Merrill Preston Akins

Rev. Merrill Preston Akins, 85, evangelist, pastor and member with the Church of God for 72 years went home to be with the Lord on July 25, 2008. He was a member of South Cleveland Church of God since 1935. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army Medical Corps serving during World War II and received two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart. He was preceded in death by his parents, W.C. (Claude) and Irene Akins; brother, Max Akins; 3 sisters: Janet Stephens, Wilma Grimsley and Mildred Johnson; 2 brothers-in-law, Gerald Yagley and Jimmy Bozeman; sister-in-law, Doris Walker Akins and mother-in-law, Viola Bozeman. He is survived by his wife of 61 ½ years, Alma Louise Bozeman Akins of Cleveland; son, Michael L. Akins and wife, Lavonia(Sis) Akins of Birmingham, AL; 2 daughters: Brenda Akins and Marsha Murray McKenzie and husband, Charlie McKenzie, all of Cleveland; 5 grandchildren; 9 great grandchildren; 1 brother, Harvell Akins and wife, Lola of Troy, MI; 2 sisters: Claudia Yagley of Boca Raton, FL and Wanda Sue Tuggle and husband, Curtis of Arley, AL; 2 brothers-in-law: Rollin Johnson of Indianapolis, IN and George Bozeman and wife, Jean of Georgetown and 2 sisters-in-law, Ina Akins and Bea Akins both of Cleveland and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be conducted at 11:00 A.M. Wednesday, July 30, 2008 in the chapel of Ralph Buckner Funeral Home with Pastor Chris Moody, Dr. Carl Hobbs, the Reverend James Forgey and Pastor Gary Sears officiating. Interment will follow in Hilcrest Memorial Gardens with military honors. John Errington, Steve Murray, Jessie Collier, Evan Akins, Gary Stephens, Terry Akins will serve as pallbearers and Rod Clayton and the Men of Prime Timers South Cleveland Church of God will serve as honorary pallbearers. The service will conclude with a white dove release ceremony. His family will receive friends from 4 to 8 P.M. Tuesday, July 29, 2008 at Ralph Buckner Funeral Home. Memorials may be made to South Cleveland Church of God Building Fund or World Missions at South Cleveland Church of God, P. O. Box 4166, Cleveland, TN 37320. We invite you to send a message of condolence and view the Akins family guestbook at www.ralphbuckner.com.