Obituaries for Wednesday, June 18, 2003

By Staff
Homemaker
NEWTON Graveside services for Josie Jeannette Haralson will be held today at 11 a.m. at Louin Cemetery with the Rev. Dr. Charles Douglas officiating. James F. Webb Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Haralson, 82, of Newton, died Tuesday, June 17, 2003, at Heartfelt Hospice of Newton. She was a member of Newton Presbyterian Church.
Survivors include her sons, Sonny Haralson and his wife, June, and Mickey Haralson, all of Newton; five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Hughbertis Haralson; a son, Walter Wayne Kennedy; her parents, Lee R. and Severa Simmons Holder.
Memorials may be made to Newton Presbyterian Church, 202 East Church St., Newton, MS 39345.
Retired auto mechanic
PHILADELPHIA Graveside services for Jimmy Randall Smith will be held today at 1 p.m. at Fellowship Cemetery in Neshoba County with the Rev. Dennis Duvall officiating. McClain-Hays Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Smith, 55, of Morton, died Monday, June 16, 2003, at Central Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army.
Survivors include his sons, Kenneth Smith, Jimmy K. Smith and Jeremy Smith, all of Jackson; seven grandchildren; sisters, Yvette Harvey of Philadelphia and Margie Long of Sebastopol; brothers, Terry Smith of Philadelphia and Earl Smith of Sebastopol.
FULTON Services for Billy Gene "Ghost" Gilliland will be held today at 2 p.m. at McNeece-Morris Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Danny Balint officiating. Burial will be in Liberty Grove Cemetery.
Mr. Gilliland, 70, of Meridian, died Monday, June 16, 2003, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
He was born Dec. 3, 1932, in Mississippi, to Luther and Rethie Summerford Gilliland. He was a graduate of IAHS and IJC, and attended the University of Mississippi.
He was a U.S. Navy veteran and served in the Korean Conflict on flight missions to assist the French in Vietnam in the 1950s. He worked in the tool and die department of Rockwell International after his military service.
As an entrepreneur, owner and interior decorator at Creative Interiors Inc., he sold drapery and carpeting nationwide. He was a respiratory therapist at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center for 17 years and repaired computers for the last few years. He served on the staff for Gov. Bill Waller. He was a member of the Bethany Baptist Church in Meridian. An avid IAHS and IJC fan, he ran chains at football games for many years. He enjoyed woodworking and making cabinets.
Survivors include his wife of 48 years, Margaret H. Gilliland of Meridian; three sons, Nickey A. Gilliland and his wife, Hollie, of Salt Lake City, Utah, Kenneth Wade Gilliland of Meridian and Robert Gene Gilliland and his wife, Sara, of Daytona, Beach, Fla.; daughters, Debra Harrison and her husband, Stennis, of Tupelo and Sharon Hurst and her husband, Mike, of Chunky; a sister, Betty Pearson of Fulton; 15 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother-in-law, Edward Leon "Peas" Pearson.
Pallbearers will be Eddie Pearson, Phil Pearson, Mickey Russell, Charles Chamblee, John Thompson and Matt Russell.
Construction worker
SEBASTOPOL Services for Emmett Battiest Jr. will be held today at 5 p.m. at Canaan Baptist Church in Philadelphia, with the Rev. Anderson Isaac officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery with Milling Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Battiest, 31, of Lawrence, Kan., died Thursday, June 12, 2003, in Lawrence.
Survivors include his mother, Evelyn Gayle Marris of Ardmore, Okla.; five sisters, Myra Battiest of Carthage, Jackie Matthews of Conehatta, Christina Marris, Lucinda Marris and Michelle Marris, all of Ardmore; brothers, Kyle Isaac of Conehatta and Conrad Nedd Jr. of Ardmore; and several nieces and nephews.
Independent grocery, laundry store owner
Services for Kenneth Wright will be held Thursday at 10 a.m. at Stephens Funeral Home chapel. Burial will be in Magnolia Cemetery.
Mr. Wright, 69, of Collinsville, died Tuesday, June 17, 2003, at The Specialty Hospital of Meridian. He was a member of Magnolia Bluegrass Association, Mississippi Bluegrass Association, Mississippi Ole Time Society and the International Society of Brakemen Association. He served in the U.S. Navy aboard the USS Esperance CVC88 during the Korean Conflict.
Survivors include his wife, Mary "Toni" Wright of Collinsville; daughters, Sabrena Ponds and her husband, Jim, of Houston, Texas, Brenda Wright of Quitman, Rhonda Mowry and her husband, Aaron, of Duncan, Okla., and Virginia Case and her husband, Dan, of Collinsville; grandchildren, Devon Ponds, Brett Ponds, Gracie Frances Daniels, Andy Nicholas Daniels and Dawson Mowry; a brother, Archie D. Wright of Collinsville; and a sister, Bonnie F. Rogers of Meridian. Another grandchild, Dillion Mowry, is expected to be born soon.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Harland Wright and Bertha Castle; and a brother, Richard T. Wright.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the funeral home.
SEBASTOPOL Services for Katherine Sharp Link will be held Thursday at 10 a.m. at Milling Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. J.B. Elam officiating. Burial will be in Sebastopol City Cemetery.
Mrs. Link, 66, of Burkville, Ala., died Tuesday, June 17, 2003, at Heartfelt Hospice in Newton. She was employed with Link Enterprises.
Survivors include a sister, Janice Warren of Sebastopol; a granddaughter; two nieces and a nephew.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Hamp Link and a son, Randy.
Visitation will be today from 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home.