Obituaries for Tuesday, March 19, 2002

By Staff
DEANNA MARIE MENA
District attorney office clerk
Services for Deanna Marie Mena will be held Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Stonewall Methodist Church with the Rev. Len McRaney officiating. Burial will be in Stonewall Cemetery with Stephens Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Ms. Mena, 37, of Stonewall, died Friday, March 15, 2002, in Sevierville, Tenn.
Survivors include her parents, Olgene and Linda Mena of Stonewall; her biological father, Carl Springs of Barrington, N.J.; a son, Jonathan Michael Mena of Stonewall; maternal grandparents, Doris and J.P. Dean of Stonewall; maternal grandmother, Eleze Walker of Collinsville; paternal grandmother, Vera Mean of Quitman; and her fiance, Terry Kim Simpson of Enterprise.
She was preceded in death by her grandfather, Joe Mena; and her great-grandfather, Ray Walker.
Visitation will be today 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home and 30 minutes prior to the service.
ESTHER MAE MITCHUM
Homemaker
BUTLER, Ala. Services for Esther Mae Mitchum were to be held today at 10 a.m. at Bumpers Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Dennis Kennedy officiating. Burial was to be in New Lusk Cemetery.
Mrs. Mitchum, 81, of Gilbertown, died Sunday, March 17, 2002, at Benchmark Health Care Center.
Survivors include three grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
BILLIE A. GIBSON HEATH
COLUMBUS Services for Billie A. Gibson Heath were to be held today at 10 a.m. at Lowndes Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. John Ed Thomas officiating. Graveside services will follow in Meridian Memorial Park Cemetery in Meridian at 3 p.m.
Mrs. Heath, 75, of Columbus, died Sunday, March 17, 2002, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle.
Survivors include her husband, Robert L. Heath of Columbus; a daughter, Lisa Carol Heath Simmons and her husband, Bobby, of Augusta, S.C.; a sister, Jackie A. Gibson Smith of Collinsville; two granddaughters and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas J. and Luna Freeman Gibson.
The family requests memorials be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 303, Columbus, MS 39703.
VESTER BERNARD PALMER
Retired butcher
Services for Vester Bernard Palmer will be held today at 1 p.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Jason Bird officiating. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Memory Gardens.
Mr. Palmer, 83, of Meridian, died Sunday, March 17, 2002, at Beverly HealthCare-Broadmoor. He was a member of Fifteenth Avenue Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon. He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the U.S. Marines and a mason. Mr. Palmer was a longtime butcher at Joe Burnett Grocery Store and the Navy base. He was a member of the VFW and a volunteer with AARP.
Survivors include his wife, Mary M. Palmer of Meridian; a daughter, Carolyn Palmer Kirk of Pensacola, Fla.; a son, Henry Palmer and his wife, Jan, of Meridian; grandchildren, Daniel Kirk III, Casey Kirk, Hap Palmer, Gil Palmer and David Palmer; a great-grandson, Jackson Henry Palmer; and a sister, Ruby Sullivan of Louisville.
He was preceded in death by two sisters, Lillie Burnett and Frances Eaves; brothers, Theron Palmer, Grady Palmer, Troy Palmer and Vardaman Palmer.
Pallbearers will be Daniel Kirk III, Casey Kirk, Hap Palmer, Gil Palmer, David Palmer, Delane Stokes, Charles Henry Stokes, Paul Davis and Sam Goldman.
Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Bobby Adams Sunday School Class: Charlie Bancroft, George Booker, Doug Burt, Wade Chatam, Ayrrell Clayton, Bill Combs, Murl Deweese, Heyward Dillard, Buck Greene, Flynt McCraw, Red McKinney, Cecil Miller, Joe Miller, Joseph Reeves, Howard Smith, Elton Snowden, Charles Swain, George Temple, Howard Thrash, Dick Wiggins, Foman Windham and Dr. Bobby Adams; Jeff Luke and Ross Cheatham.
The family requests memorials be made to Fifteenth Avenue Baptist Church Building Fund.
VERNA MAE DAUGHERTY
Homemaker
QUITMAN Services for Verna Mae Daugherty will be held today at 2 p.m. at Wright's Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Dale Eakes and Donald Campbell officiating. Burial will be in Hurricane Cemetery in Melvin, Ala.
Mrs. Daugherty, 89, of Waynesboro, died Sunday, March 17, 2002, at Total Care Nursing Center.
Survivors include a son, James E. Daugherty of Trinity, Texas; a daughter, Ava Braddock and a sister, Minnie Lee Smith of Quitman; four grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
ETHAN E. MOORE
Owner of Moore Funeral Service
HATTIESBURG Services for Ethan E. Moore will be held Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. at Temple Baptist Church. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery with Moore Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Moore, 77, of Hattiesburg, died Sunday, March 17, 2002, at Forrest General Hospital. He was a native of Lauderdale County and a veteran of World War II, serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps.
Survivors include his wife, Ann Ash Moore, sons, Steve Moore, Greg Moore and David Moore, all of Hattiesburg; sisters, Evelyn Kenney of Newport News, Va., and Dot Bridges of Pensacola, Fla.; and seven grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, the Rev. Earl and Viva Moore; and a sister, Alice Caldwell.
The family requests memorials be made to the American Heart Association or the American Diabetes Foundation.
Visitation will be today 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
DONALD P. GORDON
Retired Western Auto store manager
Memorial services for Donald P. "Don" Gordon will be held at a later date.
Mr. Gordon, 76, of Meridian, died Saturday, March 16, 2002, at the VA Hospital in Jackson.
Survivors include three daughters, Donna Gordon Haywood and her husband, Phil, Emilie Nobles and Phyllis Gordon Maxwell and her husband, Tom; a son, Donald Phillip Gordon Jr.; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Ruby Gordon; and a son-in-law, Butch Nobles.
The family requests memorials be made to the Diabetes Foundation of Mississippi or the G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery Nursing Home in Jackson.
LAMAR HESTER
Retired from Chevron Oil Company
Graveside services for Lamar Hester were held Monday at 9 a.m. at Magnolia Cemetery with the Rev. James Ruffin officiating. Stephens Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Hester, 76, of Meridian, died Thursday, March 14, 2002, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. He was a veteran of World War II.
Survivors include two sons, Eddy and Tommy Hester, and two daughters, Kay and Susan Hester, all of Meridian; a brother, Harold H. Hester of Sarasota, Fla.; and two grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his friend and former wife, Katherine Hester.
JACK R. MUNN
Arrangements were incomplete at Barham Funeral Home for Jack R. Munn, 68, of Meridian, who died Tuesday, March 19, 2002, in his home.
GEORGE E. MANGRUM
Arrangements were incomplete at Clark's Memorial Funeral Home for George E. Mangrum, 59, of Meridian, who died Monday, March 18, 2002, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.