Obituaries for Friday, July 9, 2004

By Staff
News Director WMOX Radio Station
A private family memorial will be held at a later date for Michael Edward "Mike" Pierce. Barham Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Pierce, 56, of Meridian, died Monday, July 5, 2004, at Heartfelt Hospice. He was a Vietnam veteran. He held an engineers license from Elkins Institute where he later taught radio in Atlanta. He was a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a bachelor's degree in radio, television and film. He also received a degree in political science.
He worked as a television weatherman, a disc jockey, a manager of radio stations and a newspaper reporter before he retired as news director at WMOX radio. He pursued his career in different states and was referred to as a Renaissance man and one of his many projects included an eight foot iron fence he built around his home.
Survivors include his sister, Pat Brooks of Atlanta; a half-sister, Betty Phillips of Memphis, Tenn. and a half-brother, Charles Alcock of Bakersfield, Calif.; five nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Edward Lamar Pierce and Pauline Elizabeth Pierce.
Memorials may be made to The American Cancer Society.
Retired U.S. Postal Service
Services for Marvin Ervin Skelton were held Thursday at Oak Grove United Methodist Church with the Rev. David Meadows officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery. James F. Webb Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Skelton, 87, of Basic City, died Tuesday, July 6, 2004, at the G.V. "Sonny" Montgomery V.A. Medical Center in Jackson. He was the oldest living native of his community of Basic City and was born on April 22, 1917. He owned and operated a grocery store and later a fish farm there with his family for many years. He worked for the U.S. Postal Service for more than 20 years in Meridian before his retirement.
Mr. Skelton was a veteran of the U.S. Army and served in World War II. He was a Purple Heart recipient having served in the Army Infantry and Light Artillery. He landed at Omaha Beach in Normandy, France on D-Day + 4, June 10, 1944. He fought for liberty and justice for all and to liberate France for six long weeks in the trenches and hedgerows from Normandy to outside of St. Lo, where on July 24, 1944 he was wounded during a mission historically known as "the heaviest bombing by friendly aircraft of the war." Because of weather conditions and lack of communication, 350 P-47's and 1,500 heavy bombers of the U.S. Army Air Corps began dropping their bombs on their own troops.
Mr. Skelton was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Disabled American Veterans.
He was the seventh son born into the family, which would consist of nine boys and three girls born to "Will" Skelton and Neacy Turnage Skelton.
Survivors include his brothers, James Skelton, and the Rev. George Skelton of Meridian; a daughter, Sue Compton of Basic City; grandchildren, Brent Compton and his wife, Jill, and Kacia Compton Allen and her husband, James; great-grandchildren, Shelby Compton, Michael Compton, Emily Compton and Tyler Kelley and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Alton English Skelton; his parents, Will and Neacy Skelton, brothers, Glen Skelton, Bill Skelton, Zan Skelton, Jack Skelton, R.V. Skelton and Edd Louie Skelton; sisters, Eula Crabtree, Winnie Lou Skelton and Evelyn Wigstrom.