By Staff
RUBY SPEED THOMAS
Retired executive secretary
Services for Ruby Speed Thomas will be held today at 11:30 a.m. at James F. Webb Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Danny Chisolm officiating. Burial will be in Magnolia Cemetery.
Mrs. Thomas, 92, of Meridian, died Monday, May 7, 2001, at Guardian Angel Hospice. She was employed as a executive secretary for 35 years with the Meridian Housing Authority. Mrs. Thomas was a member of Central Baptist Church.
Survivors include a daughter-in-law, Bobbie Majures Thomas and two grandsons, Grady Randall Thomas and his wife, Darcie, and Kenny Wade Thomas, all of Oklahoma City; a granddaughter, Jennifer Sides Cook and her husband, Jess, of Edmond, Okla.; a great-grandson, Kerry Sides and his wife, Cheryle, and a great-great-granddaughter, Sarah Nicole Sides, all of Fair Oak Ranch, Texas; a sister, Grace Speed Tullos and her husband, Enos, of Jackson, Tenn.; two special nieces, Marian Keene Gullette and Virginia Keene Duvalle, both of Meridian; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by a son, Grady Thomas Jr. of Oklahoma City; two sisters, Pauline Speed Keene and Margaree Hill Davis; four brothers, H.C., Ed, Louie and Bob Speed; and her parents, P.C. and Ola Davis Speed.
The family requests memorials be made to Central Baptist Church or Guardian Angel Hospice.
Visitation will be today from 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. at the funeral home.
JOAN FOSTER DEWEESE
Retired waitress
PHILADELPHIA Services for Joan Foster Deweese will be held today at 2 p.m. at McClain-Hays Funeral Service Chapel with the Revs. Dennis Duvall and Dr. Raymon Leake officiating. Burial will be in Good Hope Cemetery in Neshoba County.
Mrs. Deweese, 72, of Philadelphia, died Wednesday, May 9, 2001, at Neshoba County Nursing Home.
Survivors include two daughters, Marilyn Green of Meridian and Darline Killens of Philadelphia; a son, Micky Deweese of South Pittsburg, Tenn.; and seven grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Miller Deweese.
MARGARET W. HART
Factory worker
DeKALB Services for Margaret W. Hart will be Saturday at 10 a.m. at Freedom Rock Christian Fellowship, with the Rev. Craig Tucker officiating. Burial will be in Long Branch Cemetery in West, with E.E. McDonald Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Hart, 72, formerly of West, Meridian and Chicago, died Sunday, May 6, 2001, at Rush Foundation Hospital.
Survivors include a son, Maurice McGee of Leakesville; a daughter, Diane Young of Chicago; two brothers, Daniel Williams and Sam Williams, both of West; two grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and a number of nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband and two siblings.
Visitation will be today from 7 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
GEORGE J. BLACKWELL SR.
Retired from Mississippi Game and Fish Commission
Services for George J. Blackwell Sr. will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Collinsville with the Revs. Malcolm Lewis and Hal Bates officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery with James F. Webb Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Blackwell, 75, of Collinsville, died Wednesday, May 9, 2001, in Collinsville. He was a World War II veteran, serving in the U.S. Army. He received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his service. Mr. Blackwell was retired from the Mississippi Game and Fish Commission and was employed with Mississippi Power for more than 10 years. He was the former host of "Outdoors with George" and a master Mason.
Survivors include his wife, Patsy Ann Rush Blackwell of Collinsville; children, George J. Blackwell Jr., Wanda B. McPhail and Ashley B. Blackwell, all of Collinsville, Frank E. Blackwell of Hoover, Ala., Beverly B. Hitt of Little Rock, Ronald D. Blackwell and Cory Moorehead, both of Union; 16 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Lowry "Biscuit" Townsend, Neal Carson, Jarvis Parker, Tony Clearman, Jimmy Laird and Dale Purdy.
Honorary pallbearers will be Dr. John Halbrook, Dr. Lewis George, Lindy Trowbridge, Melvin Tingle and Neal Ferrell.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
JOHN E. MARTSCHING
Retired U.S. Navy
Services for John E. Martsching will be held Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with a Navy Chaplin officiating. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Mr. Martsching, 59, of Meridian, died Wednesday, May 9, 2001, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. He served in the U.S. Navy during Vietnam and the Korean Conflict.
Survivors include his wife, Maria M. Martsching of Meridian; children, Jocelyn Tejada and Jerry Martsching, both of Atlanta, Mathew Martsching and Mark Martsching, both of Arkansas; two brothers, Jim Martsching of Georgia and Larry Martsching of California; a sister, Cecelia Martsching and his mother, Lola Martsching, both of Georgia.
Pallbearers will be members of the military.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
RUBY LUCINE SIEGLINGER COLEMAN
Services for Ruby Lucine Sieglinger Coleman will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel, with the Rev. Charles W. Nicholson officiating. Burial will be in Meridian Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mrs. Coleman, 94, of Meridian, died Wednesday, May 9, 2001, at Guardian Angel Hospice. She was a member of Central United Methodist Church.
Survivors include her husband, Otto H. Coleman of Meridian; two sons, Lawrence A. Coleman and his wife Ann Griffith of Little Rock, Ark., and Richard A. Coleman and his wife Monica Harris of Baltimore, Md.; seven grandchildren, Janet L. Coleman, Dawn M. Coleman, David P. Coleman, Sonya G. LaVergne and her husband, Rene', Roxanne Jones and her husband, Frank, Jason S. Coleman and his wife, Holly, and Alan Coleman; and six great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her son Norman A. Coleman.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
KATHLEEN DORIS MAYO
Homemaker
QUITMAN Services for Kathleen Doris Mayo will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Pine Grove Baptist Church with the Revs. T.D. Traylor and Buddy Braddock officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery with Wright's Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Mayo, 79, of Quitman, died Wednesday, May 9, 2001, in Quitman.
Survivors include four sons, H.L. Mayo Jr., Donald Mayo and Larry Mayo, all of Quitman, and Ronald Mayo of Grove Hill, Ala.; a daughter, Sherry Zahn of Meridian; 12 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home and 30 minutes prior to the service.
NAY A. LEE
Arrangements were incomplete at Clark's Memorial Funeral Home for Nay A. Lee, 58, of Kosciusko, who died Thursday, May 10, 2001, at Hospice South.