Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
7:08 pm Thursday, April 12, 2001

OBITUARIES FOR THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2001

By Staff
MARGUERITE LAKE KIRKLAND
QUITMAN Marguerite Lake Kirkland, 100, died Monday, April 9, 2001, at H.C. Watkins Memorial Hospital. Services will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Quitman with the Revs. Russell LuQuire and Mitchell McDonald officiating. Mrs. Kirkland's body will lie in state at the church on Friday one hour prior to the service. Burial will be in Odd Fellows Cemetery in Quitman. Visitation will be today from 3-6 p.m. at Wright's Funeral Home.
Mrs. Kirkland was born April 24, 1900, in Boulder, Colo. She spent her childhood years in Lake Charles, La. Mrs. Kirkland married Frederick A. Mullett in 1920 and then moved to Quitman to live, where Fred was general manager of Long-Bell Lumber Company. After his death in 1932, she continued to reside in Quitman, marrying Stuart B. Kirkland in 1939.
Mrs. Kirkland was a member of First United Methodist Church of Quitman where she was a member of the Women's Missionary Society. Mrs. Kirkland was also a member of the Mississippi Chapter Daughters American Revolution, a volunteer at H.C. Watkins Memorial Hospital, founder and leader of the Girl Scout Program in Quitman.
Mrs. Kirkland is survived by two sons, Robert H. Mullett and his wife, Joanie, of Prairie Village, Kan., William L. Mullett and his wife, Joyce, of Dunedin, Fla.; a daughter, Elizabeth McLendon of Quitman; two daughters-in-law, Betty Kirkland of Quitman and Ann Mullett of Prairie Village; a brother, Ted P. Lake of Santa Rosa, Calif.; grandchildren, Fred Mullett of Seattle, Wash., David and Cathy Mullett of Houston, Texas, John and Anitra Mullett of Leawood, Kan., Mark and Teresa Mullett of Shawnee, Kan., Dan and Marsha Mullett of Clearwater, Fla., Tim and Marti Mullett of Lexington, Ky., Gage and Thomas Black of Greenwood, Jean and Mike Thompson of Winchester, Calif., John and Carolyn Kirkland of Quitman, Jere and Lisl Kirkland of Philadelphia, and Julie and George Rowell of Shubuta; and 22 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by two husbands, Frederick A. Mullett and Stuart B. Kirkland; two sons, Richard F. Mullett and J.K. Kirkland; a son-in-law, Franklin A. McLendon; and a great-granddaughter, Beth Roberson.
Pallbearers will be her grandsons, David Mullett, John Mullett, Mark Mullett, Dan Mullett, Tim Mullett, John Kirkland, Jere Kirkland and Marion Roberson.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to H.C. Watkins Memorial Hospital or First United Methodist Church of Quitman.
OTIS ALLDAY
GILBERTOWN, Ala. Graveside services for Otis Allday will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at Springbank Cemetery with the Rev. Jim Wallace officiating. Phillips Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Allday, 77, of Bay Minette, died Tuesday, April 10, 2001, at North Baldwin Hospital.
Survivors include a daughter, Patricia Ann Allday; two brothers, Jack Allday Jr. of Sweetwater and Marvin Allday of Silas; three sisters, Flossie McInvale of Mobile, Erma Lee Lewis of Waynesboro and Lois Martin of Klamath Falls, Ore.
Visitation will be today from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
RICHARD H. MILLS
Retired barber
PHILADELPHIA Services for Richard H. Mills will be held Friday at 4 p.m. at John E. Stephens Chapel with the Rev. John Stephens officiating. Burial will be in Spring Creek Cemetery.
Mr. Mills, 89, of Meridian, died Monday, April 9, 2001, at Riley Nursing Center.
Survivors include two sons, Thomas Delano Mills of Athens, Ga. and Herbert Devon Mills of Columbia, Tenn.; a sister, Matilda Fulton of Philadelphia; five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 5-9 p.m. at the funeral home.
JAMES W. HAYES
Former professional football player
Services for James W. "Papa" Hayes will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church with the Rev. William Kerry officiating. Burial will be in All Day Cemetery in Enterprise with Clark's Memorial Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Hayes, 60, of Meridian, died Monday, April 9, 2001, at Riley Hospital. He was a former professional football player with the Minnesota Vikings and Houston Oilers.
Survivors include five sisters, Annie Bell Gathright and her husband, Ardell, Earline Clayton and Barbara Pruitt, all of Meridian, Iletha Cotton of Flint, Mich. and Florine Bell of Cincinnati, Ohio; and a special friend, Dorothy Gaddie of Meridian.
Visitation will be Friday from 4-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
WILLIAM G. RICHARDS
Retired
Graveside services for William G. "Richie" Richards will be held at a later date. Burial will be in Meridian Memorial Park Cemetery with Stephens Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Richards, of Chunky, died Wednesday, April 11, 2001, in Chunky.
Survivors include his wife, Hazel Richards of Chunky; a son, Martin Caudill and his wife, Donna, of Riverside, Ala.; a daughter, Lynda Moore of Chunky; three sisters, Loretta Sharpio of St. Petersburg, Fla., Florence Schiener of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. and Dorothy Richards of Providence, R.I.; a brother, George Richards of Ocala, Fla.; seven grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 5-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
VIRGINIA VAUGHN
Arrangements were incomplete at Barham Funeral Home for Virginia Vaughn, 71, of Meridian, who died Wednesday, April 11, 2001, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
SHARON ANN KNIGHTON
Arrangements were incomplete at Berry and Gardner Funeral Home for Sharon Ann Knighton, 39, of Meridian, who died Tuesday, April 10, 2001, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
JESSIE MCKEITHEN
Arrangements were incomplete at Stephens Funeral Home for Jessie McKeithen, 70, of Bailey, who died Wednesday, April 11, 2001, at Queen City Nursing Home.
BENNIE M. TANNER
Arrangements were incomplete at James F. Webb Funeral Home for Bennie M. Tanner, 86, of Meridian, who died Wednesday, April 11, 2001, at Benchmark Health Care.

Also on Franklin County Times
Dog owner goes to trial for manslaughter
Main, News, Russellville
Kevin Taylor For the FCT 
November 5, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — The trial of a Red Bay woman who was charged with two counts of manslaughter after her dogs allegedly attacked and killed two people in...
Police chief’s brother retires
Main, News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
November 5, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — Brothers Chris and Joe Hargett worked side by side in law enforcement for more than two decades. Now, as Captain Joe Hargett retires fr...
City leaders sworn in for a new term
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
November 5, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — City leaders and community members gathered Sunday at city hall for the swearing-in ceremony for the new city council members, whose te...
Safeplace walk renews focus on domestic violence awareness
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
November 5, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — SafePlace brought its Domestic Violence Awareness Walk back to Franklin County for the first time in nearly two decades. SafePlace Exec...
RHS showcases its pumpkin creativity
News, Records, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
November 5, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — Russellville High School’s second annual Pumpkin Palooza filled the old main building hallway with themed pumpkin displays created by e...
GFWC holds North District fall meeting
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
November 5, 2025
DOUBLE SPRINGS — Fellowship, service and community spirit filled the air as members of GFWC Alabama’s North District met for its fall gathering at Loo...
Our moral documents are failing hungry families
Columnists, Opinion
November 5, 2025
Our country is about to do something unthinkable: let millions of people go hungry while spending billions elsewhere without hesitation. As of Nov. 1,...
BTCPA kicks off new season with ‘You Can’t Beat the House’
News, Red Bay
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
November 5, 2025
RED BAY — The Bay Tree Council for the Performing Arts opened its 2025-26 season this week with “You Can’t Beat the House,” a comedy by Pat Cook co-di...

Leave a Reply

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