Obituaries for Thursday, Oct. 30, 2003

By Staff
Services for Leroy Alford will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at Pilgrim Hill United Methodist Church with the Rev. Carl Jackson officiating. Burial will be in New Hope Cemetery with Berry and Gardner Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Alford, 55, of Meridian, died Friday, Oct. 24, 2003, at University Medical Center in Jackson. He was an employee of Wesley Winston Postal Services.
Survivors include his wife, Vanessa Alford of Meridian; daughters, Sonja Sparrow of Meridian and Kim Thedford of Detroit; sons, Le Derrick Alford who is with the Air National Guard in Baghdad, Jerry Maurice Alford and his wife, Michelle, and Eric Lee Alford, all of Meridian, and Raymond Thedford of Detroit; his father, James Alford of Toomsuba; brothers, Willie James Alford and his wife, Martha Ann, of Meridian and Robert Alford of Toomsuba; 13 grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his mother.
Visitation will be today 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
BILOXI Services for Dr. Harrell Shans Pace will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer. Graveside services and burial will follow at 3:30 p.m. in Doolittle Cemetery in Newton. Riemann Memorial Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Dr. Pace, 67, a native of Newton County, died Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2003, at Gulfport Memorial Hospital. Following his residency, Dr. Pace was on active duty with the U.S. Air Force at Keesler Air Force Base Medical Center from 1969-1973. He then went into private practice of otolaryngology in Biloxi from 1973 until the time of his death.
Survivors include his wife of 45 years, the former Grace Holman of Newton; daughters, Lisa White and her husband, Don, of Clifton, Va., and Laurie Garner and her husband, Guy, of Lenoir, N.C.; sons, Steven Pace of Charlotte, N.C., and Michael Pace and his wife, Dr. Brooke Pace, of Colora, Md.; a sister, Reba DeBari and her husband, Gerald, of Pensacola, Fla.; and seven grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Polk Pace and Jeannie Thrash Pace of Newton.
The family requests memorials be made to Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, 610 Water Street, Biloxi, MS 39530 or The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 728, Gulfport, MS 39502.
Visitation will be today 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home in Biloxi.
U.S. Motors employee
SEBASTOPOL Services for Allen Hicks Willis will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at Bogue Chitto Baptist Church with the Rev. Charles Doby Henry officiating. Burial will be in Community Cemetery in Bogue Chitto with Milling Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Willis, 59, of Philadelphia, died Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2003, at Choctaw Health Center.
Survivors include his wife, Sandra Willis of Philadelphia; sons, Efrem Willis of Tucker, Allen Bell and Ferretta Willis, both of Philadelphia; daughters, Sherryl Farve, Sherry Dixon, Marsha Bell and Ria Willis; brothers, Agen Joe, Barney Willis, Delmon Willis and Perry Willis, all of Philadelphia; sisters, Janice McDuffie, Mae Johnson and Deretha Fortenberry, all of Philadelphia, Mary Dean Eckrot of Mize and Gail Clemmons of Choctaw; her step-parents, Claude Joe and Annie Willis; 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
She was preceded in death by a daughter, Deanna Willis; and a sister, Louis Amos.
Hospital custodian
SEBASTOPOL Services for Frank "Doc" Jim will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at Pearl River Facility Building with the Rev. Travis Willis officiating. Burial will be in Simon Isaac Cemetery with Milling Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Jim, 79, of Philadelphia, died Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2003, at Choctaw Health Center.
Survivors include his wife, Willie Mae Jim; sons, Dennis Jim, Marvel Jim and Nickey Jim; a step-son, Benford Wallace; and a step-daughter, Denise Willis, all of Philadelphia; 16 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Retired school teacher
Services for Doris A. Hayes will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Unity Spring Baptist Church in DeKalb with the Rev. Melvin Jenkins officiating. Burial will be in Unity Spring Cemetery with Berry &Gardner Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Hayes, 54, of Meridian, died Saturday, Oct. 25, 2003, at the R.P. White Nursing Facility.
Survivors include her father, J.C. Anderson; and her stepmother, Dessie Lee Anderson, both of DeKalb; a son, Keith Hayes and his wife, Ruthie, of Charleston, S.C.; three sisters, Elsie "Kate" Barnes and her husband, Thomas, of Gulfport, Marva Claudell Shelby and her husband, Sammie, of Laurel, and Ocie Payton and her husband, James, of Meridian; five brothers, Riley "Bill" Anderson and his wife, Minnie, of Cleveland, Ohio, Curtis "Boot" Anderson of New York, John Anderson of DeKalb, James Eddie Anderson of Flint, Mich., and Willard Dwight Anderson and his wife, Justine, of Dayton, Ohio; four grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Omeria Riley Anderson and a sister, Johnnie P. Williams.
Visitation will be Saturday one hour prior to the service at the church.
Homemaker
BUTLER, Ala. Services for Claudia Todd Turner will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Brightwater Methodist Church with the Revs. James Bonner and James Irby officiating. Burial will be in Brightwater Cemetery in Needham. Bumpers Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Turner, 80, of Needham, died Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2003, at Riley Hospital.
Survivors include a son, Ray Turner of Needham; a brother, John Franklin and his wife, Ester, of Melvin; a sister, Doris Jarman of Butler; and a grandchild.
Visitation will be Friday from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Retired farmer
Services for Joseph Bender will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church in Pachuta with the Rev. Pete Pruitt officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery. Berry &Gardner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Bender, 73, of Pachuta, died Thursday, Oct. 16, 2003, at his home. He was a veteran of the Korean Conflict.
Survivors include two sisters, Johnnie L. Williams of Pachuta and Marie Bender of New Orleans; three brothers, Douglas Bender of Los Angeles, Fred Bender Jr., of Miami, and Judson Bender of Texas; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents.