Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
2:44 pm Monday, February 25, 2002

February 25, 2002

By Staff
ORA A. RHODES BEEMAN HURST
Homemaker
Services for Ora A. Rhodes Beeman Hurst will be held Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Stephens Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Richard Cothern officiating. Burial will be in Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery.
Mrs. Hurst, 93, of Marion, died Saturday, Feb. 23, 2002, at Benchmark Healthcare.
Survivors include four daughters, Joan Rigdon and her husband, Rayburn, of Antioch Community, Faye Miller and her husband, Walton of Sumrall, Maggie Fairchild of Enterprise and Gelora Brown and her husband, Robert, of Theodore, Ala.; three sons, Larry Beeman and his wife, Sara, of O Fallon, Mo., Ray Beeman and his wife, Margaret Ann, of Sterling Heights, Mich., and R.L. Beeman and his wife, Mary, of Fort Royal, Va.; a brother, Robert Merrill Rhodes and his wife, Kathleen, of Meridian; four sisters, Myrtle Brown and Wilma Gressett of Meridian, Grace Neal and Thelma Ross of Collinsville; a sister-in-law, Mary Lou Rhodes of Meridian; 25 grandchildren and 42 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Randolph and Minnie Lee Rhodes; her first husband, John Ivy Beeman; and second husband, Russell Hurst; sisters, Geneva Rhodes and Mary Howington; brothers, Purvis Rhodes and Amos Rhodes; and a son-in-law, Cleetis T. Fairchild.
Pallbearers will be Robert Brewer, Thomas Fairchild, Charles Fairchild, Dennis Rigdon, Dewayne Rigdon and Eugene Alexander.
Visitation will be today 5 p.m.-7 p.m. at the funeral home.
GLADYS JEWEL FULTON
Homemaker
PHILADELPHIA Services for Gladys Jewel Fulton will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. at McClain-Hays Funeral Service Chapel with the Revs. Alan Randall and DeWayne Warren officiating. Burial will be in North Ben Methodist Cemetery.
Mrs. Fulton, 85, of Philadelphia, died Saturday, Feb. 23, 2002, at Winston Medical Center in Louisville.
Survivors include three daughters, Shirley Cumberland of Pelahatchie, Charlene Thompson of Titusville, Fla., and Dyanne Rigby of Louisville; a son, Keith Fulton of Greenville; a sister, Dorothy Perry of Sun City, Ariz.; a brother, Thomas Pershing Palmer of Clinton; 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Victor Fulton.
Visitation will be today 4 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home.
RAYMOND E. FOSTER
Retired bookkeeper and store manager
Services for Raymond E. Foster will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. at James F. Webb Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Richie Davis and Judd Allen officiating. Burial will be in Meridian Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mr. Foster, 82, of Meridian, died Saturday, Feb. 23, 2002, at Queen City Nursing Center. He was a charter member of Westwood Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon and treasurer for 35 years. He was a member of the Sunshiners Sunday School Class and the Exchange Club. Mr. Foster was a veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Rachel E. Foster, a son, Dennis E. Foster, both of Meridian; a daughter, Barbara F. Crowe of Birmingham, Ala.; a brother, Jesse J. Foster Jr. and his wife, Jo Ann, of Meridian; grandchildren, Steve Crowe and his wife, Gisele, Suzy Crowe, Miles Foster and Morgan Foster.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Jessie J. Foster and Vira McCall Foster.
The family requests memorials be made to Westwood Baptist Church Sanctuary Remolding Fund.
Pallbearers will be Morgan Foster,Miles Foster, Steve Crowe, David Foster, Larry Stokes, David Stokes, Varnell "Shorty" Warren and Wayne Coley.
Honorary pallbearers will be the deacons of Westwood Baptist Church.
Visitation will be today 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
PAULINE FINLEY
Homemaker
Services for Pauline Finley will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Ray Funeral Home Chapel in Cleveland with the Rev. Ronnie Spivey officiating. Burial will be in New Cleveland North Boyou Cemetery. Milling Funeral Home of Union is in charge of local arrangements.
Mrs. Finley, 92, of Union, died Saturday, Feb. 23, 2002, at Laird Hospital.
Survivors include two sons, Henry Finley of Union and Russell Finely of Oxford; two daughters, Caroline Barrett of Bay St. Louis and Maxine Lott of Union; sisters, Effie Beasley of Jackson, Lucille Dennis, Mary Glass and Ethel Schmidt, all of Memphis, Tenn.; three brothers, A.J. Cowart of Duncan, Dennis Cowart of Memphis and M.J. Cowart of Legas, Nev.; 13 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Isaac Finley; and a son, I.A. Finley.
Visitation will be Tuesday one hour prior to the service at Ray Funeral Home in Cleveland.
PAULYNE M. CURRY
Graveside services for Paulyne M. Curry will be held Tuesday at noon at Magnolia Cemetery with her nephew, the Rev. H. Stanley Mullins officiating. Brooks-Cargile Funeral Home of Montgomery, Ala., is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Curry, 90, a resident of Montgomery and formerly of Meridian, died Saturday, Feb. 23, 2002, in her home. She was a member of Central United Methodist Church.
Mrs. Curry was preceded in death by her husband, George Emmett Curry, a businessman in Meridian for many years.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the Wesley House or Central United Methodist Church.
REV. MARVIN PAUL FERGUSON
Retired minister
NEWTON Services for the Rev. Marvin Paul Ferguson will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church with the Revs. Bobby Ferguson, Jack Giles and T.J. Archie officiating. Burial will be in Ferguson-Pleasant Ridge Baptist Church Cemetery. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Rev. Ferguson, 66, of Newton, died Saturday, Feb. 23, 2002, at Newton Regional Hospital. He was a retired minister and a member of Sand Springs Baptist Church. He served in the U.S. Air Force and was a veteran of the Korean Conflict. He was born in Newton County.
Survivors include his wife, Alice Ferguson of Newton; mother of his surviving children, Betty LeBlanc of Waxahatchie, Texas; a daughter, Marva Cavenaugh and her husband, Adrian, of Chunky; four sons, Rick Ferguson of Hickory, Jim Ferguson of Pearl, Steve Ferguson of Kentwood, La., and John Ferguson and his wife, Marci, of Brandon; four stepdaughters, Julie Huddleston of Pearl, Debbie Robinson of Hickory, Lindy Pace of Newton and Cindy Burnside of Edinburg; two stepsons, Lewis Harmon of Madison and Bo Boone of Hernando; his mother, Clairene Massey Ferguson of Union; a sister, Margaret Willis and her husband, Joe, of Sumrall; two brothers, the Rev. Bobby Ferguson and his wife, Betty, of Union and Billy Ferguson of Union; and 16 grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his father, Norris George Ferguson.
Pallbearers will be David Ferguson, Alan Ferguson, Richard Ferguson, Jason Ferguson, Alan Willis, Bruce Massey and Tim Burke.
Visitation will be today 5 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home and 30 minutes prior to the service at the church.
DORA JO LOONEY
Administrative supervisor at Peavey Electronics
Memorial services for Dora Jo Looney will be held at a later date. Barham Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Looney, 62, of Collinsville, died Saturday, Feb. 23, 2002, in her home. She was a member of the Church of the Mediator.
Survivors include her husband, Ron Looney of Collinsville; a daughter, Deborah Ashcroft and her fiance, Maj. Del Olmcheid, USAF, Nebraska; and a son, Sean Looney of Causeyville.
JAMES WHITE
Arrangements were incomplete at Barham Funeral Home for James White, of Meridian, who died Monday, Feb. 25, 2002 at Riley Hospital.

