Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
10:39 pm Saturday, March 23, 2002

DANIEL KEMP

By Staff
Tax service accountant
BUTLER, Ala. Services for Daniel E. Kemp will be held Sunday at 11 a.m. at Grace Chapel Assembly of God with the Revs. Billy Crow and James Irby officiating. Burial will be in Brightwater Cemetery.
Mr. Kemp, 57, of Gilbertown, died Thursday, March 21, 2002, in Gilbertown.
Survivors include two sisters, Regina Mayfield of Crowder, Miss., and Ann Kemp of Tulsa, Okla.
Visitation will be held today from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home.
BEATRICE BLACKWELL SMITH
Nurses aide
UNION Services for Beatrice Blackwell Smith will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at Milling Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Stan Buckley and Macus Finch officiating. Burial will be in Union City Cemetery.
Mrs. Smith, 85, of Union, died Friday, March 22, 2002, at Hilltop Manor Nursing Home.
Survivors include her husband, Luther E. Smith of Union; two daughters, Bonnie S. Boswell of Decatur and Paula S. Boyd of Collinsville; and five grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents and six siblings.
Visitation will be held today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
JIMMY ONEIL WATKINS SR.
Retired, Atlas Roofing
Graveside services for Jimmy Oneil Watkins Sr., will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at Beatline Baptist Church Cemetery with the Rev. Odell Powell officiating. Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Watkins, 67, of Meridian, died Friday, March 22, 2002, at Riley Hospital. He retired from Atlas Roofing after 39 years.
Survivors include two daughters, Bea Davis and her husband, David S. Davis of Carthage, Tenn., and Wanda Fisher and her husband, Jimmy Sr., of Pleasant Shade, Tenn.; three sons, Jimmy Oneil Watkins Jr., and his wife, Diane, of the Zero Community, Johnny Earl Watkins and his wife, Betty, of Neshoba County and James Watkins and his wife, Debbie, of Howell, Mich.; a sister, Bobbie Jean Kelly of Decatur; 14 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; his wife, Constance Watkins of Meridian; and his step father, Paul Parker of Neshoba County.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Elsie Parker.
Visitation will be held today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
DELPHIA AGNES COLE
Retired bookkeeper
PHILADELPHIA Services for Delphia Agnes Cole will be held Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at Pine Grove Church of God in Dixon with the Revs. Sam Germany and Anthony Cole officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. John E. Stephens Chapel Funeral Services is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Cole, 99, of Philadelphia, died Friday, March 22, 2002, at Neshoba County Nursing Home. She was a member of Pine Grove Church of God.
Survivors include three daughters, Waudine Williamson and her husband, Boyd, of Union, Pauline Dearman and her husband, Leo, of Quitman and Myrtis Yates and her husband, Claud, of Philadelphia; two sons, Lamar Cole and his wife, Dean, of Grand Bay, Ala., and Alton Cole and his wife, Jean, of Philadelphia; 15 grandchildren, 28 great-grandchildren and 10 great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Hill Cole in 1968; and three granddaughters, Jaunetia Dearman in 1991, Rita Anthony in 1994 and Christy Nester in 1999.
Visitation will be held at 4 p.m. today at the funeral home and 30 minutes prior to the service at the church.
JOE HERNANDEZ
Truck driver
PHILADELPHIA Services for Joe Hernandez will be held Sunday at 3 p.m. at McClain-Hays Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Dennis Duvall and Kenan Ryan officiating. Burial will be in Sand Hill Cemetery in Neshoba County.
Mr. Hernandez, 63, of Philadelphia, died Thursday, March 21, 2002, at Heartfelt Hospice in Meridian. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army.
Survivors include his wife, Susan Hernandez of Philadelphia; three daughters, Pam Wells and Theresa Freshour, both of Philadelphia and Mandy Hernandez of Peoria, Ill.; two sons, Jose Rafael Hernandez Jr., of Chicago and Freddie Hernandez of Green Bay, Wis.; 12 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and a brother, Fred Hernandez of Chicago.
He was preceded in death by a daughter, Carmen Hernandez.
Visitation will be held today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m., followed by a prayer service at the funeral home.
KATHLEEN TOWNSEND
Services for Kathleen Townsend will be held Sunday at 3 p.m. at Stephens Funeral Home Chapel.
Ms. Townsend, 87, of Meridian, died Friday, March 22, 2002, in Meridian.
Visitation will be held from 1 p.m. until service time at the funeral home.
FLOYD GOWDY JR.
Retired sandblaster
Services for Floyd Gowdy Jr., will be held Monday at 2 p.m. at E.E. McDonald Community Chapel with the Rev. Ray Burton officiating. Burial will be in Smith Chapel Cemetery in Sumter County, Ala. James L. Osby Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Gowdy, 64, died Monday, March 18, 2002, at Milwaukee Hospital in Milwaukee.
Survivors include his wife, Gertrude Thompson Gowdy of Milwaukee; a daughter, Diane Presswood of Mobile, Ala.; two sons, Bobby Gowdy and David L. Thompson, both of Milwaukee; five sisters, Mary L. Burton of Lauderdale, Annie M. Clayton Hall and her husband, Otis and Maggie Gowdy all of Meridian, Lucille Patton of Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Mamie Nixon and her husband, Leo of Cuba, Ala.; four brothers, E.B. Gowdy of Meridian, Cleveland Gowdy and his wife, Lucy of Lauderdale, Frank Gowdy of Moultrie, Ga., Milton Gowdy and his wife, Mary, of Pouland, Ga.
Visitation will be held Sunday from 6 p.m.-7 p.m. at the chapel.
LEO BROADHEAD
Arrangements were incomplete at Barham Funeral Home for Leo Broadhead, 61, of Meridian, who died Friday, March 22, 2002, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
VIRGINIA STUCKEY
Arrangements were incomplete at Barham Funeral Home for Virginia Stuckey of Meridian who died Friday, March 22, 2002, at Guardian Angel Hospice.

Also on Franklin County Times
Mayor updates status of downtown buildings
Main, News, Phil Campbell, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
December 3, 2025
PHIL CAMPBELL — Mayor Greg Williams told councilmembers during their Nov. 18 meeting efforts are still ongoing to get a group of downtown buildings co...
HB 65 would benefit seniors
Main, News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
December 3, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — Seniors in Franklin County could see longterm relief on rising property taxes under a proposed amendment to the Alabama Constitution th...
55-year tradition connects family
Main, News
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
December 3, 2025
SPRUCE PINE — Regina Jackson’s home has been the gathering place for her family for more than five decades. It’s where they’ve shared songs, games, an...
Dual enrollment students explore county’s history
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
December 3, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — Students from Belgreen and Vina stepped out of their online history class and into Franklin County’s past this fall as part of a dual e...
Close the crypto loophole before it hurts rural areas
Columnists, Opinion
December 3, 2025
As the state representative for a largely rural district in Alabama, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside farmers, small business owners, and f...
Making room for meaningful moments
Columnists, Opinion
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
December 3, 2025
December arrives quickly, even when we think we are prepared for it. Lights go up, schedules fill, and daylight disappears earlier each afternoon. It ...
8 place in 2 divisions
Franklin County, Sports
December 3, 2025
Franklin County Anglers teams competed recently in a tournament that included both junior and senior divisions. In the Junior Division, Eli Boyd and T...

Leave a Reply

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