Franklin Edwin Greer Sr.

Services for Franklin Edwin Greer Sr., of Ruth, will be held at10:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 5, at Topisaw Baptist Church in BogueChitto with burial in the church cemetery. Riverwood Family FuneralService is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation is Wednesday from 5 until 9 p.m. at the funeral home,and on Thursday at the church from 9:30 a.m. until the time of theservice.

Mr. Greer, 74, died June 2, 2008, at Mississippi Baptist MedicalCenter in Jackson. A native of Lincoln County, he was born in 1934on a farm in the Topisaw community to Seth Greer and Nanny BellReeves Greer.

He graduated from Enterprise High School as salutatorian in 1952and moved to the coast shortly thereafter. In 1953, he met andmarried Mittie Mae Ellerman. They were blessed with four children:Darlene Greer Dotherow, M.D.; Brenda Carol Greer Long, attorney;Franklin Edwin Greer Jr., construction superintendent; and RobertChristopher Greer, farmer and horse trainer.

During his days as an ironworker and construction supervisor,Frank oversaw several projects with NASA, including construction ofradar tracking stations in the Bahama Islands and restructuring ofthe test facilities in Picayune. At the test site, he was generalforeman for the conversion of the test stands from the originalSaturn rockets to accommodate the newer shuttle rockets.

He returned to farming in 1965 with the purchase of a tungorchard outside Bogalusa, La., where he also raised a few beefcalves. Following the destruction of the orchard and the tungindustry itself, by Hurricane Camille in 1969, he purchased amixed-breed herd of 20 dairy cows and a stanchion dairy barn. Atthe time, he and approximately 20 other dairy farmers supplied themilk to a small, local dairy, C.A. Stewarts. In 1976, he had theopportunity to transfer his dairy operation to the farm adjacent tohis family’s home farm back in Lincoln County. In the early ’80s,his farming practices and successes were honored as he was namedone of the Master Dairymen of Mississippi.

In 1996, with the beef herd growing, he built and beganoperating chicken houses for Sanderson Farms. In the spring of2003, he was honored as a top producer by Sanderson. Later thatyear, he sold that aspect of his farming operation, choosing toleave chicken farming. He then raised Black Angus cattle andQuarter horses.

He grew up in Topisaw Baptist Church, where he was a member anddeacon. He was a Mason and a Gideon. He was a board member andpresident of Lincoln County Farm Bureau. He held memberships in theLincoln County Livestock Association, the Mississippi StateLivestock Association, and was a lifetime member of the AmericanQuarter Horse Association. He was a member of the United StatesNavy Reserve.

Preceding him in death were his parents and his sister, Mary LouGreer Rushing.

Survivors are his wife, Mittie Mae Greer; his sons, Eddie Greerand wife Cindy, and Chris Greer and wife Tanya; his daughters,Darlene Greer Dotherow and husband Pierce, and Brenda Greer Longand husband Bobby; his sisters, Myrtis White and Margaret Brent;and his grandchildren, Jenny Pittman and husband Bill, SethDotherow, Paul Dotherow and Robert Greer.

Mark Grenn

Services for Mark Grenn, of Brookhaven, will be held at 2 p.m.on Thursday, June 5, at Community Funeral Services with burial inMt. Moriah Baptist Church Cemetery in Brookhaven.

Visitation is Wednesday from 5 until 8 p.m. at the funeralhome.

Mr. Grenn, 47, died June 2, 2008, at his residence. He was bornin Brookhaven on June 17, 1960, to Edward Grenn and Veta Rials.

He was a construction worker.

Preceding him in death were his maternal grandparents, Alma andMarcus “Red” Rials, and Opie and Maggie Grenn.

Survivors are his parents; his wife, Connie Grenn, ofBrookhaven; his stepchildren, A.J. McKey and Julia McKey; hisbrothers, Mike Grenn, of Columbia, and Bill Grenn, of Wesson; hissister, Renee Nations, of Brookhaven; and numerous nieces andnephews.

Deborah Susan Prestridge

A memorial service for Deborah Susan Prestridge, of Brookhaven,was held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, June 4, at Community FuneralServices.

