Obituaries for Sunday, March 30, 2003

By Staff
retired
PHILADELPHIA Services for Bobby Jack Edwards will be held today at 2 p.m. at McClain-Hays Funeral Service Chapel with the Revs. Dudley Winstead and Guy McGarrity officiating. Burial will be in Steam Mill Cemetery in Neshoba County.
Mr. Edwards, 71, of Carthage, died Friday, March 28, 2003, at his residence. He was a retired truck driver. He was a veteran of the Mississippi National Guard.
Survivors include his wife, Doris Edwards; four daughters, Sandra Lathem, Janet Dickerson, Jackie Wilson and Brenda Wilson, all of Sebastopol; eight grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; a step-daughter, Robin Stone; two step-sons, Jimmy Wilcher Sr. of Walnut Grove and Rusty Wilcher also of Edinburg; 11 step-grandchildren; seven step-great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Bonnie Taylor of Union and Mary Harbour of Monticello.
retired
NEWTON Services for Edell Harris Kite will be held Monday at 10 a.m. at James F. Webb Funeral Home Chapel in Newton with the Rev. Ken McLemore officiating. Burial will be DeCedar Baptist Church Cemetery.
Mrs. Kite, 82, of Newton, died Saturday, March 29, 2003, at Newton Regional Hospital. She was retired assistant manager for the Newton Co.
Survivors include one daughter, Peggy Harvey and her husband, Ronnie, of Lake; a sister, Laverne Bean of Newton; a brother, James Lavelle Harris of Newton; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, J.B. Kite, and a son, Jerry Kite.
Visitation is today from 4 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
KOSCIUSKO Services for Johnnie Burch will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at Culpepper Funeral Services Chapel in Kosciusko with the Rev. Bobby Roberson officiating. Burial will be in Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Carthage.
Mrs. Burch, 74, of Carthage, died Friday, March 28, 2003, at St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include a son, David McCullough of Meridian; two daughters, Barbara Smith and Patricia Rainwater, both of Greenville; a brother, Tommy Robinson of Richton; a sister, Ola Wilson of Greenville; nine grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by two daughters in law, Gloria Ince Harlow and Edna McCullough; and a brother, John Dempsey.
Visitation is today from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. at the funeral home.
MACON Graveside services for Annie "Dukie" Knight will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at Odd Fellows Cemetery in Macon with the Rev. Dr. Carl White of Meridian officiating. Cockrell Funeral Home of Macon and McLane Funeral Services of Valdosta, Ga., are in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Knight, 88, of Columbus, died Friday, March 28, 2003, at Presbyterian Home in Quitman, Ga. She was born in 1915 to the late Rev. Camulous Monroe Morris and Dorothy Morris.
Mrs. Knight taught music at Franklin Academy and was an active member of First Baptist Church in Columbus. She was active in the Daughters of the American Revolution, Music Study Club, Garden Club and the First Baptist music program.
Survivors include two sons, William Donald Knight Jr. and his wife, Jane, of Atlanta, and Paul Morris Knight of Columbus; two daughters, Karen Knight Hornsby and her husband, Jim, of Valdosta, Ga., and Beverly Knight Gallion of Meridian; six grandchildren, Catherine Morris Knight and her husband, Dan Hamrick, also of Atlanta, Jennie Sykes Knight and her husband, Rouslan Elistratov of Decatur, Ga., Camulous Kimbrough Hornsby and his wife, Erin, of Memphis, Tenn., Hilary Hornsby Gibbs and her husband, Andy, of Valdosta, Ga., Lindsey Gallion Swift and her husband, Chris, of Meridian, and Sarah Bridges Gallion of Jackson; three great-grandchildren, Catherine Jane "Katie" Quackenboss, also of Atlanta, William "Will" Bridges Swift also of Meridian and Hayden James Hornsby, also of Memphis, Tenn.
She was preceded in death by her husband, William Donald Knight; an infant son, Barry Knight; a brother, Dr. L.B. Morris of Macon; and five sisters, Margie C. Morris and Cammie Shackelford, both of Columbus, Lynn "Mae" Martin of Macon, Cela Spivey of Jackson and Lael Morris.
The family requests that memorials be made to the First Baptist Church Library in Columbus or the Arthritis Foundation.
Services for the Rev. James Croft will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Mount Olive Baptist Church with the Revs. Willie Croft and Zachary Operton officiating. Burial will be in Green Grove Cemetery with Berry and Gardner Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Rev. Croft, 82, of Chunky, died Wednesday, March 26, 2003, at Rush Foundation Hospital. He was pastor of Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Newton.
Survivors include his wife, Freda C. Croft; a daughter, Kymberly Croft, also of Chunky; two sons, Willie Earl Croft and his wife, Dorothy, and Jaron Croft, also of Chunky; a brother, the Rev. Willie Croft, also of Chunky; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Visitation is today from 5 p.m.-7 p.m. at Mount Moriah Baptist Church and on Monday from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Services for Pearlie Manuel will be held Wednesday at 1 p.m. at Meridian Memorial Park Cemetery with Berry and Gardner Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Manuel, 91, of Meridian, died Wednesday, March 26, 2003, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. She was a homemaker.
Survivors include a daughter, Betty Lee; an adopted son, Jonas Crenshaw; six grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be Tuesday from 6 p.m.-7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Arrangements were incomplete at James F. Webb Funeral Home for Charles Rhodes, 94, of Meridian, who died Saturday, March 29, 2003, at his home.