Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
7:55 pm Sunday, October 31, 2004

Obituaries for Sunday, October 31, 2004

By Staff
GULFPORT Services for Melissa Frug Marquez will be held Monday at 12:30 p.m. at Riemann Funeral Home with Monsignor James McGough officiating. Burial will be in Floral Hills Memorial Gardens and Mausoleum.
Mrs. Marquez, 36, of Alexandria, Va., formerly of Meridian, died Thursday, Oct. 28, 2004, at the Lombardi Cancer Center at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., after a six-month battle with cancer. She graduated from Meridian High School in 1986, and attended the University of Alabama where she earned a bachelor's of science degree. She was a member of the Chi Omega Sorority. She completed law school at the University of Mississippi and served on the Mississippi Law Journal. While at Ole Miss, she met and married Johnny Marquez of Gulfport. After graduation, they moved to Alexandria, and she began working with the Board of Veterans' Appeals at the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs. She served as president of the Mississippi Society in Washington, D.C., and was an active member of her community and church. But her main and most cherished role was taking care of her three beautiful children. She will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, friend, daughter and sister. Even to the very end of her courageous struggle to fight cancer, she never missed one of her children's school or athletic events. She always put the needs of her family and friends before her own.
Survivors include her husband, Johnny Marquez; daughters, Marquerite Marquez and Lilly Marquez; a son, John Marquez, all of Alexandria; her parents, Lix Joseph Frug Jr. and Peggi Frug; a brother, L.J. Frug and his wife, Nicola, all of Meridian; her father-in-law and mother-in-law, John Marquez and Joan Marquez; and a sister-in-law, Yvette Marquez, all of Gulfport.
The family requests memorials be made to the American Cancer Society, 417 Security Square, Gulfport, MS 39507.
Visitation will be held Monday from 11 a.m. until service time at the funeral home.
Retired inspector for U.S. Motors
PHILADELPHIA Services for Welton Fortenberry will be held today at 2 p.m. at McClain-Hays Funeral Service chapel with the Revs. Don Savell and Larry Smith officiating. Burial will be in Arlington Cemetery.
Mr. Fortenberry, 67, of Philadelphia, died Friday, Oct. 29, 2004, at Neshoba County General Hospital.
Survivors include his wife, Ava Nell Fortenberry of Philadelphia.
Owner of Jay's Muffler &Used Auto Parts
Services for Jay Brock will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Stephens Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Kent Stephens officiating. Burial will be in Lakewood Memorial Park Cemetery in Jackson.
Mr. Brock, 42, of Meridian, died Thursday, Oct. 28, 2004, at Rush Foundation Hospital.
Survivors include his wife, Denise Smyth Brock of Meehan; daughters, Summer Lynn Brock of Virginia and Leslie Marie Smyth of Meehan; a son, Murray Alan Smyth II of Meehan; a grandson, Christopher "C.J." Smyth of Meehan; his mother, Lynn Brock of Pigeon Forge, Tenn.; sisters, Less L. Brock of Pigeon Forge and Sunny Smith and her husband, Ray, of Avon, Colo.; a brother, Lindsey Brock and his wife, Diane, of Morton; a sister-in-law, Doris Roberts of Ohio; a niece, Jolie Blue Smith of Avon, Ohio; and many special friends.
He was preceded in death by his father, Ralph S. Brock; and a brother-in-law, Joey Roberts.
Pallbearers will be Danny Harding, Anthony DeVaughn, Boe Hendon, Paul Joyner, Mike Foy, Ernest Parker, Billy Wayne Griffin and Willie Tarver.
Visitation will be held Monday from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Graveside services for Journi Dyane McDuffey will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Mt. Olive Cemetery in Lauderdale with the Rev. Obdiah Clemons officiating. Berry &Gardner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Infant McDuffey, of Bailey, died Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2004, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
Survivors include her parents, Traci McKnight of Bailey and Jerry McDuffey of Jackson; her maternal grandmother; her paternal grandmother; and her maternal great-grandmother.
Homemaker
QUITMAN Services for Cathy Davis will be held Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Bethel United Methodist Church cemetery in DeSoto with the Rev. Lonnie Nicholson officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery with Berry &Gardner Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Davis, 43, of Shubuta, died Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2004, at Rush Foundation Hospital.
Survivors include her husband, Eddie E. Davis of Shubuta; a daughter, Latoyia Davis of Shubuta; a son, Jimmy Howard Jr. of Hattiesburg; her mother, Mary Northington of North Carolina; three sisters; and a brother, Tony L. Parker of Waynesboro.
Visitation will be held Tuesday from 6 p.m.-7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Arrangements were incomplete at James L. Osby Funeral Home for Mary L. Davis, 53, of Union, who died Friday, Oct. 29, 2004, at Riley Hospital.
Arrangements were incomplete at Berry &Gardner Funeral Home for Johnnie R. King, 66, of Meridian, who died Friday, Oct. 29, 2004, at Riley Hospital.

Also on Franklin County Times
$5M is secured for I-22 connector studies
Main, News, Phil Campbell, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
June 3, 2026
PHIL CAMPBELL — A $5 million federal earmark has been secured for engineering and environmental studies tied to the long-discussed Haleyville bypass p...
Ayers hired as RCS assistant superintendent
Main, News, Russellville, ...
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
June 3, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The city schools board of education has hired Nate Ayers as the system’s next assistant superintendent. Ayers’ hiring was approved by b...
Reserve deputies provide manpower where needed
Main, News, Russellville, ...
By Addi Broadfoot Staff Writer 
June 3, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — A group of volunteers dedicating their time to help local law enforcement is playing crucial roles ranging from courthouse security to ...
Search for executive director begins soon
Franklin County, News
Bernie Delinski For the FCT 
June 3, 2026
TUSCUMBIA — The board overseeing the Alabama Music Hall of Fame has established procedures for selecting a new executive director. The position has be...
Cultura Garden Club celebrates America 250
Editorials, News, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
June 3, 2026
Cultura Garden Club members gathered in red, white and blue for their May meeting at the scenic home of Ann Marie Bucholtz in Phil Campbell, and welco...
The world needs some family values
Columnists, Opinion
June 3, 2026
Far out in Colbert County in an area near Cherokee called Freedom Hills, my parents, Dewey and Lillie Mae Denton, scratched out a life from a small cr...
Tharptown names Burkett baseball coach
High School Sports, Russellville Golden Tigers, Sports
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
June 3, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Becoming Tharptown High’s head baseball coach is the culmination of a goal that was years in the making for Michael Burkett. Burkett jo...

Leave a Reply

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