THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2006
Published 10:26 pm Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Howard Dewitt Tisdale
Self employed dozer driver
Services for Howard Dewitt “Dozer Man” Tisdale will be held today at 11 a.m. at Stephens Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. James L. Kimbrough officiating. Burial will be in Hopewell Baptist Church Cemetery in Scott County.
Mr. Tisdale, 78, of Meridian, died Monday, April 24, 2006, at Rush Foundation Hospital.
Survivors include his son, Howard Wayne Tisdale of Amarillo, Texas; a daughter, Cheryl Fitzhugh of Meridian; grandchildren, Melissa Rash Spears of Collinsville, Kari Tisdale Green of Idaho, Justin Tisdale of Amarillo and Savanna Fitzhugh of Meridian; great-grandchildren, Casey Spears of Collinsville, Karli Contreras of Idaho,and Austin Spears of Collinsville; sisters, Betty Franks and her husband, Bo, of Magnolia and Christine Tisdale of Meridian.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Alice Claudine Tisdale.
Pallbearers will be Perry Tubby, Lindsey Crocker, Johnny Crocker, Robert Spears, Steven Spears and Jimmy Secrist.
Dr. John Bernard Jones
BECKLEY, W.Va. — Services for Dr. John Bernard Jones will be held today at noon at Saint Paul Baptist Temple with the Rev. Walter M. Leach officiating. Burial will be in Blue Ridge Memorial Gardens Cemetery with VFW Post No. 4326 of Midway providing military honors. Durgan Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Dr. Jones, 76, died Friday, April 21, 2006, in Beckley. He was born on March 13, 1930, in Fayette County, W.Va., to Burrell Jones and Mildred Hicks.
He began his formal education at Bluefield State College where he was an athletic standout. He received undergraduate degrees from Bluefield State as well as West Virginia State University. He received a master’s degree from West Virginia University and his doctorate of philosophy degree from The University of Pittsburgh.
He held various roles with a wide variety of responsibilities with numerous primary, secondary as well as collegiate level institutions. These organizations include, but are not limited to West Virginia Public Schools, West Virginia State University, West Virginia University, University of Pittsburgh, Piney Woods Country Life School, Rust College, Meridian Community College as well as Mississippi State University. He worked selflessly in his efforts to enhance and educate young people of all walks of life. He was leader by example and dedicated his life work to empowering and helping people less fortunate. His wit, knowledge, courage, and empathy towards others will long be cherished by family, friends, as well as colleagues.
He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force during the Korean Conflict.
He was a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Phi Delta Kappa International. He was on the board of directors for East Mississippi Development Corp., Civitan Club of Meridian, Meridian Child Development Center, Meridian Airport Authority, American Cancer Society, Boy’s and Girl’s Clubs, Meridian Housing Authority (Advisory Council Chairman Resident), Mississippi Main Street Association, Mid-Mississippi Development District (treasurer), Mississippi Minority Business Alliance, Zoning Board of Appeal-Meridian, Meridian Retirement Connection Committee, Lauderdale County 4-H Council, Saint James AME Church, and Mississippi State Board of Corrections.
Survivors include his wife, Dreama I. Wright; a daughter, Cynthia Ann Gray and her husband, James; sons, Mark Bernard and his wife, Marva, John Wesley and his wife, Soniah, and Leonard McKinney and his wife, Geeta; grandchildren, Marcus, Julia, Chelsea, John Wesley II and Deven; his mother, Mildred Williams; a brother, William and several nieces, nephews and friends.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Burrell J. Jones.
Visitation will be today from 10 a.m. until service time at the church.
James Canterbury Sr.
Retired
Services for James “Pop” Canterbury Sr. will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at James F. Webb Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Donald Gentry officiating. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Mr. Canterbury, 79, of Meridian, died Tuesday, April 25, 2006, at Meridian Community Living Center. He was a retired truck driver and owner of Pop’s Towing for more than 12 years. He was also a member of United Commercial Travelers.
Survivors include his son, Joseph “Cooter” Canterbury and his wife, Jenny, of Collinsville; a daughter, Rose Smith and her husband, Bobby, of Bailey; a sister, Hazel Jones of Rolling Fork; a daughter-in-law, Kaye Canterbury of Meridian; grandchildren, Crystal Copeland, Tina Cates, Jamie Canterbury and Jason Canterbury; step-grandchildren, Kelly Williams, Joely McDaniel and April Hatcher; three great-grandchildren; four step-great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Dicey Canterbury; a son, James Canterbury Jr.; a sister, Mildred Wilkins; brothers, Woodrow and Winfred Canterbury.
Pallbearers will be James Canterbury, Johnny Canterbury, Johnny Swancey, Earnest Parker, Lester Jones and Ricky Posey. Honorary pallbearers will be Randy Eakes, Bobby Ketchen and Leonard Jones.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Flora Zelaya
Financial administrator
Services for Flora Zelaya will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Mt. Olive Baptist Church with the Rev. Dr. Zachary Operton officiating. Burial will be in Pleasant Grove Cemetery on Arundel Road. Berry and Gardner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Zelaya, 56, of Meridian, died Monday, April 24, 2006, in her home.
Survivors include her mother, Bessie “Kate” Hall; sisters, Earnestine Jones, and Ceola Burrage, both of Meridian, Glenda Bagent of New Orleans, Patricia Hall of Long Beach, Calif., Barbara Crosby of Compton, Calif., and Annie Louise Barnes of Natchez; one brother, Burton Hall Jr. of Atlanta; six nephews and four nieces.
She was preceded in death by her father, Burton Hall Sr.
