Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
5:33 pm Saturday, January 20, 2001

OBITUARIES FOR SATURDAY, JAN. 20, 2001

By Staff
SHIRLEY MENDIUS ARNOLD
Retired librarian
MEMPHIS Services for Shirley Mendius Arnold were held Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Memorial Park Funeral Home Chapel. Burial was in Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mrs. Arnold, 89, of Memphis, died Sunday, Jan. 14, 2001, in her home. She was a retired librarian for the city of Memphis.
Survivors include two sons, Fred Mendius Jr. and his wife, Shirley, of Meridian; and Richard Mendius of Memphis; four grandchildren, Troy, Lane, Lynne and Fred III; seven stepgrandchildren, Ernest, Walt, Beatrice, Billy, Elizabeth, John and Mary; three great-grandchildren Toth, Brennan, and Lauren ;and a very devoted care giver, Judy Bekavac of Cordova.
RICHARD W. CLARKE
Manager of Roses
LAUREL Services for Richard W. Clarke will be held today at 10 a.m. at Memory Chapel with the Revs. Robby Johnson and Joe Stringer officiating. Burial will be in Myrick Cemetery in Jones County.
Mr. Clarke, 46, of Laurel, died Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2001, in Jasper County. He was an avid hunter and fisherman with his son, Hunter. He was a devoted husband and father and a Baptist.
Survivors include his wife, Pam Clarke of Laurel; a son, Hunter Clarke of Laurel; a daughter, Leah Clarke of Anderson, Ind.; his parents, John and Mary Clarke of Meridian; a brother, Edward Clarke and his wife, Debbie, of Meridian; a sister, Nan Wade and her husband, Steve, of Meridian; a father-in-law and mother-in-law, Levell and Sue Sharp of Meridian; four nieces, Kristina Sharp, Kristina Clarke, Jennifer Olson and Krystal Sharp; and four nephews, Johnathon Clarke, Johnny Sharp, Alan Sanders and Matthew Sanders.
Pallbearers will be Kenny Parker, Mark Thornton, Steve Wade, Edward Clarke, Frankie McGee and Dennis Bush.
GRADY LEON LEWIS
Farmer
QUITMAN Services for Grady Leon Lewis will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at Wright's Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Gary McInnis and Les Roberts officiating. Burial will be in Shady Grove Cemetery in Clarke County.
Mr. Lewis, 88, of Quitman, died Friday, Jan. 19, 2001 at H.C. Watkins Hospital.
Survivors include a brother, Howard Lewis and three sisters, Adell Anderson, Myrtle Grace Lewis and Velma McGrew, all of Quitman.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Thomas Jackson and Ludie Williams Lewis.
Visitation will be today beginning at 5 p.m. at the funeral home.
LILLIE BEAL
Services for Lillie "Maud" Beal will be held Sunday at 3 p.m. at James F. Webb Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Jerry Johnson and Earl Wheatley officiating. Burial will be in Old Marion Cemetery.
Mrs. Beal, 75, of Meridian, died Thursday, Jan. 18, 2001, at Rush Foundation Hospital. She was a member of Parkview Church of God.
Survivors include four daughters, Clara Thigpen and her husband, Ned, of Tuscaloosa, Patsy Tournay and her husband, Eric, of Tallahassee, Fla., Vickie Patton and her husband, Patrick, of Knoxville, Tenn. and Elaine Sanders and her husband, Brian, of Meridian; four sons, Julian Mack "Butch" Johnson of Hiram, Ga., Larry Johnson and his wife, Sandra, of Pascagoula, Billy Gene Johnson of Meridian and Randy Johnson and his wife, Leann of Meridian; a sister, Dorothy Jean Haskins of Foley, Ala.; 20 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by a son, Donald Wayne Johnson.
Pallbearers will be her grandsons.
Visitation will be today beginning at 5 p.m.
PHILIP L. MORGAN
Services for Philip L. Morgan will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at Barham Chapel. Burial will follow in Toomsuba Cemetery.
Mr. Morgan, a Toomsuba resident, died Friday, Jan. 19, 2001, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
Visitation is scheduled today, 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at Barham Funeral Home.
ABBIE C. PARTRIDGE
Services for Abbie C. Partridge will be held Monday at 1 p.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow in Meridian Memorial Park with Barham Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Partridge, 97, a Meridian resident, died Friday, Jan. 19, 2001 at Riley Hospital.
Visitation will be Sunday from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. at Barham.
JULIA COOKSEY
Poultry grower
Services for Julia Cooksey will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at Pine Ridge Baptist Church in Lake with the Revs. Larry Laird and Nick Holden officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery with Barham Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Cooksey, 70, of Lake, died Thursday, Jan. 18, 2001, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
Survivors include three daughters, Mary Ann Wilkerson, and her husband, Ronald, of Collinsville; Jessica Cooksey, of Lake; and Tammy Hollingsworth, and her husband, Paul, of Lake; four sons, Billy Crocker, and his wife, Edna, of Conehatta; James Crocker, and his wife, Reba, of Lake; Harold Crocker, and his wife, Lou, of Lake; and Gary Cooksey, of Lake; a sister, Hazel Klatt, of Pascagoula; a brother, Alvin Lamar Watson, of Collinsville; 14 grandchildren, David Crocker, James Allen, Abby Hollingsworth, James Crocker Jr., Tammy Crocker, and Brittany Taylor, all of Conehatta; Pam Gross, of Union; Michelle Gressett, Rhonda Griffin, and Ken Wilkerson., all of Meridian; Capt. Tony Wilkerson, of Tyler, Texas; Alicia Wilkerson and Kathy Crocker, of Lake; and Tanya Alford, of Philadelphia; and 19 great grandchildren; a number of nieces and nephews; and other relatives and friends, including a special friend, Mary Lee Archie, of Lake.
Visitation is scheduled today from 4 p.m.-9 p.m. at Barham Funeral Home and Sunday at the church 30 minutes prior to the services.

