OBITUARIES FOR FRIDAY, MAY 4, 2001

By Staff
BENJAMIN EDGAR MCMAHAN
Outback Steakhouse employee
Memorial services for Benjamin Edgar McMahan will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel.
Mr. McMahan, 21, of Daleville, died Monday, April 30, 2001, in Clarke County.
Survivors include his parents, Rick and Shirley Sevier, a sister, Kristi Marie Sevier and a brother, Cody Duane Sevier, all of Daleville; grandmothers, Murlene McMahan of Meridian and Sandra Sevier of New York; grandfather, Bob Sevier of Daleville; several uncles and aunts, Johnny and Genny McMahan and their children, Johnny C. Monika and Thomas McMahan of Germany, Wilmer and Eva Joe McMahan and their son, Ken Wright of Meridian, James Michael "Mike" McMahan, Terrie West and her daughter, Lindsey West of Meridian, Jeff and Dee Sevier and their children, Raven, Jarrod and Maggie Sevier, of Daleville and Gary and Judi Moorman of Pontotoc; and the very special love of his life, Casey Humphrey of Bailey.
He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Johnny Edgar McMahan.
The family requests that dress for the memorial service be informal or casual.
Visitation will be Saturday 30 minutes prior to the service.
RALPH WILSON IRBY
QUITMAN Services for Ralph Wilson Irby will be held Saturday at 10 am. at Rolling Creek Baptist Church with the Revs. Michael Soesby, Tony Meinhardt, Terry Irby and Terry Glasscock officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery with Wright's Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Irby, 88, died Thursday, May 3, 2001, at Rush Foundation Hospital. He was a lifetime resident of Clarke County and a graduate of Quitman High School. He was a Deacon at Rolling Creek Baptist Church and former treasurer. He will be remembered as a devoted husband, father and church member. His next love was hunting, a sport he enjoyed until his last day at home. He retired from Burlington Industries in 1976 and remained active with farming and activities with friends. He loved making new friends, sharing food from his garden and the cane syrup he made.
Survivors include his wife, Corene M. Irby, a son, Terry K. Irby, a retired minister, and a daughter, Linda I. McLendon, a nurse-midwife, all of Quitman; granddaughters, Diane I. Langley and her husband, David, of Birmingham, Ala., Lynne M. Blackburn of Quitman, and Tina I. Baker and her husband, Mike, of Mobile, Ala.; grandsons, Terrance Irby and his wife, Chandra, of Mobile and J. Sloan McLendon of Quitman; two great-grandsons, Caleb Langley and Ryan Irby; a niece, Bettye Dew and her husband, Perry, and a nephew, Tommy Irby, all of Quitman.
The family requests memorials be made to a special fund at Rolling Creek Baptist Church.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
AVAREE C. GARDNER
Services for Avaree C. Gardner will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Ray Boyd officiating. Burial will be in Meridian Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mrs. Gardner, 75, of Meridian, died Wednesday, May 2, 2001, at Guardian Angel Hospice. She lived in the Lost Gap Community and was a member of Lost Gap Methodist Church.
Survivors include a daughter, Irene Sass, two sons, Robert Jeffery Gardner and his wife, Jennifer, and James E. Gardner Sr. and his wife, Edith, all of Meridian; two sisters, Hazel Wright and her husband, James C., of Marion and Callie Mae Ivy and her husband, George, of Douglasville, Ga.; three brothers, J.W. Cooley and his wife, Ann, of Meridian, John Cooley and William Cooley, both of Petal; 10 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, three step-grandchildren and six step-great-grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Jessie J. Gardner.
Pallbearers will be her grandsons, Jimmy, Jessie, Randy and Ricky Gardner, Billy and Robbie Wright and Danny and Paul Smith.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home.
CLARA PEGGY MAHER HORGAN
HAMMOND, La. Services for Clara Peggy Maher Horgan will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Grace Memorial Episcopal Church. Burial will be in the church cemetery with Harry McKneely and Son Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Horgan, 79, of Hammond, died Wednesday, May 3, 2001, in her home. She was a native of Meridian, Miss. She was the beloved wife of the late Hunter Hudson Horgan Jr. and the mother of the late Rev. Hunter Hudson Horgan III, all of new Orleans.
Mrs. Horgan was retired from the Louisiana State Highway Department, was a Duplicate Bridge Bronze Master and an active member of St. Margaret's Guild of Grace Memorial Episcopal Church.
Survivors include three children, Ms. Jon Horgan Kemp of Hammond and Dauphin Island, Ala., Porter S. Horgan of Hammond and Kay Horgan Hardee of Houston, Texas; a sister, Jewell M. Barker of Slidell; 10 grandchildren, Heather Kemp Travis, Duncan S. Kemp IV, Jonathan R. Kemp, Trion P. Horgan and Katie A. Horgan, all of Hammond, Shauna Horgan Miller of Fort Worth, Texas, and Hunter H. Horgan IV of New York, Terrell Taylor Michael of Denton, Texas, Leroy G. Taylor III of Toronto, Canada, and Arianne Hardee of Houston, Texas.
She was also preceded in death by her parents, John M. Maher and Carrie Terrell Maher, of Meridian.
The family requests memorials be made to North Oaks Hospice, P.O. Box 2668, Hammond, LA 70404 or Grace Memorial Episcopal Church, 100 West Church St., Hammond, LA 70401.
ARTHUR F. WOODWARD SR.
Retired tractor dealership owner
PHILADELPHIA Services for Arthur F. "Bud" Woodward Sr. will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Noxapater Baptist Church, with the Revs. Kevin White and Chris Vowell officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Winston County with McClain-Hays Funeral Service, Inc. in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Woodward, 78, of Noxapater, died Wednesday, May 2, 2001, at Winston County Medical Center. He was a retired tractor dealership owner and World War II veteran.
Survivors include a son, Fred Woodward of Snedens Landing, N.Y.; a daughter, Beverly Woodward Rines of Tallahassee, Fla.; and two grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Annie Ruth Woodward.
The family requests memorials be made to Noxapater Baptist Church.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
SIM COLE LOGGER
DEKALB Services for Sim Cole will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Green Hill Baptist Church, with the Rev. Evan E. McDonald officiating. Burial will be in Salem Cemetery in Toomsuba with E.E. McDonald Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Cole, 79, of Meridian, died Monday, April 30, 2001, at Riley Nursing Center. He was employed as a logger.
Survivors include a brother, Grady Cole of Lauderdale and a number of nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.
Visitation will be Saturday from Noon-1p.m. at the church.
MAXIE L. DAWSON
Arrangements were incomplete at E.E. McDonald Funeral Home for Maxie L. Dawson, 55, of DeKalb, who died Wednesday, May 2, 2001, at Rush Foundation Hospital.
EMMETT LEE MELTON
Arrangements were incomplete at Webb Funeral Home for Emmett Lee Melton, 89, of Enterprise, who died Thursday, May 3, 2001, in Quitman.