Funeral services for Mr. Joel Jared McDonald, 23, of Mt. Olive, were held February 24, 2015, at Victory Full Gospel Ministries in Hattiesburg. Interment was in the Pleasant Grove CME Church cemetery, Magee. Pastor Havard McDonald officiated. Reeves Funeral Home of Mt Olive was in charge of the arrangements.

Active pallbearers were Havard McDonald III, Joseph McDonald, Joshua McDonald, Michael Graves, Micah Johnson, Cornelius Hobbs, Charles Graves, Gerald Graves, and Malcolm Walton.

Mr. McDonald passed away February 19, 2015, at Forest General Hospital as a result of a vehicle accident.

Joel graduated from Starkville High School where he excelled in various sports programs and the band. He touched the lives of many as a musician at the early age of 15 when he started playing for various churches in the Hattiesburg area. He was fulltime pianist at Victory Full Gospel Ministries. He started his own carpentry company, Anointed Hands Remodeling Services, along with his wife Tempest McDonald.

Joel spent most of his young life with his grandparents who instilled core values and integrity helping him to become the loving husband, brother, son and friend he was.

Survivors include his wife, Tempest; his soon-to-be-son, (due March 16, Jacob Joel McDonald); step-daughter, Jalasia Graves of Mt. Olive; his parents, Renett Hayes of Magee and Glen Hayes of Starkville; grandparents, Rev. Havard and Minnie McDonald of Magee, Ernie Mae Cowers and C. Boy Hayes, both of Jackson; one great-grandmother, Willie Bell McDonald of Magee; two brothers, Jeremiah of and Jaylen of Starville; one sister, Jasmine (Charlie) Hogan of Starkville; mother and father-in-law, David and Myrtle Carr of Mt. Olive; one niece, Aniya Hogan of Starkville; two uncles, Lee (Marleah) McDonald and Howard (Kimberly) McDonald, Jr.; two aunts, Delphene Johnson of Mesquite, TX, and Gloria (Curtis) Hobbs of Magee; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.