Obituaries – 2007 – S

Published 12:00 am Monday, January 1, 2007

The Panolian: OBITUARIES (S)

S  

SAULSBERRY, Earlene W.
     COLDWATER – Earlene W. Saulsberry, 74, died Tuesday, February 27, 2007, at her residence.
     Services were Saturday at Central Avenue Church of Christ in Coldwater. Burial was in Second Baptist Cemetery. Felix Cauthen Funeral Home has charge.
     Saulsberry, a factory worker, was a member of Central Avenue Church of Christ.
     Survivors include: five daughters, Janet Conard and Elaine W. Guy, both of Coldwater, Chonda Jones Johnson of Dallas, Texas; two step-daughters, Christine Renix of Coldwater and Claudia Mack of Senatobia; five sons, Joel Williams Jr. of Birmingham, Ala.; Arther D.Williams and Douglas Williams, both of Memphis, Terry Williams of Coldwater and Kenneth Mormon of Como; two sisters, Cordelia McKenney of Memphis and Laura Bell Anderson of Como; 22 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren.


SCOTT, Thomas Roger
    
SARDIS – Thomas Roger Scott, 66, died Saturday, January 13, 2007, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.
     Memorial services are Sunday at 1 p.m. at Church of God International in Memphis. Wells Funeral Home has charge.
     Scott, born Aug. 16, in Eau Claire, Wis., to the late Isacc Ransom and Ethel Witte Scott, was retired after 25 years from J.C. Penney.
     Survivors include: his caregiver, Chris Coburn of Sardis; one sister, Fran Olsen of Sun City, Calif. and one cousin, Chuck Cossgrove and family in Minnesota.
     Memorials may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.


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SELBY, Danny Gene
     MARKS – Danny Gene Selby, 51, died Tuesday, April 3, 2007, at Madison Regional Medical Center in Canton.
     Graveside services are Saturday at 2 p.m. at Marks Cemetery. Rev. John Shackelford will officiate. Kimbro Funeral Home has charge.
     Selby, born June 16, 1955, was a member of West Marks Baptist Church.
     Survivors include: his parents, Anne Gentry Selby and Travis Lamar Selby, both of Marks; one son, Jonathan Selby of Birdie; three daughters, Amy Selby of Tupelo, Kelly Porter of Itta Bena and Taylor Selby of Oxford; two sisters, Tammy Smith of Florence, Ala. and Melony Gay Gentry Selby of Marks and six grandchildren.


SHELEY, Linda Jane Brasher
     SARDIS – Linda Jane Brasher Sheley, 61, died Sunday, April 1, 2007, at Desoto Baptist Hospital.
     Services were Wednesday at the Womble Funeral Home Chapel in Charleston. Burial was in the Charleston Cemetery. Womble Funeral Home had charge.
     Sheley was born June 12, 1945, in Clarksdale.
     She was preceded in death by her husband of 26 years, Riley L. Sheley Jr.
     Survivors include: four sons, Bobby Wolfe of Batesville, Chris Sheley of Horn Lake, Kevin Wolfe of Greenwood and Craig Sheley of Sardis; one sister, Louise Henry of Marks; two brothers, Keith Brasher of Marietta, Ga. and Jimmy Brasher of Charleston and 12 grandchildren.
     Memorials may be made to: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tenn., 38105-1905.


SKEEN, John "Red"
    
BATESVILLE – John "Red" Skeen, 65, died Tuesday, February 20, 2007, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.
     Services were Saturday at Saulters-Moore Funeral Home Chapel. Burial was in Antioch Memorial Cemetery. Saulters-Moore Funeral Home had charge.
     Skeen was a self-employed carpenter and farmer. He was a state board member for the Mississippi Council for the Blind, Pine Belt Chapter. He was affiliated with Antioch Baptist Church, Prentiss, and First United Pentecostal Church in Water Valley.
     Survivors include: his wife, Ruthie Skeen of Batesville; one son, Keith Skeen of Batesville; three step-sons, James Armstrong of Glen, Bobby Armstrong and Charlie Armstrong, both of Batesville; two step-daughters, Cathy Bishop and Brenda Walsch, both of Batesville; one brother, Jim Floyd Skeen of Columbia; two sisters, Josie Weaver of Ellisville and Emma Hamblin of Houston; 15 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.


