Services for Elder James Melvin Myers of Ruth are 2 p.m.,Saturday, Dec. 7, at Union Primitive Baptist Church with burial inthe church cemetery.

Visitation begins today at 3 p.m. at the church and continuesuntil service time. Brookhaven Funeral Home is in charge ofarrangements.

Elder Myers, 78, died Dec. 5, 2002, at Baptist Medical Center inJackson. He was born in Walthall County on Dec. 8, 1923, to AlexEli Myers and Retha Velma Nettles Myers. He was a graduate ofMississippi College and received a master’s degree from theUniversity of South Carolina.

He was a Primitive Baptist Church minister. He was the pastorfor Union Primitive Baptist Church in Ruth for 53 years, AntiochPrimitive Baptist Church in Brookhaven for 53 years, New BethelPrimitive Baptist Church in Tylertown for 53 years, Pilgrims RestPrimitive Baptist Church in Meadville for 12 years, and Good HopePrimitive Baptist Church in Magee for 42 years. He was retired fromMagnolia Electric Power Association with 37 years service. He was amember of Union Primitive Baptist Church. He was a Navy veteran ofWWII.

Preceding him in death were his parents; his first wife, DorisWestbrook Myers; his brothers, R. B. Myers, Jeff Myers and JoeMyers; and his sisters, Mable Wilkinson, Merle Sterling, MildredThompson and Alma Myers.

Survivors are his wife, Olene Myers of Ruth; his son anddaughter-in-law, Randall R. Myers and Diane Myers of Zachary, La.;his stepson, Dr. Don Smith of Tupelo; his daughters andsons-in-law, Sandra Myers Laird and Russell Laird of Brookhaven,Patty L. Myers of Hattiesburg, and Polly Reeves and Dennis Reevesof Ruth; his stepdaughter, Vernet Toomey of Enterprise, Ala.; hisbrothers, Bill Myers of Jayess, Jerry Myers of Pearl and WayneMyers of Brookhaven; his sisters, Sara Jackson and Helen Boyd, bothof Jayess, Joyce Howell Linsing of Gretna, La., and Hilda Davis ofLake Charles, La.; and nine grandchildren, five stepgrandchildren,and two great-grandchildren.