AMITE, La. — Services for Sheblon “Pete” Cotten, 73, of Springfield, La., who died Monday, Aug. 6, 2007, at his residence, will be 11 a.m. Friday at First Baptist Church, Amite, with the Rev. Mike Foster officiating.

A celebration of his life will be from 9 a.m. until service time Friday at the church.

Mr. Cotten was born Aug. 3, 1934, in Magnolia, the son of Sheblon and Alma Cotten. He was co-owner of Cotten Plumbing in McComb and was president of McComb Junior Chamber of Commerce in 1964 and a Mason for James A. Myers Lodge in Jackson. He was a graduate of Mississippi State University, an outdoor sports enthusiast and state director of the Mississippi Good Sam Club. He retired as a Master Sgt. E-8 from Mississippi Military Academy of the Mississippi National Guard and was a school teacher in McComb and in Natchez.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and sister, Yvonne Distefano.

Survivors include his wife of 31 years, Gloria Jane Boyd Cotten of Springfield; children, the Rev. Sheblon Andre Cotten and wife, Ellen, of Corinth, Gayle Cotten and Susan Cotten Pray and husband, Tim, all of Amite, Rhonda Finnell Lusco and husband, Matt, of Birmingham, Ala., Harley Al Finnell and wife, Jerolyn, of Dallas, Texas; sister, Bette Cotten Mott of McComb; brother, Harold Dean Cotten of Jackson; eight grandchildren, Sara Anne and Pete Cotten of Corinth, Zach Pray of Amite, Trey, Brittany and Blake Finnell of Dallas, Olivia and Matthew Lusco of Birmingham; and great-grandson, Cadden Finnell of Dallas.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions for the purpose of Liver Disease Research at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville be sent to Mayo Clinic, Department of Development, 4500 San Pablo Road, Jacksonville, FL 32224.

McKneely Funeral Home, Amite, in charge of arrangements.