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
Copy that: Using ham radios to traverse the world
Franklin Living
Story by Brady Petree | Photos by Dan Busey 
May 6, 2026
Whether it be a tiny island in the Indian Ocean, a global superpower or a country with only a few thousand inhabitants, Russellville resident Christop...
Baseball gave Austin Bohannon confidence. Music gave him a voice.
Franklin Living
From the mound to the mic
Story by Brady Petree | Photos by Dan Busey 
May 6, 2026
Austin “Bo” Bohannon did not set out to be a musician. In fact, for much of his early life, music was something that existed on the sidelines. It was ...
Jeff Strickland chases fractions of sections, not fame
Franklin Living
From Red Bay to the winner’s circle
By Maria Camp camp@franklincountytimes.com 
May 6, 2026
Jeff Strickland has spent most of his life chasing fractions of a second, but he has never chased fame. “I’m not a glory seeker,” Strickland said. “I ...
The sky turned black, and he lived to tell it
Main, News, Phil Campbell, ...
By Brady Petree, Addie Broadfoot For the FCT 
April 29, 2026
PHIL CAMPBELL — By the time April 27, 2011, arrived, Rodney Smith had already grown accustomed to the warnings. For days, sirens had gone off across F...
EMA warns: Don’t rely on storm sirens
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
April 29, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Franklin County EMA Director Mary Glass said outdoor warning sirens should not be residents’ primary alert system during severe weather...
Ex-principal recalls lost students, teacher
Main, News, Phil Campbell, ...
SEARED IN THEIR MEMORIES
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
April 29, 2026
PHIL CAMPBELL — On the morning of April 27, 2011, Phil Campbell Elementary School (PCES) Principal Jackie Ergle was aware of the threat of severe weat...
West Elementary hosts Careers on Wheels
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
April 29, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — West Elementary students climbed into concrete trucks, explored emergency vehicles, and learned about skilled trades during the school’...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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