Services for Ruth C. Mathis, of McComb, are 2 p.m. Friday, Feb.3 at West McComb Baptist Church with burial in HollywoodCemetery.

Visitation is today from 5 to 8 p.m. at Catchings Funeral Homein McComb and Friday from noon until 2 p.m. at the church.

Mrs. Mathis, 69, died Jan. 31, 2006, at Mississippi BaptistMedical Center in Jackson. She was born in McComb on May 3, 1936,to B.F. “Ben” Carlisle and Carrie Daniels Carlisle.

She was a retired sales clerk and department manager for StageDepartment Store in McComb. She was a member of West McComb BaptistChurch and a former longtime member of South McComb Baptist Churchwere she taught 4- and 5-year-old Sunday school and at West McComb,she was active in teaching 2- and 3-year-old Sunday school andhelped with Vacation Bible school.

Her family said she always loved working with children and wasknown as “Granny Ruthie” to her grandchildren, but to, “Gracie,”she was “Ghee, Ghee.” She was a gentle and loving person, and inthe neighborhood she was well known for helping small children pulltheir baby teeth if they were scared.

Preceding her in death were her parents; one brother, Bennie LeeCarlisle; and two sisters, Maggie Louise Robinson and Laura MaeCoon.

Survivors are her husband, Leroy H. Mathis, of McComb; threedaughters and two sons-in-law, Debbie and Wayne Coghlan, of Ruth,Lisa and Alfred Mercier, of McComb, and Brooke Fuller, of Byram;four sisters, Eunice C. Burke, of Waynesboro, Carrie C. Rottman andBetty C. Wells, of McComb, and Mary Frances Nelson, of HickoryHills, Ill.; six grandchildren, Shannon Coghlan Kuykendall andhusband, Justin, of Florence, Eric Cheyenne Coghlan and wife,Dehna, of Ruth, Christopher Mercier and Scott Mercier, of McComb,and Lindsay Fuller and Jessica Fuller, of Byram; twogreat-grandchildren, Devan Summers Whittington and Lauren Grace”Gracie” Coghlan, of Ruth; and numerous nieces, nephews and otherfamily and friends.

Pallbearers will be Tim Stamps, Jimmy Johnston, Lamar May, ButchKennedy, Larry Rushing and Kyle Bass.

Memorials may be made to West McComb Baptist Church SanctuaryFund, 4016 Highway 24 West, McComb MS 39648.