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 By  Staff Reports Published 
12:30 am Saturday, June 15, 2002

GEORGE VERNON TEMPLE

By Staff
Retired Carpenter
Graveside services for George Vernon Temple will be held today at 10 a.m. at Meridian Memorial Park Cemetery with the Rev. Jimmie Gerrard officiating. Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Temple, 87, of Meridian, died Thursday, June 13, 2002, at King's Daughter's and Sons Nursing Center. He was active at Bethany Baptist Church in Whynot for many years, serving as chairman of deacons, church clerk and a Men's Bible teacher.
Survivors include his wife, Phyllis Jackson Temple of Meridian; two daughters, Faye Barrow and her husband, Charles, of Baton Rouge, La., and Virginia Ware and her husband, Sandy, of Panama City, Fla.; four grandchildren, Amy Patrick of Panama City, Stephen Barrow and his wife, Racheal, of Baton Rouge; Todd Ware and his wife, Natalie, of Graceville, Fla., and Deborah Rogers and her husband, Aaron, of Austin, Texas; a great- granddaughter, Hannah Rogers; two brothers, Rayford Temple and Cecil Temple; one sister, Anita Chisolm of Center Hill; and several nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made to Bethany Baptist Church, 4475 Ponds Road, Meridian, Ms., 39301
Pallbearers will be the Deacons of Bethany Baptist Church.
WILEY D. HARRIS
City of Meridian Employee
Services for Wiley D. Harris will be held today at 11 a.m. at Latimer Metropolitan Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be in Smyrna Cemetery in Preston.
Mr. Harris, 60, of Meridian, died Sunday, June 9, 2002, in his home.
Survivors include his daughter, Rita Harris Johnson; two sons, Jimmy Harris and Wiley A. Harris, all of Meridian; sisters, Jacquline Taylor and Shirley Faye Harris, both of Washington, D.C.; and five grandchildren.
RUBY FAYE WILLIAMSON
UNION Services for Ruby Faye Williamson will be held today at 11 a.m. at Hopewell Baptist Church in Little Rock with the Rev. Rickey Blythe officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery with Stephens Funeral Home of Union in charge of arrangements.
Miss Williamson, 77, of Meridian, formerly of Little Rock, died Thursday, June 13, 2002, at East Mississippi Nursing Home.
Survivors include her brother, S.A. Williamson Jr. and his wife, Dorothy Jean, of Flora; a sister, Patricia Williamson Beasley and her husband, Joe, of Meridian; five nephews, Paul and Keith Gunter, Joey Beasley and Danny and Craig Williamson; and three nieces, Caroline Beasley Raybon, Kim Potter and Sharon Smith.
She was preceded in death by her father, Selma A. Williamson Sr., and her mother, Jewell Drew Williamson and her sister, Jean Williamson Gunter.
Visitation will be today from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the church.
RALPH EARL DOWNING
GILBERTOWN, Ala. Services for Ralph Earl Downing will be held today at 2 p.m. at Phillips Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Don Whigham and Clovis Lewis officiating. Burial will be in Gilbertown Cemetery.
Mr. Downing, 59, of Gilbertown, died Thursday, June 13, 2002, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
Survivors include his sons, Billy Jack Downing of Jachin, Ala., Charles Ralph Downing of Wetumpka, Ala.; daughters, Lisa Ann Cashiola of Demopolis, Ala., Amy Lynn Christopher of Butler, and Holli Maria Mason of Butler; brothers, Hiram Downing of Quitman, and David Downing of Butler; sisters, Audrey Taylor of Montgomery, Ann Clark of Gilbertown, and Joyce Hammond of Atlanta; and eight grandchildren.
HOWELL WATSON HENSON SR.
ACKERMAN Services for Howell Watson Henson Sr. will be held today at 2 p.m. at Weir Baptist Church in Weir.
Mr. Henson, 81, of Weir, died Friday, June 14, 2002, at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Mr. Henson was a World War II veteran and flew 27 combat missions over Germany as a door gunner on a B-24. After returning home from service, he enrolled at Mississippi State University where he graduated in 1947.
After graduating from MSU, Mr. Henson returned to his home in Weir where he worked for the United States Postal Service as a rural letter carrier for 38 years. During those years he was very active with the Masons, Boy Scouts and the Weir Baptist Church.
Mr. Henson was an avid bird hunter and an enthusiastic MSU fan. He was a loving husband and wonderful supportive father to his children and grandchildren.
Survivors include his wife, Georgia Ruth Henson of Weir; three children, Bobbye Legan and her husband, Scot, of Monroe, La.; Hal Henson Jr. and his wife, Donna, of Houston, Texas; and Trisha Collier and her husband, Terry, of Meridian; six grandchildren, Lee Collier Harper of Oxford; Lauri Legan Brown of Meridian; Ash Henson of Austin, Texas; Tim Legan of Monroe, La.; Cissy Collier of Seattle, Wa.; and Patti Collier Pittman of Jackson; four great-grandchildren, Anna Lauren and Laura Ashley Brown, Ben Harper and Caroline Pittman.
The family requests memorials will be made to the Parkinson's Foundation.
ETHEL M. LEE
Homemaker
Services for Ethel M. Lee will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be in Pine Grove Cemetery.
Mrs. Lee, 99, of Collinsville, died Friday, June 14, 2002, at Rush Foundation Hospital.
Survivors include her children, James E. Lee "Jimmy" and his wife, Faye, grandchildren, Mary Jones and her husband, Rick, and Melanie Lee, all of Collinsville; Michael Lee and his wife, Jennifer, of Tupelo; Michelle Killen and her husband, Scott, of Meridian; and Karen Lee of Collinsville; great-grandchildren, Brandon, Megan, Keegan, Peyton, Connor, BreAnna, Regan and Dylan and several nieces nephews and great nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her son, Arthur J. Lee, a daughter, Mary Virginia Lee, her husband, Jackson Lee and several brothers and sisters.
Pallbearers will be Keith Ethridge, Max Culpepper, Wayne Culpepper, Lamar McElroy, Irvin Hitt and David Akin. Honorary pallbearers will be Wade Jerringan, Edwin Hitt and Adrian Hitt.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
MARY HELEN BLACKWELL
Retired nurse
QUITMAN Services for Mary Helen Blackwell will be held Sunday, at 2:30 p.m. at Wright's Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Lanice May and Jerry May officiating. Burial will be in Jones Chapel Church Cemetery.
Mrs. May, 70, of Quitman, died Friday, June 14, 2002, at Riley Hospital.
Survivors include her daughter, Regina Warning of Stonewall; two brothers, Harvey Satcher, of Gulfport and Horace Satcher of Auburn, Ala.; sister Elsie May of Quitman; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, and her parents.
Visitation will be today 5 p.m.- 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
BERTIE MAE GRICE
Retired
QUITMAN Services for Bertie Mae Grice will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Brightwater Methodist Church with the Rev. Ronnie Adams officiating. Burial will be in Brightwater Cemetery. Wright's Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Grice, 81, of Shubuta, died Thursday, June 13, 2002, in her home.
Survivors include her daughter, Norma Finley of Shubuta; her sister, Nora Lee Reeves of Tuscaloosa, Ala.; and eight grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held Monday from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home.
ALBERT SMITH JR.
Arrangements were incomplete at Berry &Gardner Funeral Home for Albert Smith Jr., 65, of Quitman, who died Wednesday, June 12, 2002 at V.A. Medical Center in Jackson.

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