SHIRLEY WHITAKER SKELTON
VISTA, Calif. Shirley Whitaker Skelton died Monday, Oct. 9, 2000, at Life Care Nursing Center in Vista. No services will be held.
Mrs. Skelton and her husband are natives of Meridian and Collinsville families.
Survivors include her husband of 63 years, Olen Skelton, two daughters, Gail Swenson and Elaine Collander, and a grandson, Brian Collander, all of San Diego; two granddaughters, Victoria of Portland, Ore. and Bonnie of Las Vegas; three sisters, Elizabeth Johnston, Ouida McMullan and Olga Valentine, all of Meridian; two great-grandsons, three great-granddaughters and several nieces and nephews.
HELEN TODD FITZPATRICK
Retired seamstress
Graveside services for Helen Todd Fitzpatrick will be held today at 1 p.m. at Meridian Memorial Park Cemetery. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Fitzpatrick, 80, of Meridian, died Monday, Oct. 9, 2000, at Guardian Angel Hospice. She was a member of the Methodist faith.
Survivors include three sons, John Thomas Todd and his wife, Faye, Billy Odell Todd and his wife, Hilda Ruth, and Rodney Douglas Todd and his wife, Nora, two daughters, Hilda Todd Booth and her husband, Vern, and Lura Todd Lee and her husband, the Rev. David Joe Lee, all of Meridian; three sisters, Doris Marie Hoffer and Annie Ruth Moody, both of Collinsville, and Johnnie Bernice Mills of Meridian; 14 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Cecil Booth, Doug Todd, Steven Lee, Doug Moody, Michael Street, Roy Hurst and Todd Russell.
A.W. THORNHILL
Southwood Door Company employee
A.W. "Wayne" Thornhill, 54, of Vossburg, died Friday, Oct. 6, 2000, in Orlando, Fla.
Survivors include a daughter, Missy Thornhill of Meridian; a son, Chuck Thornhill and his wife, Lisa, of Mobile, Ala.; a grandson, Matthew Thornhill of Mobile; and a brother, William Gerald Thornhill.
He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Velma Thornhill; a brother, Toby Thornhill; and a sister, Johnnie Truhett.
The family requests memorials be made to the American Heart Association.
Visitation will be today from 5 to 8 p.m. at Barham Funeral Home.
VERNIE LUCY LOPER
Homemaker
UNION Services for Vernie Lucy Loper will be held today at 2 p.m. at Stephens Funeral Home Chapel, with the Rev. Warren Hedgepeth officiating. Burial will be in New Ireland Baptist Church Cemetery.
Mrs. Loper, 80, of Union, died Monday, Oct. 9, 2000, at Laird Hospital.
Survivors include a daughter, Nell Rushing, two sons, James Charles and Bobby E. Loper, all of Jackson; three sisters, Ardessa Burrages of LaPlata, Md., Eva Smith of Philadelphia and Jessie Hillhouse of Decatur; a brother, Hershel Pierce of Decatur; 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Howard Loper.
Visitation will be today from 8 a.m. until the service at the funeral home.
CLYTIE MAE BUFFINGTON
QUITMAN Services for Clytie Mae Buffington will be held Thursday at 2 p.m. at Wright's Funeral Home Chapel, with the Revs. Bobby Stevenson and Charles Cottenbrook officiating. Burial will be in Crossroads Cemetery.
Mrs. Buffington, 94, of Quitman, died Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2000, at Lakeside Living Center.
Survivors include a son, Lavelle Buffington and a sister, Nora Ella Tucker, both of Quitman; two grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today after 5 p.m. at the funeral home.
WELDON N. JONES
Arrangements were incomplete at Clark's Memorial Funeral Home for Weldon N. Jones, 42, of Meridian, who died Monday, Oct. 9, 2000, at King County Hospital in Brooklyn, N.Y.
BILLY MACK TATUM
Retired cattleman
UNION - Services for Billy Mack Tatum will be held today at 11 a.m. at County Line Baptist Church, with the Rev. Barron Pilgrim officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery with Milling Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Tatum, 65, of Conehatta, died Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2000, in his home.
Survivors include his mother, Annie Mae Evans; his wife, Patsy Tatum; two daughters, Tebbi Yates and Tabitha Tatum Mazingo; a sister, Margi Barnett; and four grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Buddy Massey, Tommy Massey, Tommy Keith, Dave Ethridge, Jimmy Stevens, Oscar Tatum, Jobie Savell and Kenneth Reeves.
COOPER SAXON
Retired Corp of Engineers
UNION - Services for Cooper Saxon will be held today at 11 a.m. at Stephens Funeral Home Chapel, with the Rev. Charles Morrow officiating. Burial will be in Erin Cumberland Presbyterian Church Cemetery.
Mr. Saxon, 88, of Union, died Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2000, at Riley Hospital.
Survivors include a daughter, Nancy Henry of Meridian; two sons, Mac Saxon of Union and Randall Saxon of Shreveport, La.; five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Garvin H. Cooper; and a sister, Millie Ramia.
ARCUS M. WHITE
Upholstery shop employee
UNION - Services for Arcus M. White will b held today at 3 p.m. at Stephens Funeral Home Chapel, with the Rev. Tom Sampson officiating. Burial will be in Union Cemetery.
Mr. White, 92, of Union, died Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2000, at Laird Hospital.
Survivors include a brother, Glenn White of Union, and a sister, Ellen White of Meridian.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Lura Wells White.
Visitation will be today 30 minutes prior to the service at the funeral home.
