Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
1:03 am Friday, November 17, 2000

OBITUARIES FOR FRIDAY, NOV. 17, 2000

By Staff
EFFIE L. GILL
UNION Services for Effie L. Gill will be held today at 11 a.m. at Lucern Church of God, with the Rev. Howell Thrash officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery with Stephens Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Gill, 88, of Newton, formerly of Union, died Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2000, in Newton.
Survivors include a sister, Felderia Henry of Union; five nephews, Victor L. Gordon and P.J. Henry, both of Union, Harold Breedlove of Philadelphia, Riley Sistrunk of Union and Sam Henry of Meridian; and several great-great-nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be Victor L. Gordon, Harold Breedlove, Riley Sistrunk, Sam Henry and P.J. Henry.
Visitation will be today one hour prior to the service at the church.
BONNIE J.KERSH
Homemaker
Services for Bonnie J. Kersh will be held today at 11 a.m. at Newell Chapel CME Church with the Rev. Eugene Dixon officiating. Burial will be in St. Luke Primitive Baptist Church Cemetery in Poterville with Enterprise Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Kersh, 70, of Meridian, died Sunday, Nov. 12, 2000, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
Survivors include two brothers, Walter Blanks of San Jose, Calif., and John Lewis Blanks of Poterville; three sisters, Virgie Mae Blanks, Ollie Thompson and Ornice Blanks all of Meridian; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her husband, George Kersh and her parents.
EVA MCGEE PERMENTER
Retired O.B. Nurse
Graveside services for Eva McGee Permenter will be held today at 2 p.m. in Forest Lawn Cemetery, with the Rev. Ralph Henson officiating. Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Permenter, 64, of Meridian, died Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2000, at Guardian Angel Hospice.
Survivors include a son, Calvin Permenter Jr. of Kansas City, Mo.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Calvin Permenter Sr. and her mother, Daisy Rogers McGee.
Visitation will be today one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.
FREDRICK B. DAVIS
Real estate sales
Services for Fredrick B. Davis will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Stephens Funeral Home Chapel, with the Rev. Toby Lofton officiating. Burial will be in Hopewell Baptist Cemetery.
Mr. Davis, 74, of Collinsville, died Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2000, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
He was a friend to all who knew him and he never met a stranger. He loved his children and grandchildren. He loved to play dominoes and he loved all sports including West Lauderdale boys baseball and girls softball. He also loved to garden and to fish.
Survivors include his wife, Fay McDonald Davis; a son, Danny Fredrick Davis, of McCalla, Ala.; two daughters and sons-in-law, Vicki and Rickie Harp of Cottondale, Ala., and Sandi and Mark Wolf of Panama City, Fla.; two step sons, Mel and Frankie Hodges, of Collinsville; a step daughter, Cathy Miles of Banner Elk, N.C.; two brothers, Jimmy Davis of Greensboro, Ala., and Dock Davis of Collinsville; a sister, Helen Ethridge; five grandchildren, Jami Hosmer of Cottondale, Ala., Jana Genery of Brookwood, Ala., Kaysea Lindsey of Panama City, Fla., Brandi and Danielle Davis both of McCalla; 13 step-grandchildren and 5 step-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his first wife of 43 years, Winna Thaggard Davis.
Pallbearers will be Bernie Herrington, Hal Herrington, Jim Ethridge, Jerry McCoy, William Ethridge, Dane Ethridge, Marty Thaggard and Jimmy Davis.
Honorary pallbearers will be William and Lonese Ethridge, M.O. and Nell Martin, Jo and Howard Blackwell, Lakeview community residents, Robinhood Lakes residents and Martin Community Friends.
Visitation will be today from 6 to 9 p.m. at the funeral home.
ELLA GRAY JONES MCKENZIE
Homemaker
QUITMAN Services for Ella Gray Jones McKenzie will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Mt. Gilead Missionary Baptist Church, with the Rev. Dennis Mack officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Gilead Cemetery with Turner Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. McKenzie, 70, of Quitman, died Sunday, Nov. 12, 2000, at the University of Alabama Medical Center in Birmingham.
Survivors include her husband, Jim McKenzie; her children, Willie George McKenzie and his wife, Dora, of New Castle, Del., Robert James McKenzie and his wife, Nora, of Quitman, Jimmy Ray McKenzie and his wife, Nylon, of Detroit, Martha Evelyn Prince of Clinton, Thelma Jean Hearns of Stonewall, Dortha Dean Williams of Vicksburg, Johnny Jim McKenzie of Quitman, Larry Wayne McKenzie and his wife, Sonya, Jo Ann Price and her husband, William, of Quitman, Claude Eugene McKenzie and his wife, Gay, of Quitman, Edward Lavon McKenzie of Muskegon, Mich., Bobby Jo McKenzie and his wife, Justine, of Norristown, Pa., and David Earl McKenzie of Quitman; a stepson John Henry Raing and his wife, Nellie, of Quitman; four sisters, Daisy Jackson of Orville, Ala., Lula Mae Austin, Janie Cameron of Quitman and Annie Kelley and her husband Stafford of Meridian; 52 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren, and several nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and acquaintances.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Stella Carter Jones and Ishman Jones, and a son Roy Lee McKenzie.

Also on Franklin County Times
Oliver wants 5% pay hike for his staff
Main, News, Russellville
Kevin Taylor For the FCT 
August 12, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE – Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver hasn’t seen much turnover within his department lately and he wants to keep it that way. Oliver ...
Flock council policy faces vote Monday
Main, News, Red Bay, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
August 12, 2026
RED BAY —A second Flock Safety automated license plate reader has been installed as the city prepares for a special meeting Monday on a proposed polic...
Local water systems have security measures in place
Main, News, Russellville, ...
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
August 12, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — As cyberattacks on U.S. water systems climb nationwide, local officials say a combination of rigorous safety protocols and old-fashione...
Alabama must champion spirit of civics education
Columnists, News, Opinion
August 12, 2026
Alabama has earned some well-deserved credit for taking steps to combat civic amnesia. State law mandates that students pass a 100-question citizenshi...
AERA holds annual district meeting
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
August 12, 2026
Retired educators may have left the classroom, but they certainly have not stopped serving their communities. That was evident at the Alabama Educatio...
Forever Wild to acquire 120 acres in Colbert
News
By Addi Broadfoot For the FCT 
August 12, 2026
CHEROKEE — The Forever Wild Land Trust is moving forward with plans to acquire additional property in Colbert County that would expand public hunting ...
30 years of caring for Little Tigers
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
August 12, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — When Rhonda Miller opened Little Tigers Daycare in 1996, about 15 children attended during the first two weeks. Thirty years later, the...

Leave a Reply

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