Obituaries 2-21-12

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, February 21, 2012

BATESVILLE – Mary Payne “Sis” Byars, 87, passed away February 19, 2012 at her home. Funeral services will be today at 2 p.m. at Batesville First Baptist Church, with Dr. Tommy Snyder and the Rev. Pat Ludlam officiating. Visitation will be held prior to the service at 1 p.m. Burial will be in Marks Cemetery.

Wells Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.

Byars was born March 26, 1924 in Itta Bena to the late McSwine Avent and Blanche Bloodworth Payne. She graduated from Northwest Community College where she was chosen Most Beautiful in 1945 and was voted Miss Northwest in 1946. She completed her education at the University of Southern Mississippi. She taught school at Cascilla and Lambert High School and was also the bookkeeper for Quitman County Schools for many years.

She was a member of Marks Baptist Church until she moved to Batesville in 1997, when she joined Batesville First Baptist Church.

Mrs. Byars was the widow of Joe Randolph Byars, whom she had married in 1951.

Survivors include: her  daughter, Rosemary Byars Womble of Batesville; her son Randy Byars of Oxford; her sister, Dora Payne Jones of Batesville; and three grandchildren.

The family has asked that memorials be sent to New Vision Ministry, P.O. Box 350, Batesville, or to the church of the donor’s choice.

TUPELO – Martha Rae Siltman Finley, 74, died February 15, 2012 at Sanctuary Hospice House. Funeral services were held Sunday at Wells Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Tommy Snyder officiating. Burial was in Magnolia Cemetery.

Mrs. Finley was born in Chicago to the late Raymond L. and Martha Halliburton Siltman on January 30, 1938. She attended Batesville High School and Ole Miss and completed her degree at Mississippi State University.

She retired from a career as an elementary special education teacher, having worked in the Ackerman and Clay County schools. She was a longtime board member for the PTA in the Clay County Schools. She enjoyed traveling, dancing and playing the piano.

Survivors include: her husband, Robert Pearson Finley; daughter, Cynthia Finley Rose of Daphne, Ala.; four sons, Robert Leslie Finley and John Raymond Finley, both of Denton; James Kevin Finley of Starkville and Christopher Lee Finley of Ft. Worth, Texas; her brother, Leslie Howard Siltman of Galatin, Tenn.; and five grandchildren.

CRENSHAW – Helen Clara Sanders Osbarn, 74, died February 16, 2012 at her daughter’s home. Funeral services will be today at 2 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home Chapel, with the Rev. Kevin Roberson officiating. Burial will be in Longtown Cemetery.

Mrs. Osbarn was born to the late Leroy and Ida Mae Franklin Sanders on March 19, 1937 in Marks. She was employed at the Thermos Company in Batesville.

She is survived by her husband, James Marvin Osbarn of Sardis; her daughter, Peggy Hernandez of Askew; two sons, Larry Tillman and Jimmy Tillman, both of Longtown; one sister, Annette Goss of Macon; two brothers, Wayne Sanders of Osceola, Ark., and Prentis Sanders of Luxora, Ark.; 15 grandchildren and 25 great grandchildren.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sons Tommy Tillman and Ricky Tillman.

HORN LAKE – Charles R. Winters, 53, died February 9, 2012 at his home. He owned Winters Travel Stop in Pope.

Mr. Winters, born October 9, 1958 in Memphis, was a store manager. He coached baseball and basketball in Horn Lake.

He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Cathy Ann Newsom Winters; two sons, Charles Richard Winters Jr. and John Virgil Winters; one daughter, Jessica Faye Winters; his mother, Clarice Winters; one brother, Phillip Emmanuel; one sister, Nancy Emmanuel; five grandchildren.

Twin Oaks Funeral Home in Southaven had charge of arrangements.

The family requests that memorials be sent to the American Diabetes Association or to the Horn Lake Parks and Recreation Department.