Obituaries for Thursday, Feb. 26, 2004

By Staff
Retired roughneck
WAYNESBORO Services for Rufus A. Wells will be held today at 11 a.m. at Freeman Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Larry Daugherty, Norman Nowell and Waymon Bradley officiating. Burial will be in Lewis Chapel Cemetery.
Mr. Wells, 83, of Buckatunna, died Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2004, at Wayne County General Hospital. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and served in World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Virginia Wells; step-sons, David Dearman and his wife, Karen, and Dale Walley and his wife, Denice, all of Buckatunna; a brother, Olen Wells of Copeland, Ala.; sisters, Margaret Bishop, Jeanette Clearman and Miriam Wells, all of Meridian; and four grandchildren.
Homemaker
Graveside services for Ann McBryde Gentry will be held today at 1 p.m. at Magnolia Cemetery with the Rev. Sam Hull officiating. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Gentry, 94, of Mobile, Ala., formerly of Meridian, died Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2004, at Mobile.
Survivors include her sister, Lucile McQuage of Meridian and a sister-in-law Molly McBryde; nieces, Dorothy Ann McBryde Grimes of Cardele, Ga. and Kathy McBryde Jones of Navarre, Fla.; a nephew, H. Glen McQuage of Paducah, Ky.; and special friends, Carolyn Olsen and Ann Loper.
Homemaker
PERRY, Ga. Private graveside services for Ann Jackson Purvis will be held today at 3 p.m. at Perry Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Watson-Hunt Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Purvis, 73, of Perry, formerly of Meridian, died Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2004, in her home.
Survivors include her sons, James Purvis III of Raleigh, N.C., Michael Purvis of Perry and Edward Purvis of Canton, Ga.; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, James Purvis Jr.
Retired Mississippi Air National Guard
Services for James S. "Jimmy" Pigott will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Jerry Salley and Roy Garrett officiating. Burial will be in Magnolia Cemetery.
Mr. Pigott, 73, of Meridian, died Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2004, at Rush Foundation Hospital. He was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church and retired from the Mississippi Air National Guard after more than 39 years.
Survivors include his wife, Dinah Pigott of Meridian; a daughter, Cheryl Crane and her husband, Michael, of Summerdale, Ala.; a granddaughter, Tessa Noelle Crane of Summerdale; a sister, Virginia Rushing and her husband, Bobby; brothers, William E. Pigott and his wife, Nita, all of Meridian, and Gene Pigott and his wife, Pat, of Charlotte, N.C.; a sister-in-law, Sumiko Pigott of Meridian; and several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Tom and Virgie Pigott; brothers, Tommy, Otis, Ray, Harold, Charles and Eddie Pigott.
Memorials may be made to a charity of choice.
Pallbearers will be Jay Jolly, Donald Jackson, Bobby L. Wilson, Charles A. Scrivner, Dusty Jones and J.W. Davenport.
Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Mississippi Air National Guard and members of the Men's Fellowship of Wesley United Methodist Church.
Visitation will be today 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Retired
Services for Claudia M. Dorman will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at Rock Creek Baptist Church with the Revs. Marty Harper, Tim Adams and Andy May officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Stephens Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Dorman, 62, of Meridian, died Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2004, at Rush Foundation Hospital. She was a retired seamstress with May Webb Hosiery Mill.
Survivors include her husband, Charles Dorman; a son, Anthony Dorman and his wife, Beth; daughters, Angie Harper and her husband, Tommy, and Debbie Bowen and her husband, Robert, all of Meridian; grandchildren, Emily Dorman, Madeline Dorman, Tyler Harper, Heather Harper, Cortney Harper, Mallarie Bowen, Kyle Bowen and Jeremy Dow; brothers, Kenneth Chesser of Louisville, Ky., and Junior James of Little Rock.
She was preceded in death by Janet Dow and Jeffrey Therrell.