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 By  Staff Reports Published 
7:22 am Friday, April 19, 2002

Obituaries for Friday, April 19, 2002

By Staff
ARTHUR RAY MOORE
Retired welde
PHILADELPHIA Services for Arthur Ray Moore will be held today at 10 a.m. at John E. Stephens Chapel with the Revs. Doyle Moore and Billy Henry officiating. Burial will be in Ebeneezer Cemetery in Leake County with John E. Stephens Chapel Funeral Services in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Moore, 67, of Carthage, died Wednesday, April 17, 2002, at his home.
Survivors include his daughter LouGenna Jayroe of Edinburg; two sons, Mark Moore of Edinburg, Kenny Moore and his wife Candy of Philadelphia; two sisters, Bertie McKinney of Philadelphia and Lois Pierce of Woodland; and three grandchildren.
VIRGIL BOONE
Retired truck driver
PHILADELPHIA Graveside services for Virgil Boone will be held today at 2 p.m. at Fellowship Cemetery with the Rev. Walter Woodson officiating. McClain-Hays Funeral Service Inc. is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Boone, 72, of Philadelphia, died Thursday, April 18, 2002, at Neshoba County General Hospital.
Survivors include his wife Mary F. Boone; a daughter, Bobbie Seale; two sons, L.Z. Boone and Hubert Boone; a sister, Bonnie Brown, all of Philadelphia; and 13 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his son, Prentice Boone.
CLINTON L. HOLLIDAY
Civil service employee
Graveside services for Clinton L. Holliday will be held today at 3 p.m. at Magnolia Cemetery with the Rev. Harold Scott officiating. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Holliday, 75, of Meridian, date of death unknown, was found Wednesday, April 17, 2002, at his home.
Survivors include several cousins.
MILDRED DENT GIBSON
Retired nurse
NEWTON Services for Mildred Dent Gibson will be held today at 3:30 p.m. at Webb Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Dr. Charles Douglas officiating. Burial will be in Newton County Memorial Gardens.
Mrs. Gibson, 94, of Jackson, died Wednesday, April 17, 2002, at Inglewood Manor Nursing Home in Jackson. She was a former resident of Newton.
She was a native of Jasper County and a registered nurse for Newton Hospital. She was also a member of Newton Presbyterian Church.
Survivors include her daughter, Joyce and her husband Charles Horne of Clinton; four grandchildren, Debbie Lenoir and Greg Horne, both of Clinton, Ronnie Horne of Cordova, Tenn., and Wayne Horne of Meridian; and eight great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband Frank C. Gibson; and her parents, T.C. and Bessie Harry Dent.
Visitation will be today between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
Pallbearers will be John Vanderslice, John Goss, Dan Coit, Tom Wilson and Lewis Wilson.
EULA MAE AVERA
Services for Eula Mae Avera will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at New Hope Baptist Church with the Revs. Jimmy Saunders and Cliff Pace officiating. Burial will be in New Hope Baptist Church Cemetery with Barham Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Avera, 84, of Niceville, Fla., died Tuesday, April 16, 2002, at Twin Cities Hospital.
She was a lifelong resident of Meridian and had been a resident at the Manor of Bluewater Bay in Niceville, Fla., for the past three years. She was a member of New Hope Baptist Church.
Survivors include her daughter, Bettye Avera Wicker of Niceville, Fla.; a son, Larry Avera and his wife Pam of Destin, Fla.; a daughter, Mary Ann Hayhurst and her husband Roy of Arlington, Texas; five grandchildren, Sandi Minard of New Market, Md., Eddie Lloyd of Enterprise, Ala., Roy Hayhurst Jr. and Cristina Hayhurst, both of Arlington, Texas, and Linsay Avera of Destin, Fla.; six great-grandchildren and several special nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband Clifford Odell Avera; two brothers, Nate and Grady Smith; and two sisters, Norah McLemore and Johnnie Pickett.
Visitation will be Saturday between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. at the church.
Pallbearers will be Roy Hayhurst Jr., Eddie Lloyd, Ronnie Pickett, Paul Pickett, Clayton Creel and Dennis McLemore.
JOHN EDSEL SIMS
Retired insurance agent
Graveside services for John Edsel Sims will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Forest Lawn Cemetery with the Revs. Malcolm Lewis and Steve Winstead officiating. Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Sims, 78, of Meridian, died Wednesday, April 17, 2002, at Rush Foundation Hospital.
He was a member of Northcrest Baptist Church, a member of the U.S. Navy and World War II veteran and a retired agent for National Life and Accident Insurance Co. He was also in the grocery business in the Bonita community.

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