Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
4:36 pm Sunday, January 12, 2003

Obituaries for Sunday, Jan. 12, 2003

By Staff
LOU CARLISLE
Retired
SOUTHAVEN Services for Lou Carlisle will be held today at 2 p.m. at Twin Oaks Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be in Twin Oaks Cemetery.
Mrs. Carlisle, 67, of Southaven, died Thursday, Jan. 9, 2003, at Baptist Hospital in DeSoto. She was a retired office manager for Shelby Electric in Memphis, Tenn.
Survivors include her husband of 49 years, Bob Carlisle of Southaven; a daughter, Gayle Hamblin of Horn Lake; sons, Steve Carlisle of Meridian and Gene Carlisle of Senatobia; her mother, Caroline Rowell of Meridian; sisters, Ida Mae Riley of Mendenhall and Elizabeth Plowman of Meridian; a brother, Jimmie Rowell of Meridian; eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
ERNEST ERASTUS SMITH
Truck driver for Freight Line
BUTLER, Ala. Services for Ernest Erastus Smith will be held today at 3 p.m. at Bumpers Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Scottie Fulcher officiating. Burial will be in Butler City Cemetery.
Mr. Smith, 89, of Butler, died Friday, Jan. 10, 2003, at Guardian Angel Hospice.
Survivors include his wife, Mary Smith, a son, Charles Q. Smith, both of Butler, sisters, Kate Banks, of Panama City, Fla. and Lillian Deloach of Reynolds, Ga.; two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today one hour prior to the services at the funeral home.
WILLIAM ROGER SMITH
YORK, Ala. Services for William Roger Smith will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at Bethel First Presbyterian Church. Burial will be in Central Cemetery with Bumpers Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Smith, 84, of the Sumterville Community, died Friday, Jan. 10, 2003, at Riley Hospital.
Survivors include his wife, Eugenia "Genie" Smith of Sumterville; sons, William Roger Smith Jr. and his wife, Sandra, of Greenville, Tenn., and Simon Jack Smith and his wife, Kim, of York,; daughters, Kathy Smith Rauls of Sumterville, Eugenia Smith Brachin and her husband, Barry, of Faunsdale and Betty Smith Brannon and her husband, Faris, of Frostproof, Fla.; 11 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Bethel First Presbyterian Church of Epes, Ala.
Visitation will be held today from 5 p.m.- 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
FRANCES STURGES LIDE
Meridian Housing Authority employee
Services for Frances Sturges Lide will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at St. Pauls Episcopal Church with the Revs. Duncan Gray and Edward O'Conner officiating. Burial will be in Magnolia Cemetery. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Lide, 94, of Meridian, died Friday, Jan. 10, 2003, at Beverly Healthcare Center. She worked for Meridian Housing Authority for 20 years and was a member of St. Paul's Episcopal Church for more than 70 years. She graduated from Meridian High School and attended Mississippi State College for Women in Columbus.
Survivors include her sons, Brooks Lide and his wife, Cary M., of Atlanta, Doug Frances Terry Lide of Washington, DC; grandchildren, Brooks S. Lide III and his wife, Connie, Caroline Lide Ketchum and her husband, Kerry, William M. Lide, Courtney Lide Dickey and husband, William, and four great-grandchildren, all of Atlanta; a sister, Elizabeth McRae of Marianna, Fla.; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Brooks Smith Lide; her parents, Wilton Sturges and Frances Terry Sturges; sisters, Alice Sturges and Jane Carter; a brother, Wilton Sturges Jr.
Memorials may be made to St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 1116 23rd Avenue, Meridian.
Visitation will be Monday one hour prior to the services at the church.
O. JACK COMBEST SR.
Retired
Services for O. Jack Combest Sr. will be held Monday at 1 p.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Hugh Poole officiating. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Mr. Combest, 75, of Meridian, died Saturday, Jan. 11, 2003, in his home. He was retired from U.S. Steel and Rush Foundation Hospital security. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and served in the Korean War and was a member of Rose Hill United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Janis H. Combest; children, Jack Combest and his wife, Lynn, all of Meridian, and Jenny McDaniel of Collinsville; a granddaughter, Joely McDaniel; sisters, Mary Massingill and her husband, Joe, of Opelika, Ala., Martha Broadhead and her husband, Norris of Meridian, Nell Finnigan and her husband, J.A., of Rose Hill, Joyce Thompson of Birmingham, Ala., Diane Hudnall and her husband, Wally, of Meridian; a sister-in-law, Jackie Liddle of Meridian and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, William Addis Combest and Mary Combest.
Pallbearers will be John Finnegan, Mike Finnegan, Nick Finnegan, Darryl Combest, Sammy Broadhead and Aaron Davidson. Honorary pallbearers will be John Burnett, Willie Mosely, Haskel Smith and Erbie Usrey.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.- 8 p.m. at the funeral home.

Also on Franklin County Times
Safety, appearance shape cleanup operation
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
February 11, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE -- City crews have started working through a list of 11 unsightly properties as part of a cleanup and code-compliance effort. Mayor David...
NWSCC launches first nursing apprenticeship
Main, News, Phil Campbell, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
February 11, 2026
PHIL CAMPBELL — Northwest Shoals Community College has launched a paid nursing apprenticeship program with Decatur Morgan Hospital. The partnership co...
HB67 clears House
Main, News, Russellville
February 11, 2026
Rep. Jamie Kiel’s bill to prohibit the state from selling voters’ phone numbers for comm ercial purposes moved a step closer last week to final passag...
Clubs support American Heart Month
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
February 11, 2026
Most of us can name a family member or friend who heart disease has touched. I can. That is why heart health does not feel abstract to me. It does not...
Health care reform starts with insurers
Columnists, Opinion
February 11, 2026
Every president promises to fix health care, but the system rarely seems to change for the better. Even when so-called reforms pass, prices remain unp...
Community honors Army veteran Weidman
Franklin County, News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
February 11, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE – Veterans and community members gathered Feb. 2 at Pinkard Funeral Home to honor John Weidman, a U.S. Army veteran who retired as a staf...
Newspaper dresses create walk through fashion history
News, Phil Campbell, Phil Campbell Bobcats
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
February 11, 2026
PHIL CAMPBELL — Students in Aleah Harris’ fashion classes created dresses from newspapers with each group picking a different decade. Senior Ava Hall ...

Leave a Reply

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