OBITUARIES – 4/22/2014

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Robert Anderson
BATESVILLE–Robert Anderson Jr., 79, died Wednesday, April 2, 2014, at his residence.

Services were held Monday, April 14 at Spruce St. Matthew Baptist Church in Kansas City, Mo. Pastor George H. Barnes Jr. officiated. Burial was in Gates Memorial Gardens. Cooley’s Mortuary had charge.

Anderson, born Feb. 5, 1935, to the late Robert Anderson Sr. and Ardelia King Willingham, worked at Phillips 66 Gas Company and Tiffanys Attic Company.

Survivors include: his wife, Jessie Harvey Anderson; three sons, James Childs of East St. Louis, Robert Anderson III and Rodney Anderson, both of Kansas City; one daughter, Delia Anderson of Kansas City; three sisters, Earlean Baker of Batesville, Mazzie Bishop of Courtland and Shirley Shegog of Pope; 19 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Earl Thomas Downs
WATER VALLEY–Earl Thomas Downs, 71, died Friday, April 18, 2014 at his residence.

 Downs, born February 20, 1943 in Yalobusha County, to the late Johnny Thomas and Lettie Louise Gordon Downs, was retired as a supervisor for Emerson Electric Company and later worked for a number of years at Davidson Elementary School in Water Valley, MS.  He was a member of Liberty Hill Baptist Church in Panola County.

Services were held Monday at Liberty Hill Baptist Church with Bro. Jay Anderson, Bro. Phillip Cook and Bro. Derrick Simmons officiating.  Burial was in Liberty Hill Baptist Church Cemetery. Seven Oaks Funeral Home of Water Valley had charge.

Survivors include: wife, Frances Marie Howe Downs of Water Valley; his daughter, Earlene Chrestman of Pope and four grandchildren.

Douglas “Buddy” Eugene Mills
CLARKSVILLE–Douglas “Buddy” Eugene Mills, 77, died Friday, April 18, 2014.

Services will be held today at 11 a.m. at at the Chapel of Neal-Tarpley-Parchman Funeral Home, with Dr. Roger Freeman and Dr. Larry Riley officiating. A graveside service will be officiated by Dr. Roger Freeman, on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. at Pilgrims Rest Baptist Church Cemetery in Batesville.

Mills, born April 6, 1937 in Panola County, to the late Noel Douglas and Mary Fisher Mills, was an Air Force Veteran and a graduate of Memphis State University. He moved to Clarksville in 1980, where he was a realtor and the owner of two Taco John’s restaurants until his retirement in 2000. He was a member of First Baptist Church Clarksville.

Survivors include: his wife of 53 years, Elizabeth Anthony Mills; son, Jeffrey O. Mills; daughter, Debra L. Gibbons; two brothers, James D. Mills of Courtland, and Samuel R. Mills of Oxford; a sister, G. Sue Mills of Batesville; three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

 In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to “Find Us Faithful” at First Baptist Church, 435 Madison Street, Clarksville, TN 37040. 

Hugh Mixon
Hugh Mixon, 82, died Thursday, April 17, 2014 at his residence.

Services will be held today at 11 a.m. at Wells Funeral Home Chapel with Mr. Hal Johnson officiating. Burial will  follow in Forrest Memorial Park Cemetery. Wells Funeral Home has charge.

Hugh was born to Violet B. Magee and Jesse J. Mixon on May 15, 1931 in Water Valley, retired from Yates Construction as a heavy equipment operator.  Prior to Yates, he was employed by Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel and also Chancery & Coin Company. 

He was preceded in death by one son, Ronnie Mixon.

Survivors include: his wife, of nearly 64 years, Dorothy Ford Mixon of Courtland, MS and two sons, Mark (Tammy) Mixon of Courtland and Randy Mixon of Smyrna, TN; one sister, Rita Mixon Caldwell of Cookville, TN and a brother, Charles Mixon of Georgia; five grandchildren: and two great grandchildren.

Dorothy Ann Neal
BATESVILLE–Dorothy Ann Neal, 66, died Saturday, April 19, 2014. at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.
Services will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at West Camp M.B. Church. Rev. Harlen Harris will officiate. Burial will be in West Camp M.B. Church. Visitation will be held Friday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Neal, born Dec. 9, 1947, to the late Ulysses Walls and Bessie Love Walls, was a retired house keeper at St. Mary’s Nursing Home in Detroit. She was a member of West Camp M.B. Church in Batesville.

Survivors include: her husband, Ernest Lee Neal of Batesville; two sons, Lorenzo Tipton of Wayne, Mich. and Ernest Neal Jr. of Detroit, Mich.; one daughter, Brenda Lee Wilkins of Detroit; three brothers, Larry Walls and Kenneth Lee Walls, both of Batesville and Ulysses Walls Jr. of Chicago; two sisters, Luelle Branam of Westland, Mich. and Gladys Walls of Detroit; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Albertine “Tena” Taylor
BATESVILLE-Albertine “Tena” Taylor, 88, died Friday, April 18, 2014, at Providence Assisted Living Home.

Services were held Monday at Wells Funeral Home. Burial was in Magnolia Cemetery. Michael Bates officiated. Wells Funeral Home had charge.

Taylor, born Jan. 11, 1926, in Tallhatchie County, to the late Fred Lawson and Myrtle Cummins Melton, was a retired beautician and owner of Beautyland in Batesville. She was a member of the Church of Christ.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Clyde E. Taylor.

Survivors include: three daughters, Clynese Taylor Harmon and late husband David of Chapel Hill, Tenn., Deborah Taylor Womble  and husband Roy of Jefferson City, Tenn., LeAnn Taylor Beam and husband Mickey of Mooreville; her son, Lowell W. Taylor, O.D. and wife Linda of Pope; two sisters, Jean Clark of Memphis, Darlene Moorman of Tillitobia; three brothers, Frank L. Melton of Tutwiler, Dillard Melton of Tutwiler and Bobby Melton. She is also survived by her eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.