Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
2:16 am Saturday, October 25, 2003

Obituaries for Saturday, Oct. 25, 2003

By Staff
Waitress
Graveside services for Virginia Ruth Hunt will be held today at 10 a.m. at Desoto Cemetery in Clarke County with the Rev. Paul Davis officiating.
Mrs. Hunt, 63, of Yemassee, S.C., died Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2003 in Hampton, S.C.
Survivors include daughters, Barbara Delapaz, of Charleston, S.C., Carolyn Coloso, of Norfolk, Va. and Debbie Davis, of Meridian; a son, Eddie Hunt, of Tupelo; a special friend, Jack Fennell, of Yamassee, S.C.; ex-husband, Lamar Hunt, of Quitman; sister, Elizabeth Russell and her husband Alton, of Meridian; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Services for Columbus E. "Gene" Smith will be held today at 1 p.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. George Pugh officiating. Burial will be in Magnolia Cemetery.
Mr. Smith, 72, of Meridian, died Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2003, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
Survivors include his wife, Annie Smith of Meridian; sons, John E. Smith and his wife, Dory, of Meridian, Columbus Lee Smith and his wife, Cecile, of Collinsville, Il., and William L. Smith and his wife, Tiffany, of Columbus; a daughter, Gwendolyn Hawkins of Mobile, Ala.; step-daughters, Melissa LaShare and her husband, Charles, and Angela Boman and her husband, Dale, all of Meridian; step-sons, Bo Boutwell and his wife, Sabrina, and Wade Boutwell and his wife, Lucy, all of Meridian, and Michael Boutwell and his wife, Betty of Quitman; six grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, 13 step-grandchildren and two step-great-grandchildren; his mother, Ruth Smith of Meridian; and a brother, Dennis Smith and his wife, Charie, of Vicksburg.
He was preceded in death by his father, Leslie E. Smith.
Homemaker
Services for Annie Mae Garrison will be held today at 3 p.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Richard Robbins officiating. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Mrs. Garrison, 83, of Meridian, died Friday, Oct. 24, 2003 at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. She was a member of Poplar Springs Drive United Methodist Church, the 50 Plus Club, United Methodist Women and an honorary member of Friendship Sunday School class.
Survivors include a son, Ronnie Garrison and his wife, Pat; two grandchildren, Amanda Garcia and her husband Joe, all of Brandon, and Sarah Toler and her husband Rusty of Gutier; great-grandchildren, Rebecca Garcia and Casey Garcia, both of Brandon, Katherine Bonner, of Texas; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Phillips A. Garrison; a son, Terry Phillips Garrison; and great-granddaughter, Gracie Marie Toler.
Memorials may be made to Poplar Springs Drive United Methodist Church.
Pallbearers will be Joe Garcia, Arlie Ramsey, Cliff Callaway, David Kaoley and Doyle Allen.
Visitation will be held today from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. at the funeral home.
Homemaker
QUITMAN Services for Audrie Williams Bentley will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Rose Hill with the Rev. Keith Boggan officiating. Burial will be in Twistwood Cemetery in Rose Hill. Wright's Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Bentley, 84, of Rose Hill, died Thursday, Oct. 24, 2003, in her home.
Survivors include her husband, M.C. "Chunk" Bentley; a son, Marion Bentley; daughters, Grace Robb, Susan Snowden and her husband, Mike, and Charlotte Gunn, all of Rose Hill and nine grandchildren, Kevin Bentley, Perry Dearman, Brandon Robb, Melanie Snowden, Kyle Gunn, Keith Bentley, Sherry Chancelor, Michael Snowden and Kala Gunn and three great-grandchildren, Eli Chancelor, Josh Chancelor and Kinley Stewart.
Pallbearers will be Victor Touchstone, Billy Gerald Davis, W.L. Canterberry, Fred Reynolds, Rusty Dickerson, and Lewis Earl Johnson.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home and Sunday 30 minutes prior to the services at the church.
Retired seamstress
UNION Services for Inez Holder Brown will be held Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at Milling Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Jimmy Holder and Jeff Hall officiating. Burial will be in the Lucern Congregational Methodist Church Cemetery.
Ms. Brown, 83, of Meridian, died Friday, Oct. 24, 2003 at Neshoba County Nursing Home.
Survivors include a daughter, Gloria White and her husband, David, of Austin, Texas; eight grandchildren, John White, Julie Teed, Shane Brown, Todd Brown, Nicki Hancock, Michael Brown, Ricky Lee Brown and Samantha Brown; 12 great-grandchildren; five sisters, Evelyn Walters, of Newton, Johnnie Wheeler of West Palm Beach, Fla., Charlotte H. Hall, of Brandon, Kitty Kelly, of Carthage and Linda Herrington, of Union; a brother, Rev. Jimmy Holder, of Ellisville; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Cecil L. Brown; a son, Richard L. Brown; and her parents, Rev. and Mrs. J.E. Holder.
Pallbearers will be her grandsons, John White, Shane Brown, Todd Brown, Michael Brown, Ricky Lee Brown and nephews.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the funeral home
Mr. James V. Johnson, 62, of Meridian, died Friday, Oct. 24, 2003 at his residence.
Memorials may be made to Cancer Therapy and Research Center, Attention: Donations, P.O. Box 1657, San Antonio, Texas 78296.
Visitation will be held Sunday from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. at Barham Funeral Home.
Arrangements were incomplete at Clark's Memorial Funeral Home for Kate Jones, 50, of Meridian, who died Monday, Oct. 20, 2003 at Picatinny Arsonold Army Base in Picatinny Arnold, New Jersey.

Also on Franklin County Times
Military service is family’s legacy
Main, News, Phil Campbell, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
November 12, 2025
PHIL CAMPBELL — Members of Emily Scott’s family have for decades worn a uniform, a tradition that began before she was born and continues through her ...
Navy taught Bonner lessons he still practices today
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
November 12, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — Before he ever preached the gospel, Bennie “B.J.” Bonner watched an orange volcano glow in the night and saw a plane drop from the sky ...
Williams: ‘We must ensure their legacies live on’
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
November 12, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — Retired Major Joe Williams, a 2001 Hamilton High School graduate, Mississippi State alumnus and Russellville resident, was the guest sp...
Wells retires after 29 years at Village Square Apartments
News, Records, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
November 12, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — Annette Wells is retiring as property manager after 29 years working to help residents feel at home at Village Square Apartments. Wells...
GFWC conference highlights ‘Circle of Service’
Columnists, News, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
By Susie Hovater Malone Columnist 
November 12, 2025
I’ve always believed service connects people in ways nothing else can. That belief took center stage at the GFWC Southern Region Conference in Huntsvi...
Let’s move forward and stop falling back
Columnists, Opinion
November 12, 2025
Last week, Alabamians were once again forced to change their clocks in the middle of the night for the annual “fall back” for Daylight Saving Time (DS...
SALUTE TO VETERANS
News, Russellville
November 12, 2025
Members of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion saluted, listened to “Taps” and laid flowers ahead of the annual parade on Saturday....
AMERICAN LEGION CHAPTER HOLDS BANQUET
News, Russellville
November 12, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE – The local American Legion chapter hosted a banquet at North Highlands Church of Christ in Russellville. Members presented the “Missing ...

Leave a Reply

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