NEW ALBANY—Bobby Leon Alexander, 64, died Sunday, November 11, 2007 at his residence. He was the brother of Faye Johnson of Batesville.

Services were Wednesday at Faith Baptist Church in Lambert. Rev. Bobby Bell, Ernest Gordon and Raymond Roberson, officiated. Burial was in Marks Cemetery. Kimbro Funeral Home had charge.

Alexander, born April 10, 1943, was a retired riverboat employee with Houston Barge Line.

Survivors along with his sister include: two sons, Ricky Alexander of New Albany and Stevie Alexander of Biloxi; two step-sons, Joe Dunn of Fairburn, Ga. and Brock Dun n of Gainesville, Ga.; one step-daughter, Renee Rodgers of Lambert; two brothers, Edward Alexander of Baytown, Texas and Norris Alexander of Sardis; two sisters, Ruby Wooley of Cleveland and Estelle Freeman of Sardis and many grandchildren.

 

COMO—Barbara Lynn Ashby, 74, died Thursday, November 15, 2007.

Services were Saturday at Pate-Jones Funeral Home Chapel in Senatobia. Graveside services were at Houston Cemetery. Pate-Jones Funeral Home had charge.

Ashby, born Sept. 5, 1933, to the late Abner Elkin Fant and the late Eufala Kimbrell Fant, was a member of Como Baptist Church and was an Eastern Star in St. Joe, Ark. She belonged to the American Legion Auxiliary. She graduated from Houston High School in 1951 and attended Mississippi State University.

Survivors include: her husband of 56 years, “Gus” Ashby; two sons, Henry “Ricky” Ashby III of Marks and Kim F. Ashby of Walls; one daughter, Nancy L. McNail of Como; one sister, Peggy Baltz of Las Vegas, Nev.; 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

 

BILOXI—Bobby Wesley “Wes” Besinger, 49, died Saturday, November 10, 2007, at the Biloxi Regional Medical Center. He was the son of Mary Inez Dobbins of Enid.

Services were Tuesday, November 13, 2007, at Sardis Lake Baptist Church. Rev. Kenny Weeks officiated. Burial was in Sardis Lake Baptist Church Cemetery. Peebles Fayette County Funeral Home of Somerville had charge.

Besinger,  born July 4, 1958, in Memphis, the son of the former Mary Inez Dungan of Enid and the late Bobby Hugh Besinger, was educated in the Shelby County Public School system and was a graduate of the Kingsbury High School in Memphis. He was married January 24, 1998 to the former Vicki Snider of Memphis, who survives.

 Besinger had been a resident of Biloxi for the past two years where he was employed as a Marine Technician. He was of the Baptist Faith and was a former resident of the Knoxville, Tennessee area.

In addition to his wife and mother,  he is survived by his daughter, Lindsay Besinger of Memphis; son Josh Besinger of Memphis; sister, Sandra Ann Thompson of Henderson, Tenn.; two brothers, Roger Besinger of Enid and Donald Logan of Leesville, La. and two grandchildren.

 

BATESVILLE—Mary J. Boyd, 80, died Saturday, November 17, 2007, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi.

Services are today at 2:30 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home. Burial will be in Magnolia Cemetery. Rev. Martin Case will officiate. Visitation will be today beginning at 1 p.m. until service time at Wells Funeral Home. Wells Funeral Home has charge.

Boyd, born Sept. 7, 1927, to the late Paul I. and Alice Murphy Gillespie in Indianapolis, Ind., graduated from Dalton Georgia High School in 1944. She retired after 35 years as a legal secretary. She worked for Robert Riser, Ben B. Smith, Ronnie Musgrove and Steve McCord. She was named “State Secretary of the Year” in 1978. She was a member of the Batesville Presbyterian Church.

Survivors include: one son, Paul Gillespie Boyd and wife, Bonnita of Flowood; one sister, Betty Gillespie Davis and her husband, Donald Davis of Batesville; one niece, Dianne Davis Cummins of Batesville and two nephews, Donald Davis Jr. and Dale Davis and his wife, Julie.

 

BATESVILLE—Margaret Effie Tramel Brewer, 88, died Thursday, November 15, 2007, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services were Saturday at Dickins Funeral Home Chapel. Burial was in Curtis Cemetery. Dickins Funeral Home had charge.

