Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
4:11 pm Wednesday, August 7, 2002

Obituaries for Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2002

By Staff
DONNIE R. EASTERWOOD
Retired Amtrak employee
Graveside services for Donnie R. Easterwood will be held today at 2 p.m. at Magnolia Cemetery with the Rev. Rob McGee officiating. Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Easterwood, 49, of Laurel, died Monday, Aug. 5, 2002, at South Central Regional Medical Center.
Survivors include his father, Charles M. Easterwood of Meridian; a sister, Martha Ann Pankowski of Laurel; three brothers, Chuck Easterwood of Meridian, Gary Easterwood of Newton and Tim Easterwood of Flowood; several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Effie Tate Easterwood.
Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association or a charity of choice.
Pallbearers will be Chuck, Gary, Tim and Nathan Easterwood, and Johnathan and Matt Pankowski.
NARA MOODY
Homemaker
Services for Nara Moody will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. at Bethal United Methodist Church in DeSoto with the Rev. Lonnie Nicholson officiating. Burial will be in New Hope Cemetery. Enterprise Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Moody, 89, of Shubuta, died Sunday, Aug. 4, 2002, at Lakeside Living Center.
Survivors include her son, Issac Moody of Shubuta; a stepdaughter, LuEster Rew of Cincinnati; and 12 grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Hudson Moody.
REBY JOHNSON SMITH
Retired business owner
LOUISVILLE Services for Reby Johnson Smith will be held Thursday at 1 p.m. at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Louisville with the Rev. R.D. Harris officiating. Burial will be in Memorial Garden Cemetery with William and Herring Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Smith, 92, of Louisville, died Sunday, Aug. 4, 2002, at the University Medical Center in Jackson.
Survivors include her sons, Tommie Smith and his wife, Velise, of Jackson, Everett Smith and his wife, Estella, of Columbus; daughters, Evangeline Smith Hathorn and her husband, Robert, of Meridian, Helen Smith Coleman and her husband, Brewster, of Jackson; 11 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren; a sister, Pearlie Williams Robinson of Louisville; three sisters-in-law, Viola Johnson of New York, Mary Alice Johnson of Columbus and Nina Smith of Oakland, Calif.; a brother-in-law, Adolphus Beal and his wife, Dickie, of Columbus; several nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Everett Smith.
WILLIAM WAYNE BRACKEEN
Construction superintendent
NEWTON Services for William Wayne Brackeen will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Keith Boggan, Rodney Anderson, Jackie Strebeck and T.J. Archie officiating. Burial will be in Sand Springs Baptist Cemetery.
Mr. Brackeen, 53, of Hickory, died Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2002, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. He was a member of Sand Springs Baptist Church and a mason. He was employed by Ronald Adams and Phylway Construction.
Survivors include his wife, Wanda Galloway Brackeen of Hickory; two daughters, Lisa Hollingsworth and her husband, Glenn, of Hickory and Leslie Eason and her husband, Jason, of Holly Springs; a son, Bill Brackeen of Hickory; a sister, Janice Floyd of Enterprise; two brothers, Mike Brackeen and Keith Brackeen, both of Hickory; his parents, W.M. Brackeen Jr. and wife, Bernice, of Hickory; five grandchildren, Emily, Alex, Anna, Abby and Aubrey; and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be today 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
MARY SUE PACE EMMONS
Retired
NEWTON Services for Mary Sue Pace Emmons were held Saturday at 2 p.m. at James F. Webb Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Steve Robinson, James Galloway, and Stacey Sykes officiating. Burial was in Newton Masonic Cemetery.
Mrs. Emmons, 87, of Newton, died Thursday, Aug. 1, 2002, at Newton Regional Hospital. She was a retired inspector with the Newton Company and a member of Cedar Grove Baptist Church.
Survivors include her daughter, Eleanor Craven and her husband, Thomas, of Lawrence; a sister-in-law, Mary Lois Pace of Newton; five grandchildren, Tonya Sykes of Lawrence, Tommy Craven of Meridian, Suzanne Campbell of Cumming,Ga., Paul Craven of Lawrence and Chris Craven of Newton; seven great-grandchildren; and 11 great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Ellis Murl Emmons, her parents, Orienth B. and Annie Mable Carson Pace.
Pallbearers were Tommy Craven, Paul Craven, Morgan Craven, Stacey Sykes, and Stephan Sykes.
BONNIE J. RIGDON SEALE
Homemaker, former minister
Services for Bonnie J. Rigdon Seale were held Monday at 11 a.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Chuck Overby and A.M. Mansfield officiating. Burial was in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Mrs. Seale, 81, of Meridian, died Friday, Aug. 2, 2002, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. She was a member of Abundant Life Tabernacle.
Survivors include her husband, W.L. Seale of Meridian; her daughter, Laurie Robbins of Meridian; four sisters, Willie J. Parkinson of Meridian, Johnnie Hollimon of Okalona, Norma Johnson and her husband, Ray, Wyvette Overby and her husband, Charles, all of Meridian, two brothers, Paul R. Rigdon and his wife, Joyce, and Ted G. Rigdon and his wife, Ruthie, all of Meridian;two brothers-in-law Robert Seale of Lauderdale and William Bill Lee of Enterprise; one sister-in-law, Ouida Lee, of Enterprise; a grandson, Chris Parmely of San Diego; two special great-grandchildren, Fallon Hughes and Carrington Hughes, of Sevierville, Tenn.; a special niece, Debbie Weir of Meridian; two special great nieces, Alicia Hughes of Sevierville, Tenn., and Dana Briggs of Meridian; and several nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.
He was preceded in death by her parents, the Rev. John A. Rigdon Sr. and Clara Rigdon; a sister, Juanita Chisolm, and a twin brother, William Taylor Rigdon; and two other brothers, James Elmo Rigdon and John A. Rigdon Jr.
Pallbearers were her nephews.
BERNELL P. LOVETT
Arrangements were incomplete at Stephens Funeral Home for Bernell P. Lovett, 72, of Meridian, who died Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2002, at The Specialty Hospital of Meridian.