SMITH, Ellis Dale
    
POPE – Ellis Dale Smith, 80, died Tuesday, January 23, 2007, at his residence.
     Services are today at 2:30 p.m. at Pope Baptist Church. Rev. Roger Richards and Rev. Don Abbott will officiate. Burial will be in Chapel Hill Cemetery. Wells Funeral Home has charge.
     Smith, born Jan. 5, 1927, to the late Edward Issac and Emma Elector Anthony Smith, was a foreman and crane operator for U & I Sugar Company for 30 years. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and a member of Pope Baptist Church.
     Survivors include: his wife, Ramona Harrison Smith of Pope; three daughters, Gwendolyn Smith Wimmer and husband Byron of Anderson, Calif., Diana Smith Jacobs and husband Dennis of Mt. View Alberta, Canada and Carol Smith Olson and husband Richard of Salt Lake City, Utah; one son, Douglas Smith and wife Kelly of Las Vegas, Nev.; five step-sons, Milo Hyatt and wife Ejaya of Kent, Wash., Alan Hyatt and wife Anne of Seattle, Wash., Bill Hyatt of Vancover, Wash., Jesse Allen Hyatt and wife Mary Jane of Baxter, Minn. and Jack Woods and wife Kitty of West Point; 30 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.


SMITH, Gary Dean
    
HAUGHTON, La. – Gary Dean Smith, 44, formerly of Sardis, died Thursday, March 8, 2007, at Grace Home in Shreveport, La.
     Services are today at 11 a.m. at Moore-Nowell Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be in Rose Hill Cemetery in Sardis. Moore-Nowell Funeral Home has charge.
     Smith, the son of Dee and Thelma Smith of Sardis, was a Baptist and a graduate of North Delta School and the University of Mississippi. He was also territory manager for Goodman Manufacturing.
     He was preceded in death by his brother, Robert E. "Bobby" Smith, M.D.
     Survivors, in addition to his parents, include: his wife, Donna Smith of Haughton, La.; two daughters, Kaitlyn Rose Smith of Haughton, La. and Kristen Renee Plazek of Akron, Ohio; and three grandchildren.


SMITH, Harvey
    
BATESVILLE – Harvey Smith, 83, died Thursday, January 18, 2007, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.
     Services were Monday at Deliverance Tabernacle Pentecostal Church. Robinson and Son Funeral Home had charge.
     Smith, born Oct. 24, 1923, to the late Marion and Mary Wren-Smith, attended Scoby Baptist Church and also attended Scoby elementary school up to the eighth grade. He was a WWII veteran. He joined the military January 11, 1943, and served three years with an honorable discharge. He was a farmer and a mechanic.
     He was preceded in death by his wife, Clara Mae Ward-Smith.
     Survivors include: two daughters, Carry Lee and Peggy J.; two sons, Gene Earl and Patrick Page; one brother, Dewitt Smith; 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.


