April 15, 1926, in Ashley County, she was a daughter of the late Bunyan Aubrey and Bertha Richards Courson. The widow of W. C. "Bill" Echols, she was retired from the Arkansas Baptist Hospital where she was a 30 year employee and former director of radiology. She was a member of the Second Baptist Church in Little Rock.
She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers. B. A. Courson, Jr. and Harry "Doc" Courson; and two sisters, Modelle Courson Bunn and Carrie Courson Hill.
Survivors include a son, Bill Echols of Houston, TX; a daughter and son-in-law, Janice and Larry Cheatham of Little Rock; one brother, Richard M. Courson of Hamburg; three sisters, LaNelle Davis of Hamburg, Virginia Grice Riley of Little Rock and Mary Woods Sivils of Monticello; and one grandson, Derek Cheatham and wife Cathy of Fort Worth, TX.
Funeral services were held April 22 at the Stephenson-Dearman Funeral Home in Monticello with Rev. Ed McDonald officiating. Pallbearers were Jeff Grice, Richard Woods, William A. Hill, Bobby Davis, Don Davis, Dennis Davis, Wayne Courson, Burt Courson, Paul Courson and John Courson.
Burial followed services at the Pine Crest Memorial Park in Little Rock on April 24 with Dr. Ray Higgins officiating, with arrangements by Stephenson-Dearman.
Memorial may be made to the American Cancer Society, c/o Commercial Bank, Monticello, AR 71655.
Shirley Jean Riles
Shirley Jean Riles, 51, of Canton, TX, formerly of Crossett, died Sunday, May 7, 2000. She was a native of Ashley County, a CAT scan technician and a member of the Church of the Redeemer.
Survivors are two sons, Kevin Gray of Houston, TX, and Steven Gray of Tyler, TX; her parents, Russell and Jean Turner Riles of Crossett; a brother, Ricky Riles of Crossett; a sister, Cheryl White of Crossett; and three grandchildren, Madison Gray of Houston and Lora Wagoner and Stephanie Gray of Tyler, TX.
Funeral services were planned for 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 9, in the Church of the Redeemer with Richard Byrd officiating. Pallbearers were to be Clifford Brown, Eddie Ray Hughes, Robert Riles, Mauricio Saldana, Todd Wisecarver and Jimmy Pennington. Burial was to follow services at the Hickory Grove Cemetery, directed by Cromwell Funeral Home.
Annis Melba Williams
Annis Melba Williams, 80, of Portland died Tuesday, May 2, 2000, at the Chicot Memorial Hospital. A homemaker and a member of the Jennie Baptist Church, she was preceded in death by her husband, Olie Williams, and her son Jimmie Lee Williams.
Survivors are three daughters, Jeanette Brinson of Jennie, Lula Belle Warren of Lake Village and Elizabeth Williams of Houston, TX; a brother, Edward Kane of Houston; a sister, Valeria Ryals of Houston; six grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, three step-grandchildren and four step-great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were at 2 p.m. Thursday, May 4, in the Jennie Baptist Church with Revs. James Dyke and Marvin Fuller officiating. Burial followed services at the Jennie Cemetery, with arrangements by Bishop Funeral Home of Lake Village.
