Obituaries 5-25-07

Published 12:00 am Friday, May 25, 2007

Tommie Louis Baker Sr.

BATESVILLE–Tommie Louis Baker Sr., 63, died Sunday, May 20, 2007, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services are Saturday at 2 p.m. at Mt. Evia M.B. Church in Batesville. Rev. A.L. Hardeman of Austin, Texas will officiate. Burial will be in Macedonia Cemetery. Visitation is today 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary.  Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Baker, born Feb. 28, 1944, in Water Valley, to the late Ned Baker and the late Emma L. Hamilton, was a member of Zion Chapel M.B. Church in Austin, Texas.

Survivors include: his wife, Bertha Baker of Batesville; three daughters, Patricia Ochoa, Toni McCook and Nicole Baker, all of Austin, Texas; two sons, Tommie Baker Jr. and Rickey Baker, both of Austin, Texas; two sisters, Flora Butler of Batesville and Annie Jake Farland of Memphis; three brothers, Elgene Baker and Sam Baker of Memphis and Lee Baker of Chicago and 16 grandchildren.

Edna Earlene Barnett

BRUCE–Edna Earlene Barnett, 76, formerly of Pope, died May 22, 2007, at Grenada Lake Medical Center.

Services are Saturday at 1 p.m. at Parker Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Bruce. Officiating at the service will be Darrell Logan and the Rev. Joe Barnett. Burial will be in Spring Creek Cemetery in Banner. Visitation is today 5-8 p.m. at Parker Memorial Funeral Home. Parker Memorial Funeral Home has charge.

Barmett, born July 30, 1930, in Calhoun County, to the late Joseph Earl Barnett and the late Alice Kelly Barnett, was a Baptist.

He was preceded in death by one sister, Linda Barnett Roberts.

Survivors include: one brother, Rev. Joseph E. Barnett of Bruce; two sisters, Rebecca Barnett Queen of Walnut Creek, Calif. and Nancy Barnett Horn of Zackary, La.

Geraline Edwards

COMO–Geraline Edwards, 53, died Monday, May 21, 2007, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi.

Services are Saturday at 1 p.m. at Hunter Chapel M.B. Church in Como. Burial will be in Hunter Chapel church cemetery. Felix Cauthen  Funeral Home has charge.

Edwards was a member of Hunter Chapel M.B. Church where she was a choir member. She was employed at Best Western Hotel as a cook.

Survivors include: two daughters, Charlotte Rodgers and Gernesha Edwards, both of Como; her mother, Lillie Bell Towns of Como; three sisters, Estella Amos and Vivian Towns, both of Como and Stacye Haynes of Sardis; six brothers, Charles Towns of Memphis, Carl Towns of Senatobia, Harvy Williams, Billy Bonner and Gary Towns, all of Como and Renzell Oliver Sr. of Sardis and two grandchildren.

Charles T.  Estridge

ENID–Charles T. Estridge, 68, died Friday, May 18, 2007, at his residence.

Services were Monday at the Jackson Grove Church of Christ. J.T. Brown officiated. Military funeral honors were performed at the Bethel Cemetery near Enid. Womble Funeral Home had charge.

Estridge, born Dec. 19, 1938, in Enid, to the late Vernon “Boe” Hulett Estridge and the late Mable Francis Epps Estridge, was a Navy veteran of the Korean conflict and a member of Jackson Grove Church of Christ. He was a retired security officer for the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

He was preceded in death by a son, Charles Thomas “Chuck” Estridge.

Survivors include: his wife, Betty Lewellen Estridge; one daughter, Debra Jennings of Vicksburg; one son, Roy “Boe” Estridge of Enid; one brother, Jerry Estridge of Enid; and five grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to: Jackson Grove  Church of Christ, c/o Buddy Kiihnl, 391 Bethel Rd., Enid, 38927 or the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 16808, Jackson, 39236.

BATESVILLE–Dan Lamar Ferguson Jr., 68, died Wednesday, May 23, 2007, at  Baptist Memorial-North Mississippi.

