Funeral services for Billy Gene Welch of Brookhaven are 10 a.m. on Monday, March 25, at Riverwood Family Funeral Service, with burial in Fair River Baptist Church Cemetery.

Visitation is Sunday from 5 until 9 p.m. at the funeral home.

Mr. Welch, 64, died March 23, 2013, at his home. He was born on April 3, 1948, to Bertrum Royce Welch and Thelma Irene Dickens Welch.

He was retired from McLane Southern and was an active member of Fair River Baptist Church. He enjoyed singing in the church choir. Mr. Welch was proud of and loved exploring the history of his Indian heritage. He was the first youth in Mississippi to sign up for the Youth Job Corps.

Preceding him in death were his parents; brothers, Bert Welch and Bobby Welch; brother-in-law, Otis Edmonds; and great-granddaughter, Zoey Claire Nugent.

Survivors are his wife, Marilyn Ray Thornhill Welch; daughters, Tonia Welch Price and husband, Monroe, of Terry, and Theresa Welch Wells of Brookhaven; sisters, Barbara Edmonds and Carolyn Hamilton, both of McComb; sisters-in-law, Shirley Welch and Teresia Welch, both of McComb, and Lavon White and husband, Ben, of Brookhaven; four grandchildren, Hailey Wells Nettleton and husband, Josh, of Pinola, Austin Price of Terry, Keith Wells of Brookhaven and Alana Price of Terry; one great-grandchild, Reighan Nugent of Pinola; and a host of nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Fair River Cemetery Fund.

To express your thoughts to the family, you may visit riverwoodfamily.com and click on his name to leave a comment.