Mable Orene Ellis

Mable Orene Ellis of Selma, 81, died on Saturday, June 5 at a nursing home.

Graveside services were Tuesday, June 8 at 2 p.m., in New Live Oak Cemetery with Rev. Al Finch officiating and Lawrence Funeral Home directing.

Survivors include son Wayne Paige; brothers, Billy Ellis and Ronnie Ellis both of Kentucky; sister, Georgia Lewis of Selma; five nieces; nephews and numerous cousins.

Active pallbearers were Lee Pickering, Dan Edwards, Don Hancock, Richie Pickering, and Terry Bennett.

Sarah Barton Malekont

Sarah Barton Malekont of Selma, 100, died on Wednesday, June 9 at a local nursing home.

Graveside services will be held Sunday, June 13 at 2:00 p.m. in Old Live Oak Cemetery with Dr. David Barton officiating and Lawrence Brown Funeral Home directing.

Survivors include five nephews and three nieces.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Henry Malekont; sisters, Janie Barton Kagna, Ethel Barton Klotzman; three brothers, Sol, Sam and Morris Barton.

As a young woman, Mrs. Malekont was a music student of Mrs. W.W. Harper. Mrs. Malekont sang in the choir of Temple Mishkan Israel and in musical events in Selma and later in Los Angeles, CA, where she lived for many years.

The family would like to thank the staff of Warren Manor and in particular, her companies who were devoted to her.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to the Selma Area Food Bank, P.O. Box 2513, Selma, AL 36702.

John Shorts, Jr.

John Shorts, Jr. of Selma, died on Tuesday, June 8.

Services will be held on Monday, June 14 at 11:00 a.m. at Calvary Missionary Baptist Church. Miller Funeral Home directing. Burial will follow in the Fairlawn Cemetery.

Walter Jackson Lambert

Walter Jackson Lambert, 80, died on Friday, June 11.

Services will be held on Sunday, June 13 at 1 p.m. at Selma Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Rod Rochester, Rev. Jim Johnson, Rev. Neal Caver and Willie Brewer officiating.

Visitation was held Saturday, June 12 from 5-7 p.m. at Selma Funeral Home.

Survivors include wife of nearly 60 years, Loraine Crews Lambert of Selma; son, Ronald (Teri) Lambert of Selma; two grandchildren, Rayne Horton and Megan Lambert all of Selma; two great-grandchildren, Delaney and Kandence Horton of Selma.

Mr. Lambert served as Deacon of Water Avenue Baptist Church.

Ola Bell Fincher Barker

Ola Bell Fincher Barker died on Friday, June 4.

Graveside services and burial were Saturday, June 5 at 3 p.m. at Pineview Cemetery, Highway 22 in Selma.

Survivors include Wilbert, Minnie Lee, Sylvester, Cleophus (deceased0 Lizzie, Lois, Louise, Juanita (deceased), Mary, Clifton, Clarence, Sidney, Bettie and Donald; brother, Clem; sister, Alice; nieces and nephews, Tommie, Calvin, Drayton, Barbara, Edward, Vera, William, Patricia, MacArthur Nathaniel, Henry and Marget Ann Moreover; sixty-eight grandchildren; great grandchildren; great-great grandchildren; numerous other relatives and friends.

She confessed to Christ in early childhood and was a member of Shady Grove Baptist Church in Dallas County at Barker’s Bride over Okmulgee Creek. She studied at Shady Grove and sang in the choir and concerts, too. The church was where she met and married the late Sidney Barker Sr. who preceded her in death on September 8, 1964, as did two of her children. She is the mother of fourteen children, which she supported and educated as a Seamstress and Cook.

Mrs. Barker was a Matriarch, Black Indian and descendent of Armel Fincher’s Plantation “Selma Times Journal February 8, 1998”. She was born September 9, 1913 on Possum Creek at Swift Place in Perry County to the late Clem & Lizzie Laster Fincher. Clem was the son of the slaves, Molly Mims Fincher a half breed and Jesse Fincher, and Lizzie was the daughter of Pike Mitchell and Mary Laster, a known slave. Ola Bell was also sister to Ollie, Clem, Jr., Edward, Cleophus, and Clifton, with whom she spent many days swimming and fishing in Possum Creek.

Elton Eugene Collins, 78, of Jones, died Thursday, June 10, 2004, at his home.

Services are at 11 a.m. Sunday, June 13, in the Chapel of Lawrence Funeral Home with the Rev. Calvin Strickland officiating. Burial will follow in Mount Olive Cemetery with the Lawrence Funeral Home directing.

Survivors include his wife, Grace Jean Williams Collins; sons, James Eugene Skinner, William Allen Skinner, and Tommy Coats; daughters, Sheila Carrington, Lynn Smith, Gwen Jatko and Darline Dean; brother, James Lynn Collins; 23 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren.

Mr. Collins is preceded in death by his son, Jack Elton Collins and his daughter, Donna Frances Jones.

Active pallbearers are David Allen Ward, Al Jatko, Adam Blackmon, Ralph Roberts, David Clark and Brent Ross.

The family received friends at Lawrence Funeral Home from 6 to 8 p.m. on

Saturday.

Benjamin Reubin Smiley, Sr.

Benjamin Reubin Smiley, Sr., 73, of Dallas County, died Wednesday, June 9, 2004, at a local hospital.

Services are at noon Monday, June 14, 2004, at Little Canaan Primitive Baptist Church with the Rev. McDole officiating. Burial will follow in Fairlawn Cemetery with Lewis Brothers Funeral Home directing.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Grover and Willie Mae Smiley; daughter, Vivian Denise Smiley, brothers, George Smiley, Grover Smiley Jr., James Smiley.

Survivors include his wife, Geraldine B. Smiley; sons, Benjamin R. Smiley Jr., Danny L. Smiley, Michael L. Smiley, all of Columbus, Ohio, and Lawrence A. Smiley of Selma; daughter, Hattie Pearl Smiley of Selma; two great-grandsons, three daughter-in-laws, and one sister-in-law.

Active pallbearers are his sons and grandsons.

Mr. Smiley served in the Korean War from January of 1953 to October of 1954. Mr. Smiley was an active member of Little Canaan Primitive Baptist Church for many years.

Walter Jackson Lambert, 80, died Friday, June 11, 2004.

Services are at 1 p.m. Sunday, June 13, at the Selma Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Rod Rochester, Jim Johnson, and Neal Caver, along with Willie Brewer, officiating.

Visitation was held on Saturday at the Selma Funeral Home.

Mr. Lambert is survived by this wife of nearly 60 years, Loraine Crews Lambert of Selma; son, Ronald (Teri) Lambert of Selma; grandchildren, Rayne Horton of Selma and Megan Lambert of Selma; great-grandchildren, Delaney and Kadence Horton of Selma.

Mr. Lambert served as deacon of Water Avenue Baptist Church.

Wilbert Sanders

Wilbert Sanders, of Selma, died Saturday, June 12, 2004, at Selma.

Funeral arrangements will be announced later by Walker Mortuary.

Ola Bell Fincher Barker

Ola Bell Fincher Barker, 91, died Monday, June 4, 2004.

Graveside services and burial were held Tuesday, June 5, at Pineview Cemetery on Highway 22 in Selma.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Sidney Barker Sr., and two children, Cloephus and Juanita.

Survivors include 12 of her children, Wilbert, Minnie Lee, Sylvester, Lizzie, Lois, Louise, Mary, Clifton, Clarence, Sidney, Bettie, and Donald; brother, Clem; sister, Alice; nieces and nephews, Tommie, Calvin, Drayton, Barbara, Edward, Vera, William, Patricia, MacArthur Nathaniel, Henry, and Marget Ann; over sixty-eight grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren; numerous other relatives and friends.

Mrs. Barker was a matriarch, black Indian, and descendent of Armel Fincher’s Plantation (Selma Times-Journal Feb. 8, 1998). She was born Sept. 9, 1913, on Possum Creek at Swift Place in Perry County to the late Clem and Lizzie Laster Fincher.

Clem was the son of the slaves, Molly Mims Fincher, a half-breed, and Jesse Fincher, and Lizze was the daughter of Pike Mitchell and Mary Laster, a known slave.

She confessed to Christ in early childhood and is a member of Shady Grove Baptist Church in Dallas County. She studied at Shady Grove, and sang in the choir and concerts. The church was where she met and married the late Sidney Barker.

She is the mother of 14 children, which she supported and educated as a seamstress and cook.