Mrs. Joyner Dale Sykes Adams, age 80, of Ft. Walton Beach, FL, formerly of Artesia, MS, passed away February 2, 2011, at Westwood Health Care in Ft. Walton Beach, FL. Funeral services will be Saturday, February 5, 2011, at 11:00 AM at Artesia United Methodist Church with Rev. Stacy Douglas, Rev. Curtis Bray, and Rev. Dural Ragsdale officiating. The interment will immediately follow at Memorial Gardens of Columbus. Visitation will also be Saturday, February 5, 2011, from 9:30 AM until 11:00 AM at Artesia United Methodist Church. Gunter & Peel Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Mrs. Adams was born March 15, 1930, in Monroe County, MS, to the late Charles Hubert and Jennie Mae Bullock Sykes. A graduate of Artesia High School, Mrs. Adams was a full time homemaker and mother until 1971 at which time she became secretary at Motley Attendance Center and later worked at The Division of Business Research at Mississippi State University until her retirement in 1990. She was a lifelong member of Artesia United Methodist Church where she and her husband of 62 years, Owen, were married and brought up their children. She was a member of the Artesia Homemakers Club and was the treasurer and correspondent for the Knights of Pythias Cemetery in Artesia for many years. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a brother, Stanley Sykes. Survivors include her husband, Owen Byrd Adams of Ft. Walton Beach, FL, formerly of Artesia, MS, son, Scott Adams and his wife Susan of Columbus, MS, daughters, Denise Adams Ragsdale and her husband Dural "Raggy" and Diane Adams Meredith and her husband Don of Navarra, FL, sisters, Sue Henley of Verona, MS, Hazel McIlwain of Starkville, MS, and Celia Mehaffey of Gulf Breeze, FL, grandchildren, Chance Ragsdale, Kimberly Ragsdale, Adam Meredith and Michael Meredith (who met her in Heaven), and Scott Meredith, great grandchildren, Braedyn Meredith, Taylor Meredith, and Ashlynn Meredith, a number of special nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. Pallbearers will be her two grandsons, Chance Ragsdale and Adam Meredith, and also Newton Guerry, Bill Guerry, Paul Guerry, David Langford, Josh Guerry, and Bobby Pritchard. Honorary pallbearers will be members of Artesia United Methodist Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to Artesia United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 188, Artesia, MS 39736, Covenant Hospice, 101 Hart St. Niceville, FL 32578, or The Alzhiemer's Association, 1900 Dunbarton St., Jackson, MS 39216. The family would like to express special thanks to friends at Westwood Retirement Center who called Dale "Pretty Lady" and Lori Easley, her wonderful caregiver during her first year in Fort Walton Beach and the caring staff at Westwood Health Care who ministered to Dale, Owen, and her family.
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