Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
8:01 am Thursday, November 15, 2001

OBITUARIES FOR THURSDAY, NOV. 15, 2001

By Staff
PAUL STEPHEN COMPTON
Services for Paul Stephen Compton will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Kenneth Owen and Russell Luquire officiating. Burial will be in Oak Grove Community Cemetery.
Mr. Compton, 38, of Meridian, died Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2001, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. He was a member of Oak Grove United Methodist Church and a 1981 graduate of Clarkdale High School.
Survivors include his wife, Christal Compton a son, Jacob Paul Compton, a sister, Katrina Compton Brown and her husband, Grant, and a niece, ReaAnna Brown, all of Meridian; his mother, Sylvia Compton, a brother, Henry Ray Compton, his grandmother, Rosalie Stephens and his grandfather, William A. Tucker, all of the Clarkdale Community; and several aunts, uncles and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his father, Omer Ray Compton.
The family requests memorials be made to Oak Grove Untied Methodist Church Building Fund, 6084 Valley Rd., Meridian, MS 39307.
Pallbearers will be Johnny Robinson, John Smith, William Compton, John Compton, Robert Compton, David Compton, Sam Kelley and Jason Mingo.
Honorary pallbearers will be Tommy Hunter and Raymond Charles Compton.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
RUTH ELLEN BALDRIDGE
Customer service representative
FOREST Services for Ruth Ellen Baldridge were to be held today at 10 a.m. at Magnolia Heights Baptist Church. Burial was to be in Carr Methodist Cemetery with Ott and Lee Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Baldridge, 51, died Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2001, at St. Dominic Jackson Memorial Hospital. She was a native of Newton and had lived in Forest for the last 28 years. She formerly lived in Smith County. Mrs. Baldridge was a member of Magnolia Heights Baptist Church BMA in Forest, where she was the church organist, assistant piano player and sang in the choir. She was employed as a customer service representative with Wal-Mart in Forest.
Survivors include her husband, John B. Baldridge and two daughters, Amy Lynn McCoy and April Elizabeth Baldridge, all of Forest; two brothers, Robert Nelson Carr of Forest and Thomas Frederick Carr of Jackson; a half sister, Bonnie Ruth Kelly of Walnut Grove; and a granddaughter, Ashley Nicole McCoy of Forest.
She was preceded in death by her father, Robert Franklin Carr Jr. in 1983 and her mother, Lola Alyeen Carr in 2000.
The family requests memorials be made to Magnolia Heights Baptist Church BMA, Highway 80 East, Forest, MS 39074.
WILLIE L. THOMAS
GILBERTOWN, Ala. Services for Willie L. Thomas will be held today at 11 a.m. at Springbank Baptist Church with the Rev. Jim Wallace officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery with Phillips Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Thomas, 98, of Silas, died Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2001, in his home.
Survivors include his wife, Mae Thomas of Silas; five sons, James Thomas of Columbus, Norman Thomas of Huntsville, Bob Thomas of Miami, Billy Walker of Silas and Tracy Walker of Gilbertown; three daughters, Louise Sahlbom of Tarpon Springs, Fla., Andora Driver of Daphne and Shirley Nix of Silas; two brothers, Clarence "Buck" Thomas and Ganus "Dock" Thomas, both of Demopolis; three sisters, Beatrice Maughan of Leeds, Mert Toxey of Tuscaloosa and Clara Cantrell of Carrollton; 16 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by two sons, Wallace Thomas and Cecil Thomas.
JOSEPH WOODROW WAITE
GILBERTOWN, Ala. Services for Joseph Woodrow Waite will be held today at 2 p.m. at Cullomburg Baptist Church with the Rev. Sonny Hoven officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery with Phillips Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Waite, 89, of Cullomburg, died Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2001, in his home.
Survivors include his wife, Lizzie Roberts Waite, two stepsons, Joseph Frost and Timothy Frost, all of Cullomburg; a stepdaughter, Edith "Boots" Misrok of Yarbo; and several nieces, nephews and step-grandchildren.
LUNA MAHAN SWOOPE
Owner of Newton Florist
NEWTON Graveside services for Luna Mahan Swoope will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at the Masonic Cemetery with the Rev. Dr. Charles Douglas officiating. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Also on Franklin County Times
Drone contraband is becoming a problem
Main, News, Russellville, ...
Addi Broadfoot For the FCT 
April 15, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Area law enforcement officials say they support the idea of more authority to stop drones from delivering contraband into jails. Alabam...
Oliver: Too many children are being abused
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
April 15, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Franklin County deputies investigated 85 cases involving child and sexual abuse in 2025. “For a county the size of Franklin County, tha...
Sentencing delayed again in manslaughter trial
Main, News, Russellville, ...
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
April 15, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Brandy Dowdy will have to wait even longer to learn how long she will serve in prison after her sentencing was delayed for the second t...
Garden club hosts plant, bake sale
Columnists, News, Red Bay
In the Community
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
April 15, 2026
RED BAY — The Red Bay Garden Club held its annual plant and bake sale Saturday at the high school greenhouse to raise funds for projects across the ci...
Has the city on a hill lost its shine?
Columnists, Opinion
April 15, 2026
Ronald Reagan used the “Shining City on a Hill” as a metaphor for the United States as a beacon for freedom and democracy in the world. Joe Biden ofte...
Delta Kappa Gamma learns gardening tips
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
April 15, 2026
Our April meeting of Delta Kappa Gamma at Calvary Baptist Church in Russellville featured a lively and practical program by Trace Barnett, a native of...
TVA president, CEO announces retirement
News
Kevin Taylor For the FCT 
April 15, 2026
Less than a year after he was named president and CEO of the Tennessee Valley Authority, Don Moul told members of the board of directors he will be re...
Students’ art selected for State Capitol exhibit
News, Russellville
By Maria Camp camp@franklincountytimes.com 
April 15, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The art of three Russellville Elementary School students is on display at the Alabama State Capitol through April 28. Khloe Ball, a fou...

Leave a Reply

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