JUANITA ELDRIDGE

Juanita Eldridge, 87, formerly of Benton, died Monday Dec. 22, 2008 at Ocean Trails Nursing Home in Southport, N.C.
Funeral services are today at 11 a.m. at Shiloh Cemetery in Benton. Burial will follow under the direction of Stricklin-King Funeral Home.
Mrs. Eldridge was born on Feb. 11, 1921 in Yazoo City.
She was preceded in death by her siblings, Melvin Eldridge, Princella Smith and Mildred Anthony.
Survivors include her daughter, Sylvia Keegan of Southport, N.C.; and grandchildren, John Keegan of Burlington, N.C. and Michelle Montgomery of Pasadena, Md.
Memorials may be made to Lower Cape Fear Hospice & Life Care Center, 2222 S 17th Street, Wilmington, NC 28401.

ALBERT SODAY

Albert Jay Soday, 84, of Thomasville, Ga., died Friday, Dec. 19, 2008.
Funeral services were Sunday at the Allen & Allen Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Milton C. Gardner officiating. Burial followed in Laurel Hill Cemetery.
Mr. Soday was born Oct. 3, 1924, in Grove City, Penn. to Charles and Mary Graham Soday.
He served with Patton’s 3rd Army in Europe during WWII, 371ST Engineering Battalion, where they constructed bridges throughout Europe. In 1950, he earned a chemical engineering degree from LSU. He was retired from Mississippi Chemical Corporation. Serving with the Farmer’s Corporation, he worked on government projects in countries around the world. He spent months in India encouraging the building of fertilizer plants. Similar work was also done in Egypt, Indonesia, Nigeria, Costa Rica and Panama.
He spent the last 15 years in Thomasville, Ga., where he was a member of First Baptist Church.
Survivors include his wife, Nina Jeanette Smith Soday; children, Jay (Roselynn) Calton Soday of Bentonia, Denver Soday of Jackson and Gwyn (Jerry) Mallett of Thomasville, Ga.; eight grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and a sister, Mary Crawford of Grove City, Penn.
Memorials may be made to French Camp Academy, 1 Fine Place, French Camp, MS 39745.
Visitors may sign the online guest register at www.allenfh.com.

ANNIE WILKINSON

Annie Mae Wilkinson, 75, of Bay St. Louis, died Saturday, Dec. 27, 2008 at Hancock Medical Center.
Funeral services were Tuesday at the Stricklin-King Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Kerry Burrough officiating. Burial followed at Fletcher’s Chapel Cemetery.
Mrs. Wilkinson was born May 5, 1933 in Yazoo City to Thomas Alvin Foster and Annie Runie Tindell Foster. She was a clerk for Eckerd Drug Store and a member of First Baptist Church in Waveland.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Floyd Henry Wilkinson.
Survivors include three daughters, Rhonda (Tim) Sherwin of Bay St. Louis, Doris (Bryan) Sherwin of Gulfport, and Annie (Roger) Ling of Chattanooga, Tenn.; a son, Henry (Mary) Wilkinson of Bay St. Louis; 14 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.
Serving as pallbearers wer Ryan Cain, Tony Milner, Charlie Wilkinson, Justin Wilkinson, John Milner and Cullen Williams.