Chief Simmons Funeral

Friends and family say goodbye to a man who served the Carthage community for over three decades. Long-time Carthage Fire Chief Don Simmons passed away last Friday at the age of 69. Simmons served 31 years with the Carthage Fire Department, 17 of those as the chief. Hundreds of friends and family gathered at the Fairview Christian Church today to say goodbye. Fire trucks from several area fire departments lined the streets to lead the procession to the cemetary. Fellow firefighter and friend Andy Nimmo says Simmons will be greatly missed. "Chief meant everything to everybody. There wasn`t a person he didn`t know and he was just a great leader,and that`s all he did. He taught people how to be leaders and he was just a person of the community. He was good with both his family at home and the family at the fire department,"said Andy Nimmo,Reddings Mill Fire Chief. During the church service,the ceremonial ringing of the fire bells filled the church to in honor of chief Simmons. Reported By: Brad Douglas