Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
5:04 am Thursday, August 16, 2001

OBITUARIES FOR THURSDAY, AUG. 16, 2001

By Staff
WILLIAM J. GUNN
Attorney
William J. "Billy" Gunn, a longtime practicing attorney, died Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2001, at the age of 78.
Services will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at Poplar Springs Drive Baptist Church, with the Revs. James Ruffin and Dr. Thad Moore officiating. Burial will be in Magnolia Cemetery with Barham Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Gunn was a member of Poplar Springs Drive Baptist Church. He was a native of Meridian, graduated from Meridian High School in 1940, the School of Commerce and Business Administration at the University of Mississippi in January 1943 and from the Law School in January 1950.
He was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy in March 1943 and was on active duty with the Navy until March 1946. Two years of this time was spent overseas in the Pacific Theater. He was discharged as a lieutenant commander in 1946.
Mr. Gunn practiced law from 1950 to 1956 and from January 1963 until the time of his death. He was elected State Senator from Lauderdale County in 1951 and re-elected without opposition in 1955. In 1956, he was appointed Circuit Judge of the Tenth Judicial District and resigned from the State Senate and was re-elected Circuit Judge without opposition in 1958 and served until January 1963.
In 1958, he was chosen Young Man of the Year' for outstanding community service by the Junior Chamber of Commerce; in 1965 he served as king of Meridian's Junior Auxiliary Mardi Gras Ball; in 1966 he served as president of Mid-Mississippi Development District; in 1965-67 served as chairman of the Meridian Industrial Foundation; in 1970 president of the Greater Meridian Chamber of Commerce; and in 1986 he served as president of the Ole Miss Law Alumni Association.
He participated in many other civic organizations and activities and was a member of the Lamar Order of the University of Mississippi, Mississippi Bar Foundation, American Health Lawyers Association and National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel. He served as a member of the Board of Directors and as General Counsel for Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center for more than 35 years.
Mr. Gunn was also an active member of Fifteenth Avenue Baptist Church and Poplar Springs Drive Baptist Church for 60 years or more. He taught various men's Sunday school classes in both churches and served as chairman of Deacons on several occasions.
Survivors include his wife, Elizabeth Ross Gunn; three sons, William Ross Gunn, James Edwin Gunn and Douglas Jennings Gunn; six grandchildren, Josh, John, Carroll Ann, Melissa, Mary Margaret and Molly Elizabeth.
Honorary pallbearers will be officers and directors of Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center, members of the Lauderdale County Bar Association, Deacons and members of Mr. Gunn's Sunday school class at Poplar Springs Drive Baptist Church.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
EARL ROBB
Retired logger and farmer
PHILADELPHIA Graveside services for Earl Robb will be held today at 2 p.m. at Good Hope Cemetery with the Rev. Allen Gibson officiating. McClain-Hays Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Robb, 86, of Philadelphia, died Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2001, at Rush Foundation Hospital.
Survivors include a brother, Houston "Buddy" Jenkins, two stepdaughters, Irene Eakes and Shirley Dunn and a stepson, Otis Dunn, all of Philadelphia.
Visitation will be today beginning at 11 a.m. at the funeral home.
MICHAEL BLANKS MOSBY
Self-employed
Graveside services for Michael Blanks Mosby will be held Friday at 3 p.m. at Semmes Cemetery with Father Jerry Daniels officiating. Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Mosby, 50, of Jackson, died Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2001, in Jackson. He served in the U.S. Army.
Survivors include his mother, Allie Margaret Mosby, a brother, C.P. Mosby and his wife, Gayle, and a sister, Rosemary Mosby, all of Meridian.
He was preceded in death by his father, Charles P. Mosby Jr. and a sister, Margaret Mosby Laney.
The family requests memorials be made to Multi-County Community Services for South Harbour Shelter or the Saint Vincent D. Paul Society.
Pallbearers will be Joe Harvey, Guy Harvey, Curtis Ulmer, Mike Ulmer, Gilbert Gaddis and Eddie Mayerhoff.
JAMES K. JONES
Graveside services for James "Smokey Paw" K. Jones will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at Forest Lawn Cemetery. Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Jones, 80, of Toomsuba, died Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2001, at Guardian Angel Hospice.
Visitation will be Saturday one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.
IONA PITTMAN PRICE
Receptionist
Services for Iona Pittman Price will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at First Union Baptist Church with the Rev. James Clark officiating. Berry and Gardner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Price, 92, died Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2001, at East Mississippi State Hospital. She served the Meridian medical community as a receptionist for Drs. J.E. Huff, Rufus Spears and M. Coleman.
Survivors include her son, James Vanderbilt Price Jr.; and several grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends.
She was preceded in death by two sisters, Virgie Jenkins and Johnnie Alma Pittman; and a grandson, Michael James Price.
Visitation will be Saturday one hour prior to the service at the church.
LORENE MOSS
Homemaker
Services for Lorene Moss will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Berry and Gardner Funeral Home in Quitman. Burial will be in Stonewall Cemetery.
Mrs. Moss, 87, of Stonewall, died Friday, Aug. 10, 2001, at Rush Foundation Hospital.
Survivors include a son, Julius Howze and his wife, Martha, of Stonewall; three sisters, Alma Powell, Vera Mackey and Julia Graham, all of Detroit; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
Visitation will be Friday from 6 p.m.-7 p.m. at the funeral home.
CURTIS ELLIOTT
Retired U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy
Services for Curtis Elliott will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Mt. Bethel Baptist Church with the Rev. Excell Williams officiating. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery with Berry and Gardner Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Elliott, 72, of Meridian, died Sunday, Aug. 12, 2001, at the V.A. Medical Center in Jackson.
Survivors include his wife, Margie Hubbard Elliott of Meridian and a brother, Leon Elliott and his wife, Johnnie, of Los Angeles.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Visitation will be Friday from 7 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
DONNA DELOISE PEDEN
Arrangements were incomplete at Latimer Metropolitan Funeral Home for Donna Deloise Peden, 19, of Meridian, who died Sunday, Aug. 12, 2001, in Fairfax, Va.
CHARLES THOMAS STEVENS
Arrangements were incomplete at Stephens Funeral Home for Charles Thomas Stevens of Decatur who died Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2001, in his home.

