By Staff
WILLIE JAMES WARREN
Retired U.S. Postal worker
Services for Willie James "Jamie" Warren will be held today at 1 p.m. at Stephens Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Nick Nicholson officiating. Burial will be in Meridian Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mr. Warren, 86, of Meridian, died Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2000, at Specialty Hospital. He was a member of Central United Methodist Church where he was also a member of the upper room Sunday school class. He also was a World War II veteran.
Survivors include his daughter, Jennifer W. James and her husband, Charles A., of Meridian; a brother, Otis Warren of Meridian; five sisters, Nannie W. Beall and Juanita W. Goodbread, both of Meridian, Omera W. Dodson of West Point, Sue W. Leary of Hampton, Va., and Jean W. Clark-Morton of Hueytown, Ala.; three grandchildren, Tony James and his wife, Angie, of Meridian, Donald James and his wife, Georgia, of Huntsville, Ala., and Eric James of Meridian; and five great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Sara Jackson Warren, his sons, William Jackson Warren and James Donald Warren, a brother, L.C. Warren and a sister, Pearl W. Lane.
Pallbearers will be Tony James, Donald James, Eric James, Michael Godwin, Charles Godwin, Scott Warren, M.L. "Sonny" Warren and Dr. Michael Taleff. Honorary pallbearers are Mitchell James, Dustin James and Nicholas James.
Visitation will be today from noon until service time.
The family requests memorials be made to Central United Methodist Church Building fund.
DOUGLAS HELMS
Maintenance supervisor
EUPORA Services for Douglas "Doug" Helms will be held today at 2 p.m. at Oliver Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Don Parrish officiating. Burial will be in Spring Valley Church Cemetery in Webster County.
Mr. Helms, 57, died Wednesday, Dec. 20, 2000, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
He was a member of First Baptist Church at Mathiston, an Army veteran and a Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center employee, where he retired after 26 years of service.
Survivors include his wife, Helen Neese Helms of Meridian; three daughters, Missy Helms McMullen of Starkville, Anitra Hester of Waynesville, N.C., and Brenda Campbell of Marion; five sons, Charles Helms of Collinsville, Jimmy Helms of Wichita, Kan., Earl Seward of Tyler, Texas, and Joe and David Seward, both of Meridian; three sisters, Jean Pogue of Eupora, Nell Wilcutt of Titus, Ala., and Patsy Methvin of Lexington, Ky.; three brothers, Louis B. Helms of Mathison, Casey Helms of Phoeba and Jerry Helms of Mathison; and 10 grandchildren.
FLETCHER ABRAHAM RHINEHART
Fletcher Abraham Rhinehart of Waynesboro, a widely respected community leader and successful businessman, died Wednesday after a lengthy illness. He was 84.
Mr. Rhinehart, a native of Greene County, served in the Navy aboard a destroyer during World War II. He moved to Waynesboro in 1950 and later opened and operated Rhinehart Feed and Milling Company, a thriving business that for more than 30 years served all of Wayne County in addition to surrounding counties in Mississippi and Alabama. He sold the business and retired in 1983.
Mr. Rhinehart was elected a member of the Board of Directors for First State Bank in April of 1964, a position he held until his resignation on April 1, 2000. Upon his retirement, the officers and directors of First State Bank immediately acknowledged his service, naming him Director Emeritus and praising him for his "leadership, wisdom and good common sense."
For his decades of service to Mississippi's agricultural interests, Mr. Rhinehart was named a member of the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Forestry Museum's Hall of Fame in Jackson, where a plaque below his photograph reads "Fletcher Rhinehart, Agriculture Leader, Farmer, Businessman, Public Servant."
In 1972, Mr. Rhinehart served as Wayne County Chairman of Sen. Trent Lott's first campaign for Congress. He had since been active in Republican party politics, attending the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan in 1981.
Mr. Rhinehart and his wife of 53 years, the former Wilodyne Muckelrath of Smith County, have been active members of First Methodist Church in Waynesboro, each serving in a variety of positions over the span of five decades.
Each of the Rhinehart's four children are accomplished educators and each has earned an advanced college degree. Their daughter, Rebecca Ann Rhinehart of Waynesboro, recently retired from the Biloxi School System, holds a specialist's degree in education and presently serves as a reading consultant. Beth Herring of Waynesboro earned a Ph.D. in education in 1999 and currently serves as third and fourth grade principal of Waynesboro Elementary School and serves as an adjunct professor for William Carey College. Ginger Houston of Springfield, Va., holds a master's degree in speech pathology, and a son Ken Rhinehart, of Hattiesburg, holds a master's degree in geology and serves as a professor of environmental science at the University of Southern Mississippi.
In addition to his wife and four children, Mr. Rhinehart is survived by two grandchildren, Kate Rhinehart Houston, 17, and Jeffery Powell Houston, 13, each of Springfield, Va., and by sons-in-law Russell Herring of Waynesboro and Tom Houston of Springfield, Va.
Viewing will be held at 5 p.m. today and funeral services will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at Freeman Funeral Home in Waynesboro. Burial services will be conducted in Greene County at the Sweetwater Cemetery located in the Pine Level community at 11:30 a.m.