Obituaries for Sunday, Dec. 14, 2003

By Staff
Services for John H. Houston were held Friday at Simmon's Ridge Baptist Church with the Rev. Roosevelt Clark officiating. Burial was in New Hope Cemetery with Berry &Gardner Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Houston, 69, of Meridian, died Monday, Dec. 8, 2003, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. He was a retired employee of St. Louis Scrap Co.
Survivors include his wife, Ella M. Houston of Meridian; seven daughters, Dorothy Bailey, Ruby Brown and her husband, Joe, Rosie Brown and her husband, Curtis, Thelma Jackson and her husband, Hansel, and Gloria Houston, all of Meridian, Mary Grace and her husband, Billy, of Marion, and Belinda Grace and her husband, Johnny, of DeKalb; seven sons, Leslie Simmons and his wife, Josephine, and Henry Houston and his wife, Dorothy, all of Causeyville, and Billy Houston and his wife, Sarah, Ray Charles Houston, Johnny Ray Houston and his wife, Sadeak, Arthur Lee Houston and his wife, Cynthia, and John Henry Houston Jr., all of Meridian; three sisters, Annie Lanier and Polly Campbell and her husband, Jessie, all of DeKalb, and Fannie Mae Lanier of Toomsuba; a brother, Walter Houston and his wife, Alveda, of DeKalb; 33 grandchildren; and 15 great grandchildren.
YORK, Ala. Services for Ruby Nell Boyd will be held today at 2 p.m. at Bumpers Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Richard Welch and Carl Sudduth officiating. Burial will be in Boyd Cemetery.
Mrs. Boyd, 72, of Livingston, died Friday, Dec. 12, 2003, at Riley Hospital in Meridian, Miss. Betty Young, director of nursing and personal friend of Ruby Nell defines her as, "The epitome of professionalism."
Ms. Young states that she "continued year after year to be impressed by Ruby's knowledge, her skills, her energy, enthusiasm and above all, her compassion for patients."
God gives to each of us, from His great storehouse, gifts. He blessed Ruby Nell not only with the gift of nursing but with the gifts of laughter, love, and "connectedness" to others. Her life is personified by the acts of love and tenderness that she tirelessly shared with her patients, her brothers, her sisters, her loving husband, her children, her grandchildren, her co-workers, and her entire community.
Survivors include her husband of more than 53 years, Austin "Buggy" Boyd Jr., of Livingston; a daughter, Gloria Abernathy of Enterprise; a son, J.J. Boyd and his wife, Diane, of Prattville and Gambrel Boyd and his wife, Patsy, of Livingston; two brothers, Robert Allison and Stanley Allison, both of Tyler, Texas; four sisters, Estelle Akerson of San Antonio, Texas, Betty Reid of Lake Park, Ga., Tammy Gay of Watkinsville, Ga., and Wanda Sue Little of Unidilla, Ga.; and eight grandchildren, Thad and Gabe Abernathy, Tracy and Melinda Boyd, John and Rissie Burage, and Jory Boyd and Amanda Sulkosky.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Gordon O'Neal Allison the Rev. Martha Mozelle Allison.
Pallbearers will be Bertram Jenkins, William Calvin Boyd III, Austin Clyde Boyd, Austin Boyd, David Malone, and Gary Weaver.
PHILADELPHIA Services for Elwood Pinter will be held today at 2 p.m. at McClain-Hays Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Sam Germany officiating. Burial will be in Steam Mill Cemetery in Neshoba County.
Mr. Pinter, 86, of Philadelphia, died Friday, Dec. 12, 2003, at his home. He was a veteran of World War II.
Survivors include a daughter, Martha Burton of Sarah; a son, Larry Pinter, of Carthage; five grandchildren; and eight great-grandchildren.
Graveside services for Phillip D. Hughes will be held Monday at 2 p.m. at Magnolia Cemetery with the Rev. Rhett Payne officiating. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Hughes, 87, of Tuscaloosa, Ala., was a longtime resident of Meridian. He died Saturday, Dec. 13, 2003, at North Park Medical Center in Tuscaloosa. He was a veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Pauline Hughes; a daughter, Deborah Hughes; a son-in-law, Martin Bakker; and two grandchildren, Isidora Bullock and Zoey Bakker.
The family requests memorials be made to a favorite charity or organization.
Visitation will be Monday one hour prior to the service at the church.
Memorial services for Eula Jean Shelby will be scheduled at a later date. Barham Funeral Home will be in charge of the arrangements.
Mrs. Shelby, 58, of Toomsuba, died Friday, Dec. 12, 2003 at Rush Foundation Hospital.
Survivors include her husband, Joe Lee Shelby of Toomsuba; her children, Lynese Goodman and her husband, Robert, of the Snell community, Joe Lee Shelby Jr., and his wife, Marcia, of Toomsuba, and Jason Shelby of Toomsuba; four grandchildren, Shelby Nance, Grant Goodman, Christian Shelby and Daniel Shelby; two sisters, Iva Odom of Bailey and Gary Ann Joiner of the Daleville community; and several nieces and nephews.
Arrangements were incomplete at Berry &Gardner Funeral Home for Florence Girlean Hodges, 91, of Stonewall, who died Friday, Dec. 12, 2003, at H.C. Watkins Hospital in Quitman.