Marlene Thompson Meredith

Funeral service for Anita Marlene Meredith will be held at 3:00 PM, Sunday, January 21, 2024, at First Baptist Church of Columbia with Bro. Eric Harriman and Bro. Glenn Carroll Meredith officiating. Interment will follow at Columbia Hill Cemetery under the direction of Riser and Son Funeral Home, Columbia. The family will have visitation for friends and family  on Saturday, January 20, 2024, at the chapel of Riser and Son Funeral Home, Columbia, from 5:30 PM until 8 PM.

On January 17, 2024, Marlene Thompson Meredith age 89 left her earthly home in Columbia for her home in heaven to be with her Lord – where she is now rejoicing. 

Marlene always said she didn’t have a gift, yet she was a gift to all. Her greatest desire in life was to be a good wife and mother and to reflect the love of Christ her Lord. She excelled in all these. She was the consummate hostess. Her door was always open for a cup of coffee, fun conversation, encouragement, and wise advice. She was the ultimate friend, knowing what to say or what to do when you needed it most. But most of all, she was the perfect mother to her three beloved children. 

Marlene had three great loves. She loved her community. She always said “people are so good to you in a small town” and they were. She was a member of the “Golden Girls” as her community had lovingly dubbed them and could be found any Friday at lunch time at a local restaurant enjoying their company.  She loved her church family. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Columbia for 65 years having served in almost every capacity: Sunday school teacher, VBS volunteer, choir member, pulpit committee, church hostess for 30 years and most recently, co-chair of the flower committee. Mostly she loved being a mother and grandmother. And she was the best. 

She will be missed by her church family, local community and many friends, but most especially by her family. She was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, John Glenn Meredith, her precious mother-in-law, Doris Smith Meredith, her sister Norma Sue Garlington and stepbrother, Ronnie Thompson. Left to carry on her legacy are her three children and their spouses, Marsha and Stan Harris of Columbia, Glenn Carroll and Carol Meredith of Dallas, TX and Dean and Susan Meredith of West Monroe along with her grandchildren Meredith Harris, Jonathan and Carolyn Harris, Brett and Ashlynn Meredith, Rachael and Nathan Meredith, Angela and Griff Furst, Brittany and Robert Michael and eight great-grandchildren.  

Serving as pallbearers will be Glenn Carroll Meredith, Dean Meredith, Stan Harris, Jonathan Harris, Brett Meredith, Nathan Meredith, Griff Furst and Robert Michael. Junior pallbearers are great grandsons Aaron Michael, Abram Furst, Callen Meredith, Drew Delcambre and Niel Meredith.  

In lieu of flowers, the family asks memorials be made to Marlene’s favorite charities, the Ronnie Tullos Evangelism Association, Gideon's International and the Wounded Warrior Project.