Visitation will be Saturday one hour prior to the service at the church.
Alma Arrington
Retired
Services for Alma Arrington will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Macedonia Church of God in Christ in Newton with the Rev. George Murray officiating. Burial will be in Corinth Cemetery. Clark’s Memorial Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Arrington, 89, of Newton, died Tuesday, April 25, 2006, at Heartfelt Hospice.
Visitation will be Friday from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. at the church and Saturday one hour prior to the service at the church.
Routhbuz Evans
Retired
QUITMAN — Services for Routhbuz Evans will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Spiritual True Holiness Church. Burial will be in Archusa Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Quitman. Turner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Evans, 87, of Shubuta, died Sunday, April 23, 2006, in his home. He was a veteran of World War II.
Visitation will be Friday from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Henry Wallace
Retired
Services for Henry “Buster” Wallace will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Alpha and Omega Holiness Church in Toomsuba with the Rev. Eugene Spears officiating. Burial will be in Pleasant Grove Cemetery. Clark’s Memorial Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Wallace, 63, of Meridian, died Sunday, April 23, 2006, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Dewey Wallace and Rosetta Powell Wallace.
Visitation will be Friday from 6 p.m.-7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Julia McKee Watkins
CLERMONT, Fla. — No services for Julia McKee Watkins will be held. Brewer and Sons Funeral Homes and Cremation Services is in charge of any arrangements.
Mrs. Watkins, 84, formerly of Meridian, died Tuesday, April 18, 2006, at Health Central Park Nursing Home near Orlando. She was born in Fort Morgan, Ala., and lived most of her life in Lauderdale, Neshoba and Kemper Counties in Mississippi. She was an active mother and homemaker. She was a long time member of Bailey Presbyterian Church. Later in life, she moved to DeKalb where she was a homemaker and served the community as a substitute teacher and volunteer. She moved to the Orlando area in January of 2001.
Survivors include her daughters, Frances Couch Stone and her husband, Randy, of Apopka, Fla., June Gibson of Brandon, Miss.; a son, Dennis and his wife, April, of Kissimmee, Fla.; her brother, James Grant III and his wife, Maude, of Collinsville, Miss.; grandchildren, Carolyn Church and her husband, Craig, of Jackson, Miss., Sammi Caruso and her husband, Quentin, of Orlando, Arlan Gibson of Smyrna, Ga., Dana Bedell, of Gulf Breeze, Trisha May and her husband, Dewight, of Winter Haven; great-grandchildren, Ashton Vehrs and Collin Church of Brandon, Kate and Austin Caruso of Orlando, McKee Gibson of Smyrna, Kayla, Trenton and Hunter Bedell of Gulf Breeze and Madie May of Winter Haven and several other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, James Grant Jr. and Nora George Grant and her husbands, Hubert McKee and Lamar Watkins.
Cecil Woodrow Collins
GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Services for Cecil Woodrow Collins were held Monday at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Gainesville with the Revs. Dr. Bill Coates, Dr. John Lee Taylor and Bruce Fields officiating. Burial was in Choestoe Baptist Church Cemetery in Blairsville. Ward’s Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Collins, 92, died Saturday, April 22, 2006, at Northeast Georgia Medical Center.
He was born on Sept. 26, 1913, in Union County Georgia to the late Francis Thurmond “Bob T” and Mary Viola Collins. He grew up near Blairsville where he graduated from Blairsville High School in 1931 and received an associates degree from Young Harris College in 1933. He was a clerk with the newly formed CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) after graduation, and from there he joined the U.S. Coast Guard. He served as a “90 Day Wonder” Lt. JG officer during World War II. He remained on active duty until 1945 and continued as a reserve officer until his discharge in 1955.
Beginning in 1946, he began a 45-year career with the Social Security Administration (SSA) serving initially as a field claims representative. While on assignment in Meridian, Miss., he met Lorena Camp of Chunky and they were married on Dec. 9, 1951. He was readily promoted with the SSA and settled in Gainsville and served as branch manager for more than 20 years. He had a lifelong involvement as a member of the Gainesville Lions Club, Executive Director of the Community Chest (now the United Way) and was designated as a life deacon at First Baptist Church of Gainesville.
He was very active, even chopping and splitting his own firewood until the age of 88. He was an avid bridge player with the Lanierland Duplicate Bridge Club every week until he could no longer drive in 2005.
He loved the mountains of North Georgia, where he thrilled his sons and nephews with rides in his 4WD Scout on hunting and fishing trips in the woods behind his childhood home.
Mr. Collins will be remembered by his family as a man of few words but of great wisdom, with a gentle spirit, a strong faith in God, and a mischievous sense of humor.
Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Lorena, of Gainesville; sons, Glen Camp Collins and his wife, Celine, of Blairsville and Andy Thomas Collins and his wife, Luanne, of Burleson, Texas; seven grandchildren; two step-grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; a brother, Robert Neal Collins of Blairsville; sisters, Hazel Clary of Blairsville, Catherine Fortenberry of Ault, Colo., and Betty Lawrence of Destin, Fla.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, James Collins.
Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church in Gainesville Ministry of Caring, 751 Green Street, Gainesville, GA 30501.
Charles Chapman
Arrangements were incomplete at Berry and Gardner Funeral Home for Charles Chapman, 49, of Stonewall, who died Tuesday, April 25, 2006, in his home.
Mickey Haralson
NEWTON — Arrangements were incomplete at James F. Webb Funeral Home for Mickey Haralson, 51, of Newton, who died Wednesday, April 26, 2006, at Newton Regional Hospital.