Brewer, born May 23, 1919, to the late Robert Floyd and the late Una Lee Fortner Brewer Tramel in Oxford, was a member of Courtland Church of Christ.

Survivors include: two sons, Tony Brewer of San Antonio, Texas and Jimmy Brewer of Batesville; one half-brother, Anthony Tramel; one sister, Mary Tramel of Oakland; five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

 

BATESVILLE—Ruby Mae Darby, 88, died Thursday, November 15, 2007.

Services were Saturday at Dickins Funeral Home Chapel. Rev. Larry Kilgore officiated. Burial was in Batesville_Magnolia Cemetery. Dickins Funeral Home had charge.

Darby, born April 7, 1919, was a member of Crowder Methodist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Hubert  “Toye” Darby; three brothers, Clyde, Ned and Johnny Little and one sister, Mable Hickman Earnestine Berryhill.

Survivors include: one brother, Sam Earl Little of Crowder and one sister, Alice Roberson of Crowder.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Crowder Cemetery, P.O. Box 156, Crowder.

BATESVILLE—Robert S. “Bob” Norris, 63, died Saturday, November 17, 2007, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi.

Services are today at 11 a.m. at First United Methodist Church. Burial will be in Forrest Memorial Park Cemetery. Wells Funeral Home has charge.

Norris, born Nov. 16, 1944, in Frederick, Okla., to the late Jarvis Winston and the late Marjorie Hershey Norris, received his bachelor’s degree in 1969 from Mississippi State University and was retired from the South Panola School District after being employed for over 22 years.

He was known as the “Voice of the Tigers,” having spent more than 22 years in the press box calling football games on Friday nights. He began his Tiger broadcast career color commentating while Tom Hamby handled the play-by-play duties beginning in the 1980s. He was best known for the long list of “Hello’s” sent out every Friday night to all of those listening to the South Panola Tigers. This is a tradition the broadcast crew of George Carlson, Kenny Hopper, Steve Wingert and Tim Christ carry on to this day.

He was a member of First United Methodist Church where he sang in both the Chancel Choir and the Men’s Ensemble and was a charter member of the hand bell choir. He also served on the administrative council. He also participated in the Walk to Eammaus.

Survivors include: his wife of 40 years, Gale Jean Faulkner Norris of Batesville; two sons, Niles Norris and his wife, Kelley of Oxford and Steve Norris and his wife, Leslie of Frisco, Texas; one sister, Carolyn Norris Day and her husband, Raymond of Clinton; one brother, Paul Norris and his wife, Donna of Senatobia and two grandchildren, Niles Spencer Norris Jr. and Olivia Grace Norris.

The family asks that memorials be sent to First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 797, Batesville.

 

BATESVILLE—Anna Williams Towles, 93, died Sunday, November 18, 2007, at Golden Living Nursing Home.

Services are Wednesday at 10 a.m. at Wells Funeral Home. Rev. Gary Stevens and Rev. Kevin Crofford will officiate. Burial will be in McIvor Baptist Church Cemetery. Visitation will be today 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home. Wells Funeral Home has charge.

Towles, born Oct. 31, 1914, to the late Bob W. and Carrie Wilson Williams, was a member of McIvor Baptist Church.

Her husband, James A. “Joe” Towles Sr, preceded her in death.
Survivors include: one son, James A. “Jimmy” Towles Jr. of Batesville; five grandchildren and one great-grandson.

 

BATESVILLE—Rebecca Ann “Becky” Copeland Watts, 43, died Thursday, November 15, 2007.

Memorial services were Sunday at Wells Funeral Home Chapel. Rev. Damon Plummer and Rev. Jay Anderson officiated. Wells Funeral Home had charge.

Watts, born April 3, 1964, in Sardis, to Charles and Sandra Hyland Copeland of Pope, was a member of Hosanna Family Worship Center and a homemaker.

Survivors along with her parents include: her fiancé, Billy Atkinson of Batesville; one daughter, Monica Watts Lantrip of Pope; one son, Daniel Wade Watts of Batesville; one sister, Michelle Copeland Capwell of Pope; one brother, Tommy Copeland of Hernando; her grandmother, Catherine “Teny” Hyland of Pope and six grandchildren, Kirkland, Brittany, Savannah and Landon Watts, John Tyler and Meredith Lantrip.