OBITUARIES FOR SUNDAY, FEB. 11, 2001
By Staff
JAMES WILLIAM AVERA SR.
Quitman resident
QUITMAN Services for James William Avera Sr. will be held Monday at 10:30 a.m. at Wright's Funeral Home chapel with the Revs. Lester Griffin and Grady Crowell officiating. Burial will be in Antioch Baptist Church Cemetery.
Mr. Avera, 75, of Quitman, died Friday, Feb. 9, 2001, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center in Meridian. He was a member of Antioch Baptist Church, where he was a deacon. He was also a veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Vondelle C. Avera of Quitman; two sons, James William Avera Jr. and his wife, Paula, of Birmingham, Ala., and Jerry Avera and his wife, Gay, of Shubuta; a daughter, Linda Avera Hodges of Malvern, Ark.; a brother, Robert L. Avera of George Town, Texas; two sisters, Beatrice Cameron of Brandon, and Neva Jean Davis of Pelahatchie; eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home.
The family requests memorials be made to Antioch Baptist Church.
CLARA S. DAVIS
Homemaker
Graveside services for Clara S. Davis will be held Monday at 10 a.m. at Macedonia Baptist Church Cemetery with the Rev. Milford Gamble officiating. In case of rain, the service will be held inside the church with Barham Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Davis, 93, of Meridian, died Friday, Feb. 9, 2001, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. She was a member of Evergreen Baptist Church of Louisville.
Survivors include a daughter, Doris Marie Gamble and her husband, Rev. Milford Gamble, of Meridian; two sons, Eugene Davis and his wife, Gayle, of Russell, and the Rev. Charles Davis and his wife, Agnes, of Louisville; nine grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandsons.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Carroll H. Davis, and two grandchildren, Kenneth Davis and Lowery Davis.
Visitation will be today from 3 p.m.-5 p.m. at the funeral home.
NICHOLAS FRANK LONG III
Sales account manager
Services for Nicholas "Bobie" Frank Long III will be held Monday at 11:30 a.m. at Barham Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Patsy Twiner officiating. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Mr. Long, 45, of Meridian, died Saturday, Feb. 10, 2001, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. He was a sales account manager for AAA Cooper Transportation. He was a member of New Covenant United Methodist Church and was president of the Meridian Ducks Unlimited Chapter. He was an avid deer and duck hunter and member of Briarwood Country Club. He was also a loving husband, father and brother.
Survivors include his wife, Robin Neal Long of Meridian; two sons, Nick Long and A.J. Long, both of Meridian; a daughter, Abby Long of Meridian; his mother, Pauline Dial of Meridian; his father, Nicholas Frank Long Jr. and his wife, Sue, of Jackson, Tenn.; his grandmother, Thelma M. Vincent of Meridian; five sisters, Angela Luina and her husband, Joe, of Yorktown, Va., Deborah Holder and her husband, Jeff, of Marietta, Ga., Brenda Gabriel and her husband, Lindsay, of Meridian, Susan Lynn Tomasello and her husband, Mike, of Galhoun, Ga., and Sara Warner and her husband, Phil, of Chattanooga, Tenn.; his mother-in-law, Ann Reid Ethridge and her husband, A.M., of Bailey; his sister-in-law, Lisa Neal Wright and her husband, Roger, of Meridian; two brothers-in-law, David Neal and his wife, Tracy, both of Meridian, and Donnie Neal and his wife, Sonya, of Anderson, Ind.; an aunt, Bernice Hughes and her husband, H.T., of Baton Rouge, La.; numerous nieces and nephews; and many, many special friends.
The family requests memorials be made to New Covenant United Methodist Church.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Pallbearers will be William Berdami, Steve Berdami, Ken Flynt, Ron Carberg, Roger Wright, Bill Slay, Bruce Mitchell, Bruce Ferguson, Bobby Reeves, Carl Sosebee and Harold Wayne Johnson.
GRACE ESPEY
Homemaker
Graveside services for Grace Espey will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at Memorial Park Cemetery with the Rev. Hal Bates officiating. Stephens Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Espey, 90, of Meridian, died Friday, Feb. 9, 2001, at Beverly Health Care Broadmoor. She was a homemaker and a member of Collinsville Baptist Church and was actively involved in all aspects of church activity. She was a charter member and past matron of Suqualena Order of the Eastern Star, now affiliated with Meridian Chapter No. 11.
Survivors include a son, J.W. Espey, and his wife, Carolyn S. Espey, of Meridian; a granddaughter, Shellye D. Espey of Meridian; and a brother, Lester Pope of Mobile, Ala.
Visitation will be today from 3 p.m.-5 p.m. at the funeral home.
Pallbearers will be the deacons of Collinsville Baptist Church.
STANLEY N. MCCRANEY
Shop superintendent
NEWTON Graveside services for Stanley N. McCraney will be held Monday at 2 p.m. at Pine Bluff Baptist Church Cemetery with the Rev. Michael Griffin officiating. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. McCraney, 83, of Newton, died Saturday, Feb. 10, 2001, at Rush Foundation Hospital in Meridian. He was a veteran of World War II and the Korean Conflict.
Survivors include two daughters, Judy Gibbon of Newton and Donna Stamper of Conehatta; a son, Stan McCraney of Columbus; four grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Ruth McCraney.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. and Monday at 8 a.m. at the funeral home.
HENRY F. MYERS
Arrangements were incomplete at Stephens Funeral Home for Henry F. Myers, 73, of Meridian, who died Saturday, Feb. 10, 2001, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
DESAREE O'HARA
DEKALB Arrangements were incomplete at E.E McDonald Funeral Home for Desaree O'Hara, 70, of Meridian, who died Friday, Feb. 9, 2001, at Guardian Angel Hospice in Meridian.
ARNICE B. WATERS
Arrangements were incomplete at Berry and Gardner Funeral Home for Arnice B. Waters, 85, of Meridian, who died Friday, Feb. 9, 2001, at Beverly Health Care.