Funeral services for Rayford C. Buckles, 88, of Roxie, MS will be on Saturday, March 24, 2018 at Franklin Funeral Home at 3:00 PM with a full military burial to follow at Elmo Baptist Church Cemetery, Roxie, MS. Rev. Matthew Buckles and Rev. James Hunsucker will be officiating. Franklin Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation will be at Franklin Funeral Home on Saturday, March 24, 2018 from 1:00 PM until time of service at 3:00 PM. Burial will be at The Elmo Baptist Church Cemetery. A memorial service will be held at his previous residence in Peru, IN at a later date.

Mr. Buckles passed from this life on March 14, 2018 at the Meadville Convalescent Home in Meadville, MS with his daughter, Sue, by his side. He went to meet Jesus and reunite with his bride, the love of his life, Mary Ann. Most would say that Mary Ann was greeting him with "What took you so long Rayford?" with Rayford responding, "There's my bride!"

Mr. Buckles was born on July 06, 1929 in Franklin County, MS to the late Cameron Buckles and Alice Lima Adams Buckles. He married Mary Ann Prather Buckles on November 23, 1960.
Preceding him in death are his parents, sister; Madeline Bickerstaff; brothers, Billy, Kenneth, and Bobby and granddaughter, Marilynn Buckles.

Survivors include his four children, Holly Sue (Travis) Enlow of Raymond, MS, Rayford Alan Buckles of Roxie, MS, Debra Ann (and Ron) Toth of Kokomo, IN, and Mark (and Becca) Buckles of Fairbanks, Alaska.

He was loved and highly devoted to his grandchildren, Suzanne Sheppard (Colson), Walter Ray Davis (Leigh Ann), Heather Davis Hodges (Tim), Leigh Davis Furr (Tim), Derek Alan Buckles (Paige), Rayford Daryl Buckles (Amy), Kendall Harrison Buckles (Grace), Brenden Colby Beach, Cody Michael Rayls (Erin), Richard Dean Toth (Whitney), Alexander Paul Toth (Renea), David James Toth (Alyssa), Harvey Cameron Buckles, and Jacob Alan Buckles; 27 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild; brother Alfred (and Lucy Prather) Buckles of Papillion, Nebraska; sister-in-law, Ellen Prather Buckles Harrigill (Jack) of Roxie, MS; sisters, Juanita (and Marcus) Cothren of Roxie, MS; and a host of nieces and nephews.

He was a retired United States Air Force veteran. He served his country in the Korean War and in Viet Nam. He also worked at the Amtrol Foundry in Peru, IN and at Hollinger's Store in Bude while he was in high school.
He went to school at Central Grammar, Meadville High School and Mississippi State University. He was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Lodge 2067 of Peru, IN. He retired from the United States Air Force as a Master/Sgt. In 1970 with 20 years of service. He was an Air Policeman for 10 years and Aircraft Mechanic until he retired. He worked on B36, B58, and B52 and finished up in Quality Control. He traveled all over the world when he was in the USAF; Hawaii, Texas, Philippines, Thailand, Columbus, Mississippi, Peru, Indiana. He moved back to Franklin County where he has been since he retired.

He was very active in First Baptist Church (Peru, IN). He taught Sunday School, BYF, he took kids on ski trips, sleepovers, and outings of all sorts. He headed a State BYF convention at the church, which included around 500 youth and sponsors. He was ordained as a deacon and was on various boards and committees. He loved to fly Remote Control airplanes that he would build from kits. He and his best friend, Carl Moon, worked on them just about every day and if they weren't building them, they were flying them. His grandsons would enjoy going and watching him.

The family request donations be made to Wounded Warriors Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675.