Obituaries for Monday, October 18, 2004

By Staff
Retired U.S. Postal Service
GILBERTOWN, Ala. Graveside services for Birdell Luke will be held today at 11 a.m. at Rest Haven Cemetery with the Rev. Scotty Fulcher officiating. Phillips Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Luke, 83, of Gilbertown, died Saturday, Oct. 16, 2004, in Gilbertown.
Survivors include his wife, Lillie H. Luke of Gilbertown; sons, L.C. Luke, Marvin Luke, Lavon Luke and Johnny Luke; daughters, Dianne Flowers and Bonnie J. Lentz; step-daughters, Joy Mosley of Gilbertown and Wanda Phillips of Luling, La.; a daughter-in-law, Evelyn Luke of Benton; seven brothers; a sister; 21 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren.
Retired
DEKALB Graveside services for Robert P. "Bob" McKie Sr. will be held today at 1:30 p.m. at Center Ridge Baptist Church Cemetery with the Revs. Sam J. Hull and Lannis May officiating. Stephens Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. McKie, 90, of DeKalb, died Saturday, Oct. 16, 2004, at Mississippi Care Center in DeKalb. He was owner of Kemper Motor Company for 38 years. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and served in World War II. He was a member of DeKalb United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Kate Ross McKie of DeKalb; daughters, Katha Stephens and her husband, Tommy, of Daleville and Peggy McKie-Bell and her husband, Clayton, of Birmingham, Ala.; a son, Robert P. "Bob" McKie Jr. and his wife, Janet, of DeKalb; three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren; sisters, Nell Sherrod and her husband, Charlie, of Monroe, La., and Sarah Hyde of Jackson, Mass.; and a brother, Bill McKie of Batesville.
Pallbearers will be John Creekmore, Robert Van Kilpatrick, John Lee Harbour, Mitch Mosley, Billy Brown and Clayton Bell.
Retired
PHILADELPHIA Services for Rex Lewis will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Beatline Baptist Church in Neshoba County with the Revs. Ben McDaniel and Dr. Dan Howard officiating. Burial will be in Eastlawn Cemetery in Philadelphia. McClain-Hays Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Lewis, 68, of Philadelphia, died Saturday, Oct. 16, 2004, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. He was a native of Neshoba County and a member of Beatline Baptist Church where he served on many committees. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and served from 1958-1963, and retired with the rank of sergeant. He was retired from U.S. Steel as a salesman in the oil well supply industry. He was a member of the Philadelphia Masonic Lodge No. 93. After his retirement, he discovered his God-given talent for woodworking and generously shared his beautiful works with family and friends. He will be remembered for his love of people, his happy smile, his encouragement of others and as a favorite person to all who knew him.
Survivors include his wife, Sue Luke Lewis; his mother, Eschol Lewis; a sister, Nell Cheatham; a niece, Reina Coats and her husband, Benjie; nephews, Robbie Cheatham and his wife, Pam, Kevin Cheatham and his wife, Jackie; great-nephews, Ross and Ben Cheatham, all of Philadelphia; step-sons, Jimmy Luke and his wife, Judy, of Germantown, Tenn., and Danny Ray Luke and his wife, Gayle, of Philadelphia; grandchildren, Anna Frances Luke, Ray Luke, Jimmy Luke II, Victoria Luke and Jennifer Luke.
He was preceded in death by sons, Rexford George Lewis Jr. and Rexford Jason Lewis; his father, R.G. Lewis; and a brother-in-law, Creed Cheatham.
Pallbearers will be Jack Ryals, Jack Bates, Alvis Apperson, Jim Blackburn, Joe Powell and David Lindsay.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Arrangements were incomplete at James F. Webb Funeral Home in Newton for Wydell B. Rush, 78, of Newton, who died Sunday, Oct. 17, 2004, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.