By Staff
DR. M.C. THOMPSON SR.
Minister
Services for Dr. M.C. Thompson Sr. will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. at New Hope Baptist Church with the Rev. Macellous Jr. officiating. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery with Berry and Gardner Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Dr. Thompson, 79, of Meridian, died Thursday, Nov. 14, 2002, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. He was born in Florence, 11 miles south of Jackson, on April 16, 1923. He was the 11th and last child of the late Rev. Henry Leanders Thompson and Mamie C. Bibbs Thompson.
Dr. Thompson received his elementary and high school education from the Green Hill and Piney Woods schools. He attended the Meridian Baptist Seminary and Harris Junior College. He was part of the last graduating class of the Mississippi Baptist Seminary Extension of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in Jackson, from which he obtained his doctorate of divinity degree.
Dr. Thompson pastored New Salem Baptist Church for more than 54 years, Galilee Baptist Church for more than 53 years, Mt. Herman Baptist Church for more than 20 years and New Olivet Baptist Church for more than 17 years. He was truly a remarkable man who devoted his life to serving others.
Dr. Thompson served as moderator of the First New Hope Association, and treasurer and trustee of the East Mississippi Baptist State Convention. He served on the East Mississippi Planning Committee and the Governor's Council on Aging. He was also a part time funeral director and chaplain at Berry and Gardner Funeral Home as long as his health permitted. At the time of his death he was serving as moderator of the Second New Hope Association and president of the First Enterprise Congress. He was a master mason and a member of the Greenhill Lodge of Florence, the Holy Royal Arch Kennedy and Austin #88 York, Ala., and Scottish Rite Sublime Prince 32nd degree, Abraham Consistory 257 Demopolis, Ala., Prince Hall affiliate. Dr. Thompson was a patron of the Seventh District Bathsheba Chapter, patron of the Meridian chapter, and district patron of the seventh district of the Eastern Star.
Survivors include his wife of more than 55 years, Arlena Imogene Thompson; a daughter, Gail Thompson of Oxford; a son, M.C. Thompson Jr. and his wife, Rosie, of Meridian; five grandchildren, Marcelene Thompson, Sharon Thompson, Jessica Thompson and Erica Thompson, all of Meridian, and Marcellous Lee Thompson of Oxford; a brother, Archellous Thompson and his wife, Flora, of Florence; a sister, Jeanetta Phillips of Oakland, Calif.; and several nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by a grandson, Eric Thompson.
Visitation will be Tuesday 5 p.m.-7 p.m. at the funeral home.
SHIRLEY COTTON SCHALLERT
Homemaker and dollmaker
MACON Services for Shirley Cotton Schallert will be held today at 2 p.m. at Cockrell Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Paul Brown officiating. Burial will be in Cotton Cemetery.
Mrs. Schallert, 68, of Macon, died Saturday, Nov. 16, 2002, at Baptist Memorial Golden Triangle of Columbus.
Survivors include her husband, Kenneth Schallert of Macon; a son, Wayne Schallert of St. Louis; daughters, Sandra Reeves of St. Louis and Kim Leonard of Macon; five grandchildren; sisters, Marie Abrams, Betty Jean Cooper, Dorothy Harvey and Alice Slawson, all of Macon; and a brother, Jimmy Jack Cotton of Augusta, Ga.
Visitation will be today 12:30 p.m.-2 p.m. at the funeral home.
MELBA MOORE LITTLE
Homemaker
QUITMAN Services for Melba Moore Little will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Enterprise Methodist Church with the Rev. Richard Williams officiating. Burial will be in Enterprise Cemetery. Wright's Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Little, 87, of Enterprise, died Sunday, Nov. 17, 2002, in Enterprise.
Survivors include her daughter, Elise L. Crawford of Enterprise; sons, Howard H. Little and Harry M. Little, both of Meridian, and Robert "Bobby" H. Little of Picayune; 16 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Hansel Little; an infant daughter; and her parents, John Moore and Ora Osborne Moore.
Pallbearers will be Richard Little, Brian Little, Corey Freeman, Tom Downard, Don Olmsted, Steve Little, Blake Olmsted and Joel Speed.
Visitation will be today beginning at 6 p.m. at the funeral home and 30 minutes prior to the service on Tuesday at the church.
BETTIE MOSLEY
Arrangements were incomplete at Berry and Gardner Funeral Home for Bettie Mosley of Meridian, who died Thursday, Nov. 14, 2002, at Riley Hospital.
JAMES P. TOWNSEND
Arrangements were incomplete at James F. Webb Funeral Home for James P. Townsend, 31, of Pontotoc, who died Sunday, Nov. 17, 2002, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in South Haven.
FRANCIS PHELAN JR.
Arrangements were incomplete at Stephens Funeral Home for Francis Phelan Jr., 57, of Lauderdale, died Sunday, Nov. 17, 2002, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.