Obituaries for Sunday, August 1, 2004

By Staff
PHILADELPHIA Services for Irene McLain will be held today at 2 p.m. at McClain-Hayes Chapel with the Revs. Bennie Robertson and Duaine Morgan officiating. Burial will be in McClain Chapel Cemetery in Neshoba County.
Mrs. McLain, 78, of Philadelphia, died Friday, July 30, 2004, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. She lived near Philadelphia for most of her life, and was co-owner or McLain Plumbing and Mechanical.
Mrs. McLain's greatest passion was the humanitarian work for which she was well known. She organized and was a participant in foreign mission trips to China, Russia and Trinidad, and she worked tirelessly on local humanitarian projects. She was also music director and organist at McLain Chapel.
Her family and close friends say that she was a dedicated worker who was committed to the project at hand and accomplished every goal she set for herself. Friends say she was a leader who was at the forefront of planning ways to make her community and the world the best it could be. Family members and those who knew her through humanitarian projects and business activities said Mrs. McLain was an exceptional lady; a very special person who made things happen and then followed through. Knowing her was a privilege. She will be greatly missed by her family, friends, church and the community.
Survivors include her husband, John McLain; children, Ralph McLain of Columbus, Ronald McLain of Philadelphia, Kent McLain of Philadelphia and Francis McLain Sodders; a sister, Louise Murphy of Meridian; eight grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Hardy, both of Meridian.
Pallbearers will be Phillip McLain, Scott McLain, Kendall Sodders, Todd Gale, Johnny Murphy and John D. Murphy.
Visitation will be today from noon until the service at the funeral home.
BUTLER, Ala. Services for Flossie Davidson Porter will be held today at 3 p.m. at Hopewell Baptist Church, with the Revs. John Pemberton and Russell Wray officiating. Burial will be in Hopewell Cemetery in Lavaca. Bumpers Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Porter, 96, of Butler, died Friday, July 30, 2004, at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center.
Survivors include her daughter, Lorene R. Norwood and her husband Buddy of Butler; brothers, Woodrow Davidson and George Davidson both of Fruitdale, and J.T. Davidson of Vinegar Bend; sisters, Edith Betancourt and Victoria D. Williams, both of Mobile; 10 grandchildren, 21 great-grandchildren and several great-great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Sam Richardson of Alabama.
Services for James Elton Wilson will be held Monday at 10 a.m. at Stephens Funeral Home Chapel, with Dr. Carl White officiating. Burial will be in Magnolia Cemetery.
Mr. Wilson, 85, of Meridian, died Friday, July 30, 2004, at Regency Hospital. He was a veteran of World War II and served in the U.S. Army.
Survivors include his wife, Pauline Maten Wilson of Meridian; a daughter, Zula Kimble of Meridian; a son, Jimmy Wilson and his wife Rhonda of Meridian; and grandchildren, Stephen Wilson, Claire Wilson, Lucas Wilson, Meredith Wilson and Molly Kimble, all of Meridian, and Sarah Kimble Matthews of Perkinston.
Pallbearers will be Stephen Wilson, Lucas Wilson, Wayne Herrington, Scott White and Tom Matthews.
Visitation will be today from 2 p.m.-5 p.m. at the funeral home.