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
First Metro Bank donates $250K to hospital
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
April 8, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Russellville Hospital has received a $250,000 donation from First Metro Bank through a state tax credit program. “All rural hospitals a...
PC grad had role in Artemis II launch
Main, News, Phil Campbell, ...
By Bernie Delinski and María Camp 
April 8, 2026
PHIL CAMPBELL — Noah Williams stood in a grassy field at Kennedy Space Center on April 1 about seven miles from the Artemis II launch pad. It was the ...
Locals react to US’s 10-day space flight
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
April 8, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Rocky Stone, former Russellville High School principal, called last week’s Artemis II launch a “milestone” in the United States’ space ...
Gray hired as UNA director of bands
News
Alyssa Sutherland For the FCT 
April 8, 2026
FLORENCE — Joseph Gray has been named the next director of bands for the University of North Alabama. He will also serve as an associate professor of ...
Protect local deposits which power growth
Columnists, Opinion
April 8, 2026
Most conversations about new digital payment tools often miss a crucial reality: When money exits community bank deposits, local lending is directly i...
Meeting highlights service, awards
Columnists, News, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
April 8, 2026
Members of the GFWC Book Lovers Study Club reported more than $2,700 was raised for community causes, and the chapter received multiple awards during ...
Waypoint Church hosts Easter egg hunt
News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
April 8, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE – Waypoint Church held an Easter event at Sloss Lake Friday afternoon. The free event included photos with the Easter bunny, music (inclu...
Band turns life’s stories into songs
Features, News
Chelsea Retherford For the FCT 
April 8, 2026
For the band OTIS, the road isn’t just for touring and performance. Between shows, in parking lots and back rooms, the band gathers stories from the p...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.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