Major Lee Wooten

Major Lee Wooten (“Pop Pop” to many), age 105, peacefully passed away on Wednesday, September 28, 2022. He was surrounded by family when God called him home. Major was married to the love of his life, Jewell Cox Wooten, for 75 years. Major was born in Cullman, Alabama to Sara Lou “Vinnie” and John William Wooten on December 3, 1916. Making a living as sharecroppers, they resided in multiple locations in Cullman and Winston Counties. He was the seventh of 12 children.

At 13 years of age, and during the Great Depression, Major’s father passed away suddenly. Like so many others during that time, he left school to help feed the family. Major began working for other farmers, but he traveled to California with his brother Felton working on a vineyard because they paid every week. It was at this time; Major became a lifelong Alabama football fan following their play in the Rose Bowl.

Major’s value of hard work to provide for his family led to a job with US Steel for forty years repairing iron ore rail cars. His career was interrupted by WWII. He was drafted into the Army. He landed on Utah Beach near Normandy, France in August of 1944. He often joked about cleaning up after the flyboys who strafed the rail cars. He repaired bombed out rail cars resupplying the front line. Major returned to the states in 1945, and honorably discharged. He regretted not joining the infantry because they came home earlier. France awarded him with the Legion of Honor Medal. In the last years of his life, he continued to share stories of his service frequently with community groups and schools in the Madison County area.

Major and his wife Jewell were active members of Huffman Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama helping the Ladies Missionary Group with their projects. After the passing of his beloved wife and son Larry, he relocated to Madison Alabama with his daughter-in-law Judy where he enjoyed tending to his garden that he constructed and built. In recent years, He became a member of American Legion Post 229, took trips to Washington D.C. with “Honor Flights.” He also accompanied “Forever Young Senior Veterans” on tours of Pearl Harbor, France, Belgium, and Germany commemorating the 75th anniversary of D-Day and Battle of the Bulge. Major was an active member of “Honoring Veteran Legacies” until the time of his death.

He was preceded in death by his wife Jewell Wooten and son Larry Wooten. He is survived by his brother; Bill Wooten, sister-in-law; Lolas Wooten, his son; Ronald Wooten (Marylee); daughter-in-law; Judy Wooten; grandchildren; Cindy Brophy (E.J.), Jenny Ryder (Sean), Holly McDonald (Dell), Stephen Wooten, Lea Anne Fernandez (Jose), Lauren Kiser (Mike), 18 great grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends on Friday, October 7, 2022 from 10 A.M. to 11 A.M. at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Madison, Alabama with a “Celebration of Life” to follow at 11 A.M. Burial to follow at Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham, Alabama at 3 P.M. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Honoring Veteran Legacies. www.honoringveteranlegacies.org/donate. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.valhallafunerals.com for the Wooten family.