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 By  Staff Reports Published 
10:44 am Saturday, November 24, 2001

OBITUARIES FOR SATURDAY, NOV. 24, 2001

By Staff
RAY GRIFFITH
Retired truck driver and mechanic
Graveside services for Ray Griffith will be held today at 11 a.m. at Meridian Memorial Park Cemetery with the Rev. Nick Holden officiating. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Griffith, 78, of Meridian, died Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2001, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
Survivors include his wife, Clara Griffith, a son, Brian Griffith and a daughter, Amanda Griffith, all of Meridian; grandchildren, Blake Griffith and Julie Griffith; stepsons, Robert Singleton and David Singleton; a brother, Jack Griffith; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Ernest and Grace Griffith; and two brothers, Judson and Raymond Griffith.
Pallbearers will be Brad Gressett, James Smith, Donnie Bracken, Jackie Griffith, Edgar Bracken and Kinnie Ford.
DEE STRUM KING
PHILADELPHIA Services for Dee Strum King will be held today at 11 a.m. at McClain-Hayes Chapel of Philadelphia with the Rev. Wayne Hill officiating. Burial will be in Cedar Lawn Cemetery.
Mrs. King, 77, of Philadelphia, died Thursday Nov. 22, 2001, at Rush Foundation Hospital.
Survivors include her son, Kenny King, her sister, Kate McLelland, and two grandchildren.
WILLIAM G. THOMAS
MOBILE, Ala. Services for William G. Thomas will be held today at 1 p.m. at Mobile Memorial Gardens Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be in Mobile Memorial Gardens.
Mr. Thomas, a native of Union and former resident of Meridian, died Thursday, Nov. 22, 2001, at a Mobile hospital. He had been a resident of Mobile since 1941.
Survivors include his wife, Zora Winstead Burton Thomas of Mobile; two stepdaughters, Pearlene Eshee of Pensacola Beach, Fla., and Juanice Cleveland of Union; one grandson and several nieces, nephews and other relatives.
He was preceded in death by a son, James William Thomas.
The family requests memorials be made to Moffat Road Baptist Church.
EDITH GORDON
Sales clerk
Graveside services for Edith Gordon will be held today at 3 p.m. at Magnolia Cemetery with the Revs. Dr. Thad Moore and Joe Gordon officiating. Burial will be in the cemetery with Stephens Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Gordon, 89, of Marion, died Friday, Nov. 23, 2001 at Guardian Angel Hospice. She was an accomplished seamstress who worked as a sewer. But her skills were best used doing needlepoint and the thousands of pieces of crochet she made for family and friends.
Mrs. Gordon was a homemaker and for many years sold shoes at Marks Rothenburg's and McRae's Department Stores. Her love was her family, including all the nieces and nephews, many of whom she claimed as her grandchildren. She was a longtime member of Poplar Springs Drive Baptist Church.
She was preceded in death by her father, J.E. Willoughby, her mother, Almeda Bishop Willoughby, her husband, George Chester Gordon, and her son, Norman Eugene Moore.
Survivors include her sons, Clark Gordon and his wife, Ivonne, of Meridian; Danny Paul Gordon and his wife, Gail, of Smyrna, Ga.; Joe Gordon and his wife, Sheila, of Birmingham; 11 grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, a brother-in-law, four sisters-in-law and several nieces and nephews.
The family requests memorials be made to the Alzheimer's Foundation of Poplar Springs Drive Baptist Church.
Visitation will be from 2 p.m.-3 p.m. today at the funeral home.

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