By Staff
Retired
BUTLER, Ala. Services for Carl Collins Rodgers will be held Thursday at 3 p.m. at Bumpers Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Billy Burge and Russel Wray officiating. Burial will be in Rock Springs Cemetery.
Mr. Rodgers, 79, of Butler, died Tuesday, May 14, 2002, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. He was retired from Transcontinental Gas Line. He served in the U.S. Navy.
Survivors include his wife, Margaret Rodgers of Butler; a daughter, Tara Eldridge, of Birmingham, Ala.; sisters, Ruth Ames of Palm Springs, Calif., Kay Belyeu of Sarasota, Fla., Ann Graham of Rock Springs, Ala.,and Mary Evelyn Manley of Butler; a brother, William M. Rodgers of Rock Springs, Ala.; and two grandchildren.
Visitation will be Thursday from 1:30 p.m.-3 p.m.
SARA CASTLE CULPEPPER STEEL
Business owner
PHILADELPHIA Graveside services for Sara Castle Culpepper Steel will be held Thursday at 3 p.m. at Cedarlawn Cemetery with the Rev. Dr. Dan Howard officiating. McClain-Hays Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Steele, 90, of Philadelphia, died Tuesday, May 14, 2002, at Hospice Ministries in Ridgeland.
Born in Meridian, Mrs. Steel spent her early life in Meridian surrounded by a large family. She was named after a respected Meridian physician Sara Castle who delivered her. Her father had been a Meridian businessman when the Great Depression hit America hard in the 1920's. Sara and her siblings left school to work and help support the family and erase the debt her father owed. As with most families during this time, much was lost, but a strong moral character and resilience was formed from these difficult times.
She married John Samuel "Sam" Steel Jr. in 1936 and together they moved to Philadelphia in 1944. For many years, they owned and operated Philadelphia Equipment Company, specializing in the sales and service of farm equipment and automobiles. Mrs. Steel worked in the office of the family business during this time.
She is a longtime member of the First Baptist Church, she was a Sunday School teacher of 12 year olds. She was involved in the Philadelphia Band Boosters Parents Organization, the Adam Byrd Literary Society, the C.C. Club, and a member of the Philadelphia Country Club. She was dedicated to various activities of her children, and served in volunteer and chaperone capacities. Her other interests included playing bridge, reading, and playing the piano and organ.
After the death of her husband in 1963, she opened and operated an antique and oriental import gift shop in Philadelphia, continuing her interest in decorative arts. She had rental apartments in her home and made longstanding friends with young people who shared her residence.
She was known to everyone as "Miss Sara." Her best friend, Jane Wilbur Cole describes her as "always being cheerful and an inspiration to us all and everyone in Philadelphia loved her."
Survivors include her son, John Samuel "Sonny" Steel III and his wife, Sylvia, of Jackson; a daughter, Sabyna Jane Steel Sterrett and her husband, Dr. Hatch Sterrett, of McLean, Va.; five granddaughters, Sandy Steel Temple and her husband, Mac, Sara Jane Steel, Sharon Steel Davis and her husband, Mike, Susan Steel Waters and her husband, Joel, all of Jackson; Stacy Steel Swedenburg and her husband, Shaun, of Duluth, Ga.; ten great-grandchildren, Kelly, Michelle and Caroline Temple, Heather and Eric Davis, Sam, Swayze and Shelby Waters; Steel and Sydney Swedenburg; a loyal friend and caretaker of 47 years, Mattie McAfee.
Pallbearers will be Don Perry, Jimmy Prince, David Mars, Everett Cole, Jimmy Rea, Charles Mars, Joe Goodwin, Hugh Thomasson, and Dick Molpus.
Memorials may be made to Hospice Ministries, 450 Towne Center Blvd., Ridgeland, Ms.,39157 or First Baptist Church, 414 Pecan Ave., Philadelphia, Ms. 39350.
Visitation will be Thursday from 1p.m.- 3 p.m. at the funeral home.
DR. SHELBY HARRIS
Retired
UNION Memorial services for Dr. Shelby Harris will be held Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Stephens Funeral Home Chapel, with the Revs. Billie R. Gibbs and Len Wedgeworth officiating.
Dr. Harris, 64, of Decatur, died Tuesday, May 14, 2002, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. He was the retired director of Mathematics at East Central Community College.
Survivors include his mother, Nattie Harris of Union; sisters, Helen Gibbs and her husband, the Rev. Billy R. Gibbs, of Union; and Sandra Wedgworth and her husband, the Rev. Len Wedgeworth of House; and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be Thursday from 5 p.m. until service time at the funeral home.
MAXINE E. PHILLIPS
Arrangements were incomplete at Barham Funeral Home in Newton for Maxine E. Phillips, 74, who died Tuesday, May 14, 2002, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
GEORGE SCOTT
Arrangements were incomplete at Clark's Memorial Funeral Home for George Scott, 72, of Meridian, who died Tuesday, May 14, 2002, at Rush Foundation Hospital.