James Rufus Patton, 83, retired lineman for Forked Deer Electric Co., died Thursday at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Ripley. Services will be at 4 p.m. today at Halls Funeral Home with burial in Greenhill Memorial Gardens. He was a member of Bethesda Methodist Church.

Patton, the husband of Faye Hunter Patton, also leaves three daughters, Mrs. Betty Nooner of West Memphis, Ark., Mrs. Mona Jacobs of Dyersburg and Mrs. Memory Crain of Ripley; four sons, Lynn Patton, Don Patton and Jimmy Patton, all of Halls, and Gene Patton of Gates, 12 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

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