Obituaries for Wednesday, April 14, 2004

By Staff
U.S. Marine
Services for Christopher Dale Mabry will be held Thursday at 10 a.m. at First Baptist Church with the Revs. Roy Dabbs and Ben Laird officiating. Burial will be in Rock Hill Church Cemetery with full military honors. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Mabry, 19, of Meridian, died Wednesday, April 7, 2004, in Iraq. He was killed in action by enemy gunfire while fighting in Iraq.
He was born April 29, 1984 and graduated from Clarkdale Attendance Center in May 2003. He left for basic training on July 30, 2003 and was sent to several more marine stations for training. He was deployed to Iraq on Feb. 17, 2004. He will be remembered as one who loved life and God. He loved sports, his family, his friends, traveling, fishing, hunting, shooting pool with his special cousins Sam Hurt and Phillip LeBlanc, working and playing with his special cousin James "J.J." Hawkins. He loved his Marine work at Queen City Nursing Center one summer and worked for veterinarian Dr. Otis Seals during his last high school years.
He attended Mt. Olive Baptist Church and visited his aunt and uncle, Keith and Terrie Mabry's Church, Word of Life Church in Quitman. He made his commitment of faith to God in 2002 and enjoyed attending church with his cousin James "J.J." Hawkins and his family at Rock Hill Baptist Church in Meehan.
He played football, basketball, and ran track at Clarkdale. The highlight of his senior year was playing football when the school won the football championship.
He was a member of The National Honor Society, listed in the National Honor Roll for 2001-2002 and Who's Who of American High School Students for 2000-2001.
Christopher will be remembered as one who aimed high and strived for the best, giving whatever he did his best effort and putting his heart into it. He was so proud when he became a Marine. His drill instructors were all complimentary and expected Chris to make a good leader. Christopher was ahead of his team while at Ramaldi, Iraq, becoming the first of 12 casualties in his unit.
Christopher was well liked by all his friends and casual acquaintances, employers and all who met him. He was dearly loved by all his family.
Survivors include his father, Louis Mabry Jr. of Meehan; his mother, Nancy Canter of Causeyville; a brother, Louis Mabry III, of Meehan; grandmothers, Frances Mabry of Meehan and Joyce Harper of Meridian; aunts, Frankie Woodall, Terrie Mabry, Judy Allbrook, Veronica Mabry, Peggy Wilkerson, and Geneva Wilkerson; uncles, Mike Mabry, Keith Mabry, and John Allbrook; several great-aunts and great-uncles and several cousins.
He was preceded in death by his beloved "PawPaw" his grandfather, Louis Mabry Sr.; his maternal grandfather, Lester Dickerson; his uncle, Eddie Rutherford; his great-grandmother, "Grannie" Lena Nester and his great-grandfather, Dell Nester.
Pallbearers will be active military personnel. Honorary pallbearers will be David Isham and members of the Clarkdale High School football team.
Visitation will be today 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
NEWTON Services for Evelyn Gallaspy Thrash will be held Thursday at 10 a.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Mark Moore officiating. Burial will be in Newton County Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
Mrs. Thrash, 94, of Newton, died Tuesday, April 13, 2004, at Bedford Care Center. She was an active member of First Baptist Church of Newton and taught Sunday school many years. She was a member of Newton Music Club and Newton Culture Club. She will be remembered as a devoted wife, mother and grandmother.
Survivors include her son, Ronnie Thrash Sr. and his wife, Mary Ann, of Newton; a daughter-in-law, Jeanette Thrash of Decatur; five grandchildren, Mev Knight, Melissa Carleton, Mary Vega, Tracy Barton and Ronnie Thrash Jr.; five great-grandchildren, Kelsie Knight, Logan Knight, Josh Jordan, Jesse Jordan and Alyssa Barton.
She was preceded in death by her husband, John Thrash; a son, Tommy Thrash and a sister, Helen Baker.
Pallbearers will be Ronnie Thrash Jr., Robert Carleton, Robbie Knight, Mike Strebeck, John Johnson and Nathaniel Vega.
Visitation will be today 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Services for for Julia M. Brewster Alford will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Good Hope CME Church in Russell with the Rev. Ernest J. Sanders officiating. Burial will be in Good Hope Cemetery. Berry and Gardner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Ms. Alford, 76, of Toomsuba, died Sunday, April 11, 2004, at Rush Foundation Hospital.
Survivors include her daughter, Velma Moody and a son, Eddie Mitchell Wilson, both of Toomsuba; six grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren and seven great-great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be Friday 6 p.m.-7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Arrangements were incomplete at Barham Funeral Home for William J. "Bill" Bishop, 60, of Meridian, who died Tuesday, April 13, 2004, at Riley Hospital.
Arrangements were incomplete at Clark's Memorial Funeral Home for Christer Bell Rush, 90, of DeKalb, who died Tuesday, April 13, 2004, at Riley Nursing Center.