Ola Slayton Rasberry Services for Ola Slayton Rasberry will be held Saturday, March 31, 2012, at 2:30 p.m. at Robert Barham Family Funeral Home Chapel, with Reverend Jason Gross officiating. Burial will be in Pine Grove Cemetery with Robert Barham Family Funeral Home in charge of the arrangements. Mrs. Rasberry, 104, of Meridian died Wednesday, March 28, 2012 at J. T. Champion Nursing Home. Ola Slayton Rasberry was born December 3, 1907, near Moscow in Kemper County, the first child of Thomas and Annie Lou (Williamson) Slayton. Ola was the oldest of their six children. When her grandparents died, Ola was about six years old, the family moved to the William Williamson home in Kemper County near the Lauderdale County line. It was a close knit community of either relatives or close friends. She attended school at Moscow, Zion, and Scooba and graduated from Martin in 1929. Ola married Leon Rasberry in 1930. She and Leon purchased a farm, in the community where she had grown up, in the late 1930's and lived there until they sold it in the 1960's. They moved to Michigan for a year but did not like the cold winters and returned to Meridian. Ola was an avid gardener until she was well into her nineties. She spent her time between Michigan and Mississippi in her late years. Though rural life was not easy in the early 1900's, she has commented that she had a happy life. The last years became very difficult when she lost most of her eye sight, hearing and all her siblings. She was a devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and great-great-grandmother. She was a member of the Pine Grove Baptist Church at Martin and later the Macedonia Baptist Church at Suqualena. Surviving is a daughter, Jo Ann Rasberry (Eugene) Alling of Battle Creek, Michigan; five grandchildren Christopher E. (Lisa) Alling, Joseph L. Alling of Battle Creek, Michigan, Kenneth L. Alling of Meridian, Nichole Fletcher and Lindsey Rasberry. Six great-grandchildren Christopher M. (Martha) Alling, Leon, Jacob, Niki and Bryan Alling, all of Michigan and Skyler Fletcher of Meridian; two great-great-grandchildren Dorian and Dannica Alling of Michigan. She was preceded in death by her parents in 1948 and 1949, her husband Leon Rasberry in 1983, her adopted son Eddie R. Rasberry in 1995, by two sisters, Arlette Slayton in 1944, and Alma Slayton Brown in 1962; brothers Earl Slayton in 2003, William Earnard Slayton in 2005 and Clinton Slayton in 2008. Family and friends may sign the online guest book at robertbarhamffh.com. Visitation will be held Saturday from 1:30 p.m. until the service at Robert Barham Family Funeral Home.
