Obituaries for Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2003

By Staff
Crop farmer
SEBASTOPOL Services for Howard Underwood will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Reid's Chapel Church of God with the Revs. H.L. Rhodes and Hulon Evans officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Milling Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Underwood, 87, of Philadelphia, died Sunday, Dec. 28, 2003, at Laird-Alliance Hospital in Union.
Survivors include a sister, Peggy Chambliss of New Mexico; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Elbert and Mattie Underwood; and three sisters.
Visitation will be today 4 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
GREENVILLE Services for William Whitney "Whit" Smith will be held Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church in Greenville. Boone-Wells Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Smith, 74, of Greenville, died Monday, Dec. 29, 2003, at King's Daughters Hospital in Greenville. He enjoyed spending time with his family and friends and was an avid duck hunter and Mississippi State University fan. Caring for others was his greatest lifetime achievement. He donated his body to the University Medical Center for research in hopes of helping others.
Survivors include his daughters, Billie Whit Purvis and her husband, Len, and Beverly Evans, all of Greenville, and Roberta Woodward and her husband, Guy, of Meridian; a son, Bobby Burkhalter and his wife, Kathy, of Batesville; brothers, Bobby Smith of Greenwood and Eddie Smith of Meridian; nine grandchildren, Michael Purvis, Whit Purvis, Elizabeth Ann Evans, Robert Evans, Sara Ann Woodward, Amy Woodward, Print Woodward, Lelia Burkhalter and Laura Burkhalter; and several nephews and friends.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Visitation will be Wednesday one hour prior to the service at the church.
Retired licensed practical nurse
HATTIESBURG Services for Annie Laurie Chatham will be held Wednesday at 3 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery. Moore Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Chatham, 88, of Greensboro, Ala., formerly of Hattiesburg, died Monday, Dec. 29, 2003, at Vaughn Regional Medical Center in Selma, Ala.
Survivors include her son, Wayne Chatham of Hattiesburg; a daughter, Carol Phillips of Greensboro; sisters, Miriam Shaw, Jean Treadaway and Mary Secrest, all of York, Ala.; brothers, Leroy Secrest of Biloxi, Rea Secrest of Columbus, Ohio, and Joe Secrest of Pensacola, Fla.; five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Carl W. Chatham.
Visitation will be today 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Retired
John Paul Talbert, 63, of Meridian, died Sunday, Dec. 28, 2003, at Guardian Angel Hospice.
Survivors include his son, John Kenneth Talbert; two grandsons and two granddaughters, all of Coldwater; a brother, Herman Talbert and his wife, Jewel; two sisters, Erma Peterson and Lois Dickson, and her husband, Charles; a special friend and niece, Rolfleen McDonald; his former wife and special friend, Helen Talbert; and several nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, two daughters, Kimberly and Diedre.
Hotel management executive
ATHENS, Ga. Services for Richard Cameron "Rick" Frazier were held Sunday, Dec. 7 at Lord Stevens Chapel West. Burial was in Evergreen Memorial Park Cemetery. Barham Funeral Home was in charge of local arrangements.
Mr. Frazier of Athens, formerly of Meridian, died Thursday, Dec. 4, 2003, in his home. He graduated from Dalton High School in Dalton, Ga., and attended the University of Georgia, where he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity. He earned a bachelor's degree in psychology. He later earned multiple degrees in the food and beverage industry.
He had been the food and beverage manager for numerous hotels over the years. He began his career in hotel management with the Holiday Inn in Athens and then became the food and beverage manager for the Ritz Carlton in Atlanta.
In 1991, he was the opening food and beverage manager for the Ritz Carlton Amelia Island. From there he went on to manage the Ritz Carlton Buckhead. Due to his vast experience and highly regarded reputation, he was sought out by the Sheridan Hotels and served at their Civic Center and Gateway properties. At the time of his death, he was food and beverage director of operations for the Holiday Inns of Athens.
Survivors include his wife, Joan; sons, Benjamin Cameron Frazier and Brian Alexander Frazier, all of Athens; his mother, Barbara Cameron Hamill of Meridian; his father, Ransome Frazier of Newhope, Pa.; a brother, Cameron Frazier and his wife, Amanda, of Jacksonville, Fla.; and a sister, Lindsay, of Newhope.
He was preceded in death by his step-father, Robert "Bob" Hamill.
Memorials may be made to the library fund at First Baptist Church in Meridian or the Meridian-Lauderdale County Public Library.
Self-employed
QUITMAN Graveside services for Bobby Wayne Lafferty were held Monday at 3 p.m. at Covington Cemetery in Quitman with the Revs. Lou Hoffman and Parker Chancellor officiating. Wright's Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Lafferty, 45, of Quitman, died Thursday, Dec. 25, 2003, in his home. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.
Survivors include his wife, Sharon Kay Lafferty; a daughter, Candice Yvonne Ryan Lafferty; his mother, Daisy Dew; brothers, J.W. Dew, Donald Dew and Willie Dew, all of Quitman, Johnny Dew of Pearl and Jackie Dew of Hobbs, N.M.; sisters, Elaine Reed of Hobbs, Hilda Ann Easterwood of North Carolina, Kay Shivers Carpenter of Pelahatchie and Renee Parish of Ardmore, Okla.; and several nieces and nephews.
Arrangements were incomplete at E.E. McDonald Funeral Home for Lula B. Irby, 81, of Meridian, who died Sunday, Dec. 28, 2003, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
Arrangements were incomplete at Barham Funeral Home for John D. Frazier, 95, of Meridian, who died Sunday, Dec. 28, 2003, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
Arrangements were incomplete at James F. Webb Funeral Home for Ruth P. Hopkins, 73, of Meridian, died Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2003, at Riley Hospital.