Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
1:04 pm Monday, May 6, 2002

RAY CLARKE JOHNSON

By Staff
Auto repairman
UNION Graveside services for Ray Clarke Johnson were to be held today at 10 a.m. at Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery in Decatur with the Rev. William Walker officiating. Milling Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Johnson, 74, of Decatur, died Sunday, May 5, 2002, at Veteran Memorial Hospital in Jackson. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy serving in World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Ellen Uldine Johnson of Decatur; a daughter, Mary Ellen Hopson,of Pearl; two sons, Ron Johnson of Brandon and Tim Johnson of of Simpsonville, S.C.; sisters, Bernice Ashley of Madison and Josie Mae Jones of Meridian; brothers, Doris Johnson of Brandon and Elmer Johnson of Decatur; a granddaughter, Misty Lowery of Hattiesburg; and a grandson, Caleb Johnson of Simpsonville, S.C.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Myrtie Johnson and Bud Johnson; sisters, Allie Everett and Annie Scott; brothers, Cook Johnson, Lee Johnson, William Johnson and Arnold Johnson.
The family requests memorials be made to the Oakland Baptist Church Cemetery Fund or the American Cancer Society, 1380 Livingston Lane, Jackson, MS 39213.
LUCILLE BECKHAM WARD
Homemaker
Services for Lucille Beckham Ward will be held today at 11 a.m. at McClain-Hays Funeral Home Chapel, with the Revs. Jay Murphy and Charles Rhodes officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Olive Cemetery in the Stephenstown Community of Neshoba County.
Mrs. Ward, 70, Philadelphia, died Saturday, May 4, 2002, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
Survivors include her daughters, Wanda Chaney of Little Rock, Kathy Addy of Decatur and Julie Richardson of Preston; sons, Edward Beckham and Otis Beckham, both of Philadelphia; 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren; sisters, Nettie Mae Higginbotham of Hattiesburg and Hettie Ruth Cutrer of Philadelphia; brothers, Mack Dunn of Canton and Laverne Dunn of Louisville.
She is preceded in death by her husbands, Hersel Beckham and John Ward.
ANTHONY BARTLETT
Services for Anthony Bartlett will be held Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel.
Mr. Bartlett, 36, of Meridian, died Saturday, May 4, 2002, in his home.
Visitation will be today 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
GRACIE PEARLEY GRIMES MCILWAIN
GILBERTOWN, Ala. Services for Gracie Pearley Grimes McIlwain will be held Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Barlow United Methodist Church with the Revs. Malcomb Parker and Charles Albrook officiating. Burial will be in Barlow Cemetery with Phillips Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. McIlwain, 71, of Millry, died Saturday, May 4, 2002, in Millry.
Survivors include her sons, Tony McIlwain of Millry, Danny McIlwain of Bessemer, Glenn McIlwain of Atmore, Gene McIlwain of Stateline and Louie McIlwain of Mobile; daughters, Loretta Sullivan of Copeland, Paulette Beasley of Millry, Rebecca Woods of Buckatunna, Connie Beasley of Copeland, Debbie Reed of Silas and Tammy Henson of Frankville; a brother, Daniel Grimes Jr. of Copeland; a sister Marie Harrel of Pascagoula; 36 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Theodore James "TJ" McIlwain.
Visitation will be today 6 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home.
LT. GEN. GLENN D. WALKER
Retired U. S. Army
UNION Services for Lt. Gen. Glenn D. Walker will be held Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at Union Methodist Church, with the Rev. Tom Samson officiating. Burial will be in Union Cemetery with Stephens Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Walker, 86, of Kosciusko, died Friday, May 3, 2002, in Kosciusko. Lt. General Walker of Union and Forest was born Jan. 21, 1916, in Rapides Parish, La. His family moved to Morton in 1926. He graduated Morton High School in 1934 and attended East Central Junior College in 1934-35. While attending ECJC he began his military career by joining the Mississippi National Guard in Decatur. He later attended the University of Mississippi in 1935-36 and Mississippi College in 1937-39. Upon earning his bachelor's of arts degree from Mississippi College, he joined the MC faculty and became a member of the coaching staff.
General Walker entered active military service in February 1942 and was assigned to the 22nd Infantry, 4th Infantry Division. In January 1944, he went to England with the 22nd Infantry as a Company Commander. He participated in the "D-Day" Normandy Landings, going ashore at Utah Beach. He rose to battalion commander during the Saint Lo Breakout, but after being wounded during the bitter fighting in the Huertgen Forest, he was evacuated to the U.S.
Upon release form the hospital in June 1945, now a lieutenant colonel, he became an instructor in the Tactical Department at the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia. General Walker joined the Army Advisory Group in Nanking, China, in the summer of 1947 where he remained until the fall of 1948 when he joined the Far East Command Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan.
General Walker was assigned as a student at the Army's Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., in 1950 and remained on the faculty there as an instructor.
From 1955-56 he attended the Army War College at Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania. After his graduation from the Army War College, General Walker was assigned as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, G2 at 7th Army Headquarters in Germany until he became Commanding Officer of the 6th Infantry Regiment in Berlin.
In the summer of 1958 he was transferred to the Pentagon to the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations Department of the Army and later served as a staff member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Between August 1962 and February 1965, General Walker attended the National War College and went on to serve as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel, G1 with the 8th Army in Korea and later as Assistant Chief of Staff for Personnel, G1 with U.S. Army, Pacific in Honolulu.
In February 1965, he was assigned as Assistant Division Commander, 25th Infantry Division. He departed with the initial elements of the division to the Republic of Vietnam in December 1965. Between April and October of 1966 he commanded the third Brigade Task Force, which later was to be designated the third Brigade, Fourth Division.
In October 1966, he was reassigned as Assistant Division Commander of the 4th Infantry Division at Pleiku, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. He returned to the U.S. In August of 1967 and was assigned to Headquarters, U.S. Continental Army Command.
In November 1967, he was promoted to the rank of Major General and became the Deputy Chief of Staff for Military Operations and Reserve Forces, Headquarters U.S. Continental Command, Fort Monroe, Va.
In November 1969, he returned to Vietnam to become the Commanding General of the 4th Infantry Division.
General Walker was assigned to the Department of the Army on Aug. 1, 1970, and assumed the position of Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Military Operation.

Also on Franklin County Times
Kiwanis Club returns; Key Club planned
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
April 1, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The Kiwanis Club has returned to Russellville. Members gathered last week at Calvary Baptist Church to review bylaws, elect officers an...
Bridge work moves forward on SR 243
Main, News, Russellville, ...
By Addi Broadfoot For the FCT 
April 1, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Construction of a new bridge over Cedar Creek on SR 243 is moving forward as crews recently completed a major step in the project. Last...
Neighbors steps down as chairman of Democrats
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
April 1, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Rick Neighbors has stepped down as chair of the Franklin County Democratic Executive Committee, citing personal commitments he said no ...
Kiel named a 2026 ‘Emerging Leader’
News, Russellville
By Addi Broadfoot For the FCT 
April 1, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — District 18 State Rep. Jamie Kiel has been named to the 2026 class of Emerging Leaders by GOPAC, a national group which works to train ...
NIL era has become a complete disaster
Columnists, Opinion
April 1, 2026
The modern NIL era is a complete disaster. Players walk away from contracts just to chase a new shiny opportunity. Coaches are left begging their alum...
Ex-educators learn about crime prevention from guest speaker
Columnists, Franklin County, News
HERE AND NOW
April 1, 2026
Members of the Franklin County Retired Educators Association learned about crime prevention during their recent monthly meeting. Association members w...
K-9 Mia gets helmet for protection
News
Kevin Taylor For the FCT 
April 1, 2026
ROGERSVILLE — When Police Lt. Lucas Stansell and his K-9 Mija are called into action to track a person through the woods, or to go into a home to exec...
Biblical roles create big sandals to fill
News
Chelsea Retherford Staff Writer 
April 1, 2026
Onstage, they are adversaries — one a reluctant liberator, the other a ruler clinging to power. But offstage, McKinley Copeland and Zach Adams share s...

Leave a Reply

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