Obituary of Howard Bruce Freeze

Howard Bruce Freeze, 90, of Greenhill, Alabama, was called back to the Lord on Wednesday, January 29, 2014. Born to Caleb Benjamin and Ida Lee Freeze at the Old Butler Place, Lauderdale County, Alabama on September 29, 1923, Bruce lived in Lauderdale County all of his life, bringing light and laughter to his many family members and friends in the area. He only left the area for three years during his life to valiantly serve his country, and the world, in the Second World War. He is survived by his beloved wife Evelyn, of Greenhill, Alabama; his daughter Sheila Day Moltz and husband Stephen, of Columbia, Tennessee; his son, Greg Freeze, of Birmingham, Alabama; his brother Albert Clinton Freeze, of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee; his sister Mary Frances Jenkins, of Murphreesboro, Tennessee; and his two granddaughters, Ella Day Bench, of Brooklyn, New York and LeeAnn Eveyln Pendley and husband Eric, of Austin, Texas. His brothers, John Henry and Kenneth Benjamin Freeze, and his sisters, Virginia Lou Grissom and Leona Pewitt, preceded Bruce in death. Bruce retired from the Reynolds aluminum plant where he worked for over 45 years as a machinist in the Roll Shop. Always ready to make a good deal, Bruce additionally worked on his own buying, selling and trading livestock and dry goods, and carrying smiles, throughout the Lauderdale County area. Quick with a good joke and a firm handshake, Bruce also served as an unofficial personal historian for the area. He was always happy to share his vast knowledge of the people and places that he met and saw in his daily far-reaching travels of the highways, streets, and dirt roads around those parts, with all who had interest. Special thanks to history teacher Brian Smith who chronicled many of these tales to share with area students and will provide the eulogy at the services officiated by Charles Kretzer at the Greenhill Funeral Home, 8540 Highway 43, Florence, AL 35634. Visitation begins at 11am on Saturday Feb 1, followed by services at 1pm. The family requests that donations be made to the Shiloh Church of Christ Cemetery Fund in lieu of flowers. Pallbearers and honorary pallbearers are Nelson Johnson, Zane Patterson, Stephen Moltz, Jimmy Spooneybarger, Eric Pendley, Eddie Freeze, Fred Allen, E.H. Patterson, Mike DesRuisseaux, James Gordon Freeze, Carmel Canerday, Boyd Gist, BIlly Perkins, Bobby Burbank, and Jim Pettus.