OBITUARIES – 1/10/2014

Published 12:00 am Friday, January 10, 2014

Bobby Eugene Burks
BATESVILLE–Bobby Eugene Burks, 72, died Thursday, January 2, 2014, at Golden Living Center in Batesville.

Services were held Sunday at Dickins Funeral Home. Burial was in Forrest Memorial Cemetery. Dickins Funeral Home had charge.

Burks was born on March 4, 1941 to the late Phillip Eleshia Burks and Leedie Gross Burks.
Survivors include: three sisters, Inez Ross of Tucson, Ariz., Margaret Simmons of Grenada, and Patricia Ann Pittman of Batesville; two brothers, Jody Burks of Grenada and Edgar Burks of Laurel.

Carson Clarke Jaudon
SIDON–Carson Clarke Jaudon, the infant son of Shelli Acy and Jeromey Jaudon of Sidon, died Tuesday, January 7, 2014.

 There will be a graveside service  at 2 p.m. Friday, January 10, 2014 at Mt. Olive Baptist Church cemetery in Carroll County.

Carson is also survived by his maternal grandparents Mike and Lisa Acy of Blackhawk; paternat grandparents, David and Connie Jaudon of Teoc; his maternal great grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Acy of Coila and his paternal great grandmother, Ruth Jaudon of Batesville.
Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000 Dept. 142, Memphis, Tenn. 38101-9908.
 
T.W. Kelson
CRENSHAW–T.W. Kelson, 92, died Monday, January 6, 2014, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.
Services will be held Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at St. Joseph M.B. Church in Crenshaw. Pastor Floyd McGlothian will officiate. Burial will be in St. Jospeh M.B. Church Cemetery. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Kelson, born Jan. 9, 1921, to Fred C. Kelson and Christine Billington, was retired from Kentucky Tenn. Clay Company and was a member of Rising Sun M.B. Church where he was a deacon.
Survivors include: five daughters, Patricia Dodson and Mary Kelson, borh of Crenshaw, Cartrell Kelson Jackson of Covington, Ga., Armon K. Morgon of Florissant, Mo. and Jacqueline Watson of Garland, Texas; two brothers, Wardell Kelson of Sardis and Leroy Kelson of Palm Beach, Fla.; two sisters, Mildred Buck of Crenshaw and Freddie Lee Newman of Milwaukee; five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

S.L. Leverson
COMO–S.L. Leverson, 76, died Wednesday, January 1, 2014.

Services will be held Saturday at noon at Simon Chapel in Como. Visitation will be held 11 a.m. – noon at Simon Chapel. Rodgers Funeral Home has charge.

Survivors include: his wife, Lonnie Mae Leverson; four daughters, Wilma Leverson, Jimmie Leverson and Essie Canady of Chicago and Emma Leverson of Como; one son, Ron Armstrong of Washington, D.C.; two sisters, Retha Mae Holt and Matte Love, both of Chicago; 16 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

Theodore Thomas Lewis.
CHARLESTON–Theodore Thomas (Dr. T.T.) Lewis, 93,  formerly of Batesville, died Monday, January 6, 2014, at his residence.

Services were held Wednesday at First United Methodist Church in Charleston. Newsom Funeral Home had charge.

Lewis born, July 28, 1920, in Batesville, to the late James Russell and Esther O’Bryant Lewis, was a graduate of Batesville High School, the University of Mississippi and the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, where he obtained his medical degree. He was a decorated veteran of WWII, where he served as an Army medic and was honored with both a bronze star and a purple heart. During the war, he decided to pursue a medical career.

He served as a city councilman in Charleston, a member of the board of directors at Tallahatchie County Bank, multiple terms as chief of staff at Tallahatchie County Hospital and was named “Living Legend” by the Charleston Arts and Revitalization Effort (CARE).

He was preceded in death by his wife, Josephine Osborn Hunter.

Survivors include: children, Leigh Lewis Harris, Susan Harriet Lewis, Elisabeth O’Bryant Lewis (Doug Berry), and James Russell Lewis and three grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Charleston First United Methodist Church.

Jessie L. Mitchell
BATESVILLE–Jessie L. Mitchell, 89, died Friday, January 3, 2014, at Parkway Health and Rehabilitation Center.

Services will be held Saturday at Henderson Funeral Home in Sardis. Pastor Christopher Townsend will officiate. Burial will be in Rose Hill Cemetery in Sardis. Henderson Funeral Home has charge.

Mitchell, born Sept. 10, 1925, to the late Daily Figgs and Nelly Figgs, was a homemaker and a member of Mt. Zion M.B. Church.

