•Part 4
"You live, you die. It's the in-between that counts." --- Tommy Lee Jones in the movie "Finestkind."
Having penned an earlier piece in memory of friend Sherry Gill Simpson, I regret writing about the Gill family again so soon. But Sherry's sister-in-law Melody Miller Gill (1962-2025), the daughter of Gerald and Beatrice Miller, passed away this past year. I was saddened to see that Melody, the beloved wife of Kenneth Ray Gill, mother of Camry Gill Martin, and sister of Crystal Miller, was sixty-three years of age. It also rattled me that she succumbed on July 22, the same day as my dad twenty-six years prior. My daddy thought a lot of Melody's late father-in-law Billy Gill, who was married to Dorothy. A graduate of Mt. Hermon High School and Southeastern Louisiana University, Melody was a long-time employee of Weyerhaeuser, serving as an account specialist. And she was a member of Mt. Hermon Baptist Church where I first became acquainted with the Gill family, at Sherry and husband Ricky Simpson's wedding.
As it turned out, July 22 was also the date of death for another well-known local. I came to know Wendell F. Thomas (1940-2025), the son of Melvin and Melvaline Kennedy Thomas, at "The Era-Leader" where he often rested for a spell, after delivering our newspapers from the printer in McComb to the office in Franklinton. Sometimes, I would appear at the same time he did, on Tuesdays, to get my paper hot off the press.
Transportation and delivery came naturally to Mr. Wendell; he had enjoyed a career as a cross-country truck driver. Married to Jeanette Magee Thomas for sixty-seven years, the couple made their home at Pine where Wendell was an active member of Pine First Baptist Church, serving as a deacon. In retirement, he worked at Ace Hardware and Pine Hardware.
Eighty-five years old, he had a daughter and son-in-law Janet and Sonny Harper and daughter-in-law Donna Thomas. A beloved grandfather, he was predeceased by sons Barry and Billy Thomas and extended family.
Betty Kennedy Knight Carr (1931-2025) passed away in Huntsville, Alabama, on July 25 of last year. A lifelong resident of Washington Parish until recently when she made her way to Alabama with family, Ms. Betty is well remembered for her valuable role, which started at age sixteen, at the Washington Parish Courthouse where she worked with the Assessor, the Clerk of Court, the Young Adult Program, and other entities, retiring as Chief Deputy Clerk of Washington Parish in 1999.
Ms. Betty was also known for her beautiful antiques - she once had a sale at her lovely home that I attended. She was not only a serious collector but also a very sweet lady.
Ms. Betty was survived by her sons Judge William J. "Rusty" Knight (Carolyn) and Kenneth P. "Dusty" Knight (Joan); brother Louie C. Kennedy, and her beloved grandchildren. How blessed her daughters-in-law were, with Ms. Betty. She was predeceased by her husband Layton L. Carr, several siblings, and her granddaughter Christy Knight Bitzer.
While I can't claim to know Berman Edward Graham (1937-2025), the son of George and Exie Crowe Graham, I knew his wife Nancy Sue Corkern Graham all my life. A resident of Stoney Point, Berman, who passed away July 30, served in the United States Army Reserve. He started out as a mechanic early in life and later worked in automobile towing. Many though remember him at Graham's Grocery and Service where he worked as the mechanic in the shop while his wife of sixty years managed the store. He had a son John Edward Graham and a passel of grandchildren. And his son Patrick Graham, his parents, and his in-laws Olan J. "Buck" and Freddie Corkern, who were the parents of Nancy Sue Corkern Graham and Carol June Corkern Morgan - my lifelong friends, predeceased him.
Jennie Warren (1935-2025), the daughter of Ollie Rushing and Josephine Hopkins Rushing, passed away on the fourth day of August. She was the wife of Joseph S. Warren for sixty-eight years and the mother of sons Darrell (Sandra) Warren and Jay (Susan) Warren and daughters Brenda (Marvin) Hayden and Shelia (Bob) Wirt and grandmother of many. Jay Warren was my Bowling Green classmate. A longtime resident of Clifton, Ms. Jennie was an active member of Clifton Baptist Church. And here in Franklinton, she worked at Simmons Department Store, as a physical therapy assistant, and as a floral arranger at Winn-Dixie. From what I gleaned, her hands were never idle.
Ms. Jennie had a passion for travel which included a trip to Israel during which she visited Bethlehem and Jerusalem. A religious pilgrimage. And at home, Ms. Jennie kept busy embroidering and quilting. Her entries were exquisite in the Homemaker's Building and the Flower Building. Ms. Jennie was also a volunteer at Mile Branch Settlement. And in her spare time, she tooled around with the Red Hat Society.
August also brought the passing of Henry Chelton Busby (1938-2025), a resident of Mandeville but a native of Franklinton, at age eighty-six on the twentieth day of the month. He was the son of John C. Busby and Mary Lou Boutwell Busby. Married to Jimmie Nell for sixty-eight years, Chelton served in the U.S. Air Force for four years and then for more than four decades with McDermott International. But I knew him from church - First Baptist Church of Mandeville, where he was a Deacon for many years. He kindly called on us at home when I was taking care of my parents. Chelton and Jimmie Nell were the parents of the late Chet Busby (Barbara) and Lisa Busby Clement (Pete). Chelton was a devoted family man and grandfather.
And it was heartbreaking to learn of the passing of Rebecca June Kennedy (1957-2025) at the age of sixty-eight on the twenty-sixth day of August. Growing up, I knew her as Junebug, the daughter of Ray and Katherine Kennedy. A 1974 graduate of Franklinton High School and then a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University with a B.A. in Social Work, June went on to find her calling in interior decorating. When my mother was helping me furnish my first home, I remember she said, "Maybe we should call June Kennedy."
Most of all, I remember Junebug as kind. Married to Ron Legere who preceded her in death along with her sons Brendan Patrick Ross and Colin Kennedy Ross, June was survived by her brother Barry Kennedy, her sister Janis Kennedy Lewis, stepchildren Amy Legere Nagle (Aaron), Jeffrey Legere, and Michael Legere (Jen), and her Legere grandchildren.
On the sixth of September, Mary Wright Crain (1940-2025), the daughter of James Edward and Mary Magdelene Taylor Wright of Franklinton, succumbed at the age of eighty-four.
To say my family goes way back with the Crains would be an understatement; I knew Ms. Mary all my life. Married to Judge Hillary "Buddy" Crain, she made a lovely home for them in Bogalusa for a span of 64 years until they recently relocated to Madisonville. A member of Winterset Club and the Bogalusa Civic League, Ms. Mary belonged to First Baptist Church of Franklinton first, First Baptist Church of Bogalusa next, and finally First Baptist Church of Covington.
But mostly Ms. Mary will be remembered as the matriarch of her family which included children Shelia Crain Matheny (Judd), Judge William Crain, Wesley Crain (Lilynn), and Emily Crain Davis (Kevin). Closest in age, Wes and I grew up together.
