Obituaries for Sunday, Feb. 22, 2004

By Staff
Services for Mary M. White will be held Monday at 1 p.m. at True Vine Holiness Church with the Rev. James Hunter officiating. Burial will be in Meridian Memorial Park Cemetery with Berry &Gardner Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. White, 83, of Meridian, died Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2004, in her home.
Survivors include six sons, James Barnes and Fredrick A. White, both of Meridian, Johnny White of Pearl, Samuel White of San Antonio, Charles White of Bronx, N.Y., and Kenneth A. White, of Broken Arrow, Okla.; four daughters, Robbie L. Land of Bronx, N.Y., Mary K. Clark of Atlanta, Naomi R. Carson and Jo Jean Emerson, both of Meridian; eight sisters, Betty Jean Webb of Chicago, Barbara Roberts of Indianapolis, Julia Norman of Richland, and Pearlie Clark, Sara Sims, Joyce Boyd, Betty Naylor, and Gloria Granger, all of Meridian; a brother, Frank Martin of Gary, Ind.; 30 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 7 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
NEWTON Services for Claudean D. Nester will be held Monday at 1 p.m. at Barham Funeral Home in Newton with the Rev. Gus Merritt officiating. Burial will be in Decatur Cemetery.
Mrs. Nester, 87, of Decatur, died Thursday, Feb. 19, 2004, at The Specialty Hospital of Meridian. She was a member of Clark-Venable Baptist Church in Decatur.
Survivors include three children, Daniel M. Nester of Decatur, Marsha Kay Nester of Sebastopol, and David D. Nester of Memphis, Tenn.; a brother, Mike Donald of Texas; two sisters, Bonnie Shepard and Lois Cannon, both of Carthage; two grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by Col. Willard Faye Nester.
Visitation will be today from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. at the funeral home.
Graveside services for Verline McDaniel Childs will be held Monday at 2 p.m. at Forest Lawn Cemetery with the Rev. Richard Robbins officiating. Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Childs, 85, of Meridian, died Saturday, Feb. 21, 2004, at Rush Foundation Hospital. She was a member of Poplar Springs Drive United Methodist Church.
Survivors include her husband of 66 years, Earl R. Childs of Meridian; a daughter, Kay Karen Buntyn; a granddaughter, Amy Kay Buntyn Withers; and a great-granddaughter, Hannah Kay Withers, all of Collinsville; and a brother, Bearl McDaniel of Scott City, Mo.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Nettie E. Sikes McDaniel and Jessie D. McDaniel; a son-in-law, James M. Buntyn; a brother; and eight sisters.
The family requests memorials be made to The Gideons for Bibles.
Graveside services for Kathryn Brown Hill will be held Monday at 2:30 p.m. at Magnolia Cemetery with the Rev. James A. Ruffin officiating. Stephens Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Hill, 90, of Bryam, died Friday, Feb. 20, 2004, at Willow Creek Nursing Center. She was employed with East Mississippi State Hospital as a Foster Grandparent.
Survivors include several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank C. Hill.
Visitation will be Monday from 1 p.m.-2 p.m. at the funeral home.
Private graveside services for Ann Montgomery May will be held Monday with the Rev. Dr. Raymon Leake officiating. Burial will be in Magnolia Cemetery with Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. May, 98, of Houston, Texas, formerly of Meridian, died Friday, Feb. 20, 2004, in Houston. She was born in Eden and lived in Jackson before moving to Meridian.
Survivors include a daughter, Ann May Smith of Houston, Texas; three grandchildren, Garland Smith Linkenhoger and her husband, Norman, Kendall Smith Rainer and her husband, Richard, and Courtney Smith; four great-grandchildren, Ashleigh Linkenhoger, Brittany Linkenhoger, Cole Rainer and Bennet Rainer.
Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of Meridian or the Ann May Smith Endowment Scholarship Fund at Second Baptist School, 6410 Woodway, Houston, TX 77057.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
Services for Winfred "Mitch" Ruffin will be held Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Fifth Street Baptist Church with the Revs. L.C. Thedford and W.C. Brown officiating. Burial will be in Sunset Cemetery with Berry &Gardner Funeral Home is charge of arrangements.
Mr. Ruffin, 53, of Meridian, died Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2004, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
Survivors include his wife, Donna Ruffin; a daughter, Ayla Ruffin, both of Meridian; and a son, Quintan Wells, of Las Vegas; three grandchildren, Ashley Ruffin of South Carolina, Jakhylen Ruffin and Mikhyla Ruffin, both of Meridian; three sisters, Dorothy Tillman of Unionville, N.J., Mary McBride, Loretha Ruffin and Belinda James, all of Meridian; three brothers, Benny Ruffin of Detroit, Tyrone Ruffin of Silver Springs, Maryland and Henry Ruffin of Meridian; his mother-in-law, Flora Hosley of Meridian; and several nieces, nephews and friends.
He was preceded in death by a son, Winfred Ruffin Jr.; a sister, Benetta Ruffin; and his parents, Henry and Dora Ruffin.
Visitation will be Monday from 6 p.m.-7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Graveside services for Robert West Miles will be held Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Magnolia Cemetery with the Rev. Clarence Roberts officiating. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Miles, 87, of Meridian, died Friday, Feb. 20, 2004, in his home. He was a member and deacon of Trinity Presbyterian Church and a former president of Northwood Country Club, Lions Club, and Rotary Club. He was a former board member of the Choctaw Area Boy Scouts and a former board member of the Chamber of Commerce.
Survivors include his wife, Kathline Miles of Meridian; a son, Morgan Miles and his wife, Karen, of Statesboro, Ga.; three daughters, Maxine Bounds and her husband, Clarence, of Williamston, S.C., Sally Connaughton and her husband, Martine, of Meridian, and Kathy Alice Miles of New York, N.Y.; a brother, Thomas Miles of Osterville, Mass.; a sister, Jean Richert of Chicago; two grandchildren, Stacey Reeves and Cuylor Reeves; and several nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be Bill Kahlmus, Wayne Sullivan, Edgar Morrison, James McGinnis, Pat McGee, Jim Gibson, and Harold Midgett.
Visitation will be Tuesday from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Services for John H. Durr will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. at St. Mary Baptist Church with the Rev. Willie Wilson officiating.
Burial will be in Meridian Memorial Park Cemetery with Berry &Gardner Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Durr, 54, of Meridian, died Thursday, Feb. 19, 2004, in his home.
Survivors include his wife, Carolyn B. Durr of Meridian; three daughters, Tomecca Durr and LaQuandra Curry, both of Meridian, and Shana Thedford of Lauderdale; two sons, Demetrius Durr and Patrick Benamon, both of Meridian; a stepson, Demont Burks of Meridian; three sisters, Ruth Edwards of Toomsuba, Lucy Ann Durr of Ellisville and Hattie Lee Sears of Russell; and five brothers, Robert Durr Jr., Jerry Durr and Sylvester Durr, all of Meridian, and Cliff Lee Durr and Clifton Anderson, both of Toomsuba.
Visitation will be Tuesday from 6 p.m.-7 p.m. at the funeral home.