The funeral service for Welton Dewitt Cothern will be at 1:00 p.m., Monday, March 3, 2025, at Riverwood Family with burial at Enon Cemetery. Visitation will start at 11:30 a.m. until the time of service. 

Welton Dewitt Cothern was born July 31^st, 1934. He was the son of the late Herman William Cothern and Texie Adell Cothern. He leaves behind his loving wife Mearl Boyd Cothern, son Devon, daughters: Melinda, Millie and daughter Renee (predeceased), his sisters Judy Cothern Dickerson and predeceased by sister Joyce Rayborn and brother Joe Cothern, four grandchildren Aaron (predeceased), Adam, Nataly, Katie and 12 great-grandchildren and 5 great, great grandchildren.

Welton married his beautiful childhood sweetheart Mearl Boyd in 1952 and had a lifelong loving marriage of 72 years. He was a loving husband and wonderful father and grandfather. He taught his grandsons to hunt and fish. He loved the outdoors and the many wonders it had. He was a skillful hunter and fisherman, master carpenter and craftsman. He built houses, custom cabinetry, and furniture, crafted beautiful vases of wood, and made custom jewelry. But that's not all; he wrote many songs and had a beautiful voice. He would sing at church with Mearl and Renee and wrote his own love song "Blue Eyes" for Mearl in 2005 while he worked in South Carolina about how much he loved her and missed her.

Welton & Mearl did everything over their 72-year marriage. They enjoyed traveling all over the country. Together, they enjoyed friends and family, and everyone was always welcome in their home. He was especially fond of his church and all members. When folks were down and needed prayer, Welton & Mearl were always there for them. Welton loved Jesus with all his heart and devoted his life to "Our Lord and Savior"

A little more about Welton that you might not know, when Welton graduated high school in 1952, he was the star center on the high school basketball team and Mississippi State University in Hattiesburg took interest in him and awarded a full scholarship to play basketball, but Welton decided to join the Marine Corp instead. Welton served for one year and had to leave the Corp with a hardship discharge due to his father dying in a terrible automobile crash to look after his family. Welton first went to work for the Army Corp of Engineers as a Boiler Fireman but saw no growth opportunity and decided to leave. Soon after, Welton formed his own company and went on to build several houses. Mearl and Welton found an old house in Tylertown, MS and he renovated the whole house himself. Shortly after, he joined the Carpenters Union Local 1098 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He went on to build bridges and many large structures. He rose in the ranks to Project Superintendent and went on to build 22 Hollow Bridges on Interstate I-55. He also went on to manage the construction of a pickle factory in Wiggins, MS and a chemical plant where he was the Superintendent of Construction. Then one day, his good friend, Jack Sweeden called him shortly after the Three Mile Island Nuclear accident to help manage the melting reactor and the cool down of the containment building. He was named the Project Engineer over the decontamination and clean-up effort of the nuclear site. He and Jack were partners and there wasn't anything they couldn't accomplish together. Welton had a thirst for learning and continued his education and took many courses over the years. He accumulated enough credits through the New York State University to earn his bachelor’s degree in construction management in

1982. His start in the nuclear industry led him to work across the country at 11 nuclear power plants and numerous fossil fueled power plants where he was either the Superintendent or Project Manager.

I first met Welton in 1979 at the Mohave Generating Station in Laughlin, NV just across from Bullhead City, AZ and the Colorado River. I was the boiler engineer, and he was Superintendent over all plant modifications. We soon became close friends. He was my mentor, and I learned more from him than all my education combined. I watched and learned how he handled the men reporting to him and the respect they all had for him. His knowledge and people skills were second to none. We later worked together on several nuclear projects, and we lived together much of that time. My children adored him and his southern style cooking. Welton was a big guy standing 6'- 2" and 235 pounds very intimidating if you didn't know him. He'd never round-up and say he was 6'- 3". I'd tease him and say "yeah, but you're made of twisted steel and sex appeal", he'd just laugh.

Then one day, while he and Mearl were traveling from the St. Lucie Nuclear plant back to their home driving on interstate 10, at mile marker 19, just after 1am in the morning, he drove into the deepest fog; however, it was smoke from an illegal burning in the adjacent fields that settled over the interstate. They were part of the largest interstate wreck in history, and he almost lost his life, but unfortunately, ended his working career and had to go out on disability at the age of 55, The Lord was watching over him and Mearl that night as they both survived the crash, but changed their lives forever. The Lord looked after him and Mearl for the rest of their lives and gave him 50 years.

I loved that man with all my heart, and we were the closest of friends anyone could possibly be. Over 46 years we enjoyed each other's company and he and Mearl treated me like a son. I love all his family as my own. I will miss him terribly and will love him forever. In his final days, he never lost his sense of humor, although under Hospice Care, he told Mear one night while lying in bed, he said "Baby, I'm not leaving you yet, but I'll give you a two-week notice".

Lastly, if you have ever watched the movie 'Gladiator at the very end after Maximus died, his friend leaned over his grave and held a carved trinket in his hand that Maximus made for his son and said to his good friend, (this is where I hold up the ring Welton made for me) "I’ll see you again, just not yet.”

The funeral service for Geraldine Freeman Byrd will be 2:30 p.m., Saturday, March 1, at Riverwood Family, with burial in Riverwood Memorial Park. Visitation is from 12:30 p.m. until the time of the service.

Mrs. Byrd, 84, of Brookhaven, passed from this life February 23, 2025, at her residence with her family by her side. She was born in Richton, MS, on January 19, 1941, to Wallace Lowery Freeman and Lois Summers Freeman. She was a graduate of Sand Hill High School, Class of 1959.

Mrs. Byrd was a dedicated and loving wife, married to C.H. Byrd for 53 years until his death in 2012, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend. First and foremost, she loved her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Mrs. Byrd was a member of Northview Baptist Church in Brookhaven for 35 years.

She was a true example of what a Christian woman should be. She taught us all how we should walk and talk as a Christian should according to God’s Word. Mama was a quiet and simple lady. She didn’t require fancy things. She loved her family, friends, and church family. She loved to sew, quilt and tend to her flowers until she was no longer able to.

She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.

She is preceded in death by her husband, C.H. Byrd; parents, Wallace and Lois Freeman; sister, Barbara Dykes; and nephew, Dana Walley.

Those left to cherish her memory are her children, Kelly Byrd (Roni), April Williford (Joey), Maye Sullivan (Bill), June Travis (Chris), and Stephen Byrd (Melanie); brothers, Jerry Freeman (Lois), Evon Freeman (Grace), Don Freeman (Deborah), Roger Dale Dykes; sister, Hazel Walley; eight grandchildren, Ashley Herring, Tyler Williford, Kristina Stinson, Joshua Sullivan, Austin Travis, Canon Travis, Blakeney Byrd, and Gary Byrd; 13 great grandchildren, and a host of other loving family members and friends. She is also survived by her caretaker, Sondra Smith, and her friends and nieces, Imogene Galloway and Mary Lee Byrd.

The family extends appreciation to Arden Hospice.