Obituaries 8-12-11

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, August 16, 2011

OXFORD – Mary Lee Champlain, 75, died Friday, August 5, 2011, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Desoto.

Graveside services will be held Friday at 10 a.m. at Antioch Cemetery in Oxford. Visitation will be held from 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. at Wells Funeral Home.

Champlain, born Oct. 9, 1935, in Oxford, to the late Rube Earl and Ethel Lee White, was a homemaker and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles E. Champlain.

Survivors include: three daughters, Freda Champion Carson of Byhalia, Dianna Champlain of Southaven and Cherryl Champlain Wester of Horn Lake; two sons, Charles E. Champlain Jr. of Memphis and Darryl L. Champlain of Byhalia; brothers, Leland White of Savannah, Ga. and Olen White of Pope; 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

SLEDGE – Archie Jim  Cook Sr., 57, died Saturday, August 6, 2011, at his residence.

Services will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Silent Grove M.B. Church in Marks. Rev. Lacy Reed will officiate. Burial will be in Lambert Cemetery.

Cook, born March 17, 1954, in Quitman County, to the late Jim Cook and Willie Lee Hubbard, was a Justice Court Judge and a member of Olive M.B. Church in Sledge. He was an associate pastor.

BATESVILLE – James Curley “Punkin” Ford, 59, died Thursday, August 4, 2011, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services will be held Friday at 11 a.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary. Pastor J.N. Mobley will officiate. Burial will be in Eureka Cemetery. Visitation will be held today from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary.
Ford, born Aug. 7, 1951, in Batesville, to Robert Dugger and Cora Oliver, was  a custodian for South Panola High School District. He was a funeral director for Cooley’s Mortuary. He was deacon and a member of Mt. Zion M.B. Church. He was a treasurer for Panola Lodge 6A and grand registar for Prince Hall Grand Lodge for the State of Mississippi.

He was Queen Ester No. 18 for Order of the Eastern Star.

Survivors include: one brother, Gavin Ford of Batesville and two sisters, Freddie Shaw of Batesville and Mary Thomas of Chicago.

SARDIS – Matilda Keys, 84, died Sunday, August 7, 2011, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi.

Services were held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Mt. Zion M.B. Church in Sardis. Burial was in Ballentine Cemetery in Sardis. Felix Cauthen Funeral Home has charge.

Keys, was a member of Mt. Zion M.B. Church in Sardis.

Survivors include: her husband, Eugene Keys; one daughter, Bernice Jackson of Sardis; three sons, Charles Keys Sr., Eugene Keys Jr. and John Willie Keys, all of Sardis and Bobby Keys of Cleveland, Ohio; three sisters, Mae Ella Joseph of Arlington, Texas, Albertaleen Turner and Berk Joy, both of Milwaukee; 24 grandchildren; 62 great-grandchildren and a host of great-great-grandchildren.

BATESVILLE – Geneva Hoskins Spain, 85, died Sunday, August 7, 2011, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services were held Saturday at 11 a.m. at New Bethlehem M.B. Church in Batesville. Pastor Jeffery McMullen officiates. Visitation was held Friday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary and Saturday from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. at New Bethlehem M.B. Church. Cooleys’ Mortuary has charge.

Spain, born Nov. 20, 1925, in Batesville, to Hollis Hoskins Sr. and Ardellia Baker Hoskins, was a homemaker and a member of New Bethlehem M.B. Church. She was a choir member and a Sunday school teacher for kindergarten. She was a Bible Class scholar.

Survivors include: one daughter, Rita Spain Dezell of Batesville; two step-daughters, Dorothy Watts of Bellville, Ill. and Betty Baynes of Chicago; two sisters, Emmaline H. Hawk of Batesville and Patricia H. Brown of Clarksdale; four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.