Obituaries 12-16-11

Published 12:00 am Friday, December 16, 2011

BATESVILLE – Leatha Lemarice Bean, age 81, of Batesville, died Friday, December 9, 2011 at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Funeral services for her and her sister, Dyits Vance, who died Wednesday, December 7, 2011, will be held Saturday, December 17 in the auditorium of the Batesville Jr. High School at noon. Rev. Zannie Leland Jr. will officiate. Burial will follow in Macedonia cemetery. Visitation for Bean will be held Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary who has charge of arrangements. Visitation for Vance will be held at Eddie Robinson Funeral Home in Batesville at from 1 p.m. 1 p.m. – 6 p.m.

The Sardis District Baptist Educational Association Women’s Auxiliary will hold a memorial service honoring  Leatha Bean and Dyits Vance at the Sardis District Educational Building at 6 p.m. Delorise Shaw, women’s auxiliary president, will preside. Bean and Vance were both members of the organization.

COMO – Prentis N. Bolen, 68, died Dec. 12 at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi. Services will be December 16 at 2 p.m. at Pate-Jones Funeral Home in Senatobia. Burial will follow in McGehee Chapel Cemetery.

He leaves his wife, Carolyn Bolen fo Como; his daughter, Crystal Bolen Siler of Como and his son, James Bolen of Como.

PORT ARTHUR, Texas- O.C. Rich Allen, 83, died    Tuesday, December 13, 2011, in Port Arthur. He was the brother of Ida Adam, Della Austin, Idell Renfro-Simmons, Kay Pittman, Bill Allen, Warren Allen, Wesley Allen and Howard Allen, all of Batesville.

Graveside services will be held today at 2 p.m. at Allen Cemetery in San Augustine County. Stringer and Griffin Funeral Home have charge.

Born, May 14, 1928, to the late Tom Harrison Allen and Effie Clay Potts Allen, formerly of Port Neches, Bronson and Pineland, moved to Port Neches in 1956 and worked at chemical plants for many years. He wokred for Port Neches Groves ISD as a maintenance worker for 17 years, Groves Junior High and maintenance for Mid Jefferson Hospital, Nederland seven years. He built several homes and could repair autos.

Survivors along with his siblings include: Betty Carolyn Palermo of Port Neches, Rodger Dale Allen of Beaumont, Ruby Gale Rees of Port Neches and Barbara Ann Bibby of Brookeland; 24 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

COURTLAND- Jennie Ruth Carr Porter, 87, died Monday, December 12, 2011, at her residence in Courtland.

Services will be 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 17, 2011, at Shiloh M.B. Church in Courtland. Elder Edwin Smith will officiate. Burial will be in Shiloh Cemetery.  Visitation will be Friday from noon until 5 p.m. at the funeral home. Kenneth I. Roberson Funeral Home of Sardis is in charge of the arrangements.

A native of Courtland, she was the daughter of the late Shane Carr and Jeanette Harris Carr. She was a farmer and loved to listen to Muddy Waters. She was a member of Springhill Asa M.B. Church and the widow of Will Porter. She was preceded in death by one daughter -Rinnie Tucker and two sons – Earnest Porter and Willie Benson.

Survivors include: two daughters, Charlene Porter and Dorothy Ann Porter both of Courtland; five grandchildren she raised as her own children, Rennea McMurry, Bessie Cole, amd Antionette Chapman all of Batesville, and Robert Tucker and James Hubert Jr both of Milwaukee, Wis.; and a host of grand, great grand and great-great grandchildren.

SARDIS- Odell Thomas, 87, died Sunday, December 11, 2011, at her residence.

Services will be 11 a.m. Saturday, December 17, 2011, at Greater Light M.B. Church in Sardis. Bro Angelo Beard and Rev. Bobby Walker will officiate. Burial will be in Rose Hill Cemetery in Sardis. Kenneth I. Roberson Funeral Home of Sardis is in charge of the arrangements.

A native of Panola County, she was the daughter of the late Jessie Thomas and Pearl Kuykendall. She was a retired domestic worker and a member of Faith Temple Church of Christ in Como where she served as a mother of the church.

She was preceded in death by one son, Lonnie Lee Thomas.

Survivors include: daughters,  Sue Ann Thomas and Doris Farmer both of Sardis; one brother, Moses Johnson of Memphis, Tenn.; six grandchildren, ten great grandchildren, and nine great-great grandchildren.

ENID- Gloria “Peeta” Blackburn Webster, 51, died Sunday, December 11, 2011, at her daughter’s residence in Fort Hood, Texas.

Services will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. at Mt. Pleasant M.B. Church in Enid. Pastor William Johnson will officiate. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Webster, born Feb. 17, 1960, to Dartha Wren Blackburn of Enid and the late Sam “Big Boy” Blackburn, was a former employee of Panola Mills, Whirlpool and Fitzgerald Casino. She was a member of Mt. Pleasant M.B. Church.

Survivors along with her mother include: one daughter, Dartha Blackburn of Ft. Hood, Texas; three sons, Keith Blackburn of Enid, Brandon Blackburn of Sarasota, Fla. and Eric Casey of Ft. Hood, Texas; four sisters, Betty Blackburn, Phylisteen Leonard, Odester Tellis, all of Enid and Minnie Ray of Water Valley; five brothers, Edward Ray Blackburn of Minnesota, Joel Blackburn of Water Valley, Micheal Blackburn of Oakland, Sam Blackburn and Ben Blackburn, both of Chicago and eight grandchildren.