Obituaries for Friday, Aug. 29, 2003
By Staff
LOUISVILLE Services for Bill Barnes will be held today at 11 a.m. at Nowell-Tilghman Funeral Home with the Rev. Dr. Wayne Hill officiating. Burial will be in Sandtown Methodist Church Cemetery in Philadelphia.
Mr. Barnes, 92, of Ackerman, died Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2003, in Columbus. He lived most of his life in Louisville and retired from Belwood Cabinets in Ackerman. He was a member of Shiloh Baptist Church, and was an avid gardener.
Survivors include his daughters, Catherine Vaughn and her husband, Fred, of Louisville and Lexie Craft and her husband, Billy, of Raleigh; sons, John Barnes of Chicago, Robert Barnes and his wife, Loretta, of Langley, Okla. and Eddie Barnes of Ackerman; 23 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren and a sister, Hazel Reed of Meridian.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Ethel Barnes and a son, Hulen Barnes.
BAY SPRINGS Services for D.J. "Jack" Dear will be held today at 11 a.m. at Colonial Chapel Funeral Home. Burial will be in Bay Springs City Cemetery.
Mr. Dear, 85, of Bay Springs, died Thursday, Aug. 28, 2003, at Forest General Hospital in Hattiesburg. Mr. Dear was a native of Bay Springs. He attended both Jones Junior College, class of 1936 and Mississippi College, class of 1938, before going on to earn his master's degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1956.
From 1938 to 1942, Mr. Dear taught at Marion-Walthall School and Pascagoula High School, until he enlisted in the Submarine Corps of the U.S. Navy in 1942. From 1945 to 1954 he pursued various business endeavors until returning to the education profession as a teacher at Bay Springs High School. He became principal of Bay Springs High School in 1956 and served in that capacity until 1961, when he became superintendent of the West Jasper County Schools. He retired from the field of education in 1978.
Mr. Dear began a new career in 1980 when he began working as Public Relations Officer for Jasper County Bank until his retirement on Jan. 1, 1989. Mr. Dear has been active in professional, civic and community affairs throughout the years, being an active member of the Rotary Club serving as president in 1951, a member of the American Legion since 1946 and served as Commander of the Legion in 1949, a trustee of Jones Junior College from 1957 to 1971, president of the Mississippi Association of School Administrators in 1968, president of the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents in 1971, a member of the Mississippi State Accrediting Commission from 1967 to 1972, a member of the Southeast Mississippi Industrial Development District from 1980 to 1984 and Chairman of the Jasper County Draft Board during the Korean War.
He was an active member of Bay Springs Baptist Church since the age of 12. He was elected a deacon in 1947. He served as president of the deacons several times.
Survivors include his wife of almost 60 years, Mavis Gandy Dear; three daughters, Jackie Stevens and her husband, David, of Meridian, Sue Smith and her husband, Michael, of Jesup, Ga., and Mavis Ann Walker and her husband, Johnny, of Waynesboro; six grandchildren, Nicole Holder of Valdosta, Ga., Susie Kelley, Jennifer Hall, and John W. Walker IV, all of Waynesboro, Carrie Owens of Brandon, and Sarah Smith of Athens, Ga.; two great-grandchildren, Mary Catherine Stamey of Valdosta, Ga., and Thomas Carson Kelley of Waynesboro; and a sister, Sarah Forester of Colliers, W.V.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Mollie Shoemaker and Willis J. Dear.
Memorials may be made to Jones County Junior College Foundation, 900 South Court St., Ellisville, MS 39437, to the Jack Dear Scholarship Fund.
BUTLER, Ala. Services for Charles Estes Taylor will be held today at 11 a.m. at Bumpers Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Don Chason and Gary Williams officiating. The eulogy will be delivered by Dr. Jennifer Gregory, daughter of the deceased. Burial will be in Rest Haven Memorial Gardens.
Mr. Taylor, 76, of Butler, died Thursday, Aug. 28, 2003, at Willow Trace Nursing Center. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army.
Survivors include his loving wife of 29 years, Elsie Taylor of Butler; a son, Scotty Taylor of Dothan; two daughters, Camille Myatt of Butler and Jennifer Gregory of Mobile; a sister, Elsie Darling of Florence; six grandchildren, Dafne Long Stokes and Camille Long McAlpin, both of Mobile, Brian Jenkins and Carmen Jenkins, both of Butler, Brandy Taylor of Dothan, and Candace Jenkins of Toxey; and five great grandchildren.
Visitation will be held today beginning two hours prior to the service at the funeral home.
