Era-Leader Obituaries, 12-18-2002, Washington Parish Louisiana Submitted by Beth Van Cleave Date: September 25, 2006 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ The Era-Leader, Franklinton, LA 12-18-2002 Velma Beal Boutwell, Franklinton Velma Beal Boutwell, 88, a resident of Franklinton died December 4 in Franklinton. She was a native of Sandy Hook, MS and a past resident of St. Bernard Parish for 30 years. She had been a resident of Franklinton for five years. She is survived by three daughters, Margaret Elaine Boutwell, Betty Rayborn and Linda Long; three sons, William “Sonny” Boutwell, Wallace Boutwell and Kenneth Ray Boutwell; 17 grandchildren; 29 great-grandchildren; and 9 great-great- grandchildren. She was preceded in depth by her husband, Claude Boutwell; two daughters, Delores Martin and Courtney “Suggie” Delaune; and a grandson, William Dwight Rayborn. Funeral service was at Schoen Funeral Home in Covington, LA with interment in the Tangipahoa Cemetery. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Era-Leader, Franklinton, LA 12-18-2002 Alberta McCown Riley, Pasadena, TX Alberta McCown Riley, known as “Bert”, 83, died Monday, December 2 in Pasadena, Texas. Mrs. Riley was a member of First United Methodist Church in Pasadena. She is survived by her husband, Aubrey L. Riley; a son, Jerry Lawrence Dollar and wife Stacey; a step-=son, John Riley and wife Beth; a daughter-in-law, Dorothy Dollar; a sister, Marjorie Lawrence; grandchildren, Mark Dollar and wife Liz and Rhett Lawrence Dollar; and numerous nieces and nephews. Visitation was at Pasadena Funeral Chapel from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. on December 4. Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, December 5 at the funeral home chapel with Rev. Kip Gilts officiating. Interment was in the Forest Park East Cemetery. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Era-Leader, Franklinton, LA 12-18-2002 Mary Duncan Nunnery, Mt. Hermon, LA Mary Duncan Nunnery, 43, a resident of Mt. Hermon, died at 11:30 p.m. Monday, December 9 at Lallie Kemp Hospital in Independence. She is survived by her husband, Curtis Nunnery of Liberty, MS; a son, Jeffery Nunnery of Liberty; two step-children, Sheila McKnight of Independence and Tony Nunnery of Summit, MS; her father Clevie Duncan of Mt. Hermon; a sister, Sharon Watson of Mt. Hermon; five grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her mother, Vernie Dykes Duncan. Visitation was at Crain Funeral Home after 9:30 Wednesday, December 11 until time for a graveside service at 3 p.m. at the Maples Cemetery at Mt. Hermon with Rev. R. C. Branch officiating. Pallbearers were Tony Nunnery, James O’Bryant, Derek Mason, Clearence Lilly, Russell Fleming and Wayne Nettles. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Era-Leader, Franklinton, LA 12-18-2002 Sandra Aldridge Polk, Mt. Hermon, LA Sandra Aldridge Polk, 45, a resident of Mt. Hermon, died Thursday at Southwest Regional Medical Center in McComb, MS. She is survived by her husband, Johnnie L. Polk of Mt. Hermon; a son, Johnnie L. Polk III of Mt. Hermon; a daughter and son-in-law, Julie Diana and Matt Shoemaker of Mt. Hermon; a granddaughter, Madison Sho9emaker of Mt. Hermon; her mother, Billie Aldridge of Slidell; two sisters, Janet Garrity and Patricia Healy, both of Slidell. She was preceded in death by her father, William Aldridge; and two sisters, Carol and Donna Aldridge. Visitation was at the Crain Funeral Home after 10 a.m. Sunday until 1:30 p.m. A graveside service was held at 2 p.m. Sunday at Mt. Hermon Cemetery with Rev. Joe Wiggins officiating. Pallbearers were Joseph Smith, Jimbo Smith, Harold Garrity, Trey Garrity, David Aldredge and Barry Aldridge. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Era-Leader, Franklinton, LA 12-18-2002Ralph “Buck” Burkhalter, Franklinton Ralph “Buck” Burkhalter, 79, a resident of Franklinton and native of Sunnyhill, died Monday, December 9 at the Memorial Medical Center in New Orleans. He is survived by a daughter, Octavia Priscilla (Roy) Brown of Rochester, New York; a son, Elder Ralph Lionel (Peggy) Burkhalter of Chicago, IL; a brother, Alfred (Catherine) Burkhalter of Franklinton; six grandchildren; six great- grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends. Visitation was held Friday, December 13 from 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Crain and Sons Funeral Home with a Wake Service from 7 p.m. until 8 p.m. Funeral service was held Saturday, December 14 at 10 a.m. at the funeral home chapel with Elder McDonald Cain officiating. Interment was in the Union Chapel Cemetery in Kentwood. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The Era-Leader, Franklinton, LA 12-18-2002 Roberta “Bobbie” Burris Johnson, Franklinton Roberta “Bobbie” Burris Johnson, 87, a resident of Franklinton, died Friday, December 13. She was born to Robert Lee “Bob” Burris and Martha Clotilde “Matt” Wood Burris on July 9, 1915, the ninth of ten children. Her family was very instrumental in the beginning of the Washington Parish Fair. She attended the Franklinton school system, Whitworth College in Brookhaven, MS and graduated from Louisiana State Teachers College, now Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, LA. She taught Kindergarten as a Methodist Missionary in Tampa and Key West, FL before marrying her high school sweetheart, Andrew Griffith Johnson. She was a committed member of Centenary United Methodist Church and served in many capacities as teacher and leader. She was a member of United Methodist Women and the Hallie Love Sunday School Class. “Miss” Bobbie served her community as active civic club leader and her beloved Washington Parish Fair as Board member and Mile Branch Settlement founder. Because of “Bobbie’s Dream”, Mile Branch became a reality. She served as first Chairman of the Mile Branch Settlement and was from the beginning, chairman of the committee that approved buildings and furnishings to be added to the settlement. She watched her dream grow from one cabin in 1975 to twenty-one structures in 2002. She often said that her goal was an exhibit where the young could be educated and the old could reminisce. During the Fair in October 2002 she was awarded the first Mile Branch Settlement Award. She is survived by a son, Andrew Griffith Johnson II; three grandchildren, Angela Johnson Bowman, John Griffith Johnson and Allison Johnson Thomas; grandsons-in-law, Bradley Bowman and Wesley Thomas; granddaughter-in-law, Kelley Holmes Johnson; and seven great-grandchildren, Andrew, Caroline and John Bradley Bowman, Ella and Emma Grace Johnson and Griffith and Jacob Thomas. She was preceded in death by her husband, Andrew Griffith Johnson; her parents, Robert Lee Burris and Martha Clotilde Wood; nine brothers and sisters, Nathan Benton Burris, Hugh Preston Burris, Jesse Daniel Burris, Flora Mae Burris, Emma Gay Burris, Alma Burris Richardson, Roy Lee Burris, James Wilson Burris and William Addison Burris. Visitation was the Crain Funeral Home Monday, December 16 from 9 a.m. until 1:45 p.m. A funeral service was held at 2 p.m. Monday at Centenary United Methodist Church with Rev. Lyndle Bullard and Rev. Gene Richards officiating. Pallbearers were Jimmy Burris, Bill Burris, Add II Burris, Michael Burris, Bobby Burris, and Lamar Richardson. Honorary pallbearers were Michael Miller, Wayne Patterson and Johnnie Warner. Interment was in the Ellis Cemetery.