BLOOMFIELD, Mo. -- Jake Leon Pounds, 83, of Bloomfield died Wednesday, April 7, 2004, at his home.

He was born June 21, 1920, at Ward, Ark. He and Rita Skelton were married and she preceded him in death June 12 1997. He and Audrey DeBerry were later married.

Pounds retired from the U.S. Navy as a chief petty officer in 1967 and was employed by the W.E. Sears Youth Center until 1985. He was a member of the Philadelphia Missionary Baptist Church.

Survivors include his wife; three sons, David Pounds of New Madrid, Mo., Phillip Pounds of Dexter, Mo., and Van Pounds of Jefferson City, Mo.; a daughter, Marilyn Hester of Bloomfield; a brother, Thomas Pounds of Dearborn, Mich.; and a sister, Rita DeMay of Dearborn, Mich.

He was preceded in death by a son.

Friends may call at the Chiles-Cooper Funeral Home in Bloomfield from 5 to 8 p.m. today.

Funeral will be at 10 a.m. at the funeral home. The Rev. Robert Gardner will officiate, with full military burial in the Missouri Veterans Cemetery.