Julia Melissa Boggan

Julia Melissa Daniel Boggan, our cherished mother, passed away peacefully into the arms of her Savior at the remarkable age of 103. She was a woman of fierce devotion and quiet strength, leaving behind a legacy as vast as the shelves of books she once tended and the generations she guided with wisdom, wit, and unwavering faith.

Julia was born on February 4, 1922, in Chickasaw, Alabama, and passed away on July 1, 2025. She was a 1939 graduate of Murphy High School, followed by a degree from Livingston College. Julia's first assignment was 5th grade at Yerby School, located on Mobile's beautiful Barton Academy campus during the World War II years.

In 1943, to contribute to the war effort and stay busy due to her husband's transfer to the front lines, four days after their marriage, Julia also trained and worked as a “Nurse's Aide Volunteer” at Mobile Infirmary. Aids were a vital wartime necessity due to the nurse shortage on the home front, as many were serving our wounded soldiers overseas. As for those difficult two years of conflict for Wilson, against Germany's most elite army, his Division successfully pushed Germany's Gustav line from southern Italy to the French Alps, where Germany waved their white flag of surrender. It was then that American soldiers began coming home – December 1945.

Upon Wilson's safe return, Julia took a break from teaching to raise a family, but returned to the elementary school setting as a volunteer in the late 1950s. She was filled with the lofty notion of turning a seldom used “book room” at her children's school – Glendale Elementary in Prichard -- into a legitimate, Dewey Decimal library. And with the Principal's permission, that's exactly what she did.

After two years of hard work, Mobile County finally had its first elementary school library, complete with a workable system for book location by Dewey Decimals, a card catalog, a book checkout system, exciting bulletin boards, reading centers, and scheduled classroom visits. It wasn't long before the County Board of Education learned of Julia's accomplishments and came to observe the success. It was at this visit the Board mandated that every elementary 'book room' in the County become a legitimate library, with 'Mrs. Boggan' being their first hire. All who followed were required to train under her leadership, with their libraries patterned after Glendale's.

Julia continued to expand Glendale's library until it finally required walls to be removed from several large classrooms. Glendale was growing and moving with a program fit for the many thousands of children who enter its halls over the next 23 years of her tenure.

Since those years, both Julia and her daughters have heard from many former students expressing their appreciation for her influence in their lives. Some even recall the names of books she read to them those decades before, and one claimed, “I may not remember a teacher's name, but I will never forget Mrs. Boggan and the love for reading she created in me.”

In 2022, Julia was honored by the City of Saraland, for a lifetime of service as a public school teacher, published poet, librarian for Mobile County Schools, and a Bible teacher for an astounding 72 years. Until her end, Julia could recite scripture, long poems, and short ditties – She was a living anthology of words that comforted, inspired, and entertained everyone blessed to know her. She was a lighthouse for her family, a pillar in her church, and a steward of truth. Her life was a story written with purpose, lived with joy, and sealed with grace.

Julia's heart belonged first to Jesus, whom she served with unwavering faith. And it was her love for God's Word that inspired her to become a student of both Greek and Hebrew. Julia was a strong advocate for Israel and God's chosen people, making two trips to the Holy Land to experience the places of Christ's birth, death and resurrection, and it made her an even better teacher. Julia was a member of Redemption Church in Saraland, and loved the pastors and Bible students there – from college age to adult women – and they loved her back.

Julia was preceded in death by her husband, Wilson Boggan; parents Augustus and Mary Cammack Daniel; sisters Alice Casey (Frank) and Elise Gailey (Willie); and grandson Richard Dove.

She is survived by her four daughters, Anita Scoper (Kenneth), Ellen Rooney (Phil), Mary Dove, and Martha Biggs (Wayne); grandchildren Gina Courington (Mark), Kenneth Scoper, Jr, Travis Scoper (Jan), Shannon Cauley (Michael), Courtney Haupt (Alex), Alexis Hadley, Sarah Dove, Carmen Lloyd (Joey), and Mallorie Loe; 19 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren, plus nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, July 8, 2025, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., at Redemption Church,1251 Industrial Parkway, Saraland, Alabama 36571, followed by a funeral service with Pastor Scott White at 11:30 a.m. Interment will be held privately at Mobile Memorial Gardens, with arrangements made by Radney Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that condolences be made to Redemption Church Missions.

Active pallbearers are Wayne Biggs, Stephen Cauley, Phil Rooney, Kenneth Scoper, Kenny Scoper, and Travis Scoper. Honorary Pallbearers: Cameron Cauley, Hayden Courington, Mark Courington, Alex Haupt, and Joey Lloyd.