OBITUARIES FOR FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2001

By Staff
DEDRIC DARIOUS RUFFIN
Credit manager
Services for Dedric Darious Ruffin will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Mt. Olive M.B. Church with the Rev. Marvin Dixon officiating. Burial will be in Sunset Memorial Gardens with M.J. Edwards Funeral Home of Memphis, Tenn., in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Ruffin, 24, died Sunday, July 15, 2001, at Union County Hospital in Anna, Ill. He was born April 19, 1977, in Meridian to Greenberry and Tommie Jean McClendon Ruffin. He accepted Christ at an early age and was a member of New Harvest M.B. Church.
Mr. Ruffin was a magna cum laude honors graduate of Mississippi State University. At MSU, he was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, MSU Track team, Black Voices Gospel Choir, Student Athletic Advisory Council, M-Club, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Big Brother/Big Sisters of America. He was also a member of Jerome Green and Voices of Triumph Ministries, out of Memphis.
He was employed as a credit manager at Wells Fargo Financial in Southaven.
Survivors include his wife, Shreka L. Wright Ruffin and a daughter, Deadra I. Ruffin, both of Horn Lake; his mother, Tommie Jean Ruffin, his father, Greenberry Ruffin, two brothers, Tremayne Ruffin and his wife, Stephanie, and Jeremy Ruffin, and his grandmother, Julia Mae McClendon, all of Meridian; parents-in-law, the Rev. Leo and Gladys Wright; a brother-in-law, Derrick Wright and his wife, Lawanda, all of Tupelo; four nieces, a nephew, and several aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.
Visitation will be today from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at Mt. Calvary M.B. Church in Meridian, his former home church.
DAVID J. SHEPHERD
Retired maintenance worker
DeKALB Graveside services for David J. "Jack" Shepherd will be held today at 11 a.m. at Union Hill Cemetery, with the Rev. Dwight Fleming officiating. Burial will be in Union Hill Cemetery in Kemper County with Stephens Funeral Home of Dekalb in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Shepherd, 71, of DeKalb, died Wednesday, July 18, 2001 at Riley Hospital. He was a retired maintenance worker for the State Highway Department.
Survivors include three sisters, Dorothy Green and her husband, Lamar, of Gautier, Laura Triplett and her husband, John, Mildred Reed and her husband, John Reed, all of Macon; and a number of nieces, nephews and friends.
He was preceded in death by two brothers, James L. Shepherd and Henry F. Shepherd; and two sisters, Bessie S. Wilson and Lyla Eldridge.
Visitation will be today from 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. at the funeral home.
Pallbearers will be Dr. Billy Calvert, Ernie Watt, Jackey Triplett, Dave Reed, Jim Van Devender and Scott Swearingten.
DEMONKEL D. NAYLOR
DEKALB Services for DeMonkel D. Naylor will be held today at 11 a.m. at Mt. Herbon Cemetery in Porterville with the Rev. Evan E. McDonald officiating. E.E. McDonald Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Infant Naylor died Thursday, July 19, 2001, at Rush Foundation Hospital.
Survivors include his parents, Samantha D. Naylor and Alick J. Sledge, both of Porterville; his grandparents, Rita Faye Naylor of Porterville, Samuel Brown of Boyd, Ala., Eva Sledge of Boyd; and several other relatives and friends.
MARY NOBLE
Homemaker
BUTLER, Ala. Services for Mary Noble will be held today at 3 p.m. at Millry Baptist Church. Burial will be in Cullomburg Cemetery with Bumpers Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Noble, 91, of Millry, died Wednesday, July 18, 2001, at Wayne General Hospital.
Survivors include a son, William Noble of Greenwood, S.C.; two grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
JAMIE CLARK
Baseball coach at ECCC
NEWTON Services for Jamie Clark will be held Saturday at 11a .m. at Clarke-Venable Baptist Church, with the Revs. Chris Vowell and Stan Buckley officiating. Burial will be in Caile Cemetery near Belzoni, with Barham Funeral Home of Newton County in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Clark, 49, of Decatur, died Wednesday, July 18, 2001 at his residence. He was a baseball coach at East Central Community College.
Survivors include his wife, Audrey Clark of Decatur; four children, Nicki Clark of Decatur, Billy Turner of Slidell, La., Kevin Turner of Austin, Texas, and Daniel Turner of Cleveland; and three grandchildren.
The family requests memorials be made to the American Cancer Society.
Visitation will be today from 6p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Pallbearers will be Larry Blackburn, Ricky Harrison, Neal Holloman, Jake Yarbrough, Bill Schatzley and Randall Lee. Honorary pallbearers will be Bill Hughes, Clay Daughtry, Wade Hawkins and Charles Boggan.
MELVIN ROBINSON
Retired truck driver for Central Truck Line
NEW ORLEANS Services for Melvin Robinson will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. in the chapel of Tharp-Sontheimer-Tharp Funeral Home. Burial will be in Mt. Carmel Baptist Church Cemetery in St. Gabriel, La.
Mr. Robinson, 76, of New Orleans, died Sunday, July 15, 2001, in his home.
Survivors include a son, Judge Robbie Robinson of Meridian; his wife, Rhody P. Robinson; children, Trent M. Robinson, Melvin Robinson Jr., Beverly Lewis, Cynthia Caston and Donna Price; his mother, Hilda W. Penn; a sister, Mary Lee Smith; and seven grandchildren.
Visitation will be Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. at the funeral home.
LOIS J. BOYKIN
Homemaker
BUTLER, Ala. Services for Lois J. Boykin will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Bumpers Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Leslie Roberts and Bob Brantley officiating. Burial will be in Bogaloosa Cemetery.
Mrs. Boykin, 73, of Theodore, died Wednesday, July 18, 2001, in her home.
Survivors include her husband, Melton O. Boykin of Theodore; two sons, James Owen Boykin of Butler and Jimmy Wayne Boykin of Theodore; a daughter, Linda Faye Chaulk of Mobile; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
JOHN JUNIOR YANCEY
Retired steel fabricator
Services for John Junior Yancey will be held Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Gary Smith and Lanny Avis officiating. Burial will be in Arkadelphia Baptist Church Cemetery.
Mr. Yancey, 68, of Meridian, died Wednesday, July 18, 2001, in his home.
Survivors include his wife, Jane Yancey, a son, Michael A. Yancey and his wife, Judy, and a grandson, Drew Yancey, all of Meridian; two sisters, Ann Ethridge of Bailey and Jane Brown of Hebron Springs, Ark.
He was preceded in death by his parents, John Yancey Jr. and Dorothy Reid; a brother, Joe Reid; three daughters, Teresa Yancey, Tina Yancey and Melanie Kitchens.
The family requests memorials be made to Heartfelt Hospice, 1316 25th Ave., Meridian, MS 39301.
Pallbearers will be Ronnie Shelton, Joey Shelton, Andy Miles, W.R. Miles, Billy Ray Ethridge and Bill Brown.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
SHIRLEY JOHNSON
Memorial services for Shirley Johnson will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at Poplar Springs Baptist Church.
Mrs. Johnson, 60, of Meridian, died Wednesday, July 11, 2001, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. She was a member of the WIBC Bowling League and a long time Boy Scouts of America Volunteer in the Meridian Area.
JOHNSON HAMPTON
Arrangements were incomplete at Clark's Memorial Funeral Home for Johnson Hampton, 99, of Preston, who did Thursday, July 19, 2001, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.