Obituaries

Jerry Armstead

Jerry Armstead, 55, formerly of Batesville, died October 29, 2016, in Jackson.
Services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Antioch M..B. Church in Batesville. Pastor Reginald Reed will officiate. Visitation will be held today 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary. Burial will be held at Antioch Church Cemetery.
Armstead was born June 26, 1961, in Batesville, to Nobie Lee Armstead.

Minnie Battle

BATESVILLE––Minnie Battle, 73, died Tuesday, November 1, 2016, at her residence.
Services will be held Sunday at 11 a.m. at Westhaven Memorial Funeral Home in Utica. Pastor Rodney Divinity will officiate. Visitation will be held Saturday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary with memorial services held from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary.
Battle, born March 4, 1943, in Batesville, to Glover Battle and Harriett Bobo Battle, was a retired educator for Hinds Junior College and was a member of Pine Grove M.B. Church in Utica.
She was a member of Alcorn State University National Alumni Association, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, National Business Education Association, Career and Technical Education Association, Mississippi Business Education Association and Southern Business Education Association.
Survivors include: her devoted nephew, Gregory E. Willingham of Cordova, Tenn. and devoted niece, Gloria B. Hentz of Batesville; two brothers, Minister Leroy Battle of Clinton and Minister J.C. Battle of Milwaukee, Wis. and two sisters, Clara B. Carter of Jackson and Almelia Hoskins of Memphis.

Kyleigh Shenell Boyce

SARDIS––Kyleigh Shenell Boyce, infant daughter of  Bobby Boyce of Oxford and Shunderla Wilson of Sardis, died Wednesday, November 2, 2016, at LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center in Memphis.
Kyleigh was born March 13, 2016.
Services and visitation will be held Friday from noon – 2 p.m. at Henderson Funeral Home in Sardis. Burial will be at Hunter’s  Chapel in Como.

Mary Evelyn Fennel

Mary Evelyn Fennel, 72, passed away Wednesday, November 2, 2016, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Desoto.
Services will be held today at 11 a.m. at Wells Funeral Home with interment to follow in Magnolia Cemetery in Batesville.  Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service Friday morning.
Mary, born June 30, 1944, in Kosciusko, to the late Willie and Evelyn Delaince Odom Chunn, was a Pentecostal by faith and retired from Fred’s store in Batesville.
Throughout her years in Batesville, Mary could almost always be found at the ballpark watching her sons, and grandchildren playing baseball. She loved working in her yard and gardening.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Don Larry Fennel and her brother, Melvin Chunn.
Survivors include: two sons, Bubba Fennel of Pope and Lance Michael Fennel of Batesville; two sisters, Bobbie Jo Deason and Shirley Frazier, both of Kosciusko; four brothers, Ray Chunn, Ralph Chunn, L.T. Chunn and Mike Chunn, all of Kosciusko; four grandchildren, Jacob Fennel, Kayla Fennel, Lane Fennel, and Emma Fennel.
The family requests that memorials be sent  to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-1905

Rev. Billy Gerald Floyd Sr.

Rev. Billy Gerald Floyd Sr. died Oct. 30, 2016.
He was born June 11, 1933, in Keownville in Union County, Miss. to James (Jim) William Henry Floyd and Bitha Ann Medlin Floyd.
He is a graduate of Center Hill High School and Ole Miss. He served his country joining the Air Force shortly after high school in 1951. His greatest service was to God heeding his call to become a Pastor and served in many church fields across North Mississippi and the Delta area, for 50 plus years. He finished his ministry serving on the home mission in West Virginia.
Services will be held at United Funeral Service at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov, 5, 2016 with a graveside service to follow at Zion Hill Baptist Church in Alpine, Miss. United Funeral Service will be in charge of arrangements.
Survivors include: his wife, Clara Floyd of West Virginia, two sons Billy Gerald Floyd Jr. (Donna) of New Albany, and Timothy Alan Floyd of Calhoun City; a daughter, Beverly Anne Floyd (Kenny) of Etta; five grandchildren, B.G. Floyd, Will Floyd, Justin Floyd, Ashley Floyd, and Samantha Floyd; six great-grandchildren, Seth Floyd, Marley Floyd, Daisy Floyd, Braylyn Floyd, Lathan Floyd and Lyle Floyd.
He was preceded in death by his wife Dorothy Jeannette Roberts Floyd, his parents, five sisters; Vera Mae (Thurman) Dye, Annabelle (Hubert) Coker, Coy Vance Floyd, Nancy Lee (Doyle) Sanford, and Willie Pearl (Marvin) Chism. Two brothers James Clifton (Lucille) Floyd and Travis (Martha) Floyd and many nephews and nieces.
Visitation will be from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m Friday Nov. 4 at United Funeral Service.
Pallbearers will be Thurman Dye Jr., Mickey Floyd, Mack McDonald. B.G. Floyd, Will Floyd, and Justin Floyd. Honorary pallbearers are his four great grandsons.

Dean Parker

Dean Parker, 54, a sign technician with Gulf South Signs, died Oct. 31, 2016 at Batesville Merit Health. Funeral services were Wednesday at Calvary Baptist Church in Batesville, with burial in Forrest Memorial Park. Meredith-Nowell Funeral Home and Dickins Funeral Home haad charge of arrangements.
Dean was a deacon, choir member and former Sunday School teacher at Calvary Baptist Church. He was also a member of the Sons of the Confederacy. He also served his country in the United States Army for five years. He was a member of Calvary Baptist Church.
Survivors include wife of 36 years, Annette Fortner Parker of Batesville, son Nolan Parker of Flowood; two daughters, Adriane Hall (Jeff) of Enid and Marilyn Bennett (Jim) of Blackhear, Ga.; brother  Scott Parker of Batesville, and half brother, Leonard Pollock of Brownsville, Texas; half sister, Brenda Ellingburg of Southaven; grandchildren David Eston Hall, Atley Hall, Kaylee Hall, Landri Bennett, Chandler Grace Bennett and Rowan Parker.
He was preceded in death by  his parents Carl W. Parker, Betty Jo Prather Parker and stepmother Bobbie Jo Parker; brother Carl Bruce Parker, half sister Charlotte Parker and half brother Greg Parker.

Aaron Thomas Stapp

BATESVILLE––Aaron Thomas Stapp, 85, died Friday, October 21, 2016, at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis.
Services were held Wednesday, October 26 at Forrest Memorial Park in Batesville. Wells Funeral Home had charge.
Stapp, born March 30, 1931, in Marks, to the late James Thomas and Elva Mae Worsham Stapp, served in the U.S. Air Force in the Korean War. He worked for the former South Central Bell as a lineman and worked his way up to be a toll test technician before retiring from Bell South.

Eddie Daniel Thomas

COURTLAND––Eddie Daniel Thomas, 54, died Sunday, October 30, 2016, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi.
Services will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary. Pastor Zannie Leland will officiate. Burial will be held at Shiloh Church Cemetery in Courtland. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.
Thomas, born Sept. 17, 1962, in Sardis, to the late Daniel Thomas and Fannie Mae Sanford Thomas, was a member of Shiloh M.B. Church.