OBITUARIES FOR SUNDAY, JULY 1, 2001

By Staff
WALTER BENNY RILEY
Retired from Mid State
NEWTON Services for Walter Benny Riley will be held today at 2:30 p.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel, with the Revs. David Airhart, Jackie Strebeck and Ray Boyd officiating. Burial will be in Lebanon Cemetery.
Mr. Riley, 69, of Hickory, died Thursday, June 28, 2001, at Conva-Rest of Newton. He was a member of Sand Springs Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Margaret Hurst Riley of Hickory; two sons, Danny Riley of Little Rock, Ark., and Keith Riley of Meridian; two grandchildren, Lucas and Alisha Riley of Little Rock, Ark.; seven brothers and sisters, Evelyn Tillman, Katherine Harris, Frances Kidd, and Edward Kittrell, all of Meridian, Earl Kittrell of Laurel, Larry Kittrell and Buddy Kittrell, both of California; several step-children and step-grandchildren; and his faithful dog, Rex.
He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Gertrude Riley Kittrell and Ezra Walter Riley; his step-father, Timothy Kittrell Sr. and a brother, Carlous Riley.
Pallbearers will be Dale McNair, Willie Wallace, Larry Fitzgerald, Clay Chapman, Kenneth Neese and Aaron Cooley.
Honorary pallbearers will be Dr. Austin Boggan, Albert Carr, Don Mulford, Otis Russell, James Nelson, Bob Kuehn, Clint Russell, Charles Seals, Lee Johnson, Raymond Ledlow, William Brackeen, J. Elliott McMullan, David Kerr and Bill Johnson.
LENA PEARL CHANEY
Retired grocery store clerk
PHILADELPHIA Services for Lena Pearl Chaney will be held today at 3 p.m. at McClain-Hays Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Jimmie Gunn, Kim Wolverton and Kim Poe officiating. Burial will be in Eastlawn Cemetery.
Mrs. Chaney, 77, of Philadelphia, died Friday, June 29, 2001, at her home. She was a native and lifelong resident of Neshoba County and a member of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Edinburg. She was a retired grocery store clerk with Lewis Grocery Co.
Survivors include her husband, A.J. Chaney; three daughters, Bobbie Bozeman, Peggy Clark and Jackie Hester and her husband, Johnnie; a son, James Frank Chaney and his wife, Nancy, all of Philadelphia; 10 grandchildren, Shana Chaney, Mandy Chaney, Steve Bozeman, Lisa Bozeman, Janna Castleman, Sheila Jones, Eddie Gilmer, Gary Gilmer, Leigh Ann Rush and Wes Hester; 13 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Bobby Dees, Alex Dees, Chuck Fox, Ross Tingle, Larry Nicholson, Rex Pike, Danny Hicks, Mack Robinson and Robert Smith.
GROVER C. HAMILTON
Carpenter
Graveside services for Grover C. "G.C." Hamilton will be held today at 3 p.m. at Goodwater Cemetery with Roger Welborn officiating. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Hamilton, 68, of Meridian, died Friday, June 29, 2001, at Riley Hospital. He was a carpenter.
Survivors include two daughters, Helen Welborn and Cynthia Powe, both of Meridian; two sisters, Delores Hobart and her husband, Mattie, of Mobile, Ala., and Carlee Smith of Meridian; a brother, R.C. Hamilton; nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
He was preceded in death by a son, James Aubrey Hamilton.
DOROTHY GRESSETT SPEED COKER RUDDER
Homemaker
Services for Dorothy Gressett Speed Coker Rudder will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at Enterprise Baptist Church with the Revs. Richard Cothern and Taylor Wallace officiating. Burial will be in Enterprise Cemetery with Barham Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Rudder, 86, of Quitman, died Friday, June 29, 2001, at Golden Meadow Specialty Care in Quitman. She was a homemaker and a member of Enterprise Baptist Church. She spent many years caring for elderly people in the community.
Survivors include a daughter, Evelyn Mallard and her husband, Clatis; four sons, Charles A. Speed and his wife, Bessie D., Paul L. Speed and his wife, Mary, Edward E. Speed and his wife, Judy, all of Enterprise and Jimmie R. Speed and his wife, Margarita of Madrid, Spain; a brother, Raymond W. Gressett of Suquelena; four sisters, Kathryn Freeman of Suquelena, Mattie Wedgeworth of Meridian, Marie Rockford of McComb and Mary E. Rutherford of Collinsville; 10 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Carrie Gressett; her husbands, Charlie E. Speed, Tom Coker and Gus Rudder and a brother, Robert "Bob" Gressett.
Pallbearers will be grandsons, Edwin, David, Bob, DeWayne, Joel and Abe Speed.
Visitation will be today from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home and 30 minutes prior to the service at the church.
FELDER TURNAGE
Retired carpenter
Graveside services for Felder Turnage will be held Monday at 2 p.m. at Long Creek Baptist Church Cemetery with the Rev. Jim Meadows officiating. Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Turnage, 94, of Meridian, died Friday, June 29, 2001, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. He was retired from the local carpenters union.
Survivors include three children, Milton Wayne Turnage and his wife, Orene, of Alexandria, La., Eloise Walker and her husband, Gene, of Biloxi and Anita Bounds and her husband, William, of Meridian; six grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; a sister, Edgie Bunn of Jackson and two brothers, Tellie Turnage and his wife, Iris of Columbia and Shelby Turnage and his wife, Polly, of California.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
LORENA C. WATKINS
Homemaker
Graveside services for Lorena C. Watkins will be held Monday at 2 p.m. at Magnolia Cemetery with the Rev. James Rickles officiating. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Watkins, 88, of Meridian, died Friday, June 29, 2001, at Beverly Health Care. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include five children, Beaver Watkins and his wife, Ouida Faye, Ned Watkins and his wife, Norma and Wilma Rickles and her husband, James all of Meridian, Elaine Reynolds and her husband, Jimmy of Spring, Texas and Marie Davis of Jackson; 16 grandchildren; 18 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, George Leslie Watkins Sr. and a son-in-law, Bruce Davis.
Visitation will be today from 4 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
FANNIE DAVIS
Arrangements were incomplete at Berry and Gardner Funeral Home for Fannie Davis, 62, of Meridian, who died Friday, June 29, 2001, at Guardian Angel Hospice.