POPE – Robert Ford, Jr., 78, died Monday, December 3, 2007, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford.

Services are Friday at Cooley’s Mortuary Chapel in Batesville at 1p.m. Burial will be at Eureka Cemetery near Batesville. Rev. Eddie Joe Ford will officiate.

Ford, born February 20, 1929, in Courtland to Rob Ford and Annie Bell McGhee, was a retired factory worker.  He was a member of Johnson chapel A.M.E. Zion Church.

Survivors along with his wife, Lue Emma Ford of Pope, include four sons, Lewis Ford of Pope, and Willie Sanford, John Sanford, and Clarence Sanford of Courtland; two daughters, Johnnie Robinson of Courtland and Sarah Greene of Philadelphia PA; and two sisters, Annie L. Herring and Mary Sanford of Courtland; and a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren..

RIPLEY – Rev. John Edward (J. E.) Thurmond, 91, died Thursday, December 6, 2007 at Tippah County Nursing Home.  He was born October 17, 1916 to the late Colonel Faulkner Thurmond and Eunice Blankenship Thurmond. He pastored for 27 years, at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, Mt. Olive Baptist Church, West Ripley Baptist Church, all in Ripley, Providence Baptist Church in Grenada, Tillatoba Baptist Church and Courtland Baptist Church, and was interim Pastor at Pine Grove Baptist in Ripley. After retiring from the ministry, he worked at Ripley Funeral Home. He retired in Ripley where he was a member of First Baptist Church.

Services will be at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, December 8, 2007 at Ripley Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Harris Counce and Rev. Randy Hamilton officiating. Interment will be in Mt. Moriah Cemetery.  Visitation will be 5:00 until 8:00 PM Friday, December 7,  at Ripley Funeral Home.

Survivors include: his wife of 68 years, Edith Stanford Thurmond of Ripley; two daughters, Sandra Bolton and husband Lee of Courtland and Kay Turner of Batesville; one son, John Eddie Thurmond of Columbus; two grandchildren, Beverly Stubbs of Ripley and Angie Reed of Ripley; one step-grandchild, Dylan Bolton of Courtland; and four great-grandchildren.

Rev. Thurmond was preceded in death by his parents, one sister, Martha Meek, and one brother, Richard Thurmond.

Ripley Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.  

COLUMBUS – Tommy Ray Oliver, 40, formerly of Batesville, died Tuesday, November 4, 2007, at his residence. Graveside services were held at Forrest Memorial Park in Batesville with Lowndes Funeral Home directing.

Oliver, born March 15, 1967 in Jackson, had lived in the Columbus area for 15 years where he was a member of New Hope Baptist Church. Oliver was a U. S Army veteran and served in the National Guard

Oliver is survived by: his father, Sammy Ray Oliver of Chicago and his mother  Linda Barham of Columbus, daughter Kayla Beth Oliver of Gautier, sister Tammy Michelle Davis of Ackerman, brother Morris Russell Goss of Carmack, step-brother Craig Eugene Barham of Columbus, stepchildren Amber Nicole Westfall of Ocean Springs and Casey Brooke Palmer of Starkville, stepsister Diane Leavell of Amory, his grandmother Ramona Woods Russell of Columbus, and 3 nieces and 1 nephew.