EARL HUGHES
Retired from Kansas City Southern Railroad
Graveside services for Earl Hughes will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at Magnolia Cemetery, with the Rev. Nick Holden officiating. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Hughes, 68, of Meridian, died Thursday, Oct. 12, 2000, at Skill Nursing Center. He was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church.
Survivors include two sons, Michael Hughes and Thomas Hughes, both of Meridian; a daughter, Kathy Pennetta of New York; nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Visitation will be Friday one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.
DALLIS BUTTS
Retired farmer
UNION - Services for Dallis Butts will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at Stephens Funeral Home Chapel, with the Rev. Wayne Hunt officiating. Burial will be in Liberty Baptist Church Cemetery in Duffee.
Mr. Butts, 73, of Little Rock, died Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2000, at Rush Foundation Hospital.
Survivors include his wife, Doris Brooks Butts of Little Rock; four sons, Milford Rigdon of Union, James R. "Bob" Dean and Jerry E. Dean, both of Little Rock, and Roger "Rocky" Dean of Collinsville; a sister, Alice Mott of Saraland, Ala.; two brothers, Newton Butts of Mobile, Ala. and Calvin Butts of Lucedale; 12 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by two sisters, Lucile Hite and Lula Tyree.
Visitation will be today from 5 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
INEZ G. BEDDINGFIELD
Retired Delco Remy employee
Graveside services for Inez G. Beddingfield will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at Meridian Memorial Park Cemetery. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Beddingfield, 71, of Meridian, died Thursday, Oct. 12, 2000, at King's Daughters and Sons Rest Home. She was a member of State Boulevard Baptist Church.
Survivors include two daughters, Lou Davis and her husband, Terry, of Bailey and Melodie Gressett of Meridian; a brother, Dan Gully of Denham Springs, La.; a granddaughter, Summer Gressett of Meridian; a grandson, Marc Davis and his wife, Trina, of Meridian; a special friend, Sonny McLemore of Meridian; several aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be today from 5 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
JAMES R. ANDERSON
Truck driver
YORK, Ala. - Memorial services for James R. "Big Ed" Anderson will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at Bumpers Funeral Home Chapel.
Mr. Anderson, 48, of Cuba, died Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2000, in Demopolis.
Survivors include his wife, Linda Shaw Anderson and a son, Frank Boyd, both of Cuba; two sisters, Diane Watson of Century, Fla. and Gayle Green of York; two brothers, Melvin Bell of Meridian and Larry Bell of Enterprise.
Visitation will be Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
NORMA JEAN LONG
Regional director of speech and hearing with the State of Tennessee
Graveside services for Norma Jean Long will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Cyril Cemetery in Choctaw, Ala. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of local arrangements.
Mrs. Long, 74, of Jackson, Tenn., a native of Clarke County, died Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2000, in her home.
Survivors include a daughter, Mary Ann Castleman, and a nephew, Grady Boykin, both of Jackson; several nieces, nephews and dear friends.
Visitation will be held today from 4 to 8 p.m. at Lawrence-Sorensen Funeral Home in Jackson, Tenn.
INFANT PRINCESS R. HEARN
Services for infant Princess R. Hearn will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Berry and Gardner Funeral Home, with the Rev. David Loyd officiating. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Infant Hearn, 8-weeks-old, of Meridian, died Sunday, Oct. 8, 2000, at Children's Hospital in Birmingham, Ala.
Survivors include her parents, James and Pattie Hearn, two sisters, Jennifer Hearn and Consuella Brown, three brothers, Paris Hearn, Joshua Hearn and Emmetrius Rush, all of Meridian.
She was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents.
Visitation will be Friday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
LINDA FAYE FORD
Insurance agent
Services for Linda Faye Ford will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at New Salem Baptist Church in Whynot, with the Rev. M.C. Thompson Sr. officiating. Burial will be in Salem Cemetery in Kewanee with Berry and Gardner Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Ford, 44, of Meridian, died Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2000, at Riley Hospital.
Survivors include her former husband, Bennie Ford of Meridian; two daughters, Tiffany Ford of Meridian and Etoyi Townson and her husband, Eric, of Douglasville, Ga.; her mother, Katherine Nettles Brewster and her husband, Bobby, of Meridian; her father, Jesse James Matthews and his wife, Betty, of Las Vegas; and four grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her grandparents.
Visitation will be Friday from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
GRACE HAYNES COLEMAN
Homemaker
Services for Grace Haynes Coleman will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Berry and Gardner Funeral Home, with the Revs. Caleb McMillian and Marvin Killingsworth officiating. Burial will be in Okatibbee Cemetery.
Mrs. Coleman, 65, of Meridian, died Sunday, Oct. 8, 2000, at Benchmark Health Care.
Survivors include four daughters, Nora Haynes, Mary Chambliss, Dorothy Roberts and Polly Haynes, all of Meridian; two sisters, Joyce Jordan of Meridian and Ruby House of Dayton, Ohio; two brothers, Edward Young of Meridian and Sam Irby of Birmingham, Ala.; 11 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband and parents.
Visitation will be held Friday from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
BOB BELL
Farmer
SEBASTOPOL - Services for Bob Bell will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Bogue Chitto Baptist Church, with the Revs. Doby Henry and John Farve officiating. Burial will be in Bogue Chitto Cemetery with Milling Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Bell, 87, of Philadelphia, died Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2000, in Philadelphia.
Survivors include six daughters, Evelyn Jefferson, Linda Christensen, Iva Steve, Gina Nene, Anita Cotton and Verna Bell, all of Philadelphia; a son, Robert Bell of Carthage; a sister, Cecilia Wesley of Louisville; 32 grandchildren, 47 great-grandchildren and 21 great-great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today at the family home.
