NASH, Joanna Nicole
     LITHONIA, GA.–Joanna Nicole Nash, 17, granddaughter of the Rev. and Mrs. Walter Nash of Batesville, died, Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2005, at Dekalb Medical Center in Decatur, Ga., after a brief illness.
     A senior at Southwest Dekalb High School, she was the daughter of Robert Joe and Linda Nash of Lithonia, Ga. She was voted Miss Southwest Dekalb for 2004-05 and was the school’s first female drum major. Academically she was ranked among the top five percent in her graduating class. She was the captain of the cheerleader squad and she was the first female student director of the Inspirational Voices Choir of Southwest Dekalb High School.
     Memorial services were Saturday at Ray of Hope Christian Church in Georgia. Services will be today at 11 a.m. at New Bethlehem M.B. Church near Batesville, where her grandfather, Walter Nash, is pastor. Burial will be in New Bethlehem Cemetery. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.
     Survivors along with her parents are her grandparents, Rev. Walter and Nina Nash of Batesville and three sisters, Lashell Ross, Danielle Nash and Cheri Nash, all of Lithonia, Ga.

NECAISE, Horace Jr.
     PASS CHRISTIAN – Horace Necaise Jr., 78, died August 29, 2005, due to Hurricane Katrina. He was the father of Phyllis McBride of Batesville.
     Services are today at 11 a.m. at Delisle Cemetery in Pass Christian.
     He was preceded in death by his wife, Annie Farragut Necaise.
     Survivors include three sons, Horace Necaise III, J.C. Necaise of Pass Christian and Mark Necaise of Batesville; three daughters, Sherry Massey of Pass Christian, Phyllis McBride of Batesville and Polly Cuevas of Batesville and 14 grandchildren.

NEWMAN, Oscar Vernon "Sonny"
     BATESVILLE and SOUTHAVEN –  Oscar Vernon "Sonny" Newman, 74, died Thursday, October 20, 2005, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.
     Services are today at 10 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Southaven and at 2 p.m. at Chapel Hill Church in Pope. Rev. Steve Howell and Rev. Frank Camp will officiate. Burial will be in Chapel Hill Cemetery in Pope. Wells Funeral Home has charge.
     Newman, born Sept. 27, 1931, to the late Oscar Vernon and Jessie Martin Newman in Tallahatchie County, was a Charter Member of the First Baptist Church of Southaven where he served as the church’s first accountant. He was also a member of Chapel Hill United Methodist Church of Pope. He was an employee of ACI Building Systems, a former vice president of Air Kontrol, Inc. and comptroller of Gridiron Restaurants. He was also a U.S. Air Force Veteran, serving in the Korean War.
     He was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Mary Alice Tapper Newman; three sisters, Inez Taylor, Imogene Newman Adcock and Tommie Newman Williford and one brother, Louis Newman.
     Survivors include two sons, Rusty E. Newman and daughter-in-law Donna C. Newman of Germantown, Tenn. and Randall Newman Tapper of Southaven of Batesville; two sisters, Belle Newman Lipe of Pope and Elizabeth Newman Taylor of Pope; two brothers-in-law, James R. Lipe of Pope and Jessie Adcock of Hattiesburg; one granddaughter, Rebecca C. Newman and a host of nieces and nephews.
     Memorials may be sent to the Chapel Hill Cemetery Fund c/o Batesville Security Bank, Pope, or First Baptist Church of Southaven.

NIELSON, Jo V. Simmons
     TILLATOBA – Jo V. Simmons Nielson, 80, died Thursday, July 23, 2005, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford.
     Services were Saturday at Springhill Church of God of Prophecy in Oakland. Burial was in Springhill Cemetery. Newsom Funeral Home had charge.
     Simmons, born Aug. 26, 1924, was a homemaker.
     Survivors include her husband, Herman Nielson of Tillatoba; two daughters, Paulette Davis of Batesville and Brenda Watson of Water Valley; five grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

NORWOOD, Eddie Joe
     SARDIS – Eddie Joe Norwood, 41, died Friday, October 7, 2005, at Delta Medical Center in Greenville.
     Services were Saturday at Mt. Level M.B. Church in Como. Burial was in Mt. Level Cemetery. Felix Cauthen Funeral Home had charge.
     Norwood was a member of Mt. Level M.B. Church.
     Survivors include his mother, Mae Norwood of Sardis; three sisters, Clara Kimmons, Barbara Renix and Leona Smith, all of Sardis, and one brother, Alvin Norwood of Sardis.