Also on Franklin County Times
Scientist connects classwork to careers
Main, Z - News Main
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
December 31, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE – Middle school students recently got a hands-on look at how classroom lessons connect to real-world careers during a visit from an Aubur...
Fire department searches records to find its history
Main, News, Phil Campbell, ...
By Addi Broadfoot For the FCT 
December 31, 2025
PHIL CAMPBELL — The Phil Campbell Volunteer Fire Department is digging into its past as it works to confirm when the town’s first fire service was off...
Club ends year with giving, reflection
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
December 31, 2025
The GFWC Book Lovers Club came together at the beautifully decorated home of Patricia and Don Cox for its final meeting of the year, celebrating the s...
A December revolt for change
Columnists, Opinion
December 31, 2025
Imagine going to visit a relative in another country and discovering they had things that your own country did not. Not only were goods available for ...
Hidden treasures hang on Christmas tree
News, Phil Campbell
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
December 31, 2025
PHIL CAMPBELL — For Jam Lee TePoel Saarinen and her husband, Jeff Saarinen, some of the most meaningful Christmas gifts are not found under the tree b...
Anglers hold first outreach effort
Franklin County, News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
December 31, 2025
R U S S E L L V I L L E — Franklin County Anglers delivered holiday stockings to residents at Arabella Health and Wellness as part of their first comm...
Thigpens win garden club lighting contest
News, Red Bay
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
December 31, 2025
RED BAY — A climbing ivy “Christmas tree,” decorated with ornaments and carolers from “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” runs along the side of Wesley and D...
Turning hair loss into hope for kids
News
Chelsea Retherford For the FCT 
December 31, 2025
When Harper Berryhill began to lose her hair during chemotherapy, she was reminded that she was not facing her diagnosis alone. In a gesture rooted in...

Leave a Reply

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