SMITH, Huron
    
BATESVILLE – Huron Smith, 95, died Wednesday, March 28, 2007, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford.
     Services are today at 2 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Batesville. Rev. Greg Johnston will officiate. Burial will be in Batesville Magnolia Cemetery. Dickins Funeral Home has charge.
     Smith, born Feb. 2, 1912, in Harmontown, to the late Oliver Gaston and the late Faye Bell Utley Smith, was a member of the First Baptist Church in Batesville.
     Smith had been affiliated with CITGO continuously since 1950, first signing on as a consignee with predecessor firm Arkansas Fuel Oil Co., which became part of Cities Service Oil Co. in the early 1960s. Huron Smith Oil Co. now sells millions of gallons of fuel annually through locations in Miss., Ark., Tenn., Ky., and Ind.
     Starting his operation supplying fuel to five "mom and pop" service stations in and around Batesville, Smith established his business by providing personal deliveries to farmers and wholesalers throughout the Batesville area.
     Many of those deliveries were made in his first bobtail truck, equipped with a 600-gallon tank and hand-cranked dispensing pump.
     The years brought steady business growth and Smith’s son, Don, joined his father’s business in 1974.
     The company is a long-time supporter of projects for the Muscular Dystrophy Association via CITGO’s role as MDA’s largest corporate fund-raising partner.
     Smith Oil has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars through local benefits and charitable events that went to help MDA.
     He was preceded in death by three sisters, Myrna Smith, Lola Moss and Mazie Herron and three brothers, Norvin Smith, Fred Eugene Smith and Claude DeShazo.
     Survivors include: his wife, Louise LeMaster Smith; one son, Don Smith and wife, Rhandy of Batesville; two sisters, Hazel Douglas of Memphis and Sue Shaw of Harmontown; one grandchild, Summer Louise Smith of Dallas, Texas.
     Pall bearers include: Roy Davis McCullar, Ed Morrow, Jimmy Childs, Troy Darby, Steve Brown, Dale Paige, Greg Wright, Andy Anderson.
     Honorary pall bearers include: Wallace Cochran, Jake Thompson, Ralph Keating, Kenneth McGregor, Howard Holden, Norris Wray, Lent Thomas, Robert Brown, Bobby Hudson, Calvin Land and Bobby Woodruff.


SMITH, Larry "Bones" Reece
    
ASKEW – Larry "Bones" Reece Smith, 46, died Sunday, February 18, 2007. He was the son of Gladys Smith of Crenshaw.
     Services were Thursday at Pate-Jones Funeral Home in Senatobia. Burial was in Longtown Cemetery. Pate-Jones Funeral Home had charge.
     Smith, born to the late Wayne Reece Smith, was a wood craftsman and a member of the Ten Mile Baptist Church in Wiggins.
     He was preceded in death by his brother Jerry Franklin Smith and his grandsons, Issac and Ian Smith.
     Survivors along with his mother include: his wife, Brittnay Smith; one son, Christopher Smith of Perkinston; two daughters, Heather Clemons of Wiggins and Candace Smith of Saucier; two brothers, Terry Smith of Saucier and Gary Smith of Senatobia; one sister, Debbie Owens of Black, Ala. and two grandchildren.


SMITH, Mary Pauline
    
BATESVILLE – Mary Pauline Smith, 48, died Wednesday, January 24, 2007, at Grenada Lake Medical Center.
     Services were Monday at Shiloh M.B. Church in Courtland. Rev. Carl Brown officiated. Burial was in Shiloh Cemetery. Cooley’s Mortuary had charge.
     Smith, born Sept. 18, 1958, in Batesville, to the late Buster Smith and the late Vonzella Hamilton Smith, was a member of Shiloh M.B. Church in Courtland.
     Survivors include: two sons, Zexdra Smith of Batesville and Riza Smith of Jamesville, Wis.; six sisters, Louella Ford and Annie Chapman, both of Batesville, Annette Shegog of Pope, Bobbie Jean Rhymes of Chicago, Mary Louis Ford and Catherine Hughes, both of Des Moines, Iowa; three brothers, Lonnie Smith of Casper, Tenn., Jessie Earl Smith of Chicago and George Smith of St. Louis, Mo. and four grandchildren.


SMITH, Ruth L.
    
