Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
8:28 pm Friday, December 28, 2001

Obituaries for Friday, Dec. 28, 2001

By Staff
DORSIE R. MORTON
Homemaker
Services for Dorsie R. Morton were held Wednesday at James F. Webb Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Alan Randell officiating. Burial was in Magnolia Cemetery.
Mrs. Morton, 94, of Meridian, died Monday, Dec. 24, 2001, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
She was a homemaker and member of Pleasant Hill Methodist Church.
Survivors include three daughters, Mildred Aycock, Betty Aycock, and Elsie Meador and her husband, Henry S., all of Meridian; a brother, Frank Reed of Arkansas; eight grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas H. Morton.
Pallbearers were Scott Harwell, Guy Meador, Mel Aycock, Mathew Aycock, Bryan Boatner and Ralph Aycock.
VIRGINIA SMITH PARKER
Retired state employee
PHILADELPHIA Services for Virginia Smith Parker will be held today at 10 a.m. at Spring Creek Baptist Church with the Rev. Wayne King officiating. Burial will be in Spring Creek Cemetery. John E. Stephens Chapel Funeral Services is in charge of the arrangements.
Mrs. Parker, 74, of Southaven, formerly of Philadelphia, died Monday, Dec. 24, 2001, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Southaven.
Survivors include two daughters, Judy Ponsford of Denver and Kathy Copeland of Nesbit; two sons, Clayton Lloyd Parker of Philadelphia and James Edward Parker of Rowlett, Texas; three brothers, George B. Smith of Birmingham, Ala., Clayton Benjamin Smith of Huntsville, Ala. and Jerry Smith of Frankfurt, Germany; 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
The family requests memorials be sent to the Spring Creek Baptist Church Virginia S. Parker Memorial Fund.
MARY B. SPARKS
Homemaker
JACKSON Services for Mary B. Sparks will be held today at 10 a.m. at Baldwin-Lee Funeral Home Chapel. Graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. in Forest Memorial Cemetery in Batesville.
Mrs. Sparks, 83, of Preston, died Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2001, at her home.
Survivors include four sons, Charles W. Sullivan Sr. of Crystal Springs, Ray Sullivan of Preston, J.H. Sullivan of Vicksburg and H.J. Sullivan of Bolton; a twin sister, Sara Harbin of Round Rock, Texas; nine grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, John E. Sparks.
WANYA KENTRELL DIMONE WARD
SEBASTOPOL Services for Wanya Kentrell Dimone Ward will be held today at 2 p.m. at the Pearl River Facility Building with the Rev. Rusty Walton officiating. Burial will be in First Assembly of Pearl River Cemetery in Philadelphia. Milling Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Ward, age three months, of Union, died Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2001, at University Medical Center.
Survivors include her parents, Celya Ann and Rico Ward of Union; and a sister, Jacqueline Ward of Union.
Visitation will be held today at the Pearl River Facility Building from 9 a.m. until service time.
HAROLD MCCLURG
Forklift operator
PHILADELPHIA Services for Harold McClurg will be held today at 3:30 p.m. at McClain-Hays Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. John Branning officiating. Burial will be in Coy Methodist Cemetery in Preston.
Mr. McClurg, 51, of Louisville, died Monday, Dec. 24, 2001, at his home. He was a forklift operator for Georgia Pacific in Louisville.
Survivors include a brother, Jerry Lee McClurg of Meridian; and several aunts, uncles and cousins.
Graveside services for Eric Jones will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at New Light Cemetery in Clarke County. Berry &Gardner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Jones, a one-day-old infant, died Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2001, at Rush Foundation Hospital.
Survivors include his parents, Anita Sterling Jones and Eric Jones.
JOHN WAYNE KEEN
FOREST Services for John Wayne Keen will be held Saturday at noon at Lena Baptist Church. Burial will be in Lena Cemetery. Ott &Lee Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Keen, 53, of Lena, died Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2001, at Laird's Hospital in Union.
Survivors include his wife, Bonnie Keen of Lena; five sons, Clayton Keen, Michael James and Teddy James, all of Union, Lee James of Linwood and Alvin James of Meridian; three daughters, Renee Keen Bozeman of Union, Ellen Keen of Collinsville and Juanita Tatum of Ackerman; two sisters, Dorothy Munn of Little Rock and Bonnie Ray of Union; and four grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home.
CHARLIE W. MOORE
Services for Charlie W. Moore will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Evangelist Christian Baptist Church in Lauderdale with the Rev. Jarvis Towner officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Olive Cemetery in Lauderdale. Berry &Gardner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Moore, 77, of Lauderdale, died Saturday, Dec. 22, 2001, at Riley Hospital.

Also on Franklin County Times
Rural hospitals face challenges: New state tax credit could help
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 28, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Franklin County’s two hospitals face the same financial pressures confronting rural health care across Alabama even as they remain esse...
Phil Campbell gets ‘clean opinion’ on audit
Main, News, Phil Campbell, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 28, 2026
PHIL CAMPBELL — Certified public accountant Don Wallace told town council members on Jan. 20 there were no problems with this year’s audit. “This is w...
MLK’s legacy: Blueprint we must follow
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 28, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Rev. Bennie “B.J.” Bonner stood before an audience gathered Jan. 19 for the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration March and described ho...
Elementary students begin Super Citizen program
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 28, 2026
Second and third graders from West Elementary and Russellville Elementary began Liberty Learning Foundation’s Super Citizen program during an event ki...
Book Lovers Study Club explores tea’s role in history
Columnists, News, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
January 28, 2026
Our Book Lovers Study Club’s January meeting highlighted both the Boston Tea Party boycott of English tea and the traditions of afternoon tea. One of ...
Moving from excuses to action in 1 year
Columnists, Opinion
January 28, 2026
In just 12 months, the Trump administration has delivered real results that Americans can see in their daily lives by restoring law and order at our b...
Higgins hired as RHS football coach
High School Sports, Russellville Golden Tigers, Sports
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 28, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Darrell Higgins has been hired as the new head football coach at Russellville High School. His hiring was announced Saturday following ...
Seal retires from CB&S after 31 years
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 28, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Following a 31-year career at CB&S Bank, Beverly Seal is now retired and looking forward to what comes next. While she’s still explorin...

Leave a Reply

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