Louise Shell Waters
By: Terry McDaniel
Updated: January 4, 2013
Louise Shell Waters died Thursday, January 3, 2013 at the age of 95.
Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m. Sunday, January 6, 2013 at First United Methodist Church Chapel with Rev. Allie Freeman officiating. Burial will follow in Memory Hill Cemetery with Byrd Funeral Home directing. The family will receive friends at the church chapel one hour prior to service time on Sunday. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in her name to the United Methodist Children's Home, 3140 Zelda Court, Montgomery, AL 36106.
Louise was born January 1, 1918 to Althea Benson Shell and William M. Shell in Conecuh County, Alabama. Her parents and her older sister, Annie Laurie, moved to Georgiana where they both attended school. In 1936, Louise graduated from Georgiana High School and was employed at a mercantile store in Georgiana following graduation. It was not unusual to see the famous country singer Hank Williams and his family in the department store where she worked. The Williams family resided near Georgiana.
After his graduation from Clemson University and retirement from the US Army, Major (Ret) Lee Edward Waters moved to Georgiana from Savannah, GA to open the Ford Motor Dealership there. On Sept. 22, 1946 Louise Shell and Mr. Waters were married.
In 1948, Louise and Ed moved to Dothan, AL and Mr. Waters and his father, Mr. Lee Moore Waters, opened the Dothan Lincoln-Mercury dealership on South Oates Street. Mr. Waters died at the age of 56. Louise was employed for over 25 years as a salesperson at Deal's Juvenile Shop, a children's store.
A lifelong Methodist, Mrs. Waters has been a member of First United Methodist Church of Dothan since its establishment on Foster Street.
She is preceded in death by her sister, Annie Laurie Shell Hix.
She is survived by her daughter, Pattie Waters Alexander; her son, Lee Edward Waters; her daughter, Laurie Ann Waters McLean (Robert) of Montgomery; a granddaughter, Julianne Louise Wright with whom she shared a January 1 New Year's Day birthday; a grandson, Jared Alexander and his 2 children, Brodie and Brayden Alexander. Her only great granddaughter is Jordana Harper Wright.
