Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
4:38 am Monday, November 5, 2001

OBITUARIES FOR MONDAY, NOV. 5, 2001

By Staff
HERBERT C. GUSTIN
Retired grocer, self-employed contractor
Graveside services for Herbert C. Gustin will be held Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Forest Lawn Cemetery with the Rev. Johnny Smith officiating. Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Gustin, 81, of Meridian, died Saturday, Nov. 3, 2001, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. He was a Veteran of World War II, serving in the South Pacific Theater. Mr. Gustin was a loving and devoted husband, father and friend to many.
Survivors include his wife, Mavis Gustin and a daughter, Vi Stinnette and her husband, Charles, all of Meridian; grandchildren, Todd Stinnette of Gautier and Becky Clevenger and her husband, Robert, of Lenoir City, Tenn.; great-grandson, Cody Clevenger; and a brother, Frank Brunelle and his wife, Loraine, of St. Johnsbury, Vt.
He was preceded in death by a son, Alan Gustin; a sister, Theola Desroscher; and his parents, Homer A. and Viola Gustin.
Pallbearers will be Charles Stinnette, Todd Stinnette, Robert Clevenger, Herbert Joyner, James Joyner and Christopher Smith.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
THOMAS EARL LEWIS
Crane operator
QUITMAN Services for Thomas "Tommy" Earl Lewis were held Saturday at Pleasant Grove Methodist Church with the Revs. Kenneth Ray Owen and Ray Daniel officiating. Wright's Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Lewis, 53, died Thursday, Nov. 1, 2001, at Heartfelt Hospice. He was a veteran of Vietnam.
Survivors include his wife, Dian Lewis of Enterprise; his son, Johnny Irby and his wife, April, of Pachuta; two daughters, Lynn Dickerson and her husband, Billy, and Jessica Irby, all of Enterprise; three brothers, Leonard Lewis and his wife, Mary Francis, Preston Lewis and his wife, Mazie, and James H. Lewis, and his wife, Shirley, all of Rose Hill; four sisters, Emma Hammrick of Stonewall; Martha Jane Welborn and her husband, Johnny, of Quitman; Christine Owen and her husband, Ray, of Enterprise; and Wanda Sue Morris, and her husband, J.B. of Laurel; seven grandchildren, Meagan Irby, Matt Irby, Mindy Sullivan, Daniel Dickerson, Cody Dickerson, Summer Irby and Brooke Irby.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Lelia Lewis and James Henry Lewis Sr.; a brother, Carl Lewis; and two sisters, Dorothy Ray English and Lelia Ruth Lewis.
Pallbearers were James Johnson, Carl Smith, Timmy Lewis, Juston Morris, Jeffery Morris, Rusty Dickerson and Joe Owen.
Honorary pallbearers were his grandsons, Matt Irby, Daniel Dickerson and Cody Dickerson.
TIMOTHY W. MUSE SR.
Public works director for city of Newton
Services for Timothy W. Muse Sr. will be held today at 2:30 p.m. at Calvary Baptist Church of Newton with the Revs. Ron Gilstrap, Rodney Anderson, Tom McCloughin and Wayne Griffith officiating. Burial will be in a private family cemetery with Barham Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Muse, 31, of Hickory, died Thursday, Nov. 1, 2001, at Riley Hospital. He was the public works director for the city of Newton and president of Newton Theater. He was a member of Newton Volunteer Fire Department, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Quarter Horse Association, National Society of Professional Engineers and Hickory Baptist Church.
Mr. Muse graduated from Pillow Academy, Mississippi Delta Community College and received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Mississippi State University.
Survivors include his wife, Lori Ann Muse and a son, Timothy W. Muse Jr., both of Hickory; his parents, Eddie and Judy Muse of Greenwood; his grandmothers, Mrs. A. J. Stewart of Belzoni and Doris Muse of Greenwood; two sisters-in-law, Sherry Pluche and her husband, Alfred, of Germantown, Md., and Cathy Faulkner and her husband, Greg, of Prattville, Ala; his mother and father-in-law, Ed and Sandra Riddle of Hickory; and several aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, O.R. Muse and A.J. Stewart, and his niece, Margie Elizabeth Pluche.
The family requests memorials be made to Meridian Care Lodge.
Pallbearers will be Hamp Beatty, Wayne Griffith, Alfred Pluche, Greg Faulkner, Fred Snow, Sammy Walker, Donald Ray McClelland and Melvin Evans.
Honorary pallbearers will the the crew of Newton City Public Works, members of the Newton Fire Department, Jay Powell, Mitch Avant, Milan Killebrew, Lloyd Muse and Brad Avant.
RUTH T. SPEED
Retired secretary for Kerr McGee Co.
NEWTON Services for Ruth T. Speed will be held Tuesday at 10 a.m. at First Baptist Church with the Rev. J.B. Costlow officiating. Burial will be in Newton County Memorial Gardens with James F. Webb Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Speed, 77, of Newton, died Saturday, Nov. 3, 2001, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. She was a member of First Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband, Fred Speed of Newton; a son, David Speed and his wife, Ada Rosa, of Dallas; two daughters, Kathrene Burt and her husband, Dr. Woodrow Burt, of Hannibal, Mo., and Susan Reynolds and her husband, Dr. Tim Reynolds, of Houston, Texas; eight grandchildren, Mark Burt of Augusta, Ga., Matt Speed of Atlanta, Laura Burt of St. Louis, Sara Speed of Denver, Jennifer Burt Bryant of Paducah, Ky., Jamey Reynolds, Logan Reynolds and Holly Reynolds, all of Houston, Texas.
She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Georgia Team.
Pallbearers will be Mark Speed, Jerry Lee, John Paul Lee, John Penlad Speed and Bryan Burt.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
MAXINE LUKE SMITH
Memorial services for Maxine Luke Smith will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Fifteenth Avenue Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. Bob Simmons, her longtime friend and former pastor, officiating. Private family burial service will be in Magnolia Cemetery with Barham Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Smith, 74, of Dallas, died Sunday, Nov. 4, 2001, in her home. She was a native of Meridian. She was a beloved former member of Fifteenth Avenue Baptist Church.

Also on Franklin County Times
Educators update states of their schools
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
November 19, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — Local educators and community members gathered Thursday at Tharptown High School for the seventh annual State of the Schools program. T...
Dowdy guilty in dog mauling deaths
Main, News, Russellville, ...
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
November 19, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — A Franklin County jury found Brandy Dowdy guilty of one count of manslaughter and one count of criminally negligent homicide after more...
Youth sports policy aims at bad conduct
Main, News, Red Bay, ...
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
November 19, 2025
RED BAY — Over the course of his 14 years coaching youth league sports, Torrey Lewey has noticed a plethora of changes, one of which includes a tenden...
West sings national anthem for Special Olympics
News, Russellville, Russellville Golden Tigers
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
November 19, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — Russellville High School senior Elijah West sang the national anthem at this year’s Special Olympics, marking his second time to perfor...
Garden club learns about poppy symbolism
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
November 19, 2025
We began our November Cultura Garden Club meeting with a hands-on rock-painting activity led by muralist Ree Shannon of aRo Art & Design Concepts. Ree...
Electricity prices are soaring, and coal is a key solution
Columnists, Opinion
November 19, 2025
Electricity bills are climbing almost everywhere, and the reasons have little to do with ideology. Three forces are driving prices higher: massive new...
PCHS opens with 3 wins
High School Sports, Phil Campbell Bobcats, Sports
Bart Moss For the FCT 
November 19, 2025
The Phil Campbell Bobcats reeled of three straight basketball wins to open the season, beating Tharptown, Winston County and Cherokee. The Bobcats ope...
Young Lady Tigers still in building stage
High School Sports, Red Bay Tigers, Sports
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
November 19, 2025
While most coaches have their hands full managing one team, John Torisky once again returns to coach the Lady Tigers as well — giving him twice the am...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *