Obituaries 5-29-09
Published 12:00 am Friday, May 29, 2009
Neil Preston Birdsong
Panola native Neil Preston Birdsong, 88, of Springfield, Missouri, died May 25, 2009, in Cox South Hospital. Funeral services were Thursday, May 28 at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery, under the direction of Barnes Family Funeral Home, Ozark.
Birdsong was born February 3, 1921 in Panola County to C.C. and Blanch (Nelson) Birdsong.
On October 23, 1945, he married Vernice (Bacott) Birdsong.
An Air Force veteran of World War II, he was a competitive square dancer and an avid fisherman and outdoorsman.
He is survived by his wife and three sons, Roy Birdsong of Springfield, Danny Birdsong of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Robert Neil “Bob” Birdsong Beaumont, Calif.; five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
OAKLAND — Andrew Booker, 46, died Thursday, May 21, 2009, at Methodist Healthcare Hospital – North in Memphis.
Services were May 28 at Parrish Grove M. B. Church in Oakland with burial in the church cemetery. Rev. Jacob Hentz officiated. Cooley’s Mortuary had charge of arrangements.
Booker was the son of Eugene Booker and Rebia Clark Booker. He was a mechanic and member of the St. Andrew M. B. Church in Oakland.
Survivors, in addition to his parents, include six sisters, Rosie Lee Booker, Ruby Booker, and Veterine Booker Bynum, all of Oakland, Cynthia Reed of Senatobia and Marie Jackson and Betty Booker, both of Memphis; and four brothers, Henry Booker, John Booker, Willie Booker and Samuel Booker, all of Memphis.
SLEDGE — Lawrence Elbert Brewer, 75, died Monday, May 25, 2009 at his home.
Services were May 28, at Pate-Jones Funeral Home in Senatobia, which had charge of arrangements. Burial followed in the Singleton Springs Cemetery.
Brewer was retired from the U. S. Air Force and later retired as a heavy equipment operator.
Survivors include his wife, Jayn Brewer; his daughters, Sabrina A. Britt of Hernando and Melina Brewer of Dubbs; his son, Marcus Brewer of Tunica; a sister, Mary Frazier of Marks; three brothers, Russell Brewer and Montie Brewer, both of Clarksdale, and Curtis Brewer of Senatobia and three grandchildren.
Mary Chadwick
RULEVILLE — Mary Ellen Wiggs Chadwick, 82, died Saturday, May 23, 2009 at the North Sunflower Medical Center.
Services were May 25 at Kimbro Funeral Home, which had charge of arrangements. Burial followed in the Belen Cemetery.
Survivors include two daughters, Sandra Britt of Minter City and Linda Wing of Walls; one son, U.N. Wing of Orlando, Fla.; eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
The family requests that memorials be made to the North Sunflower Medical Foundation or the Walter B. Crook Nursing Facility in Ruleville.
Tupelo-Former Batesville resident James L. Faggert, 82, of Columbus passed away Tuesday, May 26, 2009 at Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo.
Funeral services were held Thursday, May 28 at First Assembly of God Church. Brother Lee Miley officiated. Interment was at Memorial Gardens in Columbus with Lowdnes Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
He was born January 23, 1927 in Panola County to the late Roy Lee and Frances Elizabeth Young Faggert. He retired from Tennessee Gas Pipeline after 38 years of service and was a former employees of Lowndes Funeral Home.
He served in the U. S. Army, was a member of Hairston Bend Hunting Club, VFW Post 4272, American Legion Post 69 and Columbus First Assembly of God Church. He was preceded in death by the mother of his children, Hazel Perrigan.
He is survived by his wife, Glenda Faggert of Columbus; three daughters, Becky Smith, and Heather Painter, both of Columbus and Melissa Beach of Newport Richey, Fla.; two sons, Dennis Faggert of Tupelo and Wayne Faggert; two sisters, Sadie Lawrence of Batesville and Hazel Waldrip of Sardis; 10 grandchildren and four great grandchildren
BATESVILLE — Rodney Eugene Jaudon, 61, died Saturday, May 23, 2009, at Baptist East Hospital in Memphis.
Services were May 26 at Dickins Funeral Home Chapel with interment at Forrest Memorial Park. Dickins Funeral Home had charge of arrangements.
Jaudon is survived by his wife, Angela Stokes Jaudon; a son, Rodney Jaudon Jr.; a daughter, Rhonda Jaudon Hopper; and four sisters June Jaudon Morrow, Emma Jaudon Conaway, Ruthie Jaudon Crosswhite and Kitty Jaudon Nelson, all of Batesville.
He is also survived by his brother, Jerry Wayne Jaudon of Longview, TX, and three grandchildren.
Lena Faye Johnson
BATESVILLE– Lena Faye Johnson, 79, died Wednesday, May 20, 2009 at Baptist Memorial Hospital of North Mississippi in Oxford.
A memorial service was held May 27 at Mt. Olivet Methodist Church with the Rev. Doug Pepper officiating. Wells Funeral Home had charge of arrangements.