Services will be Saturday at Dickins Chapel at 5 p.m.  The Reverend Wayne Myers, Ferguson’s son-in-law, will officiate with the Reverend Jon Burnham assisting.    Burial will be in Magnolia Cemetery. Visitation is 5-7 p.m. Friday at Dickins Funeral Home.  Dickins Funeral Home has charge.

The son of the late Dan and Irene Dickins Ferguson, he was a graduate of Mississippi State University and Gupton Jones Institute of Mortuary Science. He followed his mother, father and grandfather in running Dickins Funeral Home, which was his life long profession.  He was a faithful and dedicated caretaker of Batesville Magnolia Cemetery. His great love was farming, which he spent much of his life doing.

Survivors include: his wife of 44 years, Elizabeth “Betsy” Ferguson; two  daughters, Liz Ferguson of New Orleans and Dana Ferguson of Chicago; two grandsons, Daniel and Taylor Myers of Chicago; one sister, Georganne Ferguson Love Easley of Vicksburg, and one nephew, Kelly Dale Love of Lake Charles, La.

In lieu of flowers, gifts can be sent to Batesville Magnolia Cemetery, P.O. Box 302, Batesville, MS  38606.

Mary Ann Alford Fisher

POPE–Mary Ann Alford Fisher, 89, died Wednesday, May 23, 2007, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services are Saturday at 2 p.m. at Pope Baptist Church. Burial will be in Springhill Cemetery in Oakland. Visitation is Saturday at 11 a.m. at Pope Baptist Church. Wells Funeral Home has charge.

Fisher, born April 20, 1918, in Tallahatchie County to the late Hunter and Margaret Laughlin Alford, was a retired clerk and homemaker. She was also a member of Pope Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Woodrow Wilson Fisher Sr.

Survivors include: one daughter, Margaret Claire Fisher Hartzell and husband Roy of Sledge; two sons, Woodrow Wilson Fisher Jr. and wife Ann of Florence, Ala. and Joe Raymond Fisher and wife Roxana of Booneville; nine grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Dr. John M. Fitch

LUFKIN, Texas.–Dr. John M. Fitch, 60, formerly of Batesville, died Tuesday, May 22, 2007, at Memorial Medical Center of East Texas in Lufkin, Texas. He was the son of Olive Herring Smith of Batesville and the late Homer B. Fitch.

Mass will be at 10 a.m. on Monday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Batesville. Burial will be at 2 p.m. at Memorial Park in Memphis. Visitation will be 5 -7 p.m. Sunday with rosary at 7 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home. Wells Funeral Home has charge.

Fitch, born Oct. 25, 1946, in Memphis, was a member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Lufkin, Texas. He graduated from Christian Brothers High School in Memphis in 1964 and he received a bachelor of arts degree from Tulane University in New Orleans in 1968 where he graduated cum laude and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. In the early 1970s he was a member  of the Peace Corps in El Salvador. He graduated with a master’s degree in psychology from LSU in 1976. In 1980 he graduated from LSU with a Ph.d. in psychology. From 1980-1985 he worked in Greenwood in the Community Health  program. From 1986-1990 he worked with the Mental Health and Mental Retardation Authority of Harris County in Houston, Texas. He worked as a clinical psychologist in private practice in Houston and also worked as a psychologist for the Veteran’s Administration clinic in Lufkin, specializing in treating veterans with post traumatic stress disorder. He was fluent in Spanish and was learning Portuguese.

Survivors along with his mother, include: two daughters, J. Maria Fitch of Lufkin, and Olivia Michelle Fitch of Houston, three sons, Benjamin David Fitch of Lufkin, Ian Manuel Fitch and Ruben Samuel Fitch, both of Austin; one stepsister, Laurie Monteith of Batesville and one stepbrother, Jim Smith of Dahlgren, Va.

Memorials may be made to St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Batesville or St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Lufkin.

Helen Carrie Bolen Parker

DRESDEN, Tenn.–Helen Carrie Bolen Parker, 85, formerly of Crenshaw, died Tuesday, May 22, 2007, at Weakley County Nursing Home in Dresden, Tenn.

