By Staff
Band director
Graveside services for Curtis James Holditch will be held Thursday at 10 a.m. at Pleasant Grove Cemetery with the Rev. David Wilkinson officiating. Stephens Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Holditch, 54, of Meridian, died Monday, June 23, 2003, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. He was the band director at Southeast Lauderdale High School. He was a member of Meridian Community Band, where he served as concert master of the Meridian Woodwinds Ensemble and was a member of the MCC Jazz Band and Flute Choir.
He played in the U.S. Army's First Army Band and a veteran of the U.S. Army serving in Vietnam.
Survivors include his step-father, Gene Reece of Lauderdale; a sister, Pat Hunter and her husband, John, of Memphis, Tenn.; aunts, Mrs. Ray "Sis" Price of Laurel and Mrs. Fred Mayatt of Collinsville; and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Memorials may be made to the Southeast Lauderdale High School Band.
Visitation will be today 6 p.m.-9 p.m. at the funeral home.
Services for Odessa B. Howard will be held today at 11:30 a.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Danny Wilkinson and Andy Ray officiating. Burial will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery.
Mrs. Howard, 83, of Russell, died Monday, June 23, 2003, in her home. She was a member of Lauderdale United Methodist Church and loved her family, church, friends and gardening.
Survivors include her sons, Aubry E. Howard of Meridian, Gwyn Howard and his wife, Terry, of Mobile, Ala., and Cleo Howard of Stonewall; daughters, Melba H. White and her husband, James, of Toomsuba and Alma H. MaHaffey of Macon; 14 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, the Rev. Earl Howard; her parents, Samuel Harvey and Mary Alma Bright; brothers, Ernest Bright, Cassell Bright and Cleo Bright; sisters, Dollie Mae Pigg and Odell Burnside.
Memorials may be made to the Diabetes Association, Lauderdale United Methodist Church or the American Cancer Society.
Pallbearers will be Ricky Simons, Chubby Brown, Buddy Taylor, John Felder, Mark Brown and John Gaynor.
Retired school teacher
NEWTON Services for Beth Hill McGee will be held today at 2 p.m. at Barham Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Henry Moreau officiating. Burial will be in Newton County Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
Mrs. McGee, 94, of Starkville, died Sunday, June 22, 2003, in her home. She was a member of Faith Presbyterian Church in Canton, Ga. She taught English for many years and was a Sunday school teacher at Hickory Baptist Church for many years. She was a former member of Central Presbyterian Church in Jackson.
Survivors include daughters, Bettie Wolverton and her husband, Dr. Keith Wolverton, of Decatur, Sara Moreau and her husband, the Rev. Henry Moreau, and Rachel Katzer and her husband, David, of Rural Hall, N.C.; sons, Chalmers McGee Jr. and his wife, Juanita, of Hickory, William H. McGee and his wife, Patsy, of Starkville, Joseph M. McGee of Hickory and Mayor Gene F. McGee and his wife, Jane, of Ridgeland; sisters, Ruth Massell of Port Gibson, Marion Weersing of Clinton, S.C., Adeline Ostwalt of Davidson, N.C., Rachel Owens of Purvis and Gene McDaniel of Birmingham, Ala.; 17 grandchildren and 32 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Jessie Chalmers McGee Sr.; a son, James Fogartie McGee; a sister, Margaret Edwards; and a brother, William H. Hill.
Memorials may be made to Faith Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 1656, Canton, GA 30114 or a charity of choice.
Pallbearers will be her grandsons.
Visitation will be today one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.
Homemaker
CALHOUN CITY Services for Eula "Ms. Chick" Bullard Davis will be held Thursday at 10 a.m. at Pryor Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Jason Brock and Billy McCord officiating. Burial will be in Pleasant Hill Cemetery.
Mrs. Davis, 89, of Calhoun City, died Tuesday, June 24, 2003, at Floy Dyer Manor in Houston.
Survivors include her daughters, Joy Barry of Butler, Ohio, Paula Davis and Barbara Davis, both of Calhoun City, Susan Ray of Anguilla; sons, Tommy Davis of Scooba, Bill Davis of Vardaman, Ken Davis of Hazlehurst and Harry Davis of Calhoun City; 17 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Leland Davis; her parents, Charlie Castleberry Bullard and Annie Amelia Brown Bullard.
Visitation will be today 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
ANAHUAC, Texas Services for Margaret Dearman Downs will be held Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at Sterling Funeral Home with the Rev. Nolan Taylor officiating. Burial will be in Hardin Chapel Cemetery.
Mrs. Downs, 76, of Anahuac, formerly of Meridian, died Sunday, June 22, 2003, in her home.
Survivors include her daughters, Mary Jan McCartney and her husband, Benny, of Hardin, Texas, and Margaret Ann Ojedia of Anahuac; sons, Dale Dearman and his wife, Linda, and William Downs, all of Oak Island, Texas, and Jimmy Downs of Florence, Colo.; 13 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren; several nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Lloyd Downs.
Visitation will be today 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
Homemaker
VERONA Services for Sally Pigford Marion will be held Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at Lee Memorial Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Dr. David Hamilton and Marc Howard officiating. Burial will be in Lee Memorial Park Cemetery.
Mrs. Marion, 79, of Verona, died Monday, June 23, 2003, at North Mississippi Medical Center.
Survivors include her husband of 57 years, William H. "Bill" Marion of Verona; a daughter, Susan M. Williams and her husband, Jimmy, of Verona; a son, William Hugh Marion Jr. and his wife, Vickie, of Panama Beach, Fla.; four grandchildren and two great-grandsons; and a sister, Alice P. Mitchell and her husband, Bill, of Meridian.
She was preceded in death by her parents, two sisters, Clara Bell and Polly Gallop; and brothers, Charles M. Pigford and Johnny Pigford.
Visitation will be today 5 p.m.-8 p.m. and Thursday beginning at 10 a.m. at the funeral home.
Retired
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. Clark's Memorial Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Ward, 88, of Meridian, died Tuesday, June 17, 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.