OXFORD – Hattie Armfield, 98, of Oxford died Monday, January 7, 2008 at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Armfield, born July 7, 1918 to W. H. Watters and Nancy Perry in Oxford, was a retired service operator for the U. S. Navy. She was a member of Christ Temple C. M. E. Church in Oxford.

Services will be held today, January 11 at 1 p.m. at Christ Temple C. M. E. Church. Burial will be at Mt. Vernon Cemetery in Abbeville. Rev. E. D. Goliday will officiate.

Survivors are nephew Chester Hawkins, Jr. of Water Valley, great-niece Lynette Johnson of Oxford and great-nephew E. D. Goliday of Oxford.
Cooley’s Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

DREW – Mary Jane Baldwin, 76, of Drew died Sunday, January 6, 2008, at Bolivar Medical Center in Cleveland. She was the grandmother of Terri Howard and Tiffiney Moore of Batesville.
Services were held January 9 at Ray Funeral Home in Cleveland. Burial was in North Cleveland Cemetery. Rev. John Thomas officiated.

Baldwin, born May 5, 1931 in Senatobia to Clarence Yancy and Annie Golden Yancy, was a member of Drew Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband Charlie V. Baldwin, daughter Irene B. Armstrong and her parents.

Survivors include sons Roger Baldwin of Memphis, James Smokey Baldwin of Drew, and Calvin M. Baldwin of Cleveland; daughters Brenda Scribner of Cleveland, Linda Hopper of Horn Lake, and Jeanie Livingston of Boyle; sister Rivers Moundy of Belzoni; twenty grandchildren, twenty-two great-grandchildren.

Ray Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

MEMPHIS – Robert Benner, 61, formerly of Batesville, died Sunday, January 6, 2008 at Baptist Memorial East Hospital in Memphis.

Services will be held at 10 a.m. on Sunday, January 13 at M. J. Edwards and Son Funeral Home.

Survivors are sisters Emma Lou Steen and Icey Rine Anderson of Memphis, Geneva Smith and Burnice Money of Batesville, Bernell Stephen of Lancaster, Calif., and Dorothy Milton of Milwaukee, Wisc.; brother Willie Ed Benner of Memphis; aunts Elzadia Beck of Sardis and Mary Jones of Fla.; and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins.

M. J. Edwards and