Obituaries 2-17-09

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Lillie Mae Simmons

CLARKSDALE–Lillie Mae Simmons, 82, died Saturday, February 14, 2009, at Greenbough Nursing Home. She was the sister of Lottie Wright of Batesville.

Services are today at 2 p.m. at National Funeral Home in Clarksdale. Rev. Timothy Beard will officiate. Burial will be in Memorial Gardens Cemetery. National Funeral Home in Clarksdale has charge.

Simmons, born Jan. 22, 1927, to the late Pearl Virginia Turner Henry and Jim Henry, was a Baptist and a homemaker.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William Edward Simmons.

Survivors along with her sister include: one daughter, Linda Maddox of Clarksdale; one son, Charles Simmons of Pelatchie and one grandchild.

ENID–Albert Griffin Sr., 80, died Monday, February 9, 2009, while residing with his daughter, Linda Gail Griffin Urban in Senatobia.

Memorial services were Thursday at Bethel Methodist Church in Tallahatchie County. His nephew, Rev. Tom McCallister of Winona, officiated. Burial was in Bethel Cemetery. Dickins Funeral Home had charge.

Griffin, born in Clarksdale, Oct. 7, 1928, to the late John Thomas and Maude Boston Griffin, was a graduate of Mississippi State University.  He was a veteran of the Army and served in WWII. He was a member of Pharsalia Baptist Church in Pope.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Josephine Rebecca Crosthwait Griffin.

Survivors along with his daughter, include: one son, Albert  “Pete” Griffin Jr. of Enid; one daughter, Patricia Ann Griffin Jones of Batesville; one sister, Catherine Coker of Greenville; four grandchildren, Serena Ann Selby Smith, Joshua Joseph Griffin, Anna Carol Griffin, Scott Fillyaw and Jessica Lynn Jones and one great-grandchild, Travis Ethan Burt.

JONESBORO– Donald Freeman Seay, 75, died Thursday, February 5, 2009, at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro. He was the son of the late Edward E. and Laverne Freeman Seay, formerly of Batesville. He was the first cousin of Eddie Clark Rowsey, Peggy Freeman Cole and Linda Duke Mitchell, all of Batesville.

Services were held Monday, February 9 at Emerson Memorial Chapel Funeral Home. Burial was in Jonesboro Memorial Park Cemetery.

Seay was a graduate of Jonesboro High School and attended Arkansas State University. He joined the U.S. Navy and became a Navy pilot, attaining the rank of lieutenant commander. Following his active duty in the Navy, he earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Mississippi and juris doctor degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law at Fayetteville.

He began a private law practice at Jonesboro in 1963 that was called The Seay and Bristow Firm. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Jonesboro, the Loyal Order of Moose, the Craig head County Bar Association. During the 1968 tornado devastation in Jonesboro he served as local chairman of the American Red Cross.

Survivors include: his wife, Sandra Benski Seay of Jonesboro; two daughters, Anne Bynum of Little Rock and Kara Kratzer of Austin, Texas; one sister, Jo Ann Allen of Dumas and six grandchildren.