Obituaries for Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2003

By Staff
Retired
Private family memorial services for Henry Blum was to be held today at 9 a.m. Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Blum, 68, of Toomsuba, died Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2003, in his home.
Survivors include his son, Henry Blum IV; a daughter, Juanita M. Blum; brothers, Clifton Blum and his wife, Elizabeth, and Walter Blum.
Retired licensed practical nurse
QUITMAN Graveside services for Charlotte Elizabeth Lightsey were to be held today at 10 a.m. at Pachuta Cemetery with the Rev. Parker Chancellor officiating. Wright's Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Lightsey, 92, of Meridian, died Sunday, Oct. 5, 2003, at Guardian Angel Hospice.
Survivors include her sister, Julie Lois Lightsey of Meridian; and several nieces and nephews.
Grocer store owner, farmer
UNION Services for Claudie Lamar Pierce will be held today at 2 p.m. at Stephens Funeral Home Chapel with the Revs. Stan Buckley and Mike Fondren officiating. Burial will be in Decatur City Cemetery.
Mr. Pierce, 89, of Union, formerly of Decatur, died Sunday, Oct. 5, 2003, at Alliance-Laird Hospital in Union.
Survivors include his daughter, Carolyn Pierce Carroll of Prairieville, La.; sons, Billy Lamar Pierce of Decatur and Earl Pierce of Union; a brother, B.L. Pierce of Union; seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Hazel Glenn Pierce.
Retired
GLOSTER Services for Ralph Marshall Prestridge will be held today 2 p.m. at Brown Funeral Home Chapel in Liberty with the Rev. John Evans officiating. Burial will be in Liberty Cemetery.
Mr. Prestridge, 81, of Liberty, died Saturday, Oct. 4, 2003, at Field Memorial Hospital in Centreville. He retired from Exxon Oil Company in Baton Rouge, La., after more than 23 years of service. He served as coroner of Amite County for six years. He and his wife, Vera, enjoyed their retirement years as campground host for the National Forest Campground for 12 years. He was an avid hunter and fisherman.
Survivors include his wife, Vera Mollie Norwood Prestridge of Liberty; daughters, Kit Prestridge of Ridgeland and Jean Chappell and her husband, Paul, of Collinsville; a son, Charles Alan Prestridge and his wife, Gwen, of Saudi Arabia; sisters, Elise Prestridge Noble of Baton Rouge and Rose Marie Prestridge Hays of Baker, La.; a brother, James Carol Prestridge of Asheboro, N.C.; eight grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Claude and Lillian McGehee Prestridge; brothers, Charles Prestridge and C.H. Prestridge; and a sister, Elaine Prestridge Caston.
Memorials may be made to The Ethel Stratton Vance Park, P.O. Box 301, Liberty, MS 39645.
Visitation will be today one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.
Retired U.S. Army colonel
LAWTON, Okla. Services for Retired Col. Hardy R. Stone will be held today at 2 p.m. at New Post Chapel, Fort Sill, Okla., with the Rev. John F. Saville and Chaplain Col. William Broome officiating. Burial will be in the Post Cemetery at Fort Sill. Becker Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Col. Stone, 73, of Lawton, formerly of Meridian, died Saturday, Oct. 4, 2003, in Lawton.
Survivors include his wife; Carolyn Stone of Lawton; children, Laura Stone Hazlet and her husband, Scott, of Grosse Pointe, Mich., Hardy Ross Stone IV and his wife, Beverly, of Walkersville, Md., Amy Clarke Stone of Edmond, Okla., Robert Martin Stone and his wife, Diane, of Alpharetta, Ga., Margaret Stone Griffith and her husband, Paul, of Sunningdale, England, and Andrew Fargo Stone and his wife, Kathleen, of Albuquerque, N.M.; and 15 grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the Comanche County Veterans Council, P.O. Box 1632, Lawton, OK 73501 or the Westminster Presbyterian Church Memorial Fund.