Obituaries for Saturday, March 22, 2003

By Staff
PHILADELPHIA Graveside services for Ronald Collins Sr. will be held today at 2 p.m. at Fellowship Cemetery with the Rev. Michael Wells officiating. McClain-Hays Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Collins, 41, of Philadelphia, died Thursday, March 20, 2003, in his home.
Survivors include his sons, Ronald Dwight Collins Jr. and Stephen Jacob Collins; his father, Willie J. Collins and a brother, Arnold Collins, all of Philadelphia.
He was preceded in death by his mother, Shirley Collins and an infant son, William Jarrett Collins.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. Services for George H. Lavene Jr. will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at Tuscaloosa Memorial Chapel. Burial will be in Tuscaloosa Memorial Park with Tuscaloosa Memorial Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Lavene, 51, of Cottondale, died Friday, March 21, 2003, at his home. He was a very caring person with a good heart and soldier for the U.S. Army. He was a loving father, son and husband.
Survivors include his wife, Hye Suk Lavene of Tuscaloosa; daughters Kathy Lavene Woods and Misti Lavene and her husband, Terry Woods; a son, Shawn Lavene and his wife, Tara, of Montana; a sister, Connie Lavene Brown and her husband, Bill, and a brother, Larry Lavene and his wife, Linda, all of Demopolis; his parents, Jeanette B. Holifield and her fiance, Ed Mann of Demopolis; and grandchildren, Alex, Harley, Tyler, Tommy and Sloann, a nephew and three nieces.
Pallbearers will be Randy Wilborn, G.B. Woods, Jason Grimes, John Mark Byrne and Terry Woods. Honorary pallbearers will be Hospice of West Alabama.
Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.
Graveside services for Therman Russell Stokes will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at Forest Lawn Memory Garden with the Revs. Hiram J. Coker Jr. and Richie Davis officiating. Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Stokes, 79, of Meridian, died Thursday, March 20, 2003, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. He was a veteran of World War II and the Korean Conflict. Mr. Stokes retired from the 238th Air Guard and was a member of York Rite Shrine.
Survivors include his wife of 57 years, Ruby G. Boswell Stokes, two sons, Larry G. Stokes and his wife, Brenda, and Russell Scotty Stokes and his wife, Carol, and a daughter, Cynthia S. Coker and her husband, Hiram, all of Meridian; eight grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, a sister, Rachel Foster of Meridian; a brother, Ray Stokes of Springhill, Mo.; two sisters-in-law, Dale Stokes and Bobbie Stokes, both of Meridian and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, George W. and Sally J. Stokes, three brothers, J.B. Herman and G.W. Stokes and a sister, Gladys Coleman.
The family requests memorials be made to the American Lung Association.
Pallbearers will be Jeremy Smith, Shane Boatner, Phillip Dixon, Larry Cooly, David Stokes and Gary Stokes. Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Mississippi Air National Guard.
Visitation will be held Sunday from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Services for Mamie Barron will be held Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Mt. Olive Baptist Church on 49th Avenue with the Rev. Dr. Zachary Operton officiating. Burial will be in Sunset Cemetery with Berry and Gardner Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Barron, 90, of Meridian, died Tuesday, March 18, 2003, at Rush Foundation Hospital.
Survivors include her daughters, Emma Blakney, Ada Pritchett, Ida Clayton and her husband, Larry, Dorothy Reed and her husband, Lamar, all of Meridian, Sadie Tate of Putnam, Ala., and Onie Smart of Cleveland, Ohio; sons, Otha Barron Jr., and William Barron, both of Meridian; 58 grandchildren; 118 great-grandchildren and 29 great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, and eight children.
Visitation will be Monday from 6 p.m.- 7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Arrangements were incomplete at Berry and Gardner Funeral for Chrystal N. Owens, 70, of Quitman, who died Thursday, March 20, 2003, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
Arrangements were incomplete at James F. Webb Funeral Home for Myrtle Buffington, of Picayune, who died Friday, March 21, 2003, in Picayune.
NEWTON Arrangements were incomplete at James F. Webb Funeral Home for Julia Frances England, 79, of Newton, who died Friday, March 21, 2003, at Rush Foundation Hospital.