James David Harper, Jr., 62, of Ben Hill County died Tuesday, January 13, 2009, at his residence.
Funeral services will be held 2 p.m., Friday, January 16, 2009 in Mt. Zion Baptist Church with Rev. Ronny Griner and Rev. Ronny Vice officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday evening at the funeral home.
Mr. Harper was born March 31, 1946, in Coffee County to the late James David and Myrtice Joiner Harper. He lived in the community most of his life. Mr. Harper was retired owner-operator of David Harper’s Welding Service, a former employee of Goodman Welding and of Ingles Shipyard in Pascagoula, MS. He was of the Baptist faith.
Mr. Harper is survived by his wife, Donna R. Harper of Ben Hill County; children, Tina D. (Leslie) Newman of Jacksonville Beach, Fl, James D. (Veronica) Harper, III of Jacksonville, FL, Stephanie (Jason) Couch of Fitzgerald and Scott (Melissa) Smith of Ben Hill County; 8 grandchildren and 1 great great grandchild and sister, Lucille Taylor of Ben Hill County. Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Bernard Harper.