Also on Franklin County Times
Walk Thru Bethlehem captures Christmas story
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
December 10, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — Russellville First Baptist Church’s annual Walk Thru Bethlehem over the weekend transformed two downtown blocks into a first-century se...
Use of force: ‘It’s a split-second decision’
Main, News, Russellville, ...
By Kevin Taylor For the Franklin County Times 
December 10, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE –Before each shift at the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, supervisors will always talk about officer safety. They talk about incidents ...
Tree lighting ceremony draws crowd in Red Bay
News, Red Bay
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
December 10, 2025
RED BAY — Members of the community gathered downtown Nov. 30 for the annual tree lighting ceremony, which brought students, local organizers and famil...
Rideshare drivers should be able to understand English
Columnists, Opinion
December 10, 2025
When I was in college, if we needed a ride, we would either call a friend or walk home. These days, however, millions of Americans rely on rideshare s...
‘Roxy’s Christmas Spectacular’ gets ready to take stage
Columnists, News, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
December 10, 2025
By Susie Hovater Malone Columnist The Roxy’s Christmas Spectacular does more than bring holiday joy to the stage each December. It unites our communit...
Golden Tigers split contests with Belgreen
High School Sports, Russellville Golden Tigers, Sports
Brannon King For the FCT 
December 10, 2025
The Russellville Golden Tigers visited the Belgreen Bulldogs and each school picked up a win. Russellville’s girls defeated Belgreen by a final score ...
PC Lady Bobcats win 3 games
High School Sports, Phil Campbell Bobcats, Sports
Bart Moss For the FCT 
December 10, 2025
Phil Campbell picked up three wins this week beating Shoals Christian 49-34, Cherokee 55-21 and Lexington 52-41. In the Shoals Christian win Phil Camp...
Romero makes triumphant return to stage
News, Phil Campbell
Chelsea Retherford For the FCT 
December 10, 2025
PHIL CAMPBELL — When Jonathon Romero first walked out as Sweeney Todd during the show’s opening weekend, it marked a triumphant return to the stage af...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *