From the Oak ridger 28 Sep 2004 Crawford Eugene Byrd, 81, of Knoxville, Mary Louise Jackson, 66, of Coalfield, Edna Mae Francis Lynn, 85, of Sweetwater, Earl H. McKinney, 76, of Dyllis community, Melvin Rhodes, 78, of Clinton, Louis Marshall Fitzgerald, 77, of Oak Ridge, Crawford Eugene Byrd, 81, of Knoxville, died Sunday, Sept. 26, 2004. A retired Oak Ridge Fire Department firefighter, Mr. Crawford was with the department from 1942 to 1972, and was one of only two original firefighters still living. He was a member of Dixie Lee Baptist Church in Lenoir City and the N.A.A.F. He is survived by his wife, Mildred Byrd; his son, Ed Byrd, and his wife, Kim; his aughter, Lois, and her husband, Charles Byrd; his son, Tom, and his wife, Emily; his grandchildren, Julie Moore, Rusty Byrd, Ashley Byrd, Wendi Franklin and Riley Byrd; his great-grandchildren, Elizabeth Byrd and Austin Byrd; and by his sister, Faye Taube of Knoxville. The service will be held at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2004, at Dixie Lee Baptist Church with the Rev. Clarence Byrd, Don McGuire and the Rev. Jim Clayton officiating. A graveside service will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, at Oak Ridge Memorial Park. Family and friends will meet at 10:45 a.m. at the Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, at the church. Mynatt Funeral Home in Knoxville is in charge of arrangements. Mary Louise Jackson, 66, of Coalfield, died Monday, Sept. 27, 2004, at her home. Born Nov. 15, 1937, in High Coal, W. Va., she was the daughter of Virgil and Macel Vera Oxier Chapman. She lived in Cleveland, Ohio, for 12 years and moved to Coalfield in 1966. Mrs. Jackson worked for several years at Coalfield school in the cafeteria. She had also worked as a seamstress for Red Kap Industries in Wartburg. She came from a family of very talented musicians and she could play a variety of musical instruments. She was also a very spiritual person, a Baptist, and was a published poet and an accomplished songwriter, her family said. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by four sisters and brothers, Ada Chapman, Betty Moore, Charles Chapman and Arthur Chapman. Mrs. Jackson is survived by her husband, Paul H. Jackson; her children, Paul Joseph Jackson and wife, Melinda, of Lancing, Connie Greene and husband, Charles, of Oliver Springs, and Richard A. Jackson and wife, Heather, of Coalfield; her grandchildren, Jason Jackson, Christina Hall, Casandra Ferguson, Micah Kamer, Tiffany Jackson, and Brian Greene; and her great-grandchildren, Derrick Jackson, Emma Greene, Allison Hall and Tyler Stockton. She is also survived by five brothers, Glen Chapman and wife, Anna Belle, of Carlsbad, N.M., Sherman Chapman and wife, Sharron, of Charleston, W. Va., Herman Chapman of Circlesville, Ohio, Robert Chapman and wife, Vel, of Cleveland, Ohio, James Chapman of Liberty, W. Va.; her sister, Joyce Ann Johnson and husband, Herman, of Cleveland, Ohio; her special friends, Patty Johnson of Beaver, Ohio, and Lisa Walker of Kingston; and numerous nieces and nephews. The funeral will be at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2004, in the chapel at Sharp Funeral Home in Oliver Springs with the Rev. Todd Hardin officiating. A graveside service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 30, at Estes Cemetery in Coalfield. The family will receive friends from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the funeral home. Edna Mae Francis Lynn, 85, of Sweetwater, died Thursday, Sept. 23, 2004. She attended North Sweetwater Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Joe Harrison Lynn, and a son, Carlos Whitaker. Mrs. Lynn is survived by her son, Roy Whitaker and his wife, Barbara, of Jonesboro, Ga.; her daughters, Nancy Lee Whitaker of Sweetwater and Mary Louise Rodriguez of New Jersey; her sister-in-law, Myrtle Carter of Sweetwater; her grandchildren, William Carlos Whitaker Jr., Robert Alan Whitaker, Richard Alvin Whitaker and Paula Marie Whitaker; and by her eight great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. The funeral was held Monday, Sept. 27, 2004, in the chapel of Kyker Funeral Home in Sweetwater with Greg Harper, chaplain, officiating. Burial was at Forkner Chapel Church Cemetery. Earl H. McKinney, 76, of Dyllis community, died Sunday, Sept. 26, 2004, at Maryville Health Care and Rehabilitation Center. Born April 2, 1928, in Roane County, he was the son of William Lee McKinney and Elga Richmond McKinney. A lifelong resident of Roane County, he was a member of Dyllis Baptist Church. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Harold McKinney. Mr. McKinney is survived by three brothers, W.L. McKinney and wife, Eula, of Sugar Grove Valley, and James Lee McKinney and wife, Lori, and Robert Burl McKinney and wife, Joyce, all of Florida; and by nieces and nephews. The funeral will be at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 30, 2004, in the chapel at Sharp Funeral Home in Oliver Springs with the Rev. Waylon Payne officiating. A graveside service will be 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 1, at the Crawford Cemetery in the old Wheat community near Blair Road. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 30, at Sharp Funeral Home. Melvin Rhodes, 78, of Clinton, died Saturday, Sept. 25, 2004, at Blount Memorial Hospital in Maryville. Mr. Rhodes was a World War II veteran and a Baptist. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Helen Efrid Rhodes, his second wife, Judy Rhodes, and his parents, Charles and Gladys Rhodes. Mr. Rhodes is survived by his son, Michael Rhodes and his wife, Roslind, of Louisville; his daughters, Vicki Hunckler and her husband, Chad, of Melbourne, Fla., and Angie Rhodes; his brother, Charles Rhodes, of California; and by seven grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and numerous other relatives and friends. The funeral will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2004, in the chapel of Jones Mortuary in Clinton with the Rev. David Triplett officiating. A graveside service and burial will follow at the Sunset Cemetery in Clinton. The family will receive friends from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 28, at the mortuary. Louis Marshall Fitzgerald, 77, of Oak Ridge, died Monday, Sept. 27, 2004, at NHC HealthCare of Oak Ridge. Weatherford Mortuary is in charge of arrangements, which were incomplete at presstime. ============================================ SUPPORT OUR TROOPS---FLY THE FLAG "I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend to the death, your right to say it" Voltaire