Thursday, July 6, 2006

Published 6:13 am Thursday, July 6, 2006

John Ross McWilliams

Student

Services for John Ross McWilliams will be held today at 11 a.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Hal Bates and Andy Murray officiating. Burial will be in Collinsville First Baptist Church Cemetery.

Mr. McWilliams, 19, of Collinsville, died Sunday, July 2, 2006, in Panama City, Fla. He was a member of First Baptist Church of Collinsville. He was a sophomore student at Meridian Community College and was a graduate of West Lauderdale High School. He received many sports achievements. He was a former soccer player for the Meridian Community College’s team and he was a member of the West Lauderdale High School soccer team and golf team.

Survivors include his parents, Jeff and Kim McWilliams of Collinsville; siblings, Chris McWilliams and Dustin McWilliams; grandparents, Donald McWilliams, Jerry McWilliams and John C. Goodman Sr.; several aunts, uncles and cousins and his girlfriend, Maddie Leach.

He was preceded in death by his grandmother, Frances M. Goodman.

Memorials may be made to the youth building fund at First Baptist Church of Collinsville, the John Ross McWilliams Memorial Scholarship, c/o Meridian Community College Foundation, 910 Highway 19 North, Meridian, Ms 39307.

Pallbearers will be Parker Temple, Clayton Keller, Anthony Thomas, Josh Sonak, Frank Harmon, Lance Crenshaw, Zach Chisolm and Tristan Rowell.



William Galloway Hughes

Retired

Services for William Galloway Hughes will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church with the Rev. Dr. Rhett G. Payne III, officiating. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Hughes, 66, of Meridian, died Monday, July 3, 2006, in his home. He was born in Columbia, Tenn. and raised in Knoxville, Tenn. He was a graduate of Young High School and East Tennessee State University. He served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army at Fort Sill, Okla., and attended artillery school. He was assigned to Fort Polk, La., where he trained basic trainees. He served as an officer in the military from January 1962 until 1965.

In 1965 he returned to Tennessee where he was employed by American National Bank and Trust Company, in Chattanooga, Tenn. In 1973, he was employed by Merchants and Farmers Bank in Meridian, as vice president.

In 1982 he began teaching full-time at Meridian Community College which became his major profession. At MCC, he was coordinator of the Finance and Banking Program and taught computer skills in the Industrial Development and Community Services area. He was an advisor to the Banking DECA Chapter at the college and helped students achieve state and national recognition. Many of the students received both state and national awards. His membership in the Mississippi Association of Marketing Educators included a term as vice president. He was honored in 1993 with a Honorary Life Membership in DECA. He was honored in 1989 as Outstanding Teacher, Meridian, Lauderdale County. In 1990 he was honored as the T.J. Harris Award recipient, and in 1992 as Headwae teacher for Meridian Community College. He served seven years on the Faculty Senate with three as chairman. Also a member of the MCC Faculty Association, he worked on the legislative committee and as chairman of the Insurance Committee. He was one of the campus leaders in the effective use of technology. He retired from MCC in 2005. Because of his great interest in genealogy, he was asked to teach genealogy classes at both Meridian Community College and at the Senior Citizens Center.

Mr. Hughes was a long time member of First Presbyterian Church, where he served as both a deacon and elder for a number of years. While on the Session, he served on successive occasions as the stated clerk. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Chancel Choir. He was for years superintendent for the Sunday school, and worked diligently as a sound technician, when needed and he gladly assisted the kitchen staff in meal service for family night suppers. In many ways he demonstrated his great love for his church.

Survivors include his wife, Regina K. Hughes, of Meridian; a daughter, Heather Bounds and her husband, Rob, of Atlanta; a son, William K. Hughes of Meridian; a grandson, Gage Hughes; a brother, Tom Hughes and his wife, Judy, of Peachtree City, Ga. and a sister-in-law, Pat Hughes of Gainesville, Ga.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles William Hughes and Emily Thomas Hughes of Knoxville; a brother, Robert Littleton Hughes and a nephew, Mark Littleton Hughes, both of Gainesville.

Memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church, Meridian Community College, Lamar School or a charity of choice.

Pallbearers will be past and present deacons and elders of First Presbyterian Church.

Visitation will be today from 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m. at the funeral home.