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Ruth L. Smith, 76, formerly of Charleston, died Friday, January 26, 2007, at Huron Road Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio.
     Services were Saturday at Pope Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church in Pope. Rev. Zannie Leland Jr. officiated. Burial was in Sandy Creek Cemetery in Enid. Cooley’s Mortuary had charge.
     Smith, born Dec. 29, 1930, in Panola County to the late Clyde Metcalf and the late Sufronia Hentz Leland Metcalf, was a homemaker and a member of Philemon M.B. Church in Cleveland, Ohio.
     Survivors include: three daughters, Veloris Smith of Oakland, Linda Smith of Jackson and Annie Ruth Snyder of Cleveland, Ohio; one step-daughter, Bernice Collins of Charleston; six sons, Jimmy Ray Smith, Kenneth Smith, and Marrell Smith, all of Charleston, Albert Smith of Southaven, and Robert Smith and Clyde Smith, both of Cleveland, Ohio; two step-sons, Andy Smith of Cleveland, Ohio and M.C. Smith of Kalamazoo, Mich.; 33 grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren.


SMITH, Ruth Vasbri Cooper Burnett
    
BATESVILLE – Ruth Vasbri Cooper Burnett Smith, 97, died Thursday, February 1, 2007, at Washington Care Center in Greenville.
     Services were Saturday at First Baptist Church. Dr. Robert Self officiated. Burial was in Batesville Cemetery. Dickins Funeral Home had charge.
     Smith, born March 5, 1909, in Tallahatchie County to the late James Edwin and Lou Slaughter Cooper, was a member of the First Baptist Church in Batesville for over 60 years. She was a member of her Sunday school class and Keenagers. She was an original member of "The Stitchers" sewing club.
     She was the widow of Jerre William Burnette and Warren (Jack) Smith of Batesville.
     Survivors include: one daughter, Jerry Burnett Meredith of Greenville and her husband Bill Meredith; four granddaughters, Lauren Stokes of Columbus, Kathren Eagles of Vicksburg, Diane Meredith of Madison and Pat Cox of Memphis; six great-grandchildren; one brother, Dr. Joe Cooper of Clinton; a sister-in-law, Estelle Cooper of Carollton and six nieces and nephews.


SPEARS, Odell
    
BATESVILLE – Odell Spears, 48, died Tuesday, January 30, 2007, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.
     Services are Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at Mt. Gillion M.B. Church in Sardis. Rev. Walter Newson will officiate. Burial will be in Mt. Gillion Cemetery in Sardis. Visitation is today 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.
     Spears, born July 9, 1958, to the late Rodell Fondren and the late Alberta Spears, was a member of Mt. Gillion M.B. Church where he was deacon and vice president of the choir. He was also a member of the Pope Lodge No. 445-A.
     Survivors include: his wife, Ruby Spears of Batesville; two daughters, Shameka Sanders and Karnisha Sanders, both of Batesville; one son, Brandon Spears of Batesville; his step-mother, Hattie Mae Fondren of Batesville; 10 sisters, Loretta Rudd, Shelia Draper, Kathy Andrews, all of Batesville, Sarah Williams of Pope, Elizabeth Oliver of Oxford, Deloris Denson and Annette Beck both of St. Louis, Wylo Berry and Sadie Lawrence, both of Akron, Ohio and Iradell Walls of Greenwood; five brothers, Billy Spears of St. Louis, George Fondren of Courtland, Nathan Fondren and Marvin Fondren, both of Sardis and Minister Greg Fondren of Memphis and two grandchildren.


STRONG, Rev. Miles "Levi"
    
MEMPHIS – Rev. Miles "Levi" Strong, 69, died Friday, December 29, 2006, at his residence.
     Services are today at 1 p.m. at Moorse Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church in Coffeeville. Rev. George Golden will officiate. Burial will be in Johnson Chapel Cemetery in Courtland. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.
     Strong, born April 9, 1937, in Courtland, to the late William Wright and the late Ida B. Strong, was a minister and retired crane operator. He was also a member of Moorse Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church of Coffeeville.
     Survivors include: his wife, Bessie Strong of Memphis; two daughters, Debbia Strong and Mary Strong, both of Memphis; two sons, Randy Strong and Terry Strong, both of Memphis; Bernice Walton, Virginia Poole, both of Batesville and Mary Nickles of Memphis; three brothers, Tommie Strong, Cleo Strong and Johnny Ray Strong, all of Batesville; five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

 

 


                                         
                       
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