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
Watermelon Winners 2026
B: WATERMELON FESTIVAL, Franklin County
Griffin Traylor 
August 20, 2026
MOST UNUSUAL   First place: Lorena Bonilla (Russellville)     BEST DRESSED   First place: Aymar Bonilla (Russellville)   Second place: Candy Owens (La...
Byrd’s final song a fitting tribute
News, Russellville, Z - News Main
By Brady Petree 
August 19, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — When organizers landed country music star Tracy Byrd as the headline performer for the 45th annual Franklin County Watermelon Festival,...
Russellville graduate deported
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
August 19, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE – A 19-year-old Russellville High School graduate was deported from the United States on Aug. 9, according to the Department of Homeland ...
Locomotive gets new paint at Railroad Park
Main, News, Red Bay, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
August 19, 2026
RED BAY — The 1923 steam locomotive at the Railroad Park is getting a new paint job as work on a concrete pad, lighting and other features continues. ...
RMS kicks off character program
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
August 19, 2026
RUSSSELLVILLE – Liberty Learning Foundation programs at Russellville Middle School now extend through all three grade levels with sixth graders studyi...
Obituaries
Obituaries
August 19, 2026
  John Wayne Terry Aug. 12, 2026   John Wayne Terry, 68, of Russellville, passed away Aug. 12. Visitation took place at Spry Memorial Chapel Aug. 18 f...
Railroad consolidation: Proof, not promises, needed
Columnists, Opinion
August 19, 2026
Few things are more important to Alabama’s economy than a reliable freight rail system. Our manufacturers depend on it. Our farmers depend on it. Our ...
First Baptist Church celebrates 159 years
Columnists, News, Opinion, ...
HERE AND NOW
August 19, 2026
Russellville First Baptist Church earlier this month celebrated 159 years of existence. At the annual homecoming celebration, we welcomed many new and...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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