Johnson is survived by her husband, Harold Wayne Johnson of Batesville; two daughters, Loriann Johnson of Knoxville, Tenn., and Susan Anderson of Atlanta, Ga.; four sons, Brett Johnson of Hernando, Jeffery Wayne Johnson of Batesville and Keth Stafford and David Stafford, both of Indiana; a sister, Loretta Greene of Mt. Vernon, Indiana, and seven grandchildren.
COMO — Raymond Earl Jones, 82, died Monday, May 25, 2009 at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford.
Jones was a member of the New Hope Baptist Church and was an Army veteran of the Korean War. He was retired from the Memphis Police Department.
Services were May 28 at Ray-Nowell Funeral Home Chapel in Sardis with burial in the New Hope Cemetery near Como. Rev. Wesley Newby officiated. Ray-Nowell Funeral Home had charge of arrangements. Jones was born in Dyer County, Tenn., the son of the late Paris Jones and Della Ann Hall Jones.
Survivors include his wife, Dorothy L. Jones, one son, Dennis Jones, both of Como, 10 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
The family requests that memorials be made to the New Hope Baptist Cemetery Fund.
BATESVILLE– Joyce Skeen Joyner, 55, died in her home in Batesville, Tuesday, May 26.
Funeral services will be 2 p.m. Saturday, May 30, at Wells Funeral Home in Batesville with Dr. J. Courtney Selvy officiating. Interment will follow in Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Clarksdale.
Visitation will be today from 5-8 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home.
She was born in Clarksdale to Everett Gray and Mary Lee Skeahan Skeen on April 28, 1954.
A member of Oakhurst Baptist Church in Clarksdale, she was vice president for data processing at Citizens Bank and Trust also in Clarksdale.
Survivors include: two sons, Austin Ellis Joyner of Bateville and Clinton Everett Joyner of Covington, Tenn.; two sisters, Mary Ann Skeen Verhagen of Tullulah La. and Bobbie Skeen Akin of Hutchinson, Kan.; a brother, Tommy Skeen of Saratoga Springs, NY and five grandchildren.
The family request that memorials be sent to Humane Society of the United States, 2100 L Street NW, Washington, DC 20037.
CHARLESTON — James F. Muse, 81, died Sunday, May 24, 2009, at his sister’s home in Charleston.
A familiy memorial service was held May 25 at the Wells Funeral Home Chapel. Wells Funeral Home had charge of arrangements.
Muse was a member of Grace Episcopal Church in Gonzales, LA. An Army veteran of World War II, Muse was a retired cosmetic salesman for Shulton and Maybelline Cosmetics.
Survivors include his son, James Sherman Muse of Memphis; three sisters, Nell Muse Ahrens of Charleston, Bess Muse McCoolf of Gonzales, and Nancy Muse Patton of Oregon, and two grandchildren.
MEMPHIS — Heriberto Campos Ramirez, 36, of Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico died Sunday, May 24, 2009 in Memphis.
Visitation was Thursday at Dickins Funeral Home, which has charge of arrangements. Interment will follow at a later date in Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico.
Survivors include his mother, Ma. Raquel Ramirez Campost, one daughter, Andrea Campos; one son, Luis Heriberto Campos; three sisters, Ma. Dolorez Campos Perez, Linda Raquel Campost Camacho and Analilia Camos Ramirez; ; and his grandparents, Ma Guadalupe Campos and Teudolo Ramirez, all of Zapopan, Jalisco Mexico; and two brothers, Alejandro Campos Ramirez of Branson West, MO and Francisco Javier Campost, also of Zapopan, Jalisco Mexico.
LAMBERT–Funeral services were held May 27 for Diane Miller Smith, 74, who died May 25 at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis. Miller, a homemaker, was born in Arkansas on November 8, 1924.
Services were held at Faith Baptist Church in Lambert, with the Rev. Raymond Roberson officiating. Burial was in Lambert Cemetery. Kimbro Funeral Home had charge.
Smith is survived by her daughter, Mildred Smith of Locke Station; five sons, Billy Smith of Lambert, Tim Smith of Pope, Larry Smith and Harvey Smith of Crowder and Paul Smith of Brazil; 19 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren.
BATESVILLE — Ethel Fondren Ware, 62, died Friday, May 22, 2009 at Baptist Memorial Hospital – East in Memphis.
Services were May 25 at Macedonia M. B. Church, where she was a member, with burial in the church cemetery. Rev. Zannie Leland officiated. Cooley’s Mortuary was in charge of arrangements.
She was the daughter of Odell Fondren and Daisy Ballentine Fondren
Survivors include three daughters, Debra Turner Poole and Brenda Turner Norwood of Batesville and Linda Turner Richmond, of Memphis; a son, Tony Orlando Ware of Batesville, and a grandson whom she raised, Rico S. Turner of Horn Lake.
Three sisters, Lessie Ree Webb of Batesville and Maxine Williams and ARgie Nell Fondren, both of Ashdown, AR, also survive as do three brothers, Clendell Fondren of Flint, MI, Carl Fondren of Ashdown, AR, and Calvin Fondren of Waukegan, Ill; six grandchildren and two great grandchildren.