Obituaries for Thursday, May 29, 2003

By Staff
Retired
Memorial services for Woodson A. "Steve" Stevens will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at Central United Methodist Church with the Rev. Jimmy Harrison officiating. Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Stevens, 87, of Biloxi, died Sunday, May 25, 2003, in Meridian. He was born in Greenville and moved to Gulfport in 1927, where his father Dr. W.A. Stevens practiced for many years.
He graduated from Gulfport High School in 1934 and from Mississippi State University in 1938. He was a member of the first class to graduate at MSU in aeronautical engineering.
After graduating from MSU, he was employed by Eastern Airlines as a weight and balance engineer until he retired.
Survivors include his wife, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Stevens of Biloxi; a daughter, Elizabeth Stevens of Biloxi; and a son, Michael Stevens and his wife, Ginger, of Meridian.
He was preceded in death by his father, Dr. W.A. Stevens; his mother, Katherine Lonergan Stevens; and a sister, Katherine Josephine Stevens.
Memorials may be made to Wesley House Community Center, 1520 Eighth Ave., Meridian, MS 39302.
Retired from Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
UNION Services for Billy Charles Chaney will be held today at 11 a.m. at Lucern Congregational Methodist Church with the Revs. Warren Hedgepeth and Jackie Strebeck officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Stephens Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Chaney, 71, of Decatur, died Tuesday, May 27, 2003, in his home.
Survivors include his wife, Bobbie Vance Chaney of Decatur; brothers, Clyde Chaney of Payette, Idaho and Grady Chaney of Decatur; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, James and Fannie Chaney; and his daughter, Connie Renae Chaney.
Retired Methodist minister
JACKSON Services for the Rev. John Willard Leggett III will be held today at 1 p.m. at Christ United Methodist Church in Jackson. Burial will be in Lakewood Memorial Cemetery. Wright and Ferguson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Rev. Leggett, 69, of Gulf Shores, Ala., died Monday, May 26, 2003, at Oschner's Hospital in New Orleans. He was born July 1, 1934, in McComb. His parents were J.W. Leggett Jr. of Allen and Louise Finch of Atlanta.
The son of a United Methodist minister, he lived in several towns throughout Mississippi prior to graduating from Meridian High School in 1952. He graduated from Millsaps College in 1956 with a bachelor of arts degree and then from Candler School of Theology at Emory University with a master's of divinity degree in 1959.
He answered God's call to preach in and received his preacher's license in August 1953. While a student at Emory he served as associate pastor of Glen Haven Methodist Church in Decatur, Ga.
In 1958, he was appointed minister of the Pelahatchie-Gulde circuit in Pelahatchie. He organized Christ Methodist Church in Jackson in 1961, where he served for nine years. While at Christ Church three building programs were completed and more than 1,000 members were added to the membership.
In 1967, he was chosen as one of the 10 outstanding young men of Jackson by the Jackson Junior Chamber of Commerce. In 1969, he led a youth mission trip to Panama.
Rev. Leggetts other appointments in Mississippi included Crawford Street Church in Vicksburg, district superintendent of the Seashore District, Central United Methodist Church in Meridian, Main Street Church in Hattiesburg, Crossgates Church in Brandon and First Methodist Church in Picayune.
During his years in the ministry, he served on many boards and agencies of the United Methodist Church's Mississippi Conference, as well as on several boards of the Southeastern Jurisdictional and General Conferences of the United Methodist Church.
He was active in many civic organizations throughout Mississippi, serving as an officer of the Rotary and Kiwanis clubs and on the board of directors of the Y.M.C.A. He was also active in local P.T.A. organizations.
An outstanding tennis player at Millsaps, he continued to be competitive through the years. He was ranked in the top 10 adult players in Mississippi for many years.
In 2000, he served as captain of the Super Senior Tennis Team of Gulf Shores, Ala., which competed in the Southeastern Regional Tournament.
He retired from active ministry in June 1997 and moved to Gulf Shores, where he remained active in church and community activities. He became an accomplished artist and was associated with the Pleasure Island Art Association in Gulf Shores.
Survivors include his wife, Carol Leggett of Gulf Shores; a son, John C. Leggett and his wife, Julie; granddaughters, Kate Leggett, Lucy Leggett and Caroline Leggett, all of Conyers, Ga.; and a daughter, Laura Raines and her husband, Steve, of Columbus, Ga.
Memorials may be made to J.W. Leggett Jr. Scholarship Fund at Millsaps College; the United Methodist Committee on Relief; or to the Willard and Louise Leggett Scholarship Fund of the Mississippi Methodist Foundation.
Visitation will be today 11 a.m.-noon at the church.
UNION Services for James Wilburn Loper will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at Milling Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Edgar Ray Killen officiating. Burial will be in Union City Cemetery.
Mr. Loper, 69, of Union, died Wednesday, May 28, 2003, at the V.A. Hospital in Jackson. He was a member of Henry Clay Lodge No. 0485 and a Scottish Rite Eight Free Masonry, S.J. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and a former Union chief of police.
Survivors include his wife, Hazel Loper of Union; sons, James Michael Loper of Union and Donald Wayne Loper and his wife, Melissa, of Brandon; his mother, Dorsie Arbena Wolverton Loper of Union; a sister, Chessie Curry of Jackson; a brother, Earl Thomas Loper of Brandon; a grandson, Ryan Matthew Loper; a step-grandson, Daimon Brown of Brandon ;and several nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be Bennie Earl Loper, Andy Gardner, Buddy Ezell, Steve Jones, Chris Pond and Sonny Loper.
Visitation will be today 5 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home.