Georgia Ray Stokes

Retired

Services for Georgia Ray Stokes will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be in Meridian Memorial Park Cemetery.

Mr. Stokes, 84, of Meridian, died Tuesday, July 4, 2006.

He was born on Aug. 4, 1921, in Neshoba County. He was a veteran of the U.S. Coast Guard and served in World War II from 1942-1945. He moved to Yazoo City in 1949, and was employed by Mississippi Chemical Corporation for 31 years. In 1993, he and his wife, moved to Springfield, Mo., to be closer to their daughter, and recently lived in Tupelo to be near his son.

He will be remembered as a devout Christian who lived his faith everyday of his life. He was known for his love of God, his family and his many friends. He had a gentle face and patient smile, a kind word and a little joke for everyone.

“Mr. Ray” as he was affectionately called will be missed by his family and everyone who knew him.

Survivors include his daughter, Arlene Stokes Patterson and her husband, Bob, of Huntsville, Ala.; sons, Dr. Billy Ray Stokes and his wife, Beverly, of St. Francisville, La. and Charles “Chuck” Stokes and his wife, Judy, of Tupelo; six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren and several other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Bessie Louise Watkins Stokes; parents, George and Sally Stokes; his brothers, Herman Stokes, J.B. Stokes, Russell Stokes, G.W. Stokes and sisters, Gladys Coleman and his twin sister, Rachel Foster.

Memorials may be made to the American Lung Association.

Visitation will be Friday one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.



Dois Gilmore

retired truck driver

PHILADELPHIA — Services for Dois “Fox Hunter” Gilmore will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at McClain-Hays Funeral Service Chapel. Burial will be in Steam Mill Cemetery in Neshoba County.

Mr. Gilmore, 66, of Philadelphia, died Wednesday, July 5, 2006, in his home.

Visitation will be today from 2 p.m.- 9 p.m. at the funeral home.



Jodie Neil Jacobs Sr.

Services for Jodie Neil Jacobs Sr. will be held Friday at 11:30 a.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Dr. Carl White officiating. Burial will be in Magnolia Cemetery.

Mr. Jacobs, 84, of Meridian, died Tuesday, July 4, 2006, at Rush Foundation Hospital. He was a member of Manassa United Methodist Church.

Survivors include his son, Jodie N. Jacobs Jr. and his wife, Janice, of Meridian; a daughter, Gina M. Jacobs of Jackson; grandchildren, Jay Jacobs, Katie Jacobs and Tucker Jacobs, all of Meridian; a sister, Beatrice Williamson of Meridian; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Hazel Jacobs and a grandson, Colby Jacobs.

Pallbearers will be Jerry Murphy, Pete Roberts, David Roberts, Bobby Fleming, Brandon Broadus, Griffin Parker and Steve Fleming.

Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.



Dineta L. Richardson

Flight attendant

DEKALB — Services for Dineta L. Richardson will be held Friday at 1 p.m. at Union Baptist Church in Scooba with the Rev. James Granger officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. E.E. McDonald Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Ms. Richardson, 26, of Scooba, died Friday, June 30, 2006, at the G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Veterans Administration Medical Center in Jackson. She was a veteran of the U.S. Navy.

Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. at the funeral home in DeKalb.



Harriet M. Mason

Retired

Services for Harriet M. Mason will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Union Baptist Church with the Rev. John Edwards officiating. Burial will be in Jordan Cemetery in Jones County. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Mason, 93, of Meridian, died Tuesday, July 4, 2006, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. She was born on March 22, 1913 in Russell, Ill. She was a retired state worker at Ellisville State School and she was a member of Union Baptist Church.

Survivors include her sons, Fredrick J. Wood of Richmond, Va. and John C. Mason Jr. of Meridian; grandchildren, Linda Ann Mason Dearman, and Margaret M. Mason Williams, both of Meridian, Debra Wood, Sherry Wood Sieward and Kenny Wood, all of Richmond, Va. and 10 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John Collins Mason Sr.; brothers, Clare Lundy, Elden Lundy, Harland Lundy and Bernard Lundy.

Visitation will be Friday from 5 p.m.- 8 p.m. at the funeral home.



Mary B. McCoy

DEKALB — Arrangements were incomplete at E.E. McDonald Funeral Home for Mary B. McCoy, 94, of Meridian, who died Tuesday, July 4, 2006, at Rush Foundation Hospital.