Lona Justina Speed Gross Booker

Published 3:19 pm Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Lona Justina Speed Gross Booker, 73, of Meridian, Miss., died Friday, Oct. 19 at her home. She was born Oct. 6, 1939, in Marengo County to the late Morris Caphus and Martha Rushing Speed.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Morris Caphus and Martha Rushing Speed; the father of her children, Jim Gross; two sisters, Frances Burnett and Dolly Ward; and two brothers, Shag Speed and Morris Speed.

She is survived by her husband, William Andrew “Andy” Booker of Meridian; two daughters, Dawn Quarles of Demopolis and Kay (Leonard) Reffett of Demopolis; step daughter, Michelle Booker Murphy of Whynot, Miss.; son, Jimmy (Denise) Gross of Gallion; step son, Michael (Tina) Booker of Whynot, Miss.; sisters, Ann Bryant of Demopolis and Celine Chiles of Demopolis; brother Fred Speed of Arkansas; 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Funeral services were held Sunday, Oct. 21 at 3 p.m. at Kirk Funeral Homes Demopolis Chapel with the Rev. Jimmie Garrard officiating and Kirk Funeral Homes Demopolis Chapel directing.

The family received friends at the funeral home from 1-3 p.m., and burial followed in Demopolis Memorial Gardens.

Pallbearers were Brandon Booker, Tommy Joe Butler, Dicky Davis, Chester Willis, Alan Buckalew and Bill Williams.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Bethany Baptist Church Cemetery Fund in Whynot, Miss.