Joe Bryan Ware, 68

He was an employee of Sears in the catalog division for 22 years, a retired sales manager for Bouldin and Lawson and a Church of Christ minister. He served as a teacher, deacon and elder at Conyers Church of Christ in Conyers, Ga., as minister at Centertown Church of Christ for six years, and as minister and elder at Mt. View Church of Christ. He preached his first gospel sermon in 1957 in Florida. He was currently a member of the East End Church of Christ, a U.S. Army Veteran of the Korean War and was the son of the late Allen Bryan and Cleo Curtis Ware.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by one brother, William Ware and four sisters, Faye Wallace, Nova June Myers, Edna Wanamaker and Edith Ware.

He was married Sept. 30, 1966 to Jean Cantrell Ware of Rock Island. In addition to his wife, he is survived by one son and daughter-in-law, Bryan and Janice Ware of St. Louis, Mo.; daughter and son-in-law, Jeanetta and John Cothron of Smyrna; two grandsons, Samuel Curtis Cothron and Joshua Allen Cothron; four brothers, James Ware and Paul Ware, both of McMinnville, Leon Ware of Bone Cave and Gene Ware of Pontiac, Mich.; two sisters, Betty Ware of McMinnville and Mary Jane Skierkowski of Christiana, and several nieces and nephews.

Funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. today at High?s Chapel with Bobby Gayton and Garland Robinson officiating. Burial will follow at Fuston Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until time of service today at High?s.

High Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.