Sept. 13, 1928 — July 22, 2014

NATCHEZ — Funeral services for Thelma Dee Kleiser Sligh, 85, of Natchez, who died Tuesday, July 22, 2014, at River Region Medical Center in Vicksburg, will be at 11 a.m. today at First Baptist Church with the Rev. Dan Ratcliff officiating.

Burial will follow in Greenlawn Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until service time today at the church.

Mrs. Sligh was born was Sept. 13, 1928, in Eunice, the daughter of Robert James Kleiser and Thelma Finley Kleiser.

She was married April 14, 1953, to the love of her life, James W. “Jim” Sligh at the First Methodist Church of Eunice.

She was a bookkeeper for Riehl Building and Supply Co. of Eunice.

While living in Lafayette, she was a member of the Lafayette Garden Club and the Plantation Belles. She was also assistant Girl Scout Troop leader and an avid amateur golfer, being a member of the Oakbourne Country Club.

She became a resident of Natchez in 1969, where she was a member of First Baptist Church and was very active in the Martha Gammill Sunday School class.

She was also one of the founding members of the Auburn Garden Club.

She was an avid bridge player and loved to work in her yard with flowers and gardening. She loved to cook and take care of her family, being a faithful caregiver to her husband, Jim, for 60 years.

She will be greatly missed.

Mrs. Sligh was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; one brother, James “Bob” Kleiser; and sister-in-law, Eileen Kleiser.

Survivors include two sons, James Robert “Bob” Sligh and wife, Dr. Christa Sligh, of Birmingham, Ala., and Dr. Thomas K. Sligh and wife, Annette, of Vicksburg; one daughter, Pamela Sligh of Natchez; two grandchildren, Jonathan Robert Sligh and Sara Christine Sligh, both of Birmingham; and one niece Eileen V. Kleiser of Sacramento.

Pallbearers will be Chris Mills, Tim McCann, Chad Johnson, Connell Miller III, Clark Smith and Spencer Stutzman.

The family would like to send a special thanks to the doctors, nurses and staff at River Region Medical Center for their attentive care.

Online condolences may be made to lairdfh.com.