Lillian Claire Quarles Hightower died Wednesday, April 7, 2010, at Promise Specialty Hospital in Vicksburg. She was 92.

A visitation will be held from 5 until 7 tonight at Riles Funeral Home in Vicksburg. Funeral services will be Saturday, April 10, 2010, at 10 a.m. at Gibson Memorial United Methodist Church with visitation an hour prior to the service. Interment will be at 3 p.m. in Meridian at Semmes Cemetery.

Mrs. Hightower was a native of Meridian. She was the daughter of Jesse and Margaret Jones Cook. She was a longtime resident of Vicksburg. She and her late husband, Searcy Reid Quarles, owned and operated Quarles Television and Appliance Service in Vicksburg and Reid Distributing in Jackson for a number of years.

She and her husband, the Rev. T. Ed Hightower, served in the United Methodist churches in Richton, Woodville, Laurel and Meridian. Mrs. Hightower was an active member of Gibson Memorial United Methodist Church and the Eastern Star Faith Chapter.

She is survived by her husband of 37 ½ years, the Rev. T. Ed Hightower of Vicksburg; sons, Norman Reid Quarles (Linda) of Louin and George Ernest Quarles (Dorothy) of Jackson; grandchildren, Norman Reid Quarles Jr. (Cheryl) of Clinton, Theresa Trussell (James) of Jackson, Alvin Hays of Vicksburg, Shirley Lee (Francis) of Brandon, Stephen Quarles of Madison, Charles Pyle of Houston, Texas, and Elizabeth Coombs of Alexandria, La.; 14 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.

She is also survived by her twin sister, Louise Walker of Fairhope, Ala.; four stepdaughters, Carol Miller (Russell) of Port Gibson, Bobbie Bitzer of Mobile, Ala., Janet Tanner (Jerry) of Morrilton, Ark., and Trudie Bomer of Clinton; six stepgrandchildren; 16 stepgreat-grandchildren; and two stepgreat-great-grandchildren.

Mrs. Hightower was preceded in death by her husband, Searcy Reid Quarles; daughter, Mildred Pyle; her parents, Jesse and Margaret Jones Cook; sister, Helen Marie Margolin; two brothers, Reginald Cook and Jack Cook; and two stepgrandchildren.

Serving as pallbearers are Stephen Quarles, Reid Quarles, Chris Cain, Alvin Hays, Charles Pyle, Nicholas Quarles and Mark Pait.

Memorials may be made to Gibson Memorial United Methodist Church, 335 Oak Ridge Road, Vicksburg, MS 39183 or to the Gideon’s International, P.O. Box 8265, Jackson, MS 39284.