Mrs. Prestridge, 55, died May 30, 2008, at her residence. Shewas born in Sulphur, La., on Oct. 25, 1952, to Andrew Hall andSaralyn Hall.

She was a homemaker.

Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband, ClydePrestridge; and her daughter, Rebecca Prestridge.

Survivors are her son, Jamey Prestridge, of Brookhaven; herbrothers, Mike Hall and Bob Hall, of Texas, and Tilford Hart, ofTexas; her son-in-law, Dennis Henderson, of Brookhaven; hergrandchildren, Ariel Prestridge, of Louisiana, and DestinyPrestridge, of Gulfport; and her loving companion, L.S. Tucker, ofBrookhaven.

Ovelia Ratcliff

Services for Ovelia Ratcliff, of Wesson, will be held at 2 p.m.on Thursday, June 5, at Mt. Zion Baptist Church with burial in thechurch cemetery. Her grandson, the Rev. Jonathan Ivy, and hergrandson-in-law, the Rev. Brandon McLain, will officiate. SunsetFuneral Home of Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Brookhaven Funeral Home arein charge of arrangements.

Visitation will be held at the church beginning one hour priorto the service.

Mrs. Ratcliff, 93, died June 2, 2008, at Hospice of West Alabamain Tuscaloosa. Born Ada Ovelia Lofton on July 21, 1914, she was thedaughter of Judson and Isaphine Lofton. She married Rance Ratcliffon June 20, 1931. They were married for 62 years until Mr.Ratcliff’s death in 1993.

She was a homemaker and avid gardener. She was also anaccomplished seamstress and quilter. Mrs. Ratcliff was a lifelongmember of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, where she taught Sunday Schoolfor more than 40 years and sang alto in the adult choir. Sheespecially enjoyed baking pies and cakes for her family andfriends.

Preceding her in death were her parents; three brothers, PoleyLofton, Anderson Lofton and Robert (Bob) Lofton; three sisters,Wilena Wactor, Hazel Smith and Frances Adams; and a son-in-law,Donovan Ivy.

Survivors are her two sons and their spouses, Wilroy and KathrynRatcliff, of Laurel, and Scott and Judy Ratcliff, of Petal; herdaughter, Virginia Ivy, of Tuscaloosa; seven grandchildren andtheir spouses, Rebecca and Howard Patrick of Ellisville, AnthonyIvy of Tuscaloosa, Roy and Leshia Ratcliff of Mobile, Ala.,Jonathan and Melissa Ivy of Tuscaloosa, Bruce and Belinda Ratcliffof Columbia, Rachel and Brandon McLain of Hattiesburg, and ReaganRatcliff of Petal; and eight great-grandchildren, Wil and WesRatcliff of Mobile, Rease Patrick of Ellisville, Meredith andMallory Ratcliff of Columbia, Caleb and Abby Kate Ivy ofTuscaloosa, and Matthew McLain of Hattiesburg.

Grandsons and great-grandsons will serve as pallbearers.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be madeto Hospice of West Alabama or to your church or favoritecharity.

Colon Delton Smith

Services for Colon Delton Smith, of Brookhaven, will be held at4 p.m. on Thursday, June 5, at Brookhaven Funeral Home with burialin New Sight Cemetery.

Visitation is Wednesday from 5 until 9 p.m. at BrookhavenFuneral Home.

Mr. Smith, 73, died June 2, 2008, at King’s Daughters MedicalCenter. He was born in Lincoln County on Aug. 1, 1934, to ColtonSmith and Radie Mae Smith Smith.

He was a retired tool pusher for Helmrich and Payne Drilling Co.He was a lifetime member of New Sight Baptist Church.

Preceding him in death were his parents.

Survivors are his wife, Faye Smith, of Brookhaven; his son,Brian D. Smith, of Brookhaven; his daughters, Lawanda Tinsley, ofDenham Springs, La., and Marcia Beassie, of Brookhaven; hisbrothers, Howard E. Smith, of Brookhaven, and Gerald H. Smith, ofSimpson, La.; his six grandchildren, Leigha Huff and Casey Cline,both of Denham Springs, Micah Allen, Mac Beassie, Corey Smith andBrittany Smith, all of Brookhaven; his four great-grandchildren;and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins and friends.