Obituaries for Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2003

By Staff
Donna J. Gressett
Loving wife and mother
Services for Donna J. Gressett will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. at Stephens Funeral Home chapel with the Revs. Tommy Gunn and Wayne Hunt, and Danny Cook officiating. Burial will be in Macedonia Cemetery.
Mrs. Gressett, 64, of Collinsville, died Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2003, in her home. She was born in Kansas City, Kan., and graduated from Neosho High School in Neosho, Mo. in 1957. She met and married Johnnie Gressett who was then stationed at Fort Crowder Army Post.
Throughout the next 22 years, she traveled with her husband and four children to military bases in the Eastern United States, Alaska and Europe. Upon her husband's retirement in 1980 she moved to Meridian, where she has lived for the past 23 years. Mrs. Gressett devoted all her time, energy and love to her family. She will be missed deeply.
Survivors include her husband, Johnnie W. Gressett of Collinsville; a son, John Gressett Jr. of Salisbury, Md.; daughters, Sue Pilar and her husband, Robert, of Chunky, Roxie Henson and her husband, Kevin, and Donna Cook and her husband, Danny, all of Meridian; grandchildren, Lea Cook, Daniel Cook, Lydia Cook, Kevin Lee Henson, Caroline Henson and Josh Sullivan; a brother, Doug Skaggs of Neosho, Mo.; her step mother, Ann Skaggs George; an aunt, Loraine Chandler of Kansas City; nephews, Buddy Skaggs and Steven Skaggs; and a niece, Dawn Bush.
Pallbearers will be John Gressett Jr., Daniel Cook, Danny Cook, Kevin Henson, Rob Pilar and Dennis Robinson.
Honorary pallbearers will be Josh Sullivan and Kevin Lee Henson Jr.
Visitation will be today 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Willie Merritt
Retired
Services for Willie Merritt will be held today at 11 a.m. at Clark's Memorial Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Richard Parker officiating. Burial will be in Meridian Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mrs. Merritt, 76, of Meridian, died Thursday, Jan. 30, 2003, at Heartfelt Hospice.
Survivors include her children, Mary Dunn and her husband, Willie, of Detroit and Richard Merritt of New Jersey; a sister, Dorothy Chandler of Meridian; and 14 grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Merritt; and her parents, Eugene Jackson and Geneva Chandler.
Visitation will be today beginning at 10 a.m. at the funeral home.
Marvin Thornton
Self-employed truck driver
DEKALB Services for Marvin Thornton will be held today at 11 a.m. at Binnsville Methodist Church with the Revs. John Wood and Joe Landrum officiating. Burial will be in Binnsville Cemetery with Stephens Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Thornton, 81, of Scooba, died Monday, Feb. 3, 2003, at Regency Hospital in Meridian. He was a self-employed truck driver in the diary industry.
Survivors include his wife, Lois Thornton and a daughter, Theresa Harpole and her husband, Johnny, all of Scooba; a sister, Annie Hunter and her husband, Grady, of Macon; two brothers, Clarence Thornton of California and Gene Bryan and his wife, Minnie, of Meridian; and three granddaughters.
He was preceded in death by his parents, George and Katie Thornton.