Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
5:54 am Monday, December 2, 2002

Obituaries for Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2002

By Staff
HUMPHREY LOPETH HAIRSTON
Services for Humphrey Lopeth "Mickey" Hairston will be held Wednesday at noon at 31st Avenue Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. Samuel L. Thompson officiating. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Berry and Gardner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Hairston, 49, of Meridian, died Friday, Nov. 29, 2002, at the University Medical Center in Jackson. He was born July 5, 1953, in Meridian and lived here until he moved to New York in 1971. Humphrey moved back to Meridian in 1978 where he married Shirley Windham in 1979.
Survivors include his son, Paris Kennard Hairston of Meridian; his parents, George and Rosie Hairston; four brothers, George Hairston Jr. of New York, Hoiland Hairston of Biloxi, Gabriel Hairston of Beaumont, Texas, and Grover Hairston of Pearl; sisters, Harriette Hairston of New York, Bobby Hairston of Meridian and Leontyne Clark of Houston, Texas; several nieces, nephews and a special friend, Phyllis Collier.
Visitation will be Tuesday 7 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
MARY EVELYN REA
Homemaker
PHILADELPHIA Services for Mary Evelyn Rea will be held today at 2 p.m. at McClain-Hays Funeral Service Chapel with the Revs. John Stephens and Barron Pilgrim officiating. Burial will be in Cedarlawn Cemetery in Philadelphia.
Mrs. Rea, 92, of Philadelphia, died Saturday, Nov. 30, 2002, at Neshoba County Nursing Home.
Survivors include daughters, Mary Ann Fulton of Greenville and Jenny Lynn Williamson of Philadelphia; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Dewitt Rea in 1992.
CHARLES M. BANCROFT
Retired
Services for Charles M. Bancroft will be held Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Jason Bird officiating. Burial will be in Magnolia Cemetery.
Mr. Bancroft, 82, of Meridian, died Saturday, Nov. 30, 2002, in Birmingham, Ala. He was retired from the Mississippi Employment Security Commission. He was a member of Fifteenth Avenue Baptist Church and a veteran of the U.S. Army serving in World War II and the Korean Conflict.
Survivors include his daughter, Claire B. Armstrong and her husband, Leon, of Birmingham, Ala.; grandchildren, Leigh Armstrong Barnett and her husband, Jim, Stephen Armstrong and his wife, Missy, and Michael Armstrong, all of Birmingham; a great-granddaughter, Julia Claire Armstrong of Birmingham; a sister, Yvonne James and her husband, Bill, of Palatine, Ill.; and three nieces and three nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Louise Tate Bancroft.
Pallbearers will be Stephen Armstrong, Michael Armstrong, Jim Barnett, Phillip Price, E.C. Bancroft and Ed Abdella.
Honorary pallbearers will be the members of the Charlie Bancroft Sunday School Class.
Visitation will be today 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
RANDALL LYNN MILLER
Attorney
Services for Randall Lynn "Rand" Miller will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Stephens Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mr. Miller, 55, of Ellisville, formerly of Meridian, died Friday, Nov. 29, 2002, in Rogers, Ark.
Survivors include his wife, Janis W. Miller of Ellisville; a daughter, Rebecca Mullican and her husband, Bryce, of Jackson; a step-daughter, Lashelle Marcum of Meridian; sons, Bruce Miller of Jackson and Lance Miller of Atlanta; a step-son, Tony Durham of Laurel; two step-grandchildren; a brother, Kirby Miller of South Carolina; sisters, Kathy Wilkes of Missouri, Laurie Miller of Arkansas and Naomi Reeves of Texas; his mother, Laura Mae Miller of Arkansas; and his former wife, Debbie Miller of Jackson.
Visitation will be Tuesday noon to 2 p.m. at the funeral home.
SARAH HOLLINGSWORTH
Arrangements were incomplete at Barham Funeral Home of Newton for Sarah Hollingsworth of Decatur, who died Sunday, Dec. 1, 2002, in Decatur.

Also on Franklin County Times
Text message signaled return to state
High School Sports, Main, Red Bay Tigers, ...
AHSAA NW REGIONAL FINAL RED BAY 64, COLD SPRINGS 52
David Glovach For the FCT 
February 25, 2026
HANCEVILLE — It was a simple text message, one sent by a mom of a former player. It was a six-year-old picture of Red Bay huddled together outside Leg...
An emotional loss for senior Fisher
Belgreen Bulldogs, High School Sports, Main, ...
COLD SPRINGS 45, BELGREEN 42
David Glovach For the FCT 
February 25, 2026
HANCEVILLE — Their hands found their faces quickly — something, anything, to absorb the tears. It only worked so well. “It’s hard,” Makenna Fisher sai...
Court asked to halt lot sales
Franklin County, Main, News, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
February 25, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Franklin County commissioners are seeking a court order to halt future sales of lots for the Lightning Ridge subdivision. Colbert Count...
Tellish named Rural Teacher of the Year
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
February 25, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Middle school teacher Carley Andrews Tellish has been named the 2026 Spezzini Rural Teacher of the Year, an honor that recognizes one K...
Students compete in annual beef cook-off
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
February 25, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE -- The annual Franklin County Cattlemen’s beef cookoff took place recently at Triple H Barn with students from Russellville, Red Bay, Bel...
Garden club revisits Lewis and Clark expedition
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
February 25, 2026
As the 250th celebration of the United States approaches, members of the Cultura Garden club have been revisiting American history through a series of...
Medicare Advantage must be funded
Columnists, Opinion
February 25, 2026
In a few short months, policymakers will decide the financial fate of the Medicare Advantage program and its millions of members. While the program is...
Guntersville ends season for RHS girls basketball
High School Sports, Russellville Golden Tigers, Sports
Brannon King For the FCT 
February 25, 2026
The memorable and successful 2025-26 girls basketball season came to an end for the Russellville Golden Tigers at the AHSAA Class 5A Northwest Regiona...

Leave a Reply

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