By Staff
Retired school teacher
Memorial services for Izella Mercer Beasley will be held today at 6 p.m. at Enterprise Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be Friday at 11 a.m. in East Cemetery in Enterprise.
Mrs. Beasley of St. Louis, formerly of Meridian, died Thursday, Oct. 24, 2002, in Oak Park Nursing Facility in St. Louis.
She was born in Clarke County to the late Alex Mercer and Viola Goodwin Mercer on May 6, 1916. She was one of nine children. Four sisters and four brothers preceded her in death. She joined Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Enterprise at an early age and was very active in the church. She later joined Ebenezer Baptist Church in Meridian.
Mrs. Beasley began her formal school training at Pleasant Hill Public School in Enterprise and later attended Jackson State College where she received a bachelor's of science degree in elementary education.
She taught in the Lauderdale County School System and the Meridian Public School System for more than 30 years and touched the lives of many fourth, fifth and sixth grade children.
On March 2, 1938, Izella Mercer married Johnny Beasley. After her retirement, she resided in Meridian until she became ill and was taken to St. Louis to live with other relatives.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Johnny Beasley.
ANNIE MAE CHISOLM WILHITE
Homemaker
Services for Annie Mae Chisolm Wilhite will be held today at 2:30 p.m. at Hopewell Methodist Church in Kemper County with the Rev. Dr. H.J. Hutchins officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery with Barham Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Wilhite, 87, of Kemper County, died Monday, Oct. 28, 2002, in her home. She was a member of Bethal Southern Methodist Church. She was a loving wife and mother.
Survivors include her children, Jesse Stevens Wilhite of Kansas City, Sara J. Wolfe and her husband, Thomas, of Hogansville, Ga., and Linda Elizabeth McCarthy and her husband, Douglas, of Collinsville; sisters, Sarah Neal of the Damascus Community and Ruby Chisolm of Meridian; a brother, Cecil Chisolm of Meridian; seven grandsons; two twin great-granddaughters, Kaitlin Rose Fowler and Lauren Elizabeth Fowler; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Roy J. Wilhite; her parents, Vira Hagan Chisolm and Chester Wood Chisolm; brothers, Herschel Chisolm, Fred Chisolm and Vernon Chisolm.
Pallbearers will be her grandsons and a special nephew, Robert Allen Fowler, Roy Wayne Fowler, Jonathan Thomas Wolfe, Michael Wayne Wilhite, Joshua Mark Wolfe, Cory Stevens Wilhite and Justin Eugene Wiggins.
Visitation will be today 30 minutes prior to the service on.
TIMOTHY BRIAN MALONE
Speeds Welding Works employee
ABERDEEN Memorial services for Timothy Brian Malone will be held today at 7 p.m. at Cedar Grove Baptist Church in Newton. Funeral services will be Friday at 1 p.m. at Tisdale-Lann Memorial Chapel in Aberdeen with the Rev. Brent Jackson officiating. Burial will be in Oak Lawn Memorial Gardens in Aberdeen.
Mr. Malone, 28, of Meridian, formerly of Aberdeen, died Monday, Oct. 28, 2002, in his home. He was born April 11, 1974, in Amory to Lloyd Wayne Malone and Karen McGee Malone Gibbs. He had lived in Meridian for the past three years. He graduated in April from the SDGA Golf Academy in Orlando, Fla., and he loved to hunt.
Survivors include his mother, Karen McGee Gibbs and her husband, Bo, of Meridian; his father, Lloyd Wayne Malone of Hamilton; a step-sister, Shannon Gibbs of Meridian; two step-brothers, Chris Gibbs of Wiggins and Shaun Gibbs of Meridian; his grandparents, Reba and Horace Malone and Bill McGee, all of Hamilton.
He was preceded in death by his grandmother, Edith McGee.
Pallbearers will be Chris House, Kris Prestia, Russell Whitaker, Mitch Tucker, Matt Chance, Ronnie Strait, William Barnett, Lucy Barnett and Aaron Barnett.
Honorary pallbearers will be Joel Camp, Jordan Camp and Blake Joyner.
Visitation will be today 6 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home and Friday 10 a.m. until service time.
BERTHA L. JOHNSON
Homemaker
UNION Services for Bertha L. Johnson will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at Milling Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Bill Hall officiating. Burial will be in Union City Cemetery.
Mrs. Johnson, 78, of Union, died Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2002, at Laird Alliance Hospital in Union.
Survivors include her sons, Lamar Johnson and Tommy Johnson, both of Union; four grandchildren; and a sister, Sallie Thorpe of Brookhaven.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Grady Johnson; and a granddaughter, Tammy Johnson.
Visitation will be today 5:30 p.m.-8 p.m. at the funeral home.
ANNIE GRACE CATHEY
Retired
UNION Services for Annie Grace Cathey will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at Stephens Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Carles Evens officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Nebo Cemetery.
Mrs. Cathey, 80, of Columbus, died Monday, Oct. 28, 2002, at Hospice Ministries in Ridgeland. She was retired from the civil service as a computer operator. She was a member of Oakland Heights Chapter of the Eastern Star.
Survivors include her son, Max Lee Cathey and his wife, Beverly, of Ridgeland; grandchildren, Lea Cathey of Memphis, Tenn., and Jesica Cathey of Chicago; a sister, Mary Ruth Dean and her husband, James, of San Diego, Calif.; and a brother, William "Bill" Smith and his wife, Patty, of Little Rock.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Max W. Cathey.
Pallbearers will be Phil Lee, Ricky Smith, Johnny Clardy, Danny Alexander, Ron Good and David Goree.
Visitation will be today 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at the funeral home.
R.J. GRAY
Services for R.J. Gray will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at First Enterprise Baptist Church with the Rev. Leory Burns officiating. Burial will be in Musgrove Cemetery. Latimer Metropolitan Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Gray, 74, of Racine, Wis., died Saturday, Oct. 26, 2002, in Racine.
Survivors include his wife, Wilheimina Gray; sons, Mitchell Gray and Timothy Gray; daughters, Ella Louise Buchman and her husband, Mark, of Milwaukee, Ouida Gray, Stella Wilson and her husband, Brian, and Carrie Denise, all of Racine, Sylvia Woods and her husband, Larry, of Beloit, Wis., and Betty Carter and her husband, Derrick, of Algonuin, Ill.; brothers-in-law, Jerry Earl and his wife, Connie of Columbia, S.C., Luther Earl and his wife, Laurie, of Kenosha, Wis., and Morris Earl and his wife, Barbara, of Oak Creek, Wis.; sisters-in-law, Pauline Williams and Mary Earl, both of Cheyenne, Wyo.; 21 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Andrew and Carrie Gray; a brother, James David Gray; two sisters, Lena Berry and Viola Easley; and a daughter, Maxine Gray.
Visitation will be one hour prior to the service Friday.
ANITA P. RAINER
Retired