Doyal Sumerel

January 31, 2013

Doyal Sumerel was loved by many. He was born Oct. 2, 1940, in Hodges,

Funeral services were Monday, Jan. 4, 2013, at Hodges Church of Christ with Bro.Steve Gober and Bro. Paul Swindle officiating.

Interment was in Mt Olive Cemetery. He graduated from Mars Hill Bible School where he was elected wittiest in his class. His friends later would nickname him Fonzie. After school, he traveled the country. He was a Journeyman Pressman for newspapers in Chicago, Ill, Lansing, Mich., and Memphis, Tenn. He was drawn back to his hometown of Hodges, where he became a member of the Local 320 Operating Engineers and worked all over the country as well.  He was certified in many different fields of operating heavy equipment and was skilled in operating cranes, bulldozers, and other equipment.

During off time, he built a successful used car and bulldozer business. He was successful in both. He was a member of the Hodges Church of Christ and was baptized in the Hodges Lake. Doyal cared about the community. He always took time to take meals to shut-ins in the community during Christmas and always left a card for the mail carrier. Doyal retired in 2003, and took time to go to auctions and flea-markets and enjoyed both. He became a member of Masonic Lodge 344 and enjoyed the time spent with the brethren there. He enjoyed his dogs, Curly and Frank, and loved to take them on rides. He loved the little farm in Hodges and would walk the land and spend time down on the creek and bluffs. He loved to sit and watch the deer in the evenings and took special time each spring to make sure the Purple Martins had a place to stay.

He loved his family and was devoted to his mother.

He is preceded in death by his father, Tommie J. Sumerel, and is survived by his mother, Shirley Sumerel, his sister, Tommie Lou Vaughn, two sons, Desmond and wife, Suzanne, and Derrick and fiancé, Heather Murphy, two grandchildren, Caleb and Katie, mother of his children, Carol Bettis, and a host of family and friends.

We would like to thank all those who loved and cared for Doyal and a special thanks to Gene for her companionship, Randy and Kay Ethridge and David Baldwin for their help during his illness, and all those who helped in so many ways or thought of him as a close friend, and also for the prayers said on his behalf.

You will be missed for sure.