OBITUARIES – 1/31/2014

Published 12:00 am Friday, January 31, 2014

Winford Lee Adcock
KOSCIUSKO—Winford Lee Adcock, 64, died Saturday, January 25, 2014.  Graveside services were January 30 in Old Mars Hill Cemetery.  Jordan Funeral Home had charge of the arrangements.
 Survivors include: sons, Craig Adcock of Over Land Park, Kan. and Donnie Harrod of Hattiesburg; daughters, Ginger Adcock Hamner of Meridian, Ami Adcock Turner of Robertsdale, Ala., and Kelly Harrod Allen of Baton Rouge, La.; eight grandchildren; brother, Robert Adcock of Batesville; sister, Pamela Adcock Vowell.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Bill and Sue Adcock and a brother, Donald Adcock.
Memorials may be made to Lamar County Animal Shelter or the American Family Radio.

Dollie B. Allen
OAKLAND—Dollie B. Allen, 82, died Saturday, January 18, 2014, at her residence.
Services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Paris Grove M.B. Church in Oakland. Burial will be in St. Andrew M.B. Church Cemetery. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.
Allen was born Aug. 25, 1931, in Oakland, to Dennis Willis and Melvina Willis.
Survivors include: her husband, James Allen of Grand Rapids, Mich.; one brother, Burbon Brooks of Oakland; four daughters, Dorothy Smith of Milwaukee, Earnestine Tolbert and Joyce Deans, both of Grand Rapids, Mich. and Arlena Harris of Fayetteville, N.C.; three sons, Gilbert Allen, Willie Allen and Milton Allen, all of Milwaukee.; 16 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

Floyd Austin
OAKLAND—Floyd Austin, 79, died Saturday, January 25, 2014, at Tallahatchie General Hospital.
Services will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Alvin Grove M.B. Church in Oakland. Pastor Fred Austin will officiate. Burial will be in Philadelphia Cemetery in Oakland. Visitation will be held Friday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.
Austin, born Nov. 29, 1934, in Water Valley, to the late Phillip Austin and Ora Hervey, was a member of Alvis Grove M.B. Church.
Survivors include: six daughters, Michelle House, Ora Curtis, Debra Neal, Libby Swearengen and Cantrece Swearengen, all of Oakland and Carolyn Powell of Batesville; two sons, Billy Clark and Jimmy Clark, both of Oakland; three sisters, Margie Benson of Water Valley, Eula McClora of Memphis and Maebelle Sayles of Iowa; one brother, Fred Austin of Chicago; 21 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Alfred “A.B.” Burt Darby
BATESVILLE—Alfred Burt “A.B.” Darby died Monday, Janaury 27, 2014 at Grace Health and Rehab in Grenada.
Services were held Thursday at Wells Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Greg Harris, Rev. Dan Frakes and Dr. Paul Middleton officiating. Burial was in Forrest Memorial Park Cemetery. Wells Funeral Home had charge.
Darby, born May 7, 1920, worked for Tucker Manufacturing in Batesville. Upon his retirement from Tucker, he began selling fruit and vegetables to the public. He became known to many as the “Apple Man.” He was a member of Calvary Christian Center in Batesville.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 59 years, Ruby Jeweline Rodgers Darby, and 2 sons, Tony Darby and Danny E. Darby.
Survivors include: four daughters, Bonnie Darby Dulin of Batesville, Sue Darby Alred and Shera Darby Horne, both of Pope and Angie Darby Ledbetter of Batesville; four sons, Ray Darby, Billy Darby and Rickey Darby of Batesville and Jackie Darby of Southaven; one step son, Tommy Joe Burks of Nesbit; 27 grandchildren; 51 great grandchildren and 11 great-great grandchildren.
For anyone wishing to send memorial contributions, the family asks they be sent to: Blair E. Batson Children’s Hosptial, 2500 N. State St., Jackson, MS 39216 or Calvary Christian Center, 23336 Hwy 6 E., Batesville, Miss. 38606.

Mary Louise Evans
JACKSON—Mary Louise McLean Evans, 93, formerly of Batesville, died Tuesday, January 28, 2014, in Jackson.
Services will be held today at 11 a.m. at First United Methodist Church. Visitation will be held from 9 a.m. until service time at the church. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery in Tunica. Dickins Funeral Home has charge.
Evans was born April 22, 1920, in Doddsville, MS to Alney Charles McLean and Vivian Garrett McLean. She was a graduate of Tunica High School and attended the University of Mississippi, where she was a member of the Delta Gamma Sorority. She was manager of the Batesville Chamber of Commerce for 25 years and was later co-owner of Evans Custom Frame Shop with her husband, Walter C., “Dub”Evans.
She was a longtime member of the First United Methodist Church in Batesville. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, the late W.C. Evans.
She is survived by daughter, Sue Evans Lobrano of Jackson; grandchildren Edward Posey Lobrano, III, and wife Christine of St. Louis; and Suzanne Lobrano Lindsey and husband Scott of McComb; great-grandchildren Mary McLean, Jack, and Gigi Lindsey, and Brittnay, Sadie, and Posey Lobrano. 

