Obituaries for Friday, May 21, 2004

By Staff
Homemaker
LOUISVILLE Services for Kelly Byrd Mitchell will be held today at 10 a.m. at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Philadelphia. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery in Louisville. Porter Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Mitchell, 33, died Monday, May 17, 2004, at Methodist Hospital in Saint Louis Park, Minn. She was born in Clarksdale on Nov. 27, 1970 and was a graduate of Mississippi State University. She worked as an elementary school teacher and most recently was a homemaker.
Survivors include her husband, Stephen Mitchell of Maple Grove, Minn.; a son, Jack Thomas Mitchell of Maple Grove; parents, Jim and Jeanie Redd Byrd of Meridian; a sister, Stephanie Ray of Germantown, Tenn.; brothers, Robby Byrd of Germantown and Kevin Byrd of Olive Branch; her grandfather, James Byrd of Mize; grandmother, Reba Ware of Walnut Grove and an aunt, Virginia Gilmer of Walnut Grove.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Retired
NEWTON Services for William "Bill" D. Holsonback will be held today at 11 a.m. at Poplar Springs Baptist Church with the Revs. Charles Bonner and John West officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Holsonback, 82, of Newton, died Monday, May 17, 2004, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. He was a member of Poplar Springs Baptist Church and worked offshore for catering services for more 30 years and as caterer for East Central Community College.
Survivors include his daughter, Donna Harris and her husband, Ronnie, of Hickory; sons, Albert W. Holsonback of Shalimar, Fla., Richard E. Holsonback and his wife, Mary, and Ron Holsonback and his wife, Mijin, all of Newton; a sister, Mildred Nunn of Greenville, S.C.; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Grace Lucy Holsonback; his parents, Derrick and Lula Askley Holsonback; and nine siblings.
Pallbearers will be Lance Garvin, Tim Mowdy, Tony Adams, Kerry Harrison, Larry Holsonback and Jim Pendergest. Honorary pallbearers will be Sam Edwards, Dan Edwards, Bill Montgomery, Frank Baucum and Bobby Dearing.
Visitation will be today 30 minutes prior to the service at the church.
Retired United Technologies employee
COLUMBUS Services for Clarence Thurman Conner will be held today at 2 p.m. at Steens Baptist Church with the Rev. Bryant Benton officiating. Burial will be in Egger Cemetery near Caledonia. Memorial Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Conner, 72, of Columbus, died Wednesday, May 19, 2004, at Baptist Memorial Hospital Golden Triangle in Columbus. He was a veteran and served in the Korean Conflict.
Survivors include his wife of 32 years, Lou Ellen Conner; step-daughters, Wanda Nell Shelton and her husband, Larry, Sharron Beasley and her husband, John; step-sons, Denny Strickland and his wife, Judy, and Donald W. Strickland and his wife, Regina, all of Columbus; sons, Ray Conner and James Ervin Conner and his wife, Belinda, all of DeKalb, Warren Dale Conner and his wife, Tammy and Timothy Mark Conner and his wife, Susan, all of Caledonia; 21 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; sisters, Lorrain Bishop of Meridian and Carolyn Evans of Preston; brothers, Nelson Conner, Curtis Conner and Daniel Conner, all of Preston and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, Marlene Young and grandsons, Robert Conner, Darryl Conner and John Auld.
Memorials may be made to the American Lung Association, P.O. Box 2178, Ridgeland, MS 39158-2178.
Retired nurse
Services for Helen Walker Kelsheimer will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at Barham Funeral Home with the Rev. James Sanders officiating. Burial will be in New Hope Baptist Church Cemetery.
Mrs. Kelsheimer, 82, of Meridian, died Thursday, May 20, 2004, at Beverly Health Care. She was a member of New Hope Baptist Church, where she was the choir director.
Survivors include her son, George H. Walker Jr. and his wife, Linda, of Meridian; grandchildren, Angela Boyd and her husband, Greg, of Tylertown, George H. Walker III and his wife, Leigh Ann, of Dallas, Stephen Wallker and his wife, Teresa, of Meridian, and Keith Walker and his wife, Christy, of Gulfport; six great-grandchildren; a brother, Jimmy English and his wife, Exia Mae, of Indiana; and several relatives in Indiana.
She was preceded in death by her first husband, George Walker Sr. and her second husband, Ezra Kelsheimer.
The family requests memorials be made to New Hope Baptist Church Building Fund.
Pallbearers will be George Walker, Greg Boyd, Keith Walker and Stephen Walker.
Retired
Services for Harold W. Scitzs will be held Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at Stephens Funeral Home chapel with the Rev. Alan Randall officiating. Burial will be in Hamrick Cemetery in Collinsville.
Mr. Scitzs, 62, of Collinsville, died Thursday, May 20, 2004, at Rush Foundation Hospital. He was a retired public works employee for Naval Air Station Meridian. He was a member of the Baptist faith and he loved to hunt and fish.
Survivors include his wife, Janis Sanderford Scitzs of Collinsville; sons, Richard Scitzs and his wife, Angela, of Panama City, Fla. and Mike Scitzs of Collinsville; daughters, Tracy Walker and her husband, Butch, of Macon and Kathy Sims and her husband, Raymond, of Meridian; nine grandchildren; and one brother.
Pallbearers will be friends of the family.
Retired
Services for Lou Turner will be held Monday at 2 p.m. at Cokes Chapel Methodist Church with the Rev. Boose officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery with Berry &Gardner Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Turner, 93, of Shubuta, died Tuesday, May 18, 2004, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
Survivors include his wife, Annie Mae Turner; daughters, Joyce Jury, Ella R. Gray, Lou Vera Young and Minnie R. McCarty, all of Shubuta, and Pearlie Mae Kerr of Chicago; a son, John Earl Turner of Chicago; and one sister, Ruth Reed of Quitman.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a daughter.
Visitation will be held Sunday from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at Berry &Gardner Funeral Home in Quitman.
Services for Percy Sanders will be held Monday in North Brunswick, N.J. Burial will be in Franklin Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mr. Sanders, 78, of Rose Hill, died Monday, May 17, 2004, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
Survivors include his daughters, Eloise Taylor of Somerset, N.J., Gracie Conerly of New Orleans, Lonnie Bradley and Ruby Hill, both of California; sons, Percy V. Sanders Jr., Jerry Sanders, Dennis Sanders and Steven Sanders, all of Somerset; brothers, Booker T. Sanders of New Orleans; sisters, Lou Ulmar, Bobby Love, Ivey Cooley, Patricia Campbell and Vinnie Page, all of Laurel; Estella Evans, of Bay Springs; Betty McDonald and Mary Hatches, both of Los Angeles.
Visitation will be Saturday from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. at East Galilee Baptist Church in Rose Hill.