DATE: Wednesday, October 22, 1997           TAG: 9710220453

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B8   EDITION: FINAL 

DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH                        LENGTH:   31 lines

JESSIE M. ALFORD

Jessie McHargue Alford, 97, died Tuesday, Oct. 21, 1997, in Maryview Medical Center.

She was a native of Marion County, Fla., and was the widow of William D. Alford. She was also predeceased by two sons, Carl L. Alford and Arthur D. Alford.

Mrs. Alford was a devout Christian and served in numerous leadership positions in the Methodist Church of Scanlon and Perry, Fla. After moving to Virginia, she united with the First Church of the Nazarene in Portsmouth, where she followed a similar path, serving as a teacher of a Bible class, president of the Missionary Society and member of the church board.

Survivors include a daughter, Ouida Alford Whitehurst of Portsmouth; a son, M.E. Alford of Portsmouth; two sisters, Mildred McHargue Day of Quincy, Fla., and Lena McHargue Bush of Quitman, Ga.; seven grandchildren, Carla Chapman, Gwen Ferguson, Sandi Boutwell, Richard Alford, Andrew Alford, Teresa Whitehurst and David Whitehurst; 14 great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.

A funeral will be conducted at 1 p.m. Friday in Greenlawn Mausoleum Chapel by the Revs. Ron Rice and Kenneth Rice. Burial will be in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens. The family will receive friends at Sturtevant Funeral Home, Portsmouth Blvd. Chapel, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday. Memorial contributions may be made to Student Scholarship Fund, Trevecca Nazarene University, 333 Murfreesboro Road, Nashville, Tenn. 37210. KEYWORDS: DEATH OBITUARY

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu