Obituaries for Thursday, September 16, 2004

By Staff
Partner with Rea, Shaw, Giffin and Stuart
Memorial services for John H. "Jack" Stuart will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at Church of the Mediator with the Rev. Mike Dobrosky officiating. Burial will be in the church columbarium. Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Stuart, 84, of Meridian, died Sunday, Sept. 12, 2004, at Riley Hospital. He was a veteran of the Army Air Corps and served in World War II. He was born in Madison, Wis. and was one of four boys born to Mr. and Mrs. R.C. Stuart.
Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Doris Lucille Stuart of Meridian; and a daughter, Anna Laura Stuart of Atlanta.
Memorials may be made to a charity of choice.
Visitation will be Friday immediately following the services at the church.
Graveside services for Jo Betty Love will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at Pentecostal Memorial Cemetery in Russell with Elder Melvin Young and Elder James Stoudemire officiating. Berry &Gardner Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Love, 84, of York, Ala., died Monday, Sept. 13, 2004, at her residence.
Survivors include her husband, J.T. Love Sr. of York; daughters Tina Love, Alice Taylor and her husband, Ellis, Rhonda Moore and her husband, Butch, and Louise Wilson, all of York, and Betty Grant and her husband, Elder Burnell, and Linda McCorkle and her husband, Stacey, both of Meridian; sons Henry Love and his wife, Dorothy, of Los Angeles, James T. Love Jr. and his wife, Kathy, of York, Robert Love of Livingston, Ala., Eddie Love of York, Charles Love and his wife, Tina, of York, and Barnell Love and his wife, Doretha, of York; sisters Isabella Carter of Livingston and Lucille Hall of Detroit; brothers Raymond Hatten of Birmingham, Ala., Julius Hatten of Vallejo, Calif., and Eddie Hatten of Peoria, Ill.; 67 grandchildren, 52 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 7 p.m.-8 p.m. at Berry &Gardner Funeral Home.
Meridian Community College student
Services for Matthew Griffin will be held Friday at 1 p.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Donald Gentry officiating. Burial will be Pine Grove Cemetery.
Mr. Griffin, 20, of Meridian, died Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2004, in Meridian. He was a member of Eighth Avenue Baptist Church. He was a graduate of Meridian High School and former Grand Master of Phi Kappa.
Survivors include his parents, Arnold and Sharon Griffin; a sister, Lindsey Griffin Boswell and her husband, Craig; and a nephew, Cole Boswell, all of Meridian; grandparents, Sidney and Beth Griffin of Meridian, Phylis Reed of Urbana, Ill., and Pauline Griffin of Meridian; and his girlfriend, Jamie Sanders of Meridian.
He was preceded in death by his grandfathers, Alton Griffin and Jared Reed.
Memorials may be made to Eighth Avenue Baptist Church.
Pallbearers will be Sam Eakes, Chris Jeffares, Chris Clark, Brandon Rodgers, Brandon Beddingfield, Jet Robinson, Corey Blackwell and Nick Lisi.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Homemaker
NEWTON Services for Maude Denton Saxton Fanning will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at James F. Webb Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Dr. Leroy Brewer officiating. Burial will be in Newton Masonic Cemetery.
Mrs. Fanning, 105, of Newton, died Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2004, at Hilltop Manor in Union. She was a member of First Baptist Church.
Mrs. Fanning was the granddaughter of the late Roger Doolittle who founded and named the town of Newton. She was married for 33 years to the late W.E. Saxton of Newton and for 33 years to the late Beamon Fanning of Hickory. She managed Foster's Department Store in Newton until her retirement.
Survivors include her daughters, Virginia Simmons of Newton and Betty Lawrence of Louisville; a son, Curtis Saxton of Meridian; 14 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, 11 great-great-grandchildren and four great-great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Carl Lee and Virginia Doolittle Denton; and sons, Carl Saxton and Wilford Saxton.
The family requests memorials be made to a favorite charity.
Pallbearers will be Keith Lawrence, Kenny Lawrence, Ronald Wayne Blacklidge, Brittany Blacklidge, Trippy Saxton and Ken Paternostro.
Visitation will be Friday 5 p.m.-7 p.m. at the funeral home.
SEBASTOPOL Services for Sarah M. Risher will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Milling Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Larry Duncan and Junior Price officiating. Burial will be in Golden Grove Cemetery.
Ms. Risher, 58, of Walnut Grove, died Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2004, at Lackey Memorial Hospital.
Survivors include her husband, Pete "Lonnie" Elmore, and sons, Michael Risher and Jason Risher, all of Walnut Grove; a grandson, Japeth "Tonka" John of Carthage; sisters, Shirley Price of Forest, Mildred Gordy of El Doredo, Ariz., and Kathy Goss of Forest; brothers, Ray Bradford of Walnut Grove, Edward Bradford of Greenfield, Ind., and James Earl Bradford of Forest; and many much-loved nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Samuel and Nora Bradford; brothers, Clyde Bradford and Mack Bradford; and a sister, Allie Mae Allen.
Pallbearers will be Scott Green, Harold Bradford, Sammy Henry, Larry Jackson, John Goss and Jerry Goss. Honorary pallbearers will be Brian Gordy and Jeff Price.
Visitation will be Friday 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.