Obituaries (March 8th, 2019)

Published 1:51 pm Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Jody Wade Bland, 35, died Monday, March 4, 2019, at Baptist Memorial Hospital of North Mississippi in Oxford.

A memorial service was held at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Martin Willingham Memorial Chapel of Wells Funeral Home with the family receiving friends one hour prior to the service.

Pam Franklin, 69, died Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at her home in Batesville. She was the wife of Paul Franklin.

Funeral arrangements were incomplete and will be posted by Wells Funeral Home when finalized by her family.

Funeral services for Andriel “Pokey” Gardner, 36, will be held Saturday, March 9, at noon at St. Peter’s M.B. Church in Batesville. Burial will follow at the church cemetery.

He died Feb. 28, 2019, at the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo.

Visitation will be today (March 8) from 3 to 6 p.m. at Henderson Funeral Home in Sardis.

Funeral services for Theresa Gordon, 63, will be held Saturday, March 9, at Cooley’s Mortuary Chapel with Pastor Jerome Blackburn officiating. Interment will be at Rose HIll Cemetery.

She died Feb. 27, 2019, at Baptist East Memorial Hospital in Memphis.

Visitation will be today (March 8) at Cooley’s Mortuary from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Owen Lee Harden, 62, died Tuesday, March 5, 2019  at Sanctuary Hospice in Tupelo.

The family will have a memorial service at a later date.

Mary Kathleen (Pierce) Kennedy of Collierville, Tenn., passed away at age 80, on March 5, 2019.  She was the wife of Thomas (Tom) Kennedy.  The couple formerly resided in Batesville, for 37 years.

Born on March 11, 1938, in Portland, Oregon, she was the daughter of Leroy Pierce and Evelyn Cole Pierce.  Mary graduated from Ventura (CA) High School in June 1956.  She joined the Women’s Army Corps in February 1957 serving as a dental assistant while posted in Aberdeen, Maryland.

Tom and Mary were married March 4, 1960, in the Community of Christ Church in Ventura, Calif.  The family moved from California to Missouri to Mississippi over the years, settling in Batesville, for many years before retiring to Collierville.

Mary is survived by her loving husband of 59 years, Thomas Kennedy; her daughters Antoinette (Toni) Lambert, Wendy Davison, and Jennie Harrison (Terry); her sons, Mark Kennedy (Debbie) and Eric Kennedy (Jean); her brother, Roy John Pierce; and 25 grandchildren, 57 great grandchildren, and 11 great great-grandchildren.

The family will receive family and friends on Saturday, March 9, at 1 p.m. for visitation and 2 p.m. for a Memorial Service at Wells Funeral Home in Batesville.

Dorothy Anne Lloyd, 65, died Feb. 23, 2019, at her home in Pope. She was the wife of Gilbert Lloyd, Jr.

The family will have a memorial service March 23 at 2 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home.

Edward Dale McDowell, 69, passed away on Sunday, March 3, 2019, at his home in Courtland.

Dale was born on February 5, 1950, in Batesville, to the late Birdie Mae Winter McDowell and Edward Brooks McDowell. He traveled and lived in various countries with his parents during his early years.

Mr. McDowell was a lifelong member of Shiloh United Methodist Church. He was a family man who loved his children and grandchildren dearly. He was an avid motorcyclist and was a founding member of the Back Porch Motorcycle Bunch.

He developed lifelong friendships with his motorcycle buddies and he will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

Mr. McDowell leaves behind to cherish his memory his loving family which includes his wife, Teresa Mayhan McDowell of Courtland; his daughter, Kelly McDowell of Batesville; his sons, Kevin McDowell (Kimberly) of  Batesville, Josh McDowell of Jonesboro, Ark., David Barefoot (Cynthia) of Charleston, Jim Barefoot of Courtland, Danny Jay Eastin (Amy) and William Jason Longmire (Sandy), both of Huntingdon, Tenn.; his sister, Dianne McDowell Brewer of Courtland; 15 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Deborah Lynn Jobe McDowell,and his parents. Funeral services were Thursday, March 7, 2019, at Shiloh United Methodist Church in Courtland with Rev. Morgan Spencer officiating. Interment followed in Shiloh Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center or to Shiloh United Methodist Church. Dickins Funeral Home had charge of arrangements.

Funeral services for Matthew “Pooh-Pooh” Taylor, 49, will be Saturday, March 9, at 11 a.m. at the Batesville Junior High School auditorium with Pastor Sammie Parker officiating. Burial will follow at Batesville Cemetery under the direction of Cooley’s Mortuary.

He died Feb. 28, 2019, at Panola Medical Center. He was a member of Mt. Zion M.B. Church.

The family will receive visitors today (Feb. 8) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary.

William E. West died on March 3, 2019, in Southfield, Mich.

Affectionately known as “Jim” or “West,” he was a veteran of the U.S. Army, and a retired systems analyst for the Chrysler Corporation. He enjoyed working on his computer and debating political issues with his son.

Mr. West was born in Batesville. He leaves behind his wife, Lillie (Greene), two children, grandchildren, and many other family members and friends.