Funeral services for Willie J. “Bill” Halford of Meadville are 2 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014, at Meadville Baptist Church with burial in Midway Cemetery. Franklin Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation is Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2014, from 5 until 8 p.m. and continues on Feb. 6 from 1 p.m. until the time of service at 2 p.m. at Franklin Funeral Home in Meadville.

Mr. Halford died Feb. 3, 2014, at Franklin County Memorial Hospital. He was born on Aug. 15, 1917, to John H. and Cora Black Halford.

He grew up near Meadville and was a graduate of the old Meadville High School. Soon after graduation he joined the National Guard and was sent to Camp Blanding, Fla., where he was stationed at the time of the Pearl Harbor disaster. His company was mobilized and he saw action in the South Pacific during World War II.

Mr. Halford was a member of Meadville Baptist Church, Ben Franklin Masonic Lodge, Wahabi Temple, The American Legion, Disabled American Veterans and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He retired from Johns-Manville in Natchez and Georgia Pacific in Roxie and was a cattle farmer for many years.

Preceding him in death were his parents; infant son, John Thomas; brothers, Robert, Jessie and Frank; sisters, Dolly Hirsch, Hattie Mitchell, Corrine Cummins and Claudia Whittington.

Survivors are his wife, Mamie Ruth; daughter, Gayle Tumey and husband Sam, of Liberty; son, William J. “Bill” Halford Jr. and wife, Debbie; and grandchildren, Morgan and Will Halford of Meadville.

Pallbearers will be Roger Ratcliff, Mike Goff, Terry Oglesby, Herman Smith, David Campbell, Jimmy Torrey, Bubba Gabbert and David Scarbrough.

The family requests that memorials be made to Meadville Baptist Church at P.O. Box 369, Meadville, MS 39653 or Midway Cemetery Association c/o Bank of Franklin, P.O. Box 606, Meadville, MS 39653.