Survivors include: three daughters, Annie Ray and Jessie Echols, both  of Memphis and Della Caldwell of Milwaukee; one son, William Ellis of Memphis; 30 grandchildren and 50 great-grandchildren.

Margie Florine Pitcock
ENID–Margie Florine Pitcock, 81, died Wednesday, January 8, 2014, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at Dickins Funeral Home with burial in Batesville Magnolia Cemetery. Dr. David Ball will officate. Dickins Funeral Home has charge.

Pitcock, born Aug. 28, 1932, to the late A.G. Scoggins and Lillie Nelson Scoggins, was a retired saleswoman for Hardin Bakery and a member of Assembly of God Church.

Survivors include: her husband of 63 years, Haywood Pitcock of Enid; one son, Steve Pitcock of Bartlett, Tenn.; two daughters, Gwen Shirley of Courtland and Denise Brooks of Batesville; six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Martha Austin Birdsong Rogers
BATESVILLE–Martha Austin Birdsong “Mimi” Rogers, died Thursday, January 1, 2014 at Sardis Community Nursing Home.

Services were held Saturday at First United Methodist Church in Batesville. Burial was in Magnolia Cemetery. Dickins Funeral Home had charge.

Rogers was born in Clarksdale, on February 8, 1921, to the late  Williams Austin “Boots” and Mary Lucile Cocke Birdsong. She was retired as secretary for the State of Mississippi Highway Department. A member of Batesville First United Methodist Church, she participated in Chancel Choir and was a member of the Truth Seekers Sunday school , Circle I and the United Methodist Women.

She was preceded in death by two husbands, Willis James Pardoe and Lawrence Rogers and one son, Walter Edwin Pardoe, III.

Survivors include: four daughters, Phyllis Pardoe Floyd of Batesville, Patricia Rogers Olive of Gantt, Ala., Laura Rogers Welch of Sarasota, Fla. a former daughter-in-law, Jackie Seay Pardoe Sergi of Batesville and her husband Brian Phillip Sergi, Sr. of Batesville,; nine grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. 

Brizell Russell
SARDIS–Brizell Russell, 63, died Thursday, January 2, 2014, at Baptist Memorial Hospital.
Services will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at  Cooley’s Mortuary with visitation from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. also at Cooley’s Mortuary.

Russell, born March 27, 1950, was a member of the Church of God.

Survivors include: nine brothers, Craig Russell of Milwaukee, Robert Russell, James Russell, Milton Russell, David Russell, Alvin Russell, Hal  Russell, Phil Russel, Steve Russell; 11 sisters, Carlene Riley, Vicky Conner, Pam Russell, Bernice Dunnigan, Barbara Russell, Mary Russell, Rose Russell, Barbara Russell,  Linda Buck and Charlene Austin, all of Sardis and Sandra Watson of Crenshaw.

Sherman Tutor
BATESVILLE–Sherman Tutor, 77, died Friday, January 3, 2014 at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.
Services were held Monday at First United Pentecostal Church. Jimmy Scruggs officiated. Burial was in Crowder Cemetery. Dickins Funeral Home had charge.

 Tutor, born May 14, 1936, to the late Jim and Lena Mae Hitchcock Tutor, was a member of First United Pentecostal Church in Sardis and a small engine repairman.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Geneva Roper Tutor and one daughter, Anita Hobson.
Survivors include: one daughter, Janie Tutor Ard of Courtland; four sons, Mike Tutor of Branson, Mo., Ricky Tutor of Courtland, Barry Tutor and Marshall Tutor, both of Batesville; one brother, Jack Tutor of Locke Station; 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. 

Fred Wilson
BATESVILLE–Pastor Fred Wilson, 76, formerly of Clarksdale died Monday, January 6, 2014, at his residence.

Services will be held Friday, January 17 at 11 a.m. at Bethel A.M.E. Church in Portland, Ore. Burial will be held Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Williamette National Cemetery in Portland, Oreg. Cooley’s Mortuary and Terry Family Funeral Home have charge.

Wilson, born April 7, 1937, in Stovall, to the late Sydney Wilson Sr. and Mary Pratt, was a minister. He was a member of First A.M.E. Zion Church in Alaska. He was a veteran of the Army and Air Force.

Survivors include: one son, Fredrick Wilson of Portland, Oreg.; two daughters, Patricia Cummings of Batesville and Debra Clenton of Highland, Calif.; two brothers, Sydney Wilson Jr. of Lakeland, Fla. and Rev. Eddie Wilson of Pontiac, Mich.; two sisters, Mary E. Williams of Pontiac and Leola Thomas of Elyria, Ohio; five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.