Monday, August 7, 2006
Published 10:30 pm Sunday, August 6, 2006
Johnnie Lee Johnson
Retired Educator
PHILADELPHIA — Services for Johnnie Lee Johnson will be held today at 11 a.m. at McClain-Hays Funeral Service Chapel, with the Rev. Albert McMullen officiating. Burial will be in Coldwater Cemetery.
Mr. Johnson, 89, of Laurel, died Sunday, Aug. 6, 2006, at Northview Care Center in Laurel.
He was a retired public school teacher.
Visitation will be held today at 9 a.m. until service time at the funeral home.
Emma Lou Vance
Homemaker
Services for Emma Lou Vance will be held today at 2 p.m. at Old Mars Hill Church in Winston County, with the Revs. T. M. Roberts and Lonoia Burks officiating. Burial will be in Old Mars Hill Cemetery with John E. Stephens Chapel Funeral Service in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Vance, 93, of Philadelphia, died Saturday, Aug. 5, 2006, at Hospice in His Hands in Madden.
Survivors include her daughters and son-in-law; Collene Collins, Dean and Pete King, sons and daughters-in-law; Horace and Carolyn Vance and Thomas and Mary Vance, 14 grandchildren, numerous great-grandchildren, one great-great-grandchild and a host of nieces and nephews, all of Philadelphia.
Edward D. Reed
MILLRY, Ala. — Services for Edward D. Reed will be held today at 2 p.m. at Providence Methodist Church with the Revs. Wesley Syfrett and Victor Brantly officiating. Burial will be in Providence Cemetery with Phillips Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Reed, 90, of Cullomburg, died Friday, Aug. 4, 2006, in Bay Minette.
Survivors include his wife, Curnis R. Reed of Cullomburg, his son, Roy Reed of Ward, five daughters, Rebecca Johnson, Dianne Maples, Sadie Reed, Mary Stewart and Edith Butler; one sister; and 11 grandchildren.
Visitation will be one hour before the service.
Joseph Christopher Jones
QUITMAN — Services for Joseph Christopher Jones will be held today at 2 p.m. at Wright’s Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Ron Jones officiating.
Mr. Jones, 74, died Friday, Aug. 4, 2006, at his home.
Survivors include his daughters, Rita Ellis of Deer Park, Texas, and Dorothy Everett of Mobile, Ala.; three brothers, Ron Jones and James Jones, both of Meridian, and Al Jones of Florida; five sisters, Janice Hayes and Janie Singley, both of Meridian, Elizabeth Slayton of Stonewall, Mary Lou Sullivan of Chatom, Ala., and Eula Clayton of Columbus; grandchildren, Kasandra Ricard of Houston, Jerald Minchew and John Myers of Georgia, Donald Minchew of Texas, Jonda Cruz of Pacifina, Texas, Joseph Jones, Elizabeth Everett and Emmali Jones, all of Mobile, and Alicia Minchew, Terry Jones, Abbigayle Jones and Joshusa Jones, all of Deer Park; and five great-grandchildren.
Paulbearers will be Don Minchew, Alicia Minchew, Terry Jones, Josh Jones, Emmali Jones and Kasandra Ricard. Honorary pallbearers will be Joey Jones, Abbigayle Jones and Jonda Cruz.
Visitation will be today one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.
Rev. Bobby Gene Jones
Veteran and Pastor
NEWTON — Services for the Rev. Bobby Gene Jones will be held Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Mt. Vernon Baptist Church with the Revs. John West, Tommy Anderson, Slim Burns and Steve Pouncey officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery with James F. Webb Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Jones, 75, of Newton died Sunday, Aug. 6, 2006 at Hospice Ministries in Ridgeland.
He was a pastor of Fair Ridge Baptist Church until he became ill and worked for the Newton Company, Borders Milk Products, and Laster Oil Company before attending Clarke College to major in Seminary.
He was called to preach by Fair Ridge Church in Stringer, and he pastored there until a stroke in 1991 ending his tenure. After being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, he continued to spread God’s Word wherever he was and with whomever he was speaking. He will be remembered for living his life glorifying God and being a sterling example of faithfulness to the Holy Father.
Survivors include his wife Ernestine, daughters; Mary “Lynn” and husband Joe McGee, of Lake and Gloria Jean “Jane” and her husband Gary Beeland, of Madison; grandchildren; Jennifer Lynn “Jennie” McGee and her husband Chris Simmons, Joshua Robert McGee and his wife Erica, all of Lake, Jason Daniel McGee and his wife Stephenia, of Starkville, Ashley Cordelia Beeland and her husband James Todd Hardcastle, McKinney, Texas, Heather Leigh Beeland of Madison and Jacob Joe McGee of Lake, great-grandchildren, Katelyn Elizabeth “Katie Beth” Simmons, Karalee Brianna “Kariana” Simmons, Seth Robert McGee and Abigail Grace McGee, all of Lake; brothers; Levoy Payton Jones, Jr. and his wife Irene and William Ras Jones and his wife Betty, all of Hero.
He was preceded in death by his parents Levoy Payton Jones, Sr. and Mattie Maude Jay Jones and older half-brother James Thomas Jones of St. Louis, Mo.
Pallbearers will be Josh McGee, Jason McGee, Chris Simmons, Forrest Ray Sims, Bill Jones, Jeff Jones and Billy Sparkman. Honorary pallbearers will be Levoy Jones Jr., Ras Jones, Jasper Jones, Norwood Jones, Emmett Bolton and Earl Bolton.
Visitation will be held today from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the funeral home and one hour prior to services at the church.
Robert Rutledge
Veteran
Services for Robert Rutledge will be held Tuesday at 10 a.m. at James F. Webb Funeral Home Chapel, with Revs. Justin Knight and Bob Followell officiating. Burial will be in Spring Hill Methodist Church Cemetery.
Mr. Rutledge, 74, of Meridian died Sunday, Aug. 6, 2006 at Guardian Angel Hospice in Marion. He was a veteran of the Korean War serving with the U.S. Army.
Survivors include his wife, Betsy Bick Rutledge, son, Paul Rutledge, daughters; Cheryl Miller, Gladys Dover and Susan Ware, step sons; Mike Vick and Randy Vick, sisters; Marie Wilder, Jessie Byrd, Ruby Groves and Irene Singleton, half brother; Russell Litchfield, sister-in-law; Helen Rutledge; a brother-in-law, Thomas W. Kittrell of Meridian; eight grandchildren, four step-grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, four step great-grandchildren, and a special great nephew, Nick Terry.
Visitation will be Tuesday from 9 a.m. until service time at the funeral home.
Emma Lou Cox Watson
Homemaker
QUITMAN — Services for Emma Lou Cox Watson will be held Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at Pine Springs Baptist Church with the Rev. Danny Bullock is officiating. Burial will be in Pine Hill Church Cemetery with Wright’s Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Cox, 87, of the Pine Hill Community near Enterprise, died Friday, Aug. 4, 2006, in Hattiesburg. She was a homemaker and a member of Pine Hill Baptist Church.
Survivors include her daughters, Sylvia Carroll and her husband, Bobby, of Hattiesburg, and Linda Ferguson of Atlanta; a daughter-in-law, Freddie Watson of Athens, Ga.; six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Pascal Lamar Watson Sr. and a son, Pascal Lamar Watson Jr.
Paulbearers will be Bob Carroll, Chris Carroll, Cal Watson, David Cadena, Phillip Hight and Matt Bishop.
Memorials may be made to the Benevolence Fund of Pine Hill Baptist Church.
Visitation will be Monday from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Natie P. Caraway
Lawyer and Guardsman
JACKSON — Services for Natie Priestly Caraway, will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Northminster Baptist Church in Jackson. Burial will be at Wright and Ferguson Parkway Memorial Funeral Home Cemetery.
Mr. Caraway, 73, attorney and devoted husband, father, and grandfather, of Meridian died Sunday, August 6, 2006, at St. Dominic-Jackson Memorial Hospital in Jackson.