Martha Davis Franklin
BATESVILLE—Martha Davis Franklin, 88, died Tuesday, January 28, 2014 at her residence.
Services will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. James Strange, Rev. Ronnie Luke and Rev. Raymond Aven officiating. Visitation will be held from 5-8 p.m. today at Wells Funeral Home. Burial will be in Pleasant Grove Cemetery.
Franklin, born July 6, 1925, to Henry and Lizzie Lee Munlin Bradley in Crenshaw, was a homemaker and member of the First United Pentecostal Church in Batesville.
She was preceded in death by her husband, William Harold Davis and one daughter, Martha Herring.
Survivors include:  two daughters, Becky Bryant of Batesville and Beverly Luke of Eastpoint, Fla.; five sons, Eddie H. Davis of Coker, Ala., Tony Davis of Moundville, Ala., Lamar Davis of Charleston, Darnel Davis of Mobile, Ala. and Wayne Davis of Tuscaloosa; one sister, Dora Crawford of Memphis; 29 grandchildren; 35 great grandchildren and four great-great grandchildren.

Julia Smith Norwood
BATESVILLE—Julia Smith Norwood, 73, died Tuesday, January 21, 2014.
Services were held Friday at Dickins Funeral Home. Burial was in Forrest Memorial Park Cemetery. Rev. Charles Reed officiated. Dickins Funeral Home had charge.
Norwood, born Aug. 12, 1940, in Quitman, to the late Lill Ward Smith and Mary Christine Kelso Smith, was retired and a member of Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Bobby Gene Norwood.
Survivors include: one son, Keith Norwood of Batesville; one brother, Roger Smith of Marks and five grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church, 1368B Shady Grove, Batesville, Miss. 38606 or to Oxford Humane Society, 559 Hwy. 7 South, Oxford, Miss.

Edna Marie Polk
LONGTOWN—Edna Marie Polk, 72, died Thursday, January 23, 2014, at her residence in Longtown.
Services will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday at Askew Grove M.B. Church. Rev. Conner will officiate. Burial will be in Askew Grove Cemetery. Visitation will be from noon – 5 p.m. Friday at Kenneth I. Roberson Funeral Home. Kenneth I. Roberson Funeral Home of Sardis has charge.
A native of Tate County, she was formerly of Clarksdale. She was the daughter of the late John Bethel Polk and Bessie Carter Polk. She was a member of Askew Grove MB Church in Longtown. She was a retired employee of Dr. Andrea Smith of Clarksdale. She loved to cook and her family.
Survivors include: two daughters, Michelle Polk of Longtown and Shawn Polk of Oxford; one son, Marcus Polk of Longtown; three sisters, Georgia Crowder of Memphis, Mary Polk and Dorothy Polk both of Longtown; two brothers – George Polk and Bethel Polk, Jr. both of Memphis; and one grandchild.

Joy Lynn Seckler
PALESTINE, Texas—Joy Lynn Seckler, 56, formerly of Batesville, died Sunday, January 26, 2014, at her residence.
Services were held Thursday at Herrington / Land of Memory Funeral Home with Reverend John Wisener officiating.  Burial was in Land of Memory Cemetery.
She was born May 27, 1957, in Fort Meade, Maryland to Thomas and Bettye Dorr Appleton. She graduated from Senatobia High School and was retired from University of Texas Medical Branch after 25 years of service.
Survivors include: her mother, Bettye Loyce Dorr Raines of Palestine; husband of 11 years, Keith Seckler of Palestine; son, Hank Kazmierczak of Lindale; daughters, Candice Armour  of Athens and Holly DeFoore  of Tyler; brother, James Appleton of Alvin; sister, Mary Ann Eddins of Houston; 8 grandchildren.

Eva Mae Boyd Tucker
BATESVILLE–Panola County civil rights activist Eva Mae Boyd Tucker died Tuesday night at age 93.
A “greet and viewing” visitation will be held Friday, Jan. 31 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Springhill Asa M. B. Church. On Saturday, a family hour at the church will begin at 12 noon, followed by services at 1 p.m.
“Every change that was made, my mother was a part of it,” said her oldest daughter, Gloria Tucker of Flint, Michigan.
Her husband at age 99 had preceded her in death on Jan. 30, 2013, almost a year to the day of the passing of “Miss Eva” on Jan. 28.
Together, they worked side-by-side to bring civil rights to black citizens, especially in Panola County.
“She was arrested during a march on Jackson in support of school integration and spent two weeks in jail, sleeping on a concrete floor,” Gloria Tucker said,.
“Our daddy said she was the Moses of our family,” Gloria Tucker continued, recalling her mother’s determination when she sent Gloria’s younger sister, Alice Tucker as a fourth grader to then all-white Batesville Elementary School. Her dad had been reluctant, Gloria Tucker said, but her mother persisted. Alice Tucker is now Dr. Alice Tucker Pretlow, having pursued her reading and special education major’s through advanced degrees.
Eva Tucker was also a proponent of education her children’s friends.
“All of the young people in our community: my mother was instrumental in furthering their education,” her daughter recalled.
A complete obituary will be published when it becomes available. Delta Burial Association in Marks has charge. 

Doyle “Butch” Vance
SOUTHAVEN—Doyle Scott (Butch) Vance, formerly of the Cole’s Point community, died Jan. 25, 2014. Mr Vance leaves his wife of 47 years, Ann; daughters Dayna Barnes of Markham, Ontario and Amanda Adams of Olive Branch; a sister, Hilda Webb of Bruce; five grandchildren, and one great granddaughter. In lieu of flowers, he wanted anyone who wished to honor his memory to donate to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the Ronald McDonald House in Memphis.  Visitation will be held Saturday at Spitfire Acres on Tchulahoma in Southaven.