Obituaries for Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2003

By Staff
Retired bank examiner
Graveside services for John William Ellis Jr. will be held today at 11:30 a.m. at Memorial Park Cemetery with the Rev. Mathew Simmons officiating. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Ellis, 83, of Meridian, died Sunday, Sept. 28, 2003, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. He was a retired bank examiner for FDIC, and a graduate of Mississippi State University. Mr. Ellis pursued his career in the state of Florida for most of his working life. He was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church and a veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his sisters, Mary Jean Curtis and Louise McRae and her husband, Herbert, all of Meridian; nephews, John Michael McRae, David McRae, Steve McRae, Bill Curtis and Dickie Curtis.
He was preceded in death by his parents, John William Ellis Sr. and Ethel Ellis; his wife, Inez Thames Ellis; and a sister, Florine Ellis.
Pallbearers will be Steve McRae, David McRae, Bill Curtis, Dickie Curtis, Larry Birzer, Bob Connor and Bob Leo.
Retired sales clerk
PHILADELPHIA Services for Mary Elizabeth Young Williams will be held Wednesday at 10 a.m. at McClain-Hays Funeral Service Chapel with the Rev. Davey Wilkinson officiating. Burial will be in Cedarlawn Cemetery.
Mrs. Williams, 79, of Lauderdale, died Monday, Sept. 29, 2003, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. She was a native of the Stallo Community of Neshoba County and had lived in Lauderdale County for the past 15 years. She lived in Meridian prior to that where she worked at Bonnie Jean's Shoppe in Broadmoor Shopping Center. She formerly worked at Mars Brothers Department Store in Philadelphia in the 1950s and 1960s. Mrs. Williams was a member of Lauderdale United Methodist Church.
Survivors include her husband, O.R. Williams of Lauderdale; daughters, Sue Jackson Dumas of Walnut Grove and Beverly Jackson Bowen of Meridian; a son, L.F. Jackson of Nashville, Tenn.; 22 grandchildren, several step-grandchildren, great-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren; her step-daughters, Bonnie Ann Hamner of Lauderdale and Edith Watson of Collinsville; her step-sons, Sammy Ray Williams and Walter Cecil Williams, both of Lauderdale, Neal Williams of Hattiesburg and Larry Williams of Newman, Ga.; brothers, Jimmy N. Young of Hernando and Frank Young of Louisville.
Visitation will be today 4 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Homemaker
QUITMAN Services for Maggie Allen will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Pearlie Grove Baptist Church with the Rev. Larry Leggett officiating. Burial will be in Elwood Cemetery in Quitman. Turner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Allen, 92, of Quitman, died Thursday, Sept. 25, 2003, at Lakeside Living Center in Quitman.
Retired
PHILADELPHIA Services for George R. Mars will be held Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. at McClain-Hays Funeral Service Chapel with the Rev. Jerry Beam officiating. Burial will be in Cedarlawn Cemetery.
Mr. Mars, 64, of Philadelphia, died Monday, Sept. 29, 2003, in his home. He was a lifelong resident of Philadelphia and was the retired owner of Mars Brothers Department Store, operating it since his return from Mississippi State until its closing.
He served on the Citizens Bank board for many years and owned several car washes in the area. He was a Master Mason of Philadelphia Lodge No. 93, a Shriner and member of Hamasa Temple in Meridian.
He was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity at both Millsaps and MSU. Mr. Mars was a dive instructor and served on the board of directors of the Mississippi Retail Merchants Association. He was a former member of the Philadelphia Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce and First United Methodist Church in Philadelphia.
Survivors include his wife, Jeannette Mars; a daughter, Grayson Mars England; grandsons, Lance and Caleb England, all of Philadelphia; a sister, Gretchen Mars Howerton and her husband, Jim, of Newport News, Va.; several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be today 6 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Mississippi Music Inc.
MADISON Services for Gill Watkins Jr. will be held Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Liberty Baptist Church Family Life Center in Flowood. Natchez Trace Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Watkins, 40, of Jackson, died Sunday, Sept. 28, 2003, at Select Specialty Hospital in Jackson. He was the senior vice president of sales and marketing for Mississippi Music Inc.
Survivors include his wife, Cathy Collins Watkins of Flowood; his father, Gill Watkins Sr. of Jackson; his mother, Helen Warren Watkins of Jackson; a sister, Shari Watkins Mihalic and her husband, Martin, of Atlanta; a brother-in-law, Jim Collins and his wife, Jan, of Conway, Ark.; several nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.
Memorials may be made to the youth ministry at Liberty Baptist Church in Flowood or the American Cancer Society.
Visitation will be today 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Auto mechanic
PHILADELPHIA Services for Earl Hardy will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at McClain-Hays Funeral Service Chapel with the Rev. Wayne King officiating. Burial will be in Bloomfield Cemetery in Philadelphia.
Mr. Hardy, 53, of Philadelphia, died Monday, Sept. 29, 2003, at Neshoba County General Hospital. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam.
Survivors include his wife, Kathie Hardy of Canton; sons, James Hardy and Josh Hardy, both of Brandon; two grandchildren; his mother, Sarah W. Hardy of Philadelphia; a brother, Jimmy Hardy of McComb; and a sister, Rachel Stephens of Pelahatchie.
He was preceded in death by his father, James Hardy; and a brother, Bobby Hardy.
Visitation will be today 5 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Arrangements were incomplete at James F. Webb Funeral Home for Robert Soul, 88, of Meridian, who died Monday, Sept. 29, 2003, at Rush Foundation Hospital.
Arrangements were incomplete at Barham Funeral Home for Ernestine Simmons, 80, of Meridian, who died Monday, Sept. 29, 2003, in her home.
Arrangements were incomplete at James F. Webb Funeral Home for Michael Woodall, 49, of Chunky, who died Monday, Sept. 29, 2003, at Rush Foundation Hospital.
Arrangements were incomplete at James F. Webb Funeral Home of Newton for Mary Julia Davis, 78, of Newton, who died Monday, Sept. 29, 2003, in her home.
Arrangements were incomplete at Clark's Memorial Funeral Home for Clifton Rush, 55, of Preston, who died Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2003, in his home.