Also on Franklin County Times
$5M is secured for I-22 connector studies
Main, News, Phil Campbell, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
June 3, 2026
PHIL CAMPBELL — A $5 million federal earmark has been secured for engineering and environmental studies tied to the long-discussed Haleyville bypass p...
Ayers hired as RCS assistant superintendent
Main, News, Russellville, ...
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
June 3, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The city schools board of education has hired Nate Ayers as the system’s next assistant superintendent. Ayers’ hiring was approved by b...
Reserve deputies provide manpower where needed
Main, News, Russellville, ...
By Addi Broadfoot Staff Writer 
June 3, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — A group of volunteers dedicating their time to help local law enforcement is playing crucial roles ranging from courthouse security to ...
Search for executive director begins soon
Franklin County, News
Bernie Delinski For the FCT 
June 3, 2026
TUSCUMBIA — The board overseeing the Alabama Music Hall of Fame has established procedures for selecting a new executive director. The position has be...
Cultura Garden Club celebrates America 250
Editorials, News, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
June 3, 2026
Cultura Garden Club members gathered in red, white and blue for their May meeting at the scenic home of Ann Marie Bucholtz in Phil Campbell, and welco...
The world needs some family values
Columnists, Opinion
June 3, 2026
Far out in Colbert County in an area near Cherokee called Freedom Hills, my parents, Dewey and Lillie Mae Denton, scratched out a life from a small cr...
Tharptown names Burkett baseball coach
High School Sports, Russellville Golden Tigers, Sports
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
June 3, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Becoming Tharptown High’s head baseball coach is the culmination of a goal that was years in the making for Michael Burkett. Burkett jo...

Leave a Reply

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