Ernestine Visor Butler

MEMPHIS–Ernestine Visor Butler, 75, died Sunday, June 24, 2007, at St. Francis Hospital in Memphis. She was born in Batesville, Dec. 12, 1931, to the late Lannie Visor and the late Lucille Anthony Carr.

Services are Saturday at 11 a.m. at Coleman Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church. Rev. Walter H. Key will officiate. Burial will be in Batesville Cemetery. Visitation will be Friday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Butler was a homemaker and a member of Coleman Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church.

Survivors include: five daughters, Glenda Williams Key, Diane Burgess, Nita Richmond, Julia Carter and Regina Peete, all of Memphis; three sons, Minister Larry Butler, of Lakeland Tenn., Steve Butler and Michael Butler, both of Memphis; one sister, Hattie Hopkins of Belvidere, Ill.; one brother, Minister Joe W. Anthony of Clarksdale; 13 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

BATESVILLE–James Douglas Compton, 71, died Sunday, June 24, 2007, in Moselle.

Services were Wednesday at Wells Funeral Home Chapel. Rev. Royce Odom, Rev. Mije Dobbs and Rev. Ray Brown officiated. Burial was in  Forrest Memorial Park. Wells Funeral Home had charge.

Compton, born June 8, 1936, in Leflore, to the late John Howard and Edna Weeks Compton, was a veteran of the Korean War serving in the U.S. Navy. He was a retired painter and a member of Petal United Pentecostal Church.

Survivors include: his wife, Martha Sue Weeks Compton of Moselle; four daughters, Melody Compton Rossback of Wiggins, Mary Ruth Compton Dooley of Ripley, Tammy Compton Murray of Gulfport and Anita Jewell Compton Whitten of Batesville; two sons, John Michael “Mike” Compton of Moselle and Charles Compton of Batesville; two sisters, Margaret Compton Neville of Grenada and Estelle Compton Carpenter of Greenwood; 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

MARKS–Cubelle Gilbert Mathews, 89, died Wednesday, June 27, 2007, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center. She was the mother of Barbara Mathews of Batesville.

Services were Thursday at West Marks Baptist Church. Rev. John Shackelford officiated. Burial was in Marks Cemetery. Kimbro Funeral Home had charge.

Mathews, born Dec. 20, 1917, was a homemaker and a member of West Marks Baptist Church where she was a Sunday school teacher, choir member and member of the Women’s Missionary Society.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Arthur Chester Mathews.

Survivors along with her daughter include: daughter, Joan Schiele of Lambert; one brother, Rudolph Gilbert of Pontotoc; one sister, Norma Mae Taylor of Pontotoc; one grandson and three great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to West Marks Baptist Church.

BATESVILLE–Verna McKee Woodruff, 91, died Wednesday, June 27, 2007, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services were Thursday at Good Hope Baptist Church. Burial was in Good Hope Cemetery. Rev. Charles Stubblefield and Rev. Gerald Walker officiated. Wells Funeral Home had charge.

Woodruff, born Oct. 2, 1915, to the late Maude Bell Norwood McKee and the late Cleeland Short McKee Sr., was a member of Good Hope Baptist Church serving as church clerk for many years. She was a member of the Woman’s Missionary Society where she served in many capacities as well as president for numerous years. She sang in the church choir and was a Sunday School teacher for many years at  Good Hope Baptist Church. She also served on the Panola County Democratic Committee.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bryant Woodruff; one grandson, Bart McCulley and three brothers, Morris McKee, C.S. McKee Jr. and Melvin McKee.

Survivors include: one daughter, June Woodruff McCulley of Batesville; one son, Stacy McKee Woodruff of Batesville; one sister, Cana M. Wiggins of Tuscaloosa, Ala.; two sisters-in-law, Norma B. McKee of Batesville and Sammie T. McKee of Coffeeville; two grandchildren, Allyson McCulley Johnson of Batesville and Brad McCulley of Batesville; five great-grandchildren, Bryant McCulley of Atoka, Tenn., Culley Johnson, Jacey Johnson, Gaddie Johnson and Katie McCulley, all of Batesville.

The family request that memorials may be made to the Good Hope Cemetery Fund, c/o Jerelene Armstrong, 218 Gordon St., Batesville.