Funeral services for Dorothy Jane Sexton, age 91, of Vinemont, AL, will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, October 8, at Cullman Heritage Funeral Home, with interment to follow at Mt. Zion Cemetery. Visitation will be from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, October 8, at Cullman Heritage Funeral Home.
Cullman Heritage Funeral Home is honored to serve the family.
Mrs. Sexton passed away at her home in Vinemont, AL. She was born October 5, 1934, in Cullman, AL. Mrs. Sexton was a longtime resident of Birmingham, where she worked as an Insurance Claims Supervisor for Associated Doctors and Life of Georgia Insurance. She was a loving wife, mother, and mother-in-law who adored her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mrs. Sexton moved back to her family homestead in Vinemont following her late husband’s retirement.
Dorothy grew up in Cullman and experienced both the joys and challenges of a full childhood. She learned the value of hard work early in life, helping her family on the farm and facing difficult seasons together. After graduating from Cullman High School in 1953, Dorothy took a train to Birmingham and began building a life of her own. It was there that she met her husband, William “Bill” Sexton. Together, Dorothy and Bill worked hard to build a life and provide for their family, and in time, they were able to enjoy the fruit of those years of hard work. They also enjoyed traveling together, making memories and seeing places beyond their home in Alabama.
Dorothy, affectionately known as “Mee-Maw”, treasured her family and took great pride in watching her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren grow. She also had a love for shopping, especially at Belk, where she could happily spend time browsing—even when she didn’t need to buy anything. Dorothy genuinely enjoyed people and the little social moments of everyday life, whether spending time at the local senior center and enjoying their holiday gatherings, having long conversations on the phone, or simply running into someone she knew and stopping to catch up. Her life was a testament to perseverance, hard work, and the joy that comes from sharing what you have with the people you love.
She was preceded in death by her husband, William Sexton; her father, Henry Yarbrough; and her mother, Harriette Drake Yarbrough; her beloved grandmother, Fannie Jane Drake along with five siblings, Fred Yarbrough, Russell (Cush) Yarbrough, Frank Yarbrough, Joe Yarbrough and Ferrell Yarbrough.
Survivors include her daughter, Judy (Larry) Bell of Cullman, AL; sons, Steve (Denise) Sexton of Panama City, FL, and Stanley (Diane) Sexton of Panama City, FL; grandchildren, Matt (Cristi) Sexton, Mark (Alisia) Sexton, Michael (Jennifer) Sexton, Meghan Sexton, Todd (Amanda) Sexton, Jodi (Scott) Koloc, Amanda (Trevor) Cofer, and Zac Bell; brother, Ronald Yarbrough; sister, Patsy Yarbrough; along with a host of great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and other family and friends.
