NATCHEZ – Services for Charles Rayford Tynes, 74, of Natchez, who died Thursday, Nov. 6, 2008, at Natchez Regional Medical Center, will be at 11 a.m. today at Laird Funeral Home Union Street Chapel with Dr. Edgar Wright officiating.
Burial will follow at Mixon Cemetery, in Amite County, under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.
Mr. Tynes was born June 23, 1934, in Liberty, the son of Francis T. L. Tynes and Martha Ann Bradshaw Tynes.
Mr. Tynes joined the National Guard in 1953. He went into active duty in December 1956 and received medical training at Fort Sam Houston Hospital in San Antonio and served at William Beaumont Hospital in El Paso until December 1958. Another year of National Guard duty was spent at Fort Bragg, North Carolina from October 1961 to September 1962. He made his profession of faith in August 1969 and became a member of Morgantown Baptist Church. He served on the building and grounds committee and also on the long range planning committee. He became involved with the Arkansas Nailbenders for Jesus in 1993. Vacation time from his work at International Paper Company was spent building churches in Arkansas. Beginning in March 1997, he and wife, Edrie, continued this ministry until June 2003 when failing health would no longer permit. He retired from International Paper Company in December 1996 after 43 years of service.
He was preceded in death by his parents; infant twin daughters, Thelma Juanita and Velma Anita Tynes; one brother, Oliver Aaron Johnson; one sister, Iria Thomas; one niece, Charlotte Thomas; two nephews, Phillip Bertone Jr. and Jack N. Liuzza; and daughter-in-law, Tammy N. Tynes.
Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Edrie Cockerham Tynes; one daughter, Beverly Chalmers and husband, Charles Eugene Jr., both of Vidalia; one son, James Stephen Tynes of Natchez; one brother-in-law, Marvin Thomas of Milam, Texas; two sisters, Glada Fay Bertone of Independence, La., Beverly Ann Liuzza and husband, Jack, both of Amite, La.; two brothers, Douglas Phelps and wife, Cora, both of Groves, Texas and Albert Ellis Forman of Mesquite, Texas; four grandchildren, Sara Chalmers of St. Charles, Mo., Abby and Trey Chalmers, both of Vidalia, and Candice R. Tynes of Smithfield; N.C.; and a number of nieces and nephews.
Pallbearers will be Sonny Daniels, Don Hicks, Buddy Mohon, L.C. Smith, Herman Eldridge and Gillis Bland.
Honorary pallbearers will be members of his Sunday school class and Arkansas Nailbenders.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Alzheimer’s Association or Morgantown Baptist Church.
Online condolences may be sent to www.lairdfh.com.