Obituaries

DEATHS FOR TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2009

Monday, May 11, 2009 11:40 PM CDT

Fred Martin Sr.

Mr. Fred Martin Sr., 84, of Pine Bluff died Wednesday, April 29, 2009. He was born in Pine Bluff to the late Rev. Ed and Elizabeth Martin.

His survivors include sons, Willie Banks of Detroit, Eugene Martin, Kenneth Martin, Raymond Martin, all of Pine Bluff, Fred Martin Jr., of Sherwood, Alfred Martin of Claremont, Fla., and Thomas Martin of Hamilton, Ohio; sister, Della State of Gardenia, Calif.; 20 grandchildren; and 21 great-grandchildren.

His services will be Wednesday, May 13, 2009, at St. Bethel Baptist Church by Rev. Nathaniel Mosby at 11 a.m. Burial will be in Forrest Lawn Cemetery.

Visitation will be Tuesday from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Brown Funeral Home of Pine Bluff.

The body will lie in state at the church from 10:15 a.m. until time of service.

The family will be at 810 E. 31st. St., Pine Bluff, Ark.

Melvin Shipman

EUDORA — Melvin Shipman, 78, of Eudora, died Monday at Chicot Memorial Hospital.

Born Feb. 2, 1931, in Parma, Mo., he was a son of the late Clyde Albright and Ethel Williams Albright.

He was farm manager for Macon Development, and served in the Army and was a member of Eudora Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by a daughter, Debra Jean Shipman, and sister, Neva Alexandra.

Survivors include his wife; two sons; four brothers; three sisters; five grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Wednesday at Eudora Baptist Church by Griffin Funeral Service of Eudora.

Mary Cook

MONTICELLO — Mary Roberts Cook, 64, of Monticello died Sunday at her home.

She was born Feb. 17, 1945, in Lake Village, the daughter of the late Earnest Lee Roberts and Margarett “Maxine” Chatham Roberts.

Survivors include three brothers, Walter T. Roberts of Lead Hill, Wayne Roberts of Monticello and John Roberts of Washington state; and three sisters, Joyce Rogers of Pine Bluff, Hazel Friend of Searcy and Betty Robertson of Banks.

A memorial service will be held at a later date. Arrangements by Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Home.

Mose Richard

WABBASEKA — Mose Richard, 87, of Wabbaseka, Ark., died May 4, 2009 at Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff, Ark.

He was born June 17, 1921, in Sherrill, Ark., son of the late Charlie Richard and Rosetta Graham-Richard.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his spouse, Arnette McDowell Richard; and five brothers, Willisteen Richard, Lawrence Richard, Cephus Richard Sr., Joseph Hill and Lafayette Richard.

He is survived by one son, Cory Jones of Grady, Ark.; one brother, Elmer Hill of DeValle, Texas; one sister, Etoise Graves of Taft, Okla.; 16 step-grandchildren; and 25 great-grandchildren and other family members.

Funeral services will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the Eudora Missionary Baptist Church in Altheimer, by Rev. Roy Thomas. The body will lie in state from 10 a.m. until time of service. Interment will be in Altheimer Cemetery.

Visitation will be today from 5 to 7 p.m. at Christian Way Funeral Home.

Ralue Jasay

PENSACOLA, Fla. — Ralue Jasay, 54, of Pensacola, Fla., formerly of Monticello, Ark., died May 5 at her home.

She was born Dec. 5, 1954, in Crittenden County, Ark., a daughter of the late William Ralph Jasay and Helen Lucille Reynolds Jasay.

She was of the Assembly of God faith.

Survivors include two daughters, Randi Dodson of Monticello and Monica Tippitt of Jonesboro; and six grandchildren.

Memorial services will be held at a later date. Information was provided by Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Home of Monticello.

Thomas Grafton

RUSTON, La. — Thomas Franklin Grafton, 68, of Ruston died Saturday, May 9, 2009, at Health South Rehabilitation Center.

Mr. Grafton was born April 29, 1941 in Ruston, La., to Grady and Doyle “Honey” Grafton of Monroe. Thomas Grafton married Lois Saucier on June 13, 1964, in Monroe. They moved to Pine Bluff, Ark., in 1967 and made their home there until returning to Ruston in 2007.

Mr. Grafton received his early education in Monroe. He was a graduate of Ouachita Parish High School and completed his undergraduate degree from Northeast Louisiana State University. He then completed his Masters Degree in microbiology from Louisiana Tech in Ruston, and was a member of the Beta Beta Beta Biological Society. He worked as a research scientist for the Food and Drug Administration at the National Center for Toxicological Research in Pine Bluff, Ark., for 34 years.

Mr. Grafton was a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church of Ruston and had been a member of South Side Baptist Church in Pine Bluff, Ark., for 40 years, where he served as a deacon and modeled servant leadership. He was a member of Rosswood Country Club in Pine Bluff where he loved to play golf. His greatest delight was being “Papop” to his two grandchildren, Miles and Millie.

He is survived by his wife, Lois Saucier Grafton of Ruston; his daughter, Kimberly Grafton Murphy and husband, Ken Murphy of Milton, Ga.; one grandson, Miles David Murphy and one granddaughter, Millie Dixon Murphy; one sister, Ann Grafton Graves and husband, John Graves of Lewisville, Texas; one niece, Cindy Graves Keyes and husband, Leon Keyes of Lewisville, Texas; and one nephew, Michael Graves and wife, Nicole Graves of Dallas, Texas.

Visitation was Monday, May 11, 2009, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Kilpatrick Funeral Home in Ruston. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m., Tuesday, May 12, 2009, at the funeral home. Graveside will immediately follow at Memorial Park Cemetery in Monroe. Services will be officiated by Dr. Mark Tolbert, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Dr. Michael Hawley, Senior Pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Ruston, and Ken Murphy, son-in-law and Lead Pastor of Stonecreek Church in Milton, Ga. Memorials may be made to South Side Baptist Church, Pine Bluff, Ark., or Emmanuel Baptist Church of Ruston, La.

Frankie Stoudamire, 86, of Pine Bluff died Monday at home. Funeral arrangements will be announced by Brown Funeral Home.

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