Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
6:51 am Saturday, July 6, 2002

Obituaries for Saturday, July 6, 2002

By Staff
R.M. WILLIAMS
Retired Baptist minister
SHERMAN, Texas Services for R.M. Williams, were held Friday at 2 p.m. at East Sherman Baptist Church with the Revs. Thomas Beall and Roland Quellette officiating. Burial was in Cedarlawn Memorial Park Cemetery. Waldo Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Rev. Williams, 83, of Sherman, died Monday, July 1, 2002. He was born in Clarke County, the son of John Williams and Stella Harper Williams. He graduated from Clarke County High School where he played on the State Championship Basketball team. He graduated from Mississippi College and Southwest Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He began his ministry in Mississippi, pastoring five churches simultaneously at Goodwater, Leesburg, Branch, Rehobeth and Bare Foot Springs. He pastored Skyline Heights Baptist Church in Dallas and First Baptist Church, Royce City, before beginning his pastorship in Sherman on March 15, 1948. He retired from East Sherman Baptist Church in December 1984.
Survivors include his wife of almost 60 years, Alice Gene; sons John L. Williams and his wife, Anita, of Sacramento, Calif.; Robert Williams, of Sherman and David Williams and his wife, Sandra, of Weston, Fla.; his daughter, Sue Miller and her husband, John, of Savoy; sisters, Margaret Godfrey of Greenville, S.C., and Joy Jones of Springfield, Ill., brothers, Royce Williams of Meridian, Miss., R.E. Williams of Enterprise, Miss., grandchildren, Kim Murphy of Norfolk, Va., Lori Lancaster of Lewisburg,Tenn., Brad Williams of Quebec City, Ontario Canada, Tiffany Savage of Tamarac, Fla., J.J. Williams of Omaha, Neb., Chad Tuley of Avon, Ind., Matt Tuley of Sherman, and Mark Miller of Savoy; step-grandchildren, Andy Miller of Jacksonville, Fla., and Heather Miller of Fort Worth, Texas; and six great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by six brothers and sisters.
Memorials may be made to East Sherman Baptist Church building fund, 601 S. Willow, Sherman, Tx., 75090.
Pallbearers were Bob Alexander, R.C. Corzine, Joe Walthall, Don Smith, Andy Brockelman and Chris Carsten.
TOMMIE YOUNG MASSEY
NAPA Auto Parts employee
UNION Services for Tommie Young Massey will be held today at 11 a.m. at Milling Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Bob Null and Johnnie Mullinax officiating. Burial will be in Decatur City Cemetery.
Mr. Massey, 64, of Decatur, died Wednesday, July 3, 2002, at Biloxi Regional Hospital. He was employed with NAPA Auto Parts Store in Decatur.
Survivors include his wife, Ann Massey; three sons, Jason Massey and his wife, Cindy, Mark Massey and his wife, Angie, and Nick Massey; a daughter, Shawn Tolbird and her husband, Troy; a brother, James "Buddy" Massey; two sisters, Lottie Patterson and Dorothy Cullum, all of Decatur; five grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and three sisters.
THOMAS BRUCE BARNETT SR.
Dairyman and manager
MACON Services for Thomas Bruce Barnett Sr., will be held Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at Cockrell Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Charlie Whitney and Byron Pickering officiating. Burial will be in Oddfellows Cemetery.
Mr. Barnett, 80, of Macon, died Thursday, July 4, 2002, at Riley Hospital. He was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II. He worked as a dairyman for 10 years and became manager of Noxubee Milk Producers in Macon.
Survivors include his wife, Hazel Parke Barnett of Macon; a daughter, Margaret Gary of Clinton; a son, Bruce Barnett of Columbus; four grandchildren; three sisters, Jeanette Glover of Stone Mountain, Ga., Mary Louise Thorsen of Macon and Dorothy B. Burleson of Birmingham, Ala.; and three brothers, Wilford Barnett of Aberdeen, Jesse P. Barnett of Meridian and James Barnett of Macon.
The family requests memorials be made to the American Cancer Society, First Baptist Church of Macon or to a favorite charity.
Visitation will be held today from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.

Also on Franklin County Times
Taste of Franklin
Franklin Living
July 1, 2026
It’s no secret that I love a good thrift store! When I was in college in 1992 at the University of Montevallo, some of my home economic friends and I ...
Woman who shot husband pleads guilty
Main, News, Russellville
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
July 1, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — A woman who admitted to shooting and killing her husband last month pleaded not guilty during her arraignment on June 24. Sherri Mitche...
$110 idea launched a half century business
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 1, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Customers have walked through the doors of Stidham Feed & Seed for more than half a century looking for everything from garden seed and...
Mother, now daughter, leave marks on history
Main, News, Russellville, ...
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
July 1, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — In the event you find yourself on a trip to the Franklin County Archives, one of the first things you’ll see upon arrival is the name C...
Court upholds Gann’s conviction
Main, News, Red Bay, ...
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
July 1, 2026
MONTGOMERY — A former Red Bay day care worker convicted of manslaughter in the death of 4-month-old Autumn Wells will have to face her original senten...
Book Lovers Club kicks off new year
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
July 1, 2026
Summer tends to make it easier to say “yes” to socializing with friends. That’s what members of the Book Lovers Study Club did for their June meeting ...

Leave a Reply

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