Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
6:14 am Friday, September 20, 2002

Obituaries for Friday, Sept. 20, 2002

By Staff
JAY B. SMITH
Retired
NEWTON Services for Jay B. Smith will be held today at 10 a.m. at Clarke-Venable Baptist Church in Decatur with the Revs. Stan Buckley and Gus Merritt officiating. Burial will be in Decatur Cemetery. Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Smith, 92, of Hickory, died Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2002, in Decatur. He was a graduate of Mississippi State University and worked for the Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology for 12 years and moved back to Newton County. He operated a dairy farm, worked with USDA Soil Conservation Service and worked with the Newton County Department of Welfare.
He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and served as a medic in World War II, and was involved in three European Campaigns including the Battle of the Bulge. He retired and maintained a garden until January 2002.
Survivors include his wife, Frances H. Smith of Decatur; a brother, Henry Mack Smith of Union; sisters, Frances S. Gardner of Union and Norma Dee B. Dempsey of Louisville; and several nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be Billy Ray Smith, Jessie Smith, Andy Gardner, Wayne Dempsey, Joe Smith, Mike Smith, Pat Harris and Robert Luke. Honorary pallbearers will be the Men's Bible Sunday School Class, Joe Clark, William Bullard, Sam Chaney, Jerry Smith, Gwendol Barham, Jerry Harris, Bill Simkins and Charles Harris.
EVELYN BOSTICK STOKES
Homemaker
PHILADELPHIA Services for Evelyn Bostick Stokes will be held today at 2 p.m. at McClain-Hays Funeral Service Chapel with the Rev. John Branning officiating. Burial will be in Coy Methodist Cemetery in Preston.
Mrs. Stokes, 94, of Preston, died Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2002, in her home.
Survivors include her daughters, Bobbie Stokes Young of Houston, and Charlene Stokes of Preston; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren; and a sister Nannie Stokes of DeKalb.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Houston Stokes and a son, Bill Stokes.
WILLIE MARS MADISON
Retired farmer and sawmill worker
PHILADELPHIA Services for Willie Mars Madison will be held today at 2 p.m. at John E. Stephens Chapel with the Revs. Fred Frazier and Mark Cloys officiating. Burial will be in Hopewell Methodist Church Cemetery in Kemper County.
Mr. Madison, 104, of Philadelphia, died Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2002, at Neshoba County General Hospital.
Survivors include his sons, James H. Madison and Jerry R. Madison, both of Philadelphia; six grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and 11 great-great-grandchildren.
THOMAS A. MILAM
DEMOPOLIS Graveside services for Thomas A. Milam will be held today at 3 p.m. at Demopolis Memorial Gardens with the Revs. Robert Simpson and James Guy officiating. Kidd-Robbins Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Milam, 35, of Demopolis, Ala., died Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2002, at his home.
Survivors include his mother, Tommie Sue Milam, of Demopolis; and two brothers, James Robert Milam and his wife, Linda, of Demopolis, and Phillip Scott Milam, of Greensboro, Ala; and four nephews and one niece.
He was preceded in death by his father Billy R. Milam and his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. J.P. Milam and Mr. and Mrs. John Archer.
CHARLES DAVID SMITH
Elevator maintenance employee
QUITMAN Services for Charles David Smith will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Wright's Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Gerald W. Davis officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Pisguah Cemetery in Melvin, Ala.
Mr. Smith, 57, of Daphne, Ala., died Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2002, at the V.A. Hospital in Gulfport. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and served in Vietnam on the USS Taylor.
Survivors include his wife, Beverly Smith of Daphne, Ala.; three sons, Troy Keith Smith of Warner Robbins, Ga., Jason Heath Smith and Gregory Scott Barclay, both of Prattville, Ala.; a daughter, Kelly Barclay Carmichael of Montgomery, Ala.; his parents, James Lee Smith and Juanice Smith of Northport, Ala.; a brother, Robert Wayne Smith of Sumnor, Wash.; and seven grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Foundation of the South, P.O. Box 9693, Mobile, Ala. 36691.
Visitation will be today beginning at 5 p.m. at the funeral home.

Also on Franklin County Times
Phil Campbell High School dismisses early due to water leak
News, Phil Campbell, Phil Campbell Bobcats
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
February 2, 2026
PHIL CAMPBELL – Student and faculty were sent home early Monday morning as a result of the high school facilities being without water. A post to the o...
Rural hospitals face challenges: New state tax credit could help
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 28, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Franklin County’s two hospitals face the same financial pressures confronting rural health care across Alabama even as they remain esse...
Phil Campbell gets ‘clean opinion’ on audit
Main, News, Phil Campbell, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 28, 2026
PHIL CAMPBELL — Certified public accountant Don Wallace told town council members on Jan. 20 there were no problems with this year’s audit. “This is w...
MLK’s legacy: Blueprint we must follow
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 28, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Rev. Bennie “B.J.” Bonner stood before an audience gathered Jan. 19 for the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration March and described ho...
Elementary students begin Super Citizen program
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 28, 2026
Second and third graders from West Elementary and Russellville Elementary began Liberty Learning Foundation’s Super Citizen program during an event ki...
Book Lovers Study Club explores tea’s role in history
Columnists, News, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
January 28, 2026
Our Book Lovers Study Club’s January meeting highlighted both the Boston Tea Party boycott of English tea and the traditions of afternoon tea. One of ...
Moving from excuses to action in 1 year
Columnists, Opinion
January 28, 2026
In just 12 months, the Trump administration has delivered real results that Americans can see in their daily lives by restoring law and order at our b...
Higgins hired as RHS football coach
High School Sports, Russellville Golden Tigers, Sports
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
January 28, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Darrell Higgins has been hired as the new head football coach at Russellville High School. His hiring was announced Saturday following ...

Leave a Reply

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