Mr. William G Townsend

MR.WILLIAM GRADY TOWNSEND, AGE 91, PASSED AWAY ON JUNE 24, 2014 AT HIS RESIDENCE. HE WAS BORN ON JULY 1, 1922 He was better known as Grady to his friends and Papaw Grady to his family. He was a welder and trained at the Mobile Shipyards from 1941-43. He served in the US Navy during WWII from 1943 to 1946. After he was discharged as a Seaman First Class, he attended school on the GI BILL and graduated as a Master Mechanic. Grady was a welder at McCloud Steel and a Service Station manager in Wyandotte, MI, until returning to Nauvoo with his family in 1959. He and his wife, Berta , owned and operated the Townsend BBQ Cafe and Service Station for over 30 years. Papaw Grady was always the "entertainer" at all family gatherings. Everyone remembers him telling stories and jokes like no other. Singing and playing his guitar were always a hit. He was an avid fisherman and loved to take his boat out with his fishing buddies until arthritis forced him to hang up his gear. Funeral services will be at Kilgore-Green Funeral Home in Jasper, AL. on Saturday, June 28, 2014. Visitation will be from 11 A.M to 1 PM; funeral service beginning at 1PM in the Kilgore-Green Chapel with burial following in the Ashbank Cemetery in Nauvoo, AL. No grave side service. Dr. Ken Bentley will officiate. He was preceded in death by his wife of 71 years, Berta Harbin Townsend; Father and Mother, Chess and Ruthie Townsend; Father/Mother-in-law W.O. Harbin and Alta Dodd Harbin; Siblings, Horace Townsend, Mildred Mann, Lois Turner and Jerry Townsend. He is survived by his children: Betty and Jimmy Atkins of Prospect and Pat and Ray Hinds of Carbon Hill, Grandchildren: Lisa and Wade O'Mary, Wade and Karen Atkins, Darrin and Dawn Hinds, Trisha and Christian Gann, Mark and Lisa Atkins, Kiley and Jodi Hinds, and Mandy and Frankie Williams. Great Granchildren; Anna and Mark Prevost, Hunter Hinds, Grant Hinds, Sarah O'Mary, Chandler Gann, Parker Hinds, Caroline Gann, Jakob Atkins, Molly Kate Atkins, Kimbrell Hinds, Mary Harbin Hinds, Katie Claire Gann, Travis Atkins, Wyatt Williams and Amelia Jane Williams. Step Mother Sara Ruth Townsend; Sister: Marie And Garland Guthrie. Two sisters-in-law: Emilie Harbin & Peggy Harbin; Several nieces and nephews and a host of friends. Pallbearers will be his grandsons. In lieu of flowers, the family requests, if you so choose, donations be made to First Presbyterian Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 567, Carbon Hill, AL. 35549 You may sign the online register or express private condolences to the family at www.kilgoregreenfuneralhome.com.