Services are Saturday at 11 a.m. at Crenshaw Baptist Church. Rev. Chester McClendon will officiate. Burial will be in Longtown Cemetery. Kimbro Funeral Home has charge. Visitation will be Friday 5-8 at Crenshaw Baptist Church.

Parker, born Nov. 21, 1921, was a homemaker. She was preceded in death by her husband, Gladys Johnson Parker and one son, James Forrest Parker.

Survivors include: one son, Ronnie Parker of Dresden, Tenn.; one sister, Peggy Carter Baker of Memphis; three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be sent to the Crowder Baptist Church Family Life Center.

Bobette Pettis

COMO–Bobbette Pettis, 86, died Sunday, May 20, 2007, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services are Saturday at 2 p.m. at the PGA Building in Sardis. Rev. Vernado Sandridge will officiate. Burial will be in Liberty Hill Cemetery in Como. Visitation will be noon-8 p.m. Friday at Kenneth I. Roberson Funeral Home in Sardis. Kenneth I. Roberson Funeral Home in Sardis has charge.

Pettis was a member of Liberty Hill C.M.E. Church in Como.

She was preceded in death by  her husband Ruffin Pettis Sr.

Survivors include: seven daughters, Bobbie Jean Jackson, Lee Ola Wheatley and Luella Harris, all of Como, Cora Lee Thomas of Sardis, Dede Ellis of Madison, Ill., Earline Howell of Laws Hill and Irene Davis of Tyro; three sons, Ezekiel Howard of Como, Rogaster Howard Sr. of Madison, Ill. and Ruffin Pettis Jr. of Mt. Sterling, Ill.; two sisters, Josephine Driver of Chicago, Ill and Hattie Folks of Muncie, Ind.; one brother, George Lott of Madison, Ill.; 52 grandchildren; 52 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.

COURTLAND–Hattie Mae Reed, 55, died Wednesday, May 23, 2007, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services are Saturday at 2 p.m. at Shiloh M.B. Church. Rev. Carl Brown will officiate. Burial will be in Antioch Cemetery. Visitation is today 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. at Eddie Robinson and Son Funeral Home.

Reed, born June 23, 1951, to the late Loyd Reed and the late Clarine Ladd Reed, was a bus driver at ICS Headstart in Crenshaw. She joined Antioch M.B. Church in Courtland in 1963 and later in 1990 joined Shiloh M.B. Church under the leadership of the late Eugene Marizett.

She was preceded in death by her sister Barbara Murphy.

Survivors include: two daughters, Shirley Reed of Batesville, and Vickie Reed McCray of Courtland; one son, Tony Reed of Courtland; three brothers, Edward Reed of Lambert, Cleveland Reed Jr. of Courtland and David Reed of Flora and six grandchildren.

Lee R. Rooker

OXFORD–Lee R. Rooker, 71, died Thursday, May 24, 2007, at Baptist Memorial Hospital North-Mississippi.

Services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at North Oxford Baptist Church.  Dr. Gary Richardson and Rev. Clay Moore officiated. Burial is in North Oxford Baptist Church Cemetery. Waller Funeral Home has charge.

Rooker, born to the late Melvin Sylvester Rooker and the late Jewel Clemmer Rooker, was the owner of R&S Petroleum. He served as a paratrooper with the U.S. Air Force Reserve. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Sardis and was an avid golfer. Rooker formerly owned Rooker Chevrolet in Sardis.

He was preceded in death by one sister, Sissy Cox, and one brother, Jack Rooker.

Survivors include: his wife, Becky M. Rooker of Oxford; two daughters, Christy Rooker Parson of Arcola and Leigh Ann Rooker Nail of Columbus, Ohio; three sisters, Marie Cox of Marks, Mavis Bolton of Pope and Mary Osborne of Conyers, Ga.; one brother, Sylvester Rooker Jr. of Ripley and three grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the Christian Children’s Fund, P.O. Box 26507, Richmond, Va. 23261-6507.