Survivors include his wife Patsy Bond Caraway of Jackson; his three children, Mark Priestly Caraway, Beth Caraway Crasto and Gregg Alan Caraway, all of Jackson; son-in- law Dr. David Walton Crasto of Jackson; daughters-in-law Lida Patterson Caraway and Andrea Lumpkin Caraway of Jackson; grandchildren Dave Crasto, Taylor Crasto, William Crasto, Nate Caraway, and Ellie Caraway, all of Jackson, Taylor Calhoun of Greenwood, and Callie Calhoun of Oxford; sister Edna Caraway Streeter of San Antonio, Texas; brothers, Mason Caraway of Noxapater and Ed Caraway of Memphis; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Priestly and Ruby Caraway and Oscar and Mattie Wright; brothers Demar Caraway, Jeff Caraway and Denman Caraway; and special cousin Rayburn Wright.
Mr. Caraway was born on May 7, 1933. His mother died while he was an infant and he was raised in Meridian by his aunt and uncle, Mattie Caraway Wright and Oscar Wright.
He was a graduate of Meridian High School and a member of the Mississippi Air National Guard. At 17, he was called up for active duty when the Korean Conflict began in 1950. After proudly serving in and being honorably discharged from the Air Force, he returned to Meridian and graduated from Meridian Junior College. He then obtained an undergraduate degree in 1955 and a law degree in 1958 from the University of Mississippi where, among other activities, he was a member of Delta Psi fraternity and served as President of the Ole Miss Law School. He developed a lifelong love for Ole Miss and was later a member of the University of Mississippi Chancellor’s Trust, the Ole Miss Loyalty Foundation, and the Ventress Order of the University. He served as president of both the Hinds County and Lauderdale County Ole Miss Alumni Associations. After law school, Mr. Caraway clerked for the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and then opened a law practice in Meridian.
In 1959, he was elected to represent Lauderdale County in the Mississippi House of Representatives. Mr. Caraway was one of several younger legislators who took numerous courageous stances for racial justice during a time of unrest in the early 1960s.
In 1962 Mr. Caraway moved to Jackson. From 1962-1966 he practiced law with the Daniel, Coker firm. He then went into practice with Hubert Lipscomb, Henry Barksdale and Jerome Steen. After Mr. Lipscomb and Mr. Barksdale passed away, his firm merged with Wise, Carter and Child in 1972. Mr. Caraway practiced for the rest of his career with that firm, which is now Wise, Carter, Child and Caraway. Mr. Caraway loved practicing law and was an accomplished litigator. In 1980 he was honored to become a Fellow of The American College of Trial Lawyers. During most of the 1980’s he was the attorney for the Hinds County Board of Supervisors. Mr. Caraway was a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates and the American Jurisprudence Society, a Fellow of the Mississippi Bar Foundation, and was involved in other various legal organizations. He had many dear friends at the Wise, Carter firm and throughout the legal profession. A colleague recently commented that despite all of his professional accomplishments, Mr. Caraway never lost touch with the common man.
Mr. Caraway was a member of Northminster Baptist Church in Jackson. He was a lifelong Democrat who served on the Hinds County Executive Committee of the Democratic party from 1976-1980. Mr. Caraway was a prior member of the Board of Directors of Jackson Preparatory School.
He also enjoyed his involvement with the North Jackson Rotary Club, the FBC group and numerous other community activities. He was an avid reader of history.
Mr. Caraway’s first interest was always his family, and he loved spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren. In addition, he spent countless hours coaching youth baseball and took a special interest in many of his players. A large number of his former players stayed in contact with him and credit him with having a large impact on their lives.
Visitation will be held at Wright and Ferguson Funeral Home on High Street in Jackson today from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Tuesday at Northminster Baptist Church in Jackson from 10-10:45 a.m.
The family would like to thank Dr. John Studdard and the doctors and nurses at St. Dominic-Jackson Memorial Hospital for their caring and attentive treatment.
Memorials may be made to the Friends of Children’s Hospital, Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children, P. 0. Box 16849, Jackson, MS 39296-6849 or to the University of Mississippi School of Law, P. 0. Box 1848, University, MS 38677.