Obituaries for Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2002

By Staff
REV. MILTON L. SAMPSON
Pastor
Services for the Rev. Milton L. Sampson will be held Thursday at 1 p.m. at First Union Baptist Church with the Rev. Eddie Cryer Sr. officiating. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Berry and Gardner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Rev. Sampson, 67, of Meridian, died Thursday, Oct. 10, 2002, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. He was pastor at El Bethel Baptist Church. He was also known in Meridian as "The Christmas Light Man of Druid Hills."
Survivors include his wife, Dorothy L. Sampson of Meridian; nine daughters, Brenda Espinoza of Oscoda, Mich., Tina M. Sampson of Kileen, Texas, Yolanda Jackson and her husband, James, Linda Joyce Sampson, all of Detroit, Annie Ellis of Bay Springs, Teresa Bruner, Willie Mae Webb and her husband, Willie, all of Laurel, Tahira Creagh, and Ayesha Cobbins, both of Meridian; three sons, Benjamin Sampson, Ervin Sampson and his wife, Kulesshia, all of Detroit, and Curtis Hill and his wife, Dorothy Pearl, of Jackson; three adopted godsons, Jimmy Kelly, the Rev. Randall Bohannon, and Johnny Tell, all of Meridian; one brother, Joseph Sampson and his wife, Angela, of Meridian; one sister, Mattie Taylor; an aunt, Alberta Jones, both of Laurel; four uncles, Lucious Sampson and his wife, Lovella, of Sacramento, Calif., Abraham Sampson, Herbert C. Marsh Sr. and his wife, Mary, all of Dayton, Ohio, and Adrin Preston of Las Vegas; a mother-in-law, Juanita Bethley; maternal grandmother-in-law, Janie Spinks, both of Hattiesburg; three brothers-in-law, Louis D. Bethley, Michael Bethley and Ray Bethley, all of Hattiesburg; three sisters-in-law, Connie Bethley, Cheryl Bethley, both of Hattiesburg, and Angela Sampson of Meridian; special cousins, Jessie Campbell of Dayton, and Ott and Kathy Buxton of Laurel; 23 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; El Bethel Baptist Church family; several nieces, nephews, cousins, and other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Alice and Milton Sampson Sr., two brothers, Charlie and Griffin Sampson and a son, Bobbie Louis Sampson.
Visitation will be Wednesday 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at El Bethel Baptist Church and beginning at 11 a.m. at First Union Baptist Church on Thursday.
MINNIE CATHERINE ZDENEK
Homemaker
QUITMAN Services for Minnie Catherine Zdenek were to be held today at 10 a.m. at Wright's Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Buddy Petty officiating. Burial will be in Stonewall Cemetery.
Mrs. Zdenek, 77, of Quitman, died Sunday, Oct. 13, 2002, in her home.
Survivors include her husband, Charlie Zdenek of Quitman; three sons, Collins Alfred Taylor Jr. of Stonewall, Charles Zdenek Jr. of Quitman, and Jimmy Zdenek of Ocean Springs; four daughters, Betty Geraldine Ford of Quitman, Kathy Lou Rainey, Connie Sue Dearman, and Margaret Janese Mace, all of Stonewall; two sisters, Billie Faith of Collinsville and Virginia Robinson of Quitman; 17 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.
CARRIE COLBERT
Retired
Services for Carrie Colbert will be held Today at 2 p.m. at Fitkens Memorial Church of Nazarene with the Rev. Dr. Charles Johnson officiating. Burial will be in Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Enterprise Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Colbert, 72, of Meridian, died Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2002, at Rush Foundation Hospital.
Survivors include her sons, Edward Myles of Minneapolis, Minn., and Anthony Rhone of Meridian; daughters, Evelyn Myles, Winnie Rhone and Gale Beard and her husband, William, all of Meridian; sister, Willie Mae Myles of Tulsa, Okla.; nine grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Eliza Colbert.
W. E. CLAY JR.
Retired carpenter and construction worker
PHILADELPHIA Services for W. E. "Dub" Clay Jr. will be held today at 2 p.m. at John E. Stephens Funeral Services Chapel with the Revs. Albert Reid and John Stephens officiating. Burial will be in Cedar Hill Cemetery.
Mr. Clay, 77, of Philadelphia, died Sunday, Oct. 13, 2002, in his home.
Survivors include his sons, Randy Clay and Scott Clay, both of Philadelphia, Jon Clay of Moss Point, and David Clay of Jackson; one brother, Bill Clay of Philadelphia; four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Wanda Clay.
VIOLA MARTIN
Homemaker
Graveside services for Viola Martin will be held today at 3 p.m. at Pentecostal Memorial Garden Cemetery in Russell with Elder Keith Tisdale officiating. Berry and Gardner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Martin, 84, of Meridian, died Saturday, Oct. 12, 2002, at Guardian Angel Hospice.
Survivors include her daughter, Annie C. Williams and her husband, O.C., of Meridian; three brothers, William Pringle of Barstow, Calif., Lewis Pringle of Newberry, Calif., and Moses Pringle of Victorville, Calif.; two granddaughters, nine great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, and her parents.