Obituaries for Sunday, October 3, 2004

By Staff
PHILADELPHIA Services for the Rev. James Earl Wilkinson will be held today at 2 p.m. at McClain-Hays Funeral Service chapel. Burial will be in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in Collinsville.
Rev. Wilkinson, 74, of Collinsville, died Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004, in his home.
Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Pauline Wilkinson of Collinsville; daughters, Dorothy Webb, Audie Mae Garner, Dora Nause and Mary Lou Boutwell, all of Meridian and Frances Long of Philadelphia; sons, James Arlton Wilkinson of Collinsville and Robert Wilkinson and Roger Wilkinson, both of Meridian; 19 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his children, Johnnie Faye Wilkinson and Allen Wilkinson.
YORK, Ala. Services for J.D. Hurtt will be held Monday at 10 a.m. at Bumpers Funeral Home with the Revs. Ed Smith and Bob Followell officiating. Burial will be in Salem Baptist Church cemetery.
Mr. Hurtt, 91, of Toomsuba, Miss., died Friday, Oct. 1, 2004, in his home.
Survivors include his wife, Willine H. Hurtt of Toomsuba; a son, Randy Hurtt and his wife, Jane, of Cuba; daughters, Jo Ann Brabham and her husband, L.M., of Fairfax, S.C. and Pamela K. Hurtt of Atlanta; a sister, Nelah Belle Allbright of Tuscaloosa; grandchildren, Karen Ann Gibson, Vickie Diane Young, Wendy Marlene Harter, Candace Nicole Hurtt Webb and Wesley Kyle Hurtt; and eight great-grandchildren, Hazel Sanders Gibson, Conrad Young, Charley Young, Clay Young, Josh Harter, Meagan Harter, Luke Harter and Garrett Webb.
Visitation will be held today from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
PHILADELPHIA Services for Elvin McNeece Sr. will be held Monday at 10 a.m. at Beatline Baptist Church with the Revs. Ben McDaniel and Bill Webb officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery with McClain-Hays Funeral Service in charge of arrangements.
Mr. McNeece, 75, of Philadelphia, died Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004, at Regency Hospital in Meridian. He retired from Riley Hospital as the chief maintenance engineer. He was born in Leake County but was raised in Neshoba County. He made his home in Meridian for many years but moved to the Beatline Community in 1991. He was a member of Beatline Baptist Church. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving in Europe and the Korean Conflict.
Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Elna Hardy McNeece of Philadelphia; a daughter, Cheryel King and her husband, Jerry, of Florence; a son, James Elvin McNeece Jr. of Pensacola, Fla.; a granddaughter, Ashley Thompson of Meridian; sisters, Betty Sue Gregory and Alice Rose Harrison, both of Philadelphia; an uncle, Elbert McNeece of Meridian; aunts, Annie Fortenberry of Morton and Cordie Smith of Carrollton; and his step-mother, Myrtle McNeece of Philadelphia.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, Frances Arlene McNeece; his parents, Chester and Roma McNeece; a sister, Faye Winstead; and a brother, H.C. McNeece.
Visitation will be held today from 3 p.m.-7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Services for Mary Frances Parker Valentine will be held Monday at 2 p.m. at Hebron Baptist Church with the Rev. Tommy Jones officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.
Mrs. Valentine, 77, of Meridian, died Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004, at Meridian Living Center. She and her husband pastored several churches in the Bogaloosa, Amite and Franklinton, La. for many years. She enjoyed her family in George County, and attending singing festivals.
Survivors include her sister, Dorothy Vick and her husband, Bub, of Meridian.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Rev. Hilman Valentine.
Visitation will be held Monday from noon until 1:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
Arrangements were incomplete at James F. Webb Funeral Home for Mary White, 75, of Meridian, who died Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004, in Grand Rapids, Mich.