Velma Louise Northard

Funeral service for Ms. Velma Louise Northard, 59, of Anniston, will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, September 18, 2010, at 17th Street Baptist Church with Pastor Rolando Turner, pastor of Bridgeway Christian Center officiating. Inhumation will follow in the Jennifer Cemetery in Munford. Her body will lie in state at the church one hour prior to the funeral service. Ms. Northard passed away Saturday, September 11, 2010, at her residence. Survivors include four sons, Derek Northard, Gerald Henderson, Roderick Henderson and Chandron Northard, all of Anniston; two sisters, Levon Lewis-Gray, of Anniston and Barbara Ann Boozer, of Birmingham; two brothers, Alphonso Lewis, of St. Louis, Mo. and Gregory Lewis, of Chicago, Ill.; ten grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Ms. Northard was preceded in death by her mother, Dovie Ruth Tyus and her father, John Wilbert Lewis. Ms. Northard was a native and life long resident of Anniston and a graduate of Cobb Avenue High School in 1970 and received her B.S. in Social Work and M.S. in Agency Counseling from Jacksonville State University. She was a member of the Bridgeway Christian Center where she served as an Usher, member of the Intercessory Prayer Group and the Outreach Team. She had worked for the Opportunity Center for many years and in 2001 she founded and was the executive director of Covenant Services, Inc. Her body will lie in repose at the Ervin Funeral Chapel today from 2:00 until 8:30 p.m. with Turner Funeral Chapel, LLC of Atmore directing. "Serving with Dignity, Compassion and Excellence".