Elbert Rayford Sr.
SPIRO - Elbert Rayford Sr., 59, of Spiro died Thursday, July 25, 2002, in a local nursing home. He was a retired steel mill worker in Chicago.
Funeral will be 1 p.m. Tuesday at Ninth Street Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Smith with burial at
Fort Coffee Cemetery in Fort Coffee under the direction of Rowell-Parish Mortuary of Fort Smith.
He is survived by his wife, Pearl of Chicago; his companion, Ernestine Phillips of Fort Smith; three daughters, Latasha and Jacqueline Rayford, both of Chicago, and Clara Owens of Maywood, Ill.; two sons, Freeman and Elbert Jr., both of Chicago; his father, Walter Jones of Spiro; six sisters, Odella Crudup of Heavener, Gwen Blocker of Poteau, Roberta Douglas of Illinois, Petra Long of Spiro and Rena and Madora Rayford, both of California; four brothers, John, Sidney and Frank Rayford, all of Illinois, and Henry Jones of Fort Smith; and several grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Frederick and Eddie Cobb, Johnny Sparks, Tyronzo Blocker, Isaac Poole and Michael Kelly.