Also on Franklin County Times
Waterpark opens amid repairs, planned upgrades
Main, News, Red Bay, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
May 27, 2026
RED BAY — The Red Bay Waterpark has opened for the season with city officials approving fee increases and planning for upgrades following a record att...
Oliver secures his fifth term as sheriff
Main, News, Russellville, ...
By Brady Petree, Addi Broadfoot For the FCT 
May 27, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Incumbent Franklin County Sheriff Shannon Oliver will remain in office for at least four more years after he overwhelmingly won re-elec...
Repairs are approved for PC Fire Engine 2
News, Phil Campbell
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
May 27, 2026
PHIL CAMPBELL — Councilmembers have approved up to $2,500 in repairs for a malfunctioning water tank gauge on Engine 2. Fire Chief Andy Marbutt said t...
Why every law that’s made is a moral choice
Columnists, Opinion
May 27, 2026
When the debate over vice laws, those governing drugs, gambling, or pornography, reaches the halls of our Legislature, a familiar, hollow cry rings ou...
Roxy presents ‘Murder in the Magnolias’
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
By Susie Hovater Malone Columnist 
May 27, 2026
One of the things I enjoy most about being involved with the historic Roxy Theatre is watching local people come together to create something fun for ...
TVA stays ‘in lockstep’ with energy needs
News
By Anthony Campbell For the FCT 
May 27, 2026
GUNTERSVILLE — Tennessee Valley Authority interim CEO Mike Skaggs knows that as north Alabama grows in population, so too will the demand for more ele...
Clark unseats Adcox for coroner’s post
News, Russellville
By Addi Broadfoot For the FCT 
May 27, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Jeff Clark defeated incumbent Charles Adcox in the Republican primary for Franklin County coroner Tuesday night, winning 75.25% of the ...
Runoff for D-1 commission race is June 16
News, Russellville
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
May 27, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Residents of District 1 will have to wait a little longer to learn who their representative on the Franklin County Commission will be a...

Leave a Reply

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