James Ervin Oswalt, age 80, died Thursday, May 15, 2014 at Darlington Oaks Community Hospice in Verona, MS. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Memorial Funeral Home. Services will be Sunday, May 18, 2015 at 2:00 PM at Mt. Zion Baptist Church with Rev. David Skinner officiating, assisted by Rev. Steve Lammons and Rev. Ralph Windle. Interment will immediately follow in Mt. Zion Cemetery. Visitation was held Saturday night from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at Memorial Funeral Home. The son of the late James Festus and Norma Estes Oswalt, Mr. Oswalt was born March 9, 1934 in Columbus. He attended S. D. Lee High School, where he played football. He graduated from New Hope High School. He served eight years in the MS Army National Guard. He was employed by American Bosch and then worked for Hooker Chemical for 26 years as a supervisor. When his department closed, he worked with his brother Billy Oswalt at Western Sizzlin. He was a longtime member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church and Bobby Suggss Mens Sunday School Class. He loved to hunt and fish and work in his garden. He also liked to cook, especially Brunswick stew and many times would cook enough to feed his church family at Mt. Zion. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his brothers Billy and Robert Oswalt. He is survived by his wife of 58 years Katherine Faye Hood Oswalt, his sons Chris Oswalt and Ronnie Oswalt( Doylene) and his daughter Gayla Barksdale, all of Columbus; brothers Willie Ray Oswalt (Lawanda) of Lake City, GA and Terry Oswalt (Mona) of Harrison, AR; sisters-in-law Joan Oswalt of Columbus and Linda Fultz (Kent) of Brandon, MS. He is also survived by his grandchildren Summer Walker (Alan), Rehana, Jamie Bishop (Josh) and Lauren Oswalt, his great-grand children Claire and Charlie Walker and Laina Bishop and a number of nieces and nephews. Pallbearers will be Mark Oswalt, Neil Oswalt, Ray Crane, John Inmon, John Beard, Kenneth Custard, Kent Fultz, Jessie Sims, Trenton Sheffield and Carlton Oswalt. Honorary pallbearers will be Bobby Suggss Mens Sunday School Class, Bobby Brandon, Keith Swedenburg, Hardy Hester, Locke Boyd , Charles Forrester, Henry McQueen, Ryan Oswalt, C.D. Walker and Gary Chism. Memorials may be made Darlington Oaks Community Hospice, 107 Skeet Drive, Verona, MS 38879 or the donor's favorite charity.
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