Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
5:53 pm Wednesday, May 22, 2002

Obituaries for Wednesday, May 22, 2002

By Staff
JOEL WADE TATUM
NEWTON Services for Joel Wade Tatum will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Stan Buckley officiating. Burial will be in Decatur Cemetery.
Mr. Tatum, 39, of Boswell, died Monday, May 20, 2002, in Rankin County.
Survivors include his mother, Patricia A. Ritter of Brandon; his grandmother, Mittie Lou Harris of Decatur; several uncles, aunts and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his father, Wilbur Hugh Tatum.
Pallbearers will be Bill Sullivan, Eugene Sullivan, James Harris, Steve Simkins, Clay Barnett and Greg Warren.
Visitation will be today 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
DR. ROBERT M. RITTER
Psychiatrist
NEWTON Services for Dr. Robert M. Ritter will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Stan Buckley officiating. Burial will be in Decatur Cemetery.
Dr. Ritter, 78, of Brandon, died Monday, May 20, 2002, in Rankin County. He was a longtime physician in the Jackson area.
Survivors include his wife, Patricia A. Ritter of Brandon; a son, Robert M. Ritter Jr. and his wife, Patricia Reeves Ritter, of Fort Worth, Texas; a daughter, Deborah Ritter McBride and her husband, Ron, of Fort Worth, Texas; grandchildren, Dr. Nettie Nichole Davidson of Jackson, Mary McCoy Hoges, Robert M. Ritter III, Anne Elizabeth Ritter, Emily Cox Ritter and Erick Reeves Ritter, all of Fort Worth; cousins, Billy Sullivan of Jackson and Eugene Sullivan of Tupelo; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by a brother, L.D. Ritter and a granddaughter, Heather Lindsay Davidson.
Memorials may be made to the Mississippi Mental Health Association or a charity of choice.
Pallbearers will be Bill Sullivan, Eugene Sullivan, James Harris, Steve Simkins, Clay Barnett and Greg Warren.
Visitation will be today 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
VERTIE LEE HILLMAN
UNION Services for Vertie Lee Hillman will be Thursday at 3 p.m. at Ennon Baptist Church with the Revs. Mike Fondren and Mike Smith officiating. Burial will be in Golden Grove Cemetery in Neshoba County. Milling Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Hillman, 77, of Union, died Monday, May 20, 2002, at Heartfelt Hospice. She was a member of County Line Baptist Church in Leake County.
Survivors include her daughters, Henry Earl Walters, Faye Coats and Jeanette Foy, all of Union; sons, Thomas Hillman of Louin and Calvin Hillman of Meridian; a brother, Rufus Spears of Philadelphia; a sister, Mae Swain of Louisiana; 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Rufus Hillman.
Pallbearers will be Tommy Walters, Ray Coats, Mike Foy, Russell Douglas, Chris Ethridge, Byran Withers, Lamar Smith and Ron Smith.
Visitation will be today 6:30 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home.
VIRGINIA HERSEY
Arrangements were incomplete at Enterprise Funeral Home for Virginia Hersey, 84, of Meridian, who died, Monday, May 20, 2002, in Chicago.
BESSIE STOKES
Arrangements were incomplete at Barham Funeral Home for Bessie Stokes, 79, of Springfield, Mo., who died Tuesday, May 21, 2002, at Maranatha Lodge Nursing Home.
WILLIE JIMMERSON
Arrangements were incomplete at James L. Osby Funeral Home for Willie Jimmerson, of Philadelphia, who died, Monday, May 20, 2002, in his home.

Also on Franklin County Times
Russellville BOE receives clean audit report
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklicountytimes.com 
March 20, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The Russellville City Schools Board of Education received a clean financial audit for fiscal 2025 during its meeting on Tuesday.Buddy J...
Pilgrim’s renovations will add 100 jobs
Main, News, Russellville
Alyssa Sutherland For the FCT 
March 18, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Pilgrim’s Pride’s poultry processing plant is undergoing a total overhaul that when completed will create 100 additional jobs. The over...
Hardware store hosts newest Connie’s Cabinet
Main, News, Russellville, ...
Bernie Delinski For the FCT 
March 18, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Austin Williams said Monday he hopes a cabinet in front of Green’s Dependable Hardware helps those in need for food but also serves as ...
New animal control facility to cost $485K
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
March 18, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — A new county animal control facility is set to be built next to the Franklin County Jail with construction expected to begin by month’s...
Hadrian, Navy partnering on project
News
Bernie Delinski For the FCT 
March 18, 2026
BARTON — Federal and local officials are gearing up for Friday’s public unveiling of a major defense project at the Barton Riverfront Industrial Park ...
Who defines professional competence in Alabama?
Columnists, Opinion
March 18, 2026
Irecently reviewed an extraordinary student paper. The student analyzed a proposed state policy, determined it conflicted with our profession’s ethica...
Gardens have their own notes in history
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
March 18, 2026
Gardens often carry more history than people realize. That felt especially true this month, as our March meeting and the Liberty Tree ceremony at the ...
High power bills have church seeking answers, solutions
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
March 18, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Electric bills that have more than doubled in the past two months have officials at Cedars Church working with the Russellville Electri...

Leave a Reply

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