Obituaries for Monday, October 4, 2004

By Staff
Homemaker
Graveside services for Mary Frances Parker Valentine will be held today at 2 p.m. at Hebron Baptist Church Cemetery with the Rev. Tommy Jones officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Stephens Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Valentine, 77, of Meridian, died Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004, at Meridian Community Living Center. She and her husband pastored several churches in Bogaloosa, Amite and Franklinton, La., for many years. She enjoyed spending time with 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, the Rev. Hilman Valentine.
Visitation will be today from noon until 1:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
GILBERTOWN, Ala. Services for Mary Olive Edgar Nealey will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Gilbertown Baptist Church with the Rev. Rusty Bird officiating. Burial will be held in Gilbertown Cemetery. Phillips Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Nealey, 53, of Gilbertown, died Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004, in Waynesboro.
Survivors include her father, Joe Trice Edgar of Gilbertown; her mother, Margaret Tew Edgar of Gilbertown; her husband, Earlrae Nealey of Gilbertown; daughters, Ellen Nealey Sikes of Andalusia, Laura Nealey Floyd of Mobile and Anna Leigh Nealey of Montgomery; and one grandchild.
Memorials may be made to Wayne Judson Taylor Scholarship Fund, c/o Gilbertown Baptist Church or the American Cancer Society.
Visitation will be today from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Owner of Joe's Ark
YORK, Ala. Graveside services for Joe Browder will be held Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Hennigan Cemetery with the Rev. Grant Parker officiating. Bumpers Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Browder, 58, of Livingston, died Sunday, Oct. 3, 2004, at Hill Hospital in York.
Survivors include his wife, Linda Nixon Browder of Livingston; sons, Nicky Browder of Moundville and Joey Browder of Livingston; a daughter, Carla Durrett of Eutaw; a brother, Woody Browder of Tuscaloosa; and five grandchildren.
Visitation will be today from 6 p.m.-7 p.m. at 113 Magnolia Street, Livingston.
Retired
Graveside services for Nancy Katherine Rushing will be held Tuesday at 2 p.m. at Magnolia Cemetery with the Rev. Dr. Tom Sikes officiating. Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Rushing, 81, of Meridian, died Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. She was a member of First Christian Church.
Survivors include her daughter, Marna R. Byars of Birmingham, Ala.; a son, Mitchell R. "Rusty" Rushing Jr. and his wife, Gwen, of Meridian; grandchildren, Rush Rushing, Dana Rushing, Ashley Katheriane Byars and Frankie Wagner and his wife, Kristi; two great-grandchildren, Miles Wagner and Caleb Ryan Rushing; and a loving friend, Charles E. Wilson.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Mitchell R. Rushing Sr.; and her mother, Mary V. Wade.
Memorials may be made to First Christian Church or Hope Village for Children.
Pallbearers will be B.B. Archer, Scott Morgan, Rich Miller, Dan Self, Alan Stewart, Les Phillips and Gary Calvert.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at First Christian Church.
Farmer and truck driver
MACON Services for Brian Wesley Graber will be held Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Magnolia Mennonite Church. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Cockrell Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Graber, 20, of Noxubee County, died Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004, at Grenada Lake Medical Center.
Survivors include his parents, Paul and Julia Graber; brothers, Joel Curtis, Quinten Ray, Dustin Lanell and Craig Lavern Graber; a sister, Amy Joe Graber, all of Brooksville; his grandparents, Ben and Silva Graber of Crawford and Oren and Margaret Heatwole of Bridgewater, Va.; his great-grandfather, Ezra Miller of Crawford; his great-grandmother, Vera Marie Heatwole of Dayton, Va.; and several aunts, uncles and cousins.
Memorials may be made to Magnolia Mennonite Church, Hurricane Relief of Florida or SLM Ministries of Romania.
Visitation will be today beginning at 6 p.m. at the church.
Retired
NEWTON Services for James Edward Garvin were held Thursday at 2 p.m. at James F. Webb Funeral Home chapel with the Revs. Joey Long and J.B. Costilow officiating. Burial was in Liberty Baptist Church cemetery.
Mr. Garvin, 60, of Newton, died Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2004, in his home. He was a retired brakeman for Norfork-Southern Railroad, a beef farmer and a poultry farmer. He was a member of Liberty Baptist Church, the American Legion and he served as past vice president of Newton Farm Supply,Inc. He also was a veteran of the U.S. Army and served in the Vietnam War.
Survivors include his wife, Sue Ezelle Garvin of Newton; a daughter, Michelle Maske and her husband, Michael, of Newton; sons, Lance S. Garvin and Chad L. Garvin and his wife, Jamie, all of Newton; his mother, Myrtie Bell Tillman Garvin of Newton; a brother, Jack Garvin of Newton; a sister, Mary Helen Kellum of Newton; and granddaughters, Hannah Grace Garvin and Savanna Leigh Maske, both of Newton.
He was preceded in death by his father, O.C. Garvin Sr. and a brother, O.C. Garvin Jr.
Pallbearers were Jimmy Sibley,Benny Sibley, Al Kennedy, Tony Ezell, J. Paul Everett and C.P. Mosby.
Honorary pallbearers were Al Snowden, Wayne Maske, Gerald Pogue, Ben Moore, Lewis James, Gary Tune, Kenny Monk, Freddie Ezelle, Ray Ezelle, Lynn Ezelle, Clyde Goss and Rutch Patch.
Arrangements were incomplete at James F. Webb Funeral Home for Mary Wilhite, 75, of Meridian, who died Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004, in Grand Rapids, Mich.