Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
6:53 pm Friday, October 29, 2004

Obituaries for Friday, October 29, 2004

By Staff
Retired General Box Co. employee
Services for Ila Adcock Bateman will be held today at 10 a.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Bill Webb and Phillip Smith officiating. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Mrs. Bateman, 86, of Meridian, died Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2004, in her home. She was a member of Coker's Chapel United Methodist Church. She will be remembered as a much loved mother, grandmother and friend.
Survivors include her sons, Haskel Bateman and his wife, Mary, Harold Bateman and his wife, Carole, Hershell Bateman and his wife, Geroldine, all of Meridian, and Clay Bateman Jr. and his wife, Nell, of Columbus; daughters, Pat Smith and her husband, Jerry, and Mary Faye Wilson and her husband, Jim, all of Meridian; 13 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Clay Bateman Sr.; and a daughter-in-law, Jeanette Bateman.
Memorials may be made to Coker's Chapel United Methodist Church Building Fund.
Pallbearers will be her grandsons.
Civil service employee
Services for Mary Ella Kinard Cobb will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at Fellowship Baptist Church with the Revs. Jimmy Williams and Jerry Zgarba officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Cobb, 84, of Meridian, died Thursday, Oct. 28, 2004, at The Specialty Hospital of Meridian. She was a member of Fellowship Baptist Church.
Survivors include her daughter, Bunnie Cobb Tisdale and her husband, Doll, of Meridian; grandchildren, Allison Tisdale Andrews and her husband, David, of Orangeburg, S.C. and Paul Tisdale of Meridian; great-granddaughter, Megan Elizabeth Andrews of Orangburg, S.C.; a sister, Margie Miles of Meridian and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Ranson Kinard and Mary Alice Tolbert Kinard.
Pallbearers will be her nephews.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. at the funeral home and Saturday 30 minutes prior to the service at the church.
Services for Maybelle Bailey Baxter will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at Barham Funeral Home. Burial will be in Magnolia Cemetery.
Mrs. Baxter, 96, of Marion was a member of Marion United Methodist Church where she served as pianist and organist for several decades, and she was a member of the Time and Tide Club of Meridian.
Survivors include her sons, James B. Baxter of Mobile, Ala., John E. Baxter of Memphis and William B. Baxter of Sedona, Ariz.; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; a niece, Joann Anderson and her husband, James; a nephew, C. Scott Bailey Jr. of Meridian; and life-long friends, Betty McInnis, Margie Jackson and Catherine Jones.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. John Baxter.
Memorials may be sent to Marion United Methodist Church.
Visitation will be held today from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
Homemaker
NEWTON Services for Ola Kate Wheeler will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at James F. Webb Funeral Home chapel. Burial will be in Pine Ridge Church Cemetery.
Mrs. Wheeler, 82, of Coal City, Ill., formerly of Newton, died Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2004, at Heritage Manor in Dwight, Ill. She was a member of Pine Ridge Baptist Church.
Survivors include her daughters, Margaret A. Frost and Jessie Carol Watters, both of Morris, Ill.; sons, Billy R. Wheeler of Beggs, Okla., Fred Wheeler of Gulfport, Edward Wheeler of Kellyville, Okla., Randy Wheeler of Sapulpa, Okla. and David Wheeler of Crown Point, Ind.; a brother, Carlton Rush of Jackson; 17 grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Hubert Wheeler; a daughter, Karen Denise Farley; her parents, Sim Frank and Mamie Parker Rush; and a brother, Franklin Rush.
Visitation will be held today from 4 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Services for Pettis Hampton will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Clark's Memorial Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Alfred Liburd officiating. Burial will be in Barker Cemetery.
Mr. Hampton, 50, of Houston, Texas, died Friday, Oct. 22, 2004, at Memorial Hospital in Houston. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army.
Survivors include his parents, Marcellus and Cathering Hampton of Collinsville; his wife, Linda Hampton; a daughter, Latonya Brooks and her husband, Leon; sons, Henry Bell and his wife, Meklit and Timothy Bell, all of Houston; sisters, Geneva Hampton of Cleveland, Ohio; Virginia Liburd and her husband, Alfred, of Springfield, Calif., Betty Brown and her husband, Othell, of Daleville, Cathy Hampton of Collinsville, and Gwendolyn Steele and her husband, Lee, of DeKalb; brothers, Louis Hampton and his wife, Orene, of Union; Loronzo Hampton and his wife, Margaret, Calvin Hampton and his wife, Wanda, and Nathaniel Hampton, all of Meridian, Herbert Hampton and his wife, Climmi, Donald Hampton and his wife, Venia, Ezra Hampton, Marcellus Hampton and his wife, Jeannie, and Alan Hampton, all of Collinsville and Carl Hampton and his wife, Corvette, of Chesapeake, Vir.; and four grandchildren.
Visitation will be held today from 6 p.m.-7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Services for Charles B. Leager Sr. will be held Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at Barham Funeral Home chapel with the Revs. Harold C. Talley and Matthew Simmons officiating. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Mr. Leager, 64, of Meridian, died Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2004, at Riley Hospital. He was retired from the U.S. Navy, serving in Vietnam as a 1st Class Boatsum Mate.
Survivors include his wife of 43 years, Dorothy Spencer Leager of Meridian; children, Charles Leager Jr. and his wife, Melinda and Stephanie Hughes and her husband, Jason, all of Meridian, and Carol Davis and her husband, Greg, of Peoria, Ariz.; grandchildren, Erica Davis, Candis Davis, Rozanne Alexander, Charles Leager III, Jimmy Leager, Tabitha Hughes, Olivia Hughes and Drake Hughes; three sisters, Patricia Benefield of Newport News, Vir., Elenor Caldwell of Maryland and Bernice Lumdardi of Philadelphia; a brother, Delano Leager and his wife, Peggy, of Moon, Vir.; several nieces and nephews; and dear friends, Raul Trevino and Odella Trevino.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Winifred and George Leager of Philadelphia.
Pallbearers will be the Military Honor Guard.
Visitation will be held today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.

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 *