Bennie Mcknight

Bennie Ross McKnight, age 71, of Coker, died Jan. 4, 2012, at Hospice of West Alabama. Services will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Magnolia Chapel Funeral Home North with Rev. Woody Jones, Rev. Charles Herron, and Rev. Alton Bridges officiating. Burial will follow in Coker Cemetery with Magnolia Chapel Funeral Home North directing. Visitation will be tonight from 5 to 7 p.m. at the funeral home. He was preceded in death by his parents, Nell and Gene McKnight, and his sister, Linda McKnight Snyder. Survivors include his wife of 52 years, Peggy T. McKnight; his sons, Keith McKnight (Kristy) and Ben McKnight (Lisa); his brother, Billy McKnight; and his grandchildren, Emily McKnight, Nathan McKnight, Stephen McKnight, Jonathan McKnight, Kassie Sanford, and Keaton Ryan. Ross loved his family, his church, and his community, and he served all three with all his heart. He especially loved his grandchildren. Most of all, he put God first. He will be missed greatly. Pallbearers will be Steve Fair, Billy McKnight Jr., Wayne Pierce, Ed Hysaw, Ronnie Mitchum, and David Miller. Honorary pallbearers are Sonny and Betty Broughton, Tony and Faustine Bresnahan, Nell and Mack Fair, Betty Pierce, Bland and Bud Strickland, Darrell and Joe Booth, Mary and Jimmy Woods, Judy and Calvin Liverman, former employees of Gulf States Paper, Tuscaloosa County High School Class of 1959, past and present members of Coker United Methodist Church, members of Coker Town Council and the entire Coker Community, Frances and John Morgan, David and Wanda Miller, Nadine and Charles Bryant, Cathy and Richard Gilliand, and Charlie and Shirley Mitchum. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Coker United Methodist Church.