Just a quick update --
Jerri had a pretty good day and managed to eat jello, broth, and tomato soup. She is receiving excellent care at Huntsville Hospital and is scheduled for L1 spinal fusion on Friday. Shannon and I plan to spend tomorrow making arrangements for Tony, and we are anticipating a service in Huntsville some time early next week. In the meantime, the following notice is scheduled to appear in the Huntsville Times and the Birmingham News tomorrow:
Anthony Leo (“Tony”) Barnhill, 63, of Gurley, Alabama, passed away on Monday, January 25, 2010. A native of Starkville, Mississippi, he served twenty years on active duty in the United States Army and National Guard. He fought on behalf of his country in the Vietnam War, in which he was awarded the Purple Heart, and in the Gulf War. He lived in many different states and overseas before settling in Gurley in 1993 to establish the Army Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) program at Buckhorn High School, from which he retired in 2004. He loved his family, God, and country and was passionate about collecting and restoring MG Cars, a hobby through which he made countless friends around the United States and the world. He was a colorful and faithful member of Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Gurley. He was preceded in death by his mother, Clauise White Barnhill and his beloved mother-in-law Bernice Holbert Owens. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Jerri Owens Barnhill of Gurley; daughter Shannon Barnhill Lisenby (Jeff) and grandson William Patton Lisenby of Birmingham, Alabama; father William Wade Barnhill of Starkville, Mississippi; and siblings in Mississippi. Memorial arrangements remain pending. Friends are invited to make memorial contributions to Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 223 Section Line Road, Gurley, Alabama 35748.