Obituaries for Friday, September 17, 2004
By Staff
Partner with Rea, Shaw, Giffin and Stuart
Memorial services for John H. "Jack" Stuart, originally scheduled for 10 a.m. today, have been postponed due to hurricane damage at Church of the Mediator in Meridian. Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements, and there will be another announcement as soon as the memorial is rescheduled.
Services for Earl M. Neal will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at Decatur Methodist Church with the Revs. Johnny Crosby and Ovid Vickers officiating. Burial will be in the Decatur cemetery with Barham Funeral Home (Newton) in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Neal, 97, died Thursday, Sept. 16, 2004, in Decatur.
Survivors include his wife of 67 years, Ima Bradford Neal, of Decatur; five daughters, Wevette Stifflemire and Glenda Neal, both of Pensacola, Fla.; Earline Mitchell and her husband, Gary, of Morton; Beth Presley and her husband, Johnny, of Denham Springs, La.; and Charolette Byrd, of Pearl; two sons, Harold Neal and his wife, Ann, of Summit; and Rush Neal and his wife, Marie, of Pearl; three sisters, Paula Mae Mitchell, of DeKalb; Ree Russell, of Meridian; and Bobbie Parker and her husband, Jerry, of Meridian; two brothers, Steve Neal, and Doyle Neal and his wife, Veda, all of Meridian; 27 grandchildren; 27 great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by two brothers, Lavell Neal and Hester Neal, and three sisters, Lutie Adams, Cleva Galyean and Melba Spartman.
The family requests that memorials be made to Hospice South and Decatur United Methodist Church Building Fund.
Visitation will be Friday from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home and Saturday 30 minutes prior to services at the church.
Draftsman
Graveside services for William Howard Pilgrim will be held Saturday at noon at Mt. Nebo Cemetery with the Revs. Sam Hull and Carl Stephens officiating. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Pilgrim, 78, of Meridian, died Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2004, at Heartfelt Hospice. He was a draftsman and designer for Kimbrell Ruffer Lumber Company. He was a member of East End United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Nettie Pilgrim of Meridian; a son, Robert I. Pilgrim of Madison; a daughter-in-law, Denise; a sister, Margaret Kelly and her husband, Albert, of Collinsville; grandsons, Kenneth Howard Pilgrim and Jeffrey Pilgrim; a sister-in-law, Agnes Pigford; and several nieces and nephews.
He was a member of East End United Methodist Church. He served in a U.S. Army during World War II and was former owner of W.H. Pilgrim Plan Service. Pallbearers will be Gary Keller, Jeff Pilgrim and Kenneth Pilgrim, Norman Snowden and James Harrison. Honorary pallbearers will be Harold Thompson, Lester Thompson and Leonard Pogue.
Visitation will be Saturday from 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. at the funeral home.
Retired educator
YORK, Ala. Services for Thelma Dill Alexander will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Shorts Baptist Church with Revs. Leon Ballard and David Wilkinson officiating. Bumpers Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Alexander, 89, of Ward, Ala., died Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2004, at Sumter Health and Rehabilitation. She was retired from Sumter County Public Schools.
Survivors include two daughters, Sarah Weekly and Judy Webb, both of Ward, Ala.; eight grandchildren and 24 great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, James Willard Alexander.
Visitation will be Saturday from 1 p.m. until the time of the funeral at the church.
Homemaker
Graveside services for Linnie Sharp will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at Briggs Chapel Cemetery. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Sharp, of Porterville, died Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2004, in Haughton, La.
Survivors includes a son, Leonard Sharp; eight grandchildren; three great grandchildren; and three great, great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, George Bernard Sharp; and three sons.
Visitation will be Friday from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
QUITMAN Services for Linda Woodward McInnis will be held Sunday at 3 p.m. at Shubuta Baptist Church. Wright's Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. McInnis, 83, of Waynesboro, formerly of Shubuta, died Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2004, at Bookwood Villa in Waynesboro. She was a native of Shubuta and a recent resident of Waynesboro.
Survivors include her son, Jim Nettles and his wife, Dorothy of Tallahassee, Fla.; grandchildren, Jason Nettles and his wife, Jocelyn, of Atlanta and Eran Nettles Stanley and her husband, Jon, of Nashville, Tenn. and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husbands, Liston F. McInnis and Roy Nettles; her parents, Hugh and Eliza Woodward, siblings, Preston Woodward, Leon Woodward, William Woodward and Olivia Woodward Goodman.
Memorials may be made to Shubuta Baptist Church or Wayne General Hospice in Waynesboro.
Visitation will be Sunday at 2 p.m. at Shubuta Baptist Church.
