Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
4:59 am Tuesday, November 6, 2001

OBITUARIES FOR TUESDAY, NOV. 6, 2001

By Staff
ESTHER IRENE SMITH
Retired from Cook Meat Packing
KENNER, La. Graveside services for Esther Irene Smith will be held Thursday at 10 a.m. at Myrtle Hill Memorial Park in Tampa, Fla. L.A. Muhleisen and Son Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Smith, 86, a resident of Kenner and a native of Collinsville, Miss., died Monday, Nov. 5, 2001, in her home.
Survivors include a son, Jimmie Lee Smith of Kenner; a daughter, Annie Letha Stevens of Marion; a brother, Ethan Smith of Andalusia, Ala.; three sisters, Ermia Courghan of Utica, Dorothy Young and Vida Gainer, both of Tampa; six grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
Visitation will be Wednesday from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. at Blount, Curry and Roel Funeral Home in Tampa.
ZAYLON JABARI JONES
Graveside services for Zaylon Jabari Jones will be held today at 11 a.m. at Mt. Olive Cemetery with the Rev. Obadiah Clemons officiating. Clark's Memorial Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Infant Jones, of Meridian, died Friday, Nov. 2, 2001, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
Survivors include his parents, Pamela and Lurenzo Jones, and a brother, Lurenzo DeCarlo Jones, all of Meridian.
HELEN GLOVER BEARDEN
Retired
Graveside services for Helen Glover Bearden will be held today at 1 p.m. at Magnolia Cemetery with the Rev. Urban Joiner officiating. Stephens Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Bearden, 80, of Meridian, died Monday, Nov. 5, 2001, at Riley Hospital.
Survivors include her husband, Lamar Bearden of Meridian; four daughters, Linda Shumate Schwartz, Sandra Franklin Castelli and Ella Franklin Keegan, all of Tampa, Fla., and Louise Franklin Powers of Meridian; a son, William Terry Franklin of Norfolk, Va.; two stepdaughters, Peggy Martin of Nettleton and Patsy Kelly of Meridian; a stepson, Lamar Bearden Jr. of Baldwyn; a sister, Elna Clearman of Meridian; nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
BENJAMIN FRANK CRANFORD
Maintenance foreman
QUITMAN Services for Benjamin Frank Cranford will be held today at 1 p.m. at Wright's Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Mike DePhillips officiating. Burial will be in Old Pleasant Hill Cemetery.
Mr. Cranford, 91, of Quitman, died Sunday, Nov. 4, 2001, at The Specialty Hospital of Meridian.
Survivors include his wife, Grace Cranford and two daughters, Darlene McCarra and her husband, Ralph, and Dale Smith, all of Quitman; four brothers, J.W. Cranford and Ernest Cranford, both of Jackson, Roy Cranford and Robert Cranford, both of Quitman; three sisters, Maude Johnson, Margaret Ivey and Voncile Bufkin, all of Quitman; five grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.
The family requests memorials be made to the American Heart Association or a favorite charity.
Pallbearers will be Dan Johnson, C.W. Mosall, Ray Cranford, Johnny Williams, J.T. Cooper and Joey McCarra.
GLEN WILSON PACE
Retired truck driver with Case Trucking Co.
NEWTON Services for Glen Wilson Pace will be held today at 2 p.m. at James F. Webb Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Lindsey Herndon officiating. Burial will be in Pine Ridge Cemetery.
Mr. Pace, 63, of Newton, died Sunday Nov. 4, 2001, in his home.
Survivors include two sons, Robert Carl Pace of Forest and Glen Mitchell Pace of Brandon; his mother, Mary Lois Pace of Newton; a sister, Mary Opal Mayo of Birmingham, Ala.; a brother, Tommy Pace of Newton; and six grandchildren.
JULIA DUDDEN WIRE
Retired medical secretary
Services for Julia Dudden Wire will be held Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at St. Patrick Catholic Church with the Rev. Elvin Sunds officiating. Burial will be in Magnolia Cemetery with Barham Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Also on Franklin County Times
Byrd’s final song a fitting tribute
News, Russellville, Z - News Main
By Brady Petree 
August 19, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — When organizers landed country music star Tracy Byrd as the headline performer for the 45th annual Franklin County Watermelon Festival,...
Russellville graduate deported
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
August 19, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE – A 19-year-old Russellville High School graduate was deported from the United States on Aug. 9, according to the Department of Homeland ...
Locomotive gets new paint at Railroad Park
Main, News, Red Bay, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
August 19, 2026
RED BAY — The 1923 steam locomotive at the Railroad Park is getting a new paint job as work on a concrete pad, lighting and other features continues. ...
RMS kicks off character program
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
August 19, 2026
RUSSSELLVILLE – Liberty Learning Foundation programs at Russellville Middle School now extend through all three grade levels with sixth graders studyi...
Obituaries
Obituaries
August 19, 2026
  John Wayne Terry Aug. 12, 2026   John Wayne Terry, 68, of Russellville, passed away Aug. 12. Visitation took place at Spry Memorial Chapel Aug. 18 f...
Railroad consolidation: Proof, not promises, needed
Columnists, Opinion
August 19, 2026
Few things are more important to Alabama’s economy than a reliable freight rail system. Our manufacturers depend on it. Our farmers depend on it. Our ...
First Baptist Church celebrates 159 years
Columnists, News, Opinion, ...
HERE AND NOW
August 19, 2026
Russellville First Baptist Church earlier this month celebrated 159 years of existence. At the annual homecoming celebration, we welcomed many new and...
Shoals native takes Miss America stage in 3 weeks
News
By Ella Seaton For the FCT 
August 19, 2026
MUSCLE SHOALS — Since she was eight years old, Muscle Shoals native Makalyn Heaslett recalls sitting in front of a television screen watching the crow...

Leave a Reply

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