when his children came along, he enjoyed pointing out bright constellations above the dark countryside. All his life, he loved sharing what he knew—as a father, coach, and teacher.
When he was a student, he found basketball provided a welcome break from farm work, and his caring coaches inspired him to go to college and become a coach himself. Coaching basketball for 17 years, he never forgot the young men on the junior high teams in Garden City or the junior and high school teams at Vinemont School. He liked to reminisce about certain players and special games over the years.
He also brought the Vinemont community together by helping to start a summer recreational program. Even today, many Vinemont children (adults now) and their mommas and daddies remember playing softball and baseball on the red dirt field at Vinemont School with Coach Adams calling balls and strikes behind the plate. Later, he would become assistant principal and then principal at Vinemont, retiring with 40 years in education. But after 20 years as an administrator, most people still called him Coach.
In retirement, one of his greatest joys was teaching Sunday School at Faith Baptist Church in Vinemont. He spent hours studying and planning his lessons. Class members often told him his lessons were especially meaningful to them, but he assured them that by studying and having such a supportive class, he was the one who was truly blessed. He also enjoyed sharing meals with members of his Cullman High School class in recent years before the virus kept them all at home.
Above all and through it all, he was a family man and a Christian. His whole life he studied the scriptures and tried to apply them in every aspect of his life. He encouraged his family to follow his example. He loved his wife, who cared deeply for him, but now Huelee’s spirit has “slipped the surly bonds of Earth” and flown to glory—perhaps somewhere beyond the constellations that he loved to name.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Huelee's memory for a future scholarship may be made to Vinemont High School, PO BOX 189, Vinemont, Alabama.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.mossservicefh.com for the Adams family.
