Archives
 By  Staff Reports Published 
7:16 pm Tuesday, July 10, 2001

OBITUARIES FOR TUESDAY, JULY 10, 2001

By Staff
Other survivors include a brother, Oliver G. Thomas and his wife, Sina, of Newton; three sisters-in-law, Mary Etta Coker of Satsuma, Ala., Annie Coker Hill of Spanish Fort, Ala., and Helen Moore of Ellisville; seven step-grandchildren and their spouses, Cynda Gibbon Barfield and Whit Barfield of Baton Rouge, Rita Gibbon of Birmingham, Cheryl Gibbon DuBose and Phillip DuBose of Collierville, Tenn., Keith and Judy Gibbon of Newton, Roger Estes, Gaylon Estes and Durwin Estes, all of Nashville; a step-daughter-in-law by marriage, Sandra Gibbon (widow of Bryan Gibbon) of the Hero Community; and her step-great-grandchildren, Tamilia Gibbon Godwin and her husband, Roger, of Newton, Kerry Gibbon Hutchinson and her husband, Matt, of Meridian, Stephanie Gibbon Brown and her husband, Eric, of Mendenhall, Brandon and Cameron Estes of Nashville, Trea Barfield of Baton Rouge, Matt and Seth Gibbon of Newton and Wayne and Amy Johnson of Brandon.
Nieces and their families include, June Dale Thomas Jones and her husband, J.T. Jones Jr., of Ellisville, Betty Jean Thomas Kruk of Carson City, Nev. and Patsy Rainer Holtz of Heber Springs, Ark.
Nephews and their families include, Pepper Thomas and his wife, Juanita, of Oxford, Milton Thomas and his wife, Patsy, of Jackson, Clarence Rainer and his wife, Bessie, of Columbus, Texas, Johnny Rainer of Wharton, Texas, and Jimmy Rainer and Linda Rainer of Phoenix, Ariz. Several cousins in the Newton area and other areas of Mississippi also survive her.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her first husband, Luther Hamilton Hopkins; her second husband, Otho Coker; a brother, James Wesley Thomas; a sister, Colleen Thomas Rainer; her step-son-in-law, Billy Estes; a step-grandson, Bryan Gibbon; a sister-in-law, Imogene Thomas; a nephew, Hopper Thomas; and a nephew by marriage, Leonard Kruk.
Pallbearers will be Milton T. Thomas, Clarence Rainer, David Jones, Johnny Rainer, Pepper Thomas and Jeff Rainer.
Honorary pallbearers will be J.T. Jones Jr., Billy Gibbon, Keith Gibbon, Durwin Estes, Gaylon Estes and Hillard Thomas.
Visitation will be Wednesday from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. at the funeral home and one hour prior to the service on Thursday.
JOSEPH LLOYD GREGG JR.
Retired plastics engineer
Services for Joseph Lloyd Gregg Jr. will be held Thursday at 2:30 p.m. at Biloxi National Cemetery with a Navy Chaplain officiating. Stephens Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Gregg, 81, of Lauderdale, died Saturday, July 7, 2001, at Rush Foundation Hospital. He was a Pearl Harbor survivor, serving aboard the USS Farragut. He participated in the first Doolittle Raid in World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Dolores Cole Gregg of Lauderdale; six sons, David Heisey and his wife, Patricia, of Lauderdale, James Lloyd Gregg of Seattle, Wash., Glenn Heisey of Wooddale, Ill., Daniel Heisey of Florida, Jeffrey Allen Gregg of Kalamazoo, Mich. and Christopher Coats Heisey of Hendersonville, N.C.; grandchildren, Adrianne Heisey, Robert Lloyd Heisey, Courtney Lynn Gregg, Sarah Brown, Sabrina Brown Moore, Joseph Brown, Darren Heisey, Danay Heisey, Krista O'Roake, Michelle Gregg and Mitchell Gregg; a sister, Bette Lou Wehmeyer of Dayton, Ohio; and seven great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Navy personnel.
Visitation will be Wednesday from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. at the funeral home.
JANIS L. BOSTON
Retired State of Mississippi employee
Services for Janis L. "Blue Eyes" Boston will be held Friday at 1 p.m. at Berry and Gardner Funeral Home with the Rev. W.C. Brown officiating. Burial will be in Daleville Cemetery with Berry and Gardner Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Boston, 48, of Meridian, died Friday, July 6, 2001, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
Survivors include her husband, Carl W. Boston, two daughters, Melanye Boston and Carla Michelle Boston, her mother, Nazie Williams, and her stepfather, the Rev. L.V. Williams, all of Meridian; two sisters, Vettys Lofton of Toomsuba and Katie Wilson of Meridian; a brother, Robert Barfield Sr. of Hattiesburg; and a grandson.
Visitation will be Thursday from 7 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
VALLEY CHAPMAN
Arrangements were incomplete at Berry and Gardner Funeral Home for Valley Chapman, of Enterprise, who died Monday, July 9, 2001, in his home.
NINA B. BOOKER
Arrangements were incomplete at James F. Webb Funeral Home for Nina B. Booker, 97, of Meridian, who died Monday, July 9, 2001, at Queen City Nursing Center.
DENNIS HAYES JR.
Arrangements were incomplete at Clark's Memorial Funeral Home for Dennis Hayes Jr., 65, of Meridian, who died Monday, July 9, 2001, at Oakwood Home for the Elderly in Bastrop, La.
NANCY COOPER
Arrangements were incomplete at James F. Webb Funeral Home for Nancy Cooper, 70, of Jackson, who died Tuesday, July 10, 2001, at Guardian Angel Hospice.

Also on Franklin County Times
Military service is family’s legacy
Main, News, Phil Campbell, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
November 12, 2025
PHIL CAMPBELL — Members of Emily Scott’s family have for decades worn a uniform, a tradition that began before she was born and continues through her ...
Navy taught Bonner lessons he still practices today
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
November 12, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — Before he ever preached the gospel, Bennie “B.J.” Bonner watched an orange volcano glow in the night and saw a plane drop from the sky ...
Williams: ‘We must ensure their legacies live on’
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
November 12, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — Retired Major Joe Williams, a 2001 Hamilton High School graduate, Mississippi State alumnus and Russellville resident, was the guest sp...
Wells retires after 29 years at Village Square Apartments
News, Records, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
November 12, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE — Annette Wells is retiring as property manager after 29 years working to help residents feel at home at Village Square Apartments. Wells...
GFWC conference highlights ‘Circle of Service’
Columnists, News, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
By Susie Hovater Malone Columnist 
November 12, 2025
I’ve always believed service connects people in ways nothing else can. That belief took center stage at the GFWC Southern Region Conference in Huntsvi...
Let’s move forward and stop falling back
Columnists, Opinion
November 12, 2025
Last week, Alabamians were once again forced to change their clocks in the middle of the night for the annual “fall back” for Daylight Saving Time (DS...
SALUTE TO VETERANS
News, Russellville
November 12, 2025
Members of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion saluted, listened to “Taps” and laid flowers ahead of the annual parade on Saturday....
AMERICAN LEGION CHAPTER HOLDS BANQUET
News, Russellville
November 12, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE – The local American Legion chapter hosted a banquet at North Highlands Church of Christ in Russellville. Members presented the “Missing ...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *