Obituaries for Sunday, June 22, 2003

By Staff
ALEXANDRIA, Va. Graveside memorial services with full military honors for Wilsford A. Haag Jr. were held Tuesday at 1 p.m. in Arlington National Cemetery where his late wife was buried.
Mr. Haag, 68, a Meridian, Miss. native, died Tuesday, June 3, 2003, in a hospital in Alexandria. Mr. Haag was educated in Meridian and did his college work while in military service. His friends and acquaintances will recall that in earlier years in Meridian, he played saxophone in a musical ensemble called the Downbeats. The other musicians were Randall Wood, Buck Hall and Allen Kirby.
In later years, Mr. Haag was active in such organizations as the Masons and the Elks. By the time of his retirement from the Army, he had reached the rank of chief warrant officer. Following retirement from the Army, he and his daughter, Stacy, operated a private investigation service in Alexandria.
Survivors include his daughter, Stacy Haag of Alexandria; his father, Wilsford A. Haag Sr. of Meridian; a sister, Julianne Noblin of Jackson, Miss.; daughters, Cheryl Rush of Alexandria; Karen Sheleg of Rougemont, N.C.; a son, Robert Haag and four grandchildren.
Graveside services for Ruth Miller Poynter will be held Monday at 10 a.m. at Magnolia Cemetery with the Rev. Anne Davis Brumfield officiating. Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Poynter, 86, of Memphis, formerly of Meridian, died Friday, June 20, 2003, in Memphis. Mrs. Poynter had lived in Memphis for the past two years, but was a longtime resident of Meridian. She was a native of Columbus and moved to Meridian in 1940.
As a member of First Baptist Church, Mrs. Poynter served many years as superintendent of the primary Sunday School department. An avid golfer and member of the Northwood Ladies Golf Association, she was also a volunteer for many years with Rush Hospital's Pink Ladies, the American Red Cross, and Meals on Wheels.
Mrs. Poynter was an active associate of the Meridian Junior Auxiliary and was honored in 1968 by being chosen Queen of the Meridian Junior Auxiliary Charity Ball.
Survivors include her daughter, Margaret Poynter McPherson and her husband, Tom, of Germantown, Tenn.; her son, Hayden Clarence Poynter Jr. and his wife, Susan, of Atlanta; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Hayden Clarence "Pete" Poynter.
Services for Earline Pearson will be held Monday at 11 a.m. at Long Pilgrim Baptist Church in Forest with the Rev. George Dawson officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery with Clark's Memorial Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Pearson, 87, of Meridian, died Thursday, June 19, 2003, at Rush Foundation Hospital.
Survivors include a special niece, Saretha Pearson of Meridian; four nieces, Arlillian Wooden and Patsy Wooden, both of Indianopolis; Pamela Wooden of Chicago; and Shirley Little of Meridian; three nephews, Cecil Reed, Odell Wooden Jr., Keith Wooden, all of Indianopolis.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Levi Pearson, and her parents, Ollie Luckett and Carrie Coleman.
Visitation will be today from 5 p.m.-6 p.m. at the funeral home and one hour prior to the service at the church.
Services for Betty M. White will be held Monday at 11:30 a.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Hubert Rutherford and Jack Kern officiating. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Mrs. White, 73, of Meridian, died Saturday, June 21, 2003, at her home. She was a member of Bethel United Methodist Church and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Survivors include her husband, Andrew White Jr. of Meridian; three daughters, Letha Fleischer and her husband, Fred, Joyce White, and Ann Wallace and her husband, Ben, three granddaughters, Sherry Butler, Melody Cashion and Tiffany Daw, four great-grandchildren, a sister, Ina Hubbard and several nieces, nephews and sisters-in-law.
She was preceded in death by her brother, W.L. Morgan.
Visitation will be today from 2 p.m.-5 p.m. at the funeral home.
Memorial services for Micheal D. Bunch will be held Monday at 2:30 p.m. at Barham Funeral Home.
Mr. Bunch, 36, of Meridian, died Wednesday, June 18, 2003, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
Survivors include his wife, Donna Bunch, his daughter, Frances LeAnn Bunch, both of Meridian; two sons, Jonthan Slayton of Greenwood; and Christopher Slayton of Kansas City; his father, L.V. Bunch of Meridian; his sister, Martha Kylo and her husband, Steve, of Ellingbery, Wash.; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Gary Bunch, his mother, Frances Bunch, and his step-mother, Vallie Bunch.
Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.
Services for Lela Bell Ward will be held Thursday at noon at New Prospect Baptist Church with the Rev. Eddie B. Cryer officiating. Burial will be in St. John Baptist Church cemetery in Ward, Ala., with Clark's Memorial Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Ward, 88, of Meridian, died Thursday, June 19, 2003, at Guardian Angel Hospice.
Survivors include her daughter, Dorothy Anderson and her husband, Henry, of Russell; a son, Robert Ward Sr. and his wife, Joanna, of Meridian; 17 grandchildren, 45 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Ward, her parents, Hence and Connie Ausbrooks and three children.
Visitation will be Wednesday from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. at the chapel and one hour prior to the service at the church.
Services for Isabella Sims will be held Thursday at 1 p.m. at Enterprise Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Raymond Conley of Chicago officiating. Burial will be in New Prospect Baptist Church Cemetery.
Ms. Sims, 43, died Tuesday, June 17, 2003, in Meridian.
Survivors include her mother, Georgia Sims of Meridian; sons, David Sims of Chicago; and Eugene Sims of Meridian; a daughter, Marietta Sims of Meridian; brothers, Raymond Sims, George Sims, Edward Sims, Lenardo Sims, Richard Sims, Vernon Sims and Aaron Sims, all of Chicago; three sisters, Vanessa Sims, Ramona Sims and Charlotte Sims, all of Chicago; two grandchildren and a very special friend, Perry Grant of Meridian.
Visitation will be held Wednesday from 6 p.m.-7 p.m. at the funeral home.
Arrangements were incomplete at Barham Funeral Home for Judy Carol Phylaw Bunn, 45, of Woodstock, Ala., who died Saturday, June 21, 2003 at her home.
Arrangements were incomplete at Clark's Memorial Funeral Home for Gertrude P. King, 50, of Meridian, who died Friday, June 20, 2003 at Riley Hospital.