Obituaries for Saturday, Sept. 13, 2003

By Staff
PEARL Services for Otis Wilkerson will be held today at 11 a.m. at Baldwin-Lee Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be in Floral Hills Memory Gardens Cemetery.
Mr. Wilkerson, 69, of Pearl, died Thursday, Sept. 11, 2003, at the V.A. Medical Center in Jackson. Mr. Wilkerson was a member of Pearson Baptist Church in Pearl and was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. He worked for more than 34 years with United Geophysical Corp./Amoco. In recent years he worked with his son at HHH Groundcare. He was an avid sports fan and coached youth baseball.
Survivors include his wife, Madine Culberson Wilkerson of Pearl; sons, Jeffrey Wilkerson of Memphis, Tenn. and Randall Wilkerson of Pearl; a daughter, Sheila Bierdeman of Kenai, Alaska; brothers, James P. Wilkerson, Bob Wilkerson and Steve Wilkerson, all of Philadelphia; sisters, Mavis Dees of Jackson, Faye Hoyt of Brandon, Willie Jean Wells, Frances Page and Ada Mae Thrash, all of Philadelphia; grandchildren, Jessica Bierdeman, Melissa Bierdeman, Hunter Wilkerson, Hannah Wilkerson, Hailey Wilkerson, and Jay Wilkerson.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Odell and Lacie Wilkerson and a brother, Buddy Wilkerson.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, Hinds/Rankin County Units, 1380 Livingston Lane, Suite A, Jackson, MS 39213.
Visitation will begin at 9 a.m. until service time at the funeral home.
YORK, Ala. Graveside services for Daisy Pearl Hitt will be held today at 3 p.m. at Siloam Cemetery with the Rev. Albert Creel and Dr. Bob Simmons officiating. Bumpers Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Ms. Hitt, 93, of Ward, died Friday September 12, 2003 at Sumter Health and Rehab.
Survivors include several nieces and nephews.
Services for Ray Edward Freeman will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at Providence Baptist Church with the Revs. Jackie Streback and Ken McLemore officiating. Burial will be in Blue Springs Cemetery with Stephens Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Freeman, 60, of Chunky died Friday, September 12, 2003 at his residence.
Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Cooley Freeman of Chunky; three daughters, Angie Jones and her husband Dennis of Columbus, Renee McLemore and her husband Scott of Chunky and Stephanie Hayes and her husband Marcus of Meridian; six grandchildren, Brooks, Brittany and Brandon Jones, all of Columbus and Caleb, Nickolas and Shelby Raelynn McLemore, all of Chunky; three sisters, Hazel Mabry and Onita Blackwell, both of Meridian and Deloris Burnett of Union; and two brothers, Huey and Laverne Freeman, both of Meridian.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Emery H. "Cricket" and Dolly Freeman and three brothers, Doris, D.L. and Arthur Freeman.
Pallbearers will be Bruce Brown, Ken Hamner, Aaron Cooley, Andrew Cooley, Bobby Barett, Wayne Tingle, Michael Howington and David Rutledge; honorary pallbearers will be members of The Sun Hunting Club.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. at the funeral home and one hour before the service at the church.
QUITMAN Services for Dovie Irene Gandy will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at Wright's Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Kenneth Owen and Doc Williamson officiating. Burial will be in Isney Baptist Church Cemetery in Isney, Ala.
Mrs. Gandy, 85, of Quitman, died Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2003, in her home.
Survivors include her sons, Arthur D. Gandy of Hernando, Charles Gandy of DeSoto, Hank Gandy and Donald Gandy, both of Quitman; a brother, Alman Chapman of Thibodaux, La.; a sister, Pauline Lambert of Columbia; 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Dovard Gandy; sons, Gaines Douglas Gandy and David Gandy and a daughter, Jo Ann Gandy.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home.
DEKALB Services for Doris Briggs Aust will be held Sunday at 3 p.m. at Scooba United Methodist Church with the Revs. Charles Studdard and David McGowan officiating. Burial will be in Cedar Lawn Cemetery. Stephens Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Aust, 89, of DeKalb, formerly of Scooba, died Thursday, Sept. 11, 2003, in Columbus. She was a member of Scooba United Methodist Church, and the Scooba Homemakers Club.
Survivors include her daughters, Peggy Persons of Scooba and Dianne Hooper and her husband, Frank, of West Point; four grandchildren, Linda Wilson, Luann Jones, Kerry Dill and Elizabeth Ketchum; sisters, Thelma McCall of Scooba and Dixie Bauman of Pulaski, Va.; and a brother, Jerry Briggs of Meridian.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Edd Belton Aust.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
Services for Brandon Roberts will be held Monday at 1 p.m. at First Meridian Seventh Adventist Church with the Rev. Paul LeBlanc officiating. Burial will be in Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Yantley, Ala. with Berry and Gardner Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Roberts, 38, of Meridian died Friday, September 5, 2003 at his home.
Survivors include his parents, Dorothy Jean Roberts and James Edwards; a sister, Glenda Brown of Atlanta; a brother, Charlie Davis Brown of South Bend, Ind.; and his paternal grandparents.
He was preceded in death by his brother.
Visitation will be Sunday from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
DEKALB Services for Willie Vester Lewis will be held Monday at 1 p.m. at Friendship Baptist Church in Collinsville with the Rev. Evan McDonald officiating. Burial will be in Cedar Grove Cemetery. E. E. McDonald Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Lewis, 100, of Meridian, formerly of Collinsville, died Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2003, at Reginald P. White Nursing Facility in Meridian.
Survivors include his brother, Dolphus Lewis and his wife, Alberta, of Collinsville; sisters, Lillie Lewis Reaves of Vineland, N.J. and Bena Mae Emerson of Meridian; and several nieces and nephews, other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents and four siblings.
Visitation will be Sunday from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home and at noon at the church on Sunday.
QUITMAN Arrangements were incomplete at Wright's Funeral Home for Evie Maureen Herrington Harris, 93, of Quitman, who died Friday, September 12, 2003 at H.C. Watkins Memorial Hospital.
Arrangements were incomplete at Berry and Gardner Funeral Home for Alonzo Meredith, 98, of Meridian, who died Friday, September 12, 2003 at the V.A. Hospital in Jackson.