James Henry Hemphill

Mr. James Henry Hemphill, 82, died Tuesday, August 21, 2012, at Rush Specialty Hospital in Meridian, MS. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 P.M. on Saturday, August 25th, at Porter Funeral Home, with Rev. Davis Keen officiating. Interment will be in Sardis Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5:00 to 8:00 PM on Friday, August 24th, at Porter Funeral Home. Mr. Hemphill was born October 27, 1929, in Winston County, MS. He was Baptist by faith, with Sardis Baptist Church being the family church. He retired from Boral Brick Company, but had owned a service station/body shop in Michigan for several years. He was first and foremost a wonderful dad and papa. He was preceded in death by his parents, Merdieth and Lucille Hemphill; his wife, Juanita Reed Hemphill; two daughters, Shirley Hemphill Pruitt and Rita Hemphill Hall; brother, Paul M. Hemphill; sister, Janice Hemphill White; and a grandson, James Donald Hemphill. He is survived by a daughter, Marlene (Rick) Lentz of Hazel Park, MI; a son, Johnny Hemphill of Louisville; a special son-in-law, Donny Hall of Macon, MS; eleven grandchildren, Tammy (Randy) Fulton, Jerry Hemphill, Jason (Beth) Hemphill, Jimmy Hemphill, all of Louisville; Scarlet (Grover) Sanschagrin of San Francisco, CA; Rhonda (Scott) Sage, Stephanie (Larry) Morrison, Ricky (Lana) Lentz, all of Michigan; Amanda (Richard) Price of Louisville; Sherry (Tim) Akins of Reform, AL; and Donna Williams of Oklahoma City, OK; 20 great grandchildren; 7 great great grandchildren; and brothers and sisters: Randy (Cathy) Hemphill, Pauline (Joe) Musial of Michigan; Carolyn (James) Johnson of Macon, MS, and Charles William (Bobbye) Hemphill of Missouri. Pallbearers are Jerry Hemphill, Jason Hemphill, Jimmy Hemphill, Jeffrey Hemphill, Nathan Hemphill, Jacob Hemphill, and John Hemphill.