Obituaries for Thursday, April 8, 2004

By Staff
Funeral director Berry and Gardner Funeral Home
Services for Edward Earl Gibson will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Mt. Olive Baptist Church on 49th Avenue with the Rev. Johnny Baskin Jr. officiating. Burial will be in Meridian Memorial Park Cemetery. Berry and Gardner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Gibson, 77, of Meridian, died Friday, April 2, 2004, at Rush Foundation Hospital. He was born June 11, 1926, to the late Will and Mayme Gibson. He grew up in Greenville, where he attended Coleman High School and graduated in 1944. Upon completing high school, he entered the U.S. Navy serving in the medical corps. After his honorable discharge, he enrolled in Tougaloo College, where he earned a bachelor's of science degree. He received his master's degree at Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn. He additionally studied at Tuskegee Institute, University of California at Los Angeles, and the University of California at Berkeley. He received a fellowship given only to select scholars in science in the doctoral program at the University of California at Berkeley and then received his doctorate degree.
As an educator, Ed wore many hats. He was a football and basketball coach, winning the Mississippi State High School Basketball Tournament in 1951 for East Side High School in Cleveland. He served as principal of East Side, counselor, administrative dean, assistant principal and principal with the Los Angeles Unified School District. He also taught at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif.
Ed also worked as a funeral director at Berry and Gardner Funeral home in Meridian.
He was an active member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity Inc., Theta Iota Iota Chapter, the College of Black Administrators (COBA) and the Association of Administrators in Los Angeles.
He joined St. James AME Church in 1997, under the pastoral care of the Rev. Walter Christian, where he was a trustee and a generous financial supporter of all church activities.
Survivors include his soul mate, Ulpiana Sims; sons, Lynn Edward, Byron Gibson and Ricardo Gibson, all of Los Angeles; his god-daughter, Esperanza Sullins and her husband, Palmer, of New Orleans; his god-son, Robert Kennedy of Meridian; a sister, Thelma Gibson Robinson of Greenville; a brother, Dr. Thomas Gibson and his wife, Patricia, of Los Angeles; and several nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother, William; and sisters, Marion and Vivian.
Visitation will be Friday 6 p.m.-7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Electrician
PHILADELPHIA Services for Don Eshee will be held today at 2 p.m. at McClain-Hays Funeral Service Chapel with the Rev. Mark Copeland officiating. Burial will be in Hamrick Cemetery in Collinsville.
Mr. Eshee, 58, of Pearl, died Tuesday, April 6, 2004, at River Oaks Hospital in Flowood.
Survivors include his wife, Yvonne Eshee of Pearl; a son, Tommy Delton Eshee of Brandon; daughters, Lori Ann Bailey of Conehatta, Tonya Flowers and Skarlotte Snow, both of Philadelphia, and Shelley Pou Evans of Marietta; 14 grandchildren; his mother, Sybil Lurlene Eshee of Philadelphia; sisters, Ann Bush of Demopolis, Ala., Karen May and Connie Vining, both of Port Gibson; and a brother, Larry Delton Eshee of Florence.
New South Ford mechanic
Services for Rodney Ray McMullen will be held today at 2 p.m. at Buckatunna Baptist Church in Clarke County with the Revs. Tim Adams and Derrick Simmons officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. McMullen, 35, of the Snell Community, died Monday, April 5, 2004, in Causeyville. He was a graduate of Clarkdale High School and a member of Buckatunna Baptist Church. He was a devoted NASCAR fan. Dale Earnhardt Sr. was his favorite.
Survivors include his daughters, Meghan McMullen and Mazie McMullen, both of Snell; the mother of his children, Regina Dobbins McMullen of Snell; his mother, Peggy Ford Jellenc and her husband, Buster, of Russell; his father, Danny R. McMullen and his wife, Barbara, of Brandon; a sister, Sherri R. McMullen of Meridian; a brother, Danny Ray McMullen Jr. of Brandon; grandparents, Ira C. Ford Sr. of Snell and Ray E. McMullen of Meridian; aunts, Patricia Ford Dean and her husband, Jerry, of Snell and Nancy McMullen Chisolm of Eight Mile, Ala.; an uncle Ira C. "Bubba" Ford Jr.; a great-aunt, Edna Ford Henius, both of Snell; a niece, Ashley McMullen of Collinsville; and several cousins and other relatives.
He was preceded in death by his grandmothers, Eunice Ford and Marie McMullen.
Memorials may be made to a fund established for his daughters at Trustmark National Bank.
Pallbearers will be Michael Dearman, Ben Dobbins, Dennis Ray Thrash, Roy Craven, Greg Daniels, Jason Ford, Richard Dean and Ricky Chisolm. Honorary pallbearers will be Jerry Dean, Ira C. Ford Jr. and Danny Ray McMullen Jr.
Visitation will be today noon until service time at the church.
Homemaker
NEWTON Services for Nellie B. Vance Perkins will be held today at 3 p.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. David Airhart and Mike Smith officiating. Burial will be in the Newton County Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
Mrs. Perkins, 91, of Newton, died Saturday, April 3, 2004, in her home. She was a member of Midway Baptist Church.
Survivors include her daughters, Shirley Mabbett of Excer, Mo., Geraldine Miller of Paragould, Ark., and Patricia Williamson of Gary, Texas; sons, Troy Manchester and Dwight Perkins, both of Newton; several grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Whitey Perkins.
Pallbearers will be Andy Milling, Mark Harris, Kenny Harris, Austin Griffin, Jimmy Coghlin and Larry Blackburn.
STURGIS Services for Andre Lavelle Heidelberg Jr. will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at Faith Temple Apostolic Church with the Rev. Robert Lampkin officiating. Burial will be in the Smith Family Cemetery. West Memorial Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Infant Heidelberg, 2, of Chicago, died Monday, April 5, 2004, in Sturgis.
Survivors include his parents, Wanda Heidelberg and Andre L. Heidelberg Sr., both of Chicago; grandparents, Arthur H. Heidelberg and Annie R. Heidelberg, both of Meridian; a sister, Ashley E. Heidelberg and a brother, Alexander D. Heidelberg, both of Chicago; grandparents, Susie E. Smith and Roger L. Smith, both of Sturgis; eight uncles and five aunts.
Retired painter
UNION Services for David "Buster" Morgan will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at Little Rock Baptist Church with the Revs. Gene Higginbotham and Steve Moore officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Milling Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Morgan, 64, of Little Rock, died Wednesday, April 7, 2004, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
Survivors include his wife, Pat Morgan of Little Rock; sons, Adam Morgan and Steve Bond, both of Little Rock, Kelly Morgan of Cedar Park, Texas, and Dino Morgan of Leander, Texas; daughters, Gina Worton of Cedar Park, Texas and Melissa Duggan of Meridian; sisters, Pat Mitchell and Rose George, both of Slidell, La.; 18 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Visitation will be today 5 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home.