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March 18, 1937 – Sept. 14, 2014

NATCHEZ — Services for Esther “Sweet” McNealy, 77, of Natchez, who died Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014, at Natchez Community Hospital, will be at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Daughter of Zion Missionary Baptist Church with the Rev. Stanford Cruel officiating.

Burial will be at noon Monday at the Natchez National Cemetery under the direction of Bateaste Memorial Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. today at the funeral home.

Mrs. McNealy was born March 18, 1937, in Jefferson County, the daughter of Jimmy Day and Augusta Proby.

She attended the Jefferson County schools and was employed as a retail manager. She was a housewife.

Mrs. McNealy was a member of Daughter of Zion Missionary Baptist Church usher board, Women’s Ministry and Willing Workers.

She was an honorary member and den mother of Walmart Supercenter Gospel Choir. She enjoyed cooking, sewing, crafts, gardening, traveling and shopping.

Mrs. McNealy was preceded in death by an infant son, William McNealy Jr.; her father; her stepfather, Perry Proby; two sisters, Bobbie and Ama Lee Proby; and two brothers, Grant and Perry Proby.

Survivors include a devoted husband, William P. McNealy; four daughters, Willie Mae Johnson and husband, Joseph, Doris McNealy-Gordon and companion, James, Jacqueline T. McNealy and companion, Lloyd, all of Natchez, and La Tayna M. Brown and husband, Michael, of Memphis, Tenn.; one son, Darnell McNealy and wife, Cassandra, of Greenville; her mother of West Palm Beach, Fla.; three sisters, Francis Turner of West Palm Beach and Willie Mae Turner of Tampa, Fla., and Jimmie Marie Franklin and husband, David, of Church Hill; three brothers, James Proby and Clarence Proby, both of West Palm Beach and Walter Day of Dallas; 15 grandchildren, four of whom she helped to raise; 16 great-grandchildren; three sisters-in-law; two special cousins, Katye Dukes and Peter Jackson Jr., both of Natchez; a special niece, Shirley Turner of West Palm Beach; a dear friend, Theresa Cameron; two special children, Thomas Woods and Kathryn Washington, both of Natchez; two godchildren, Maranda Woods and LaMark Hargrave, both of Natchez; an adopted family, Bettye James and family; and a number of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.

Pallbearers will be Freddie W. Battiste, Ralph Daniel, James “Rickey” Gray Jr., Warren Henry, Henry Rice and Willie Sproulls.

Online condolences may be sent to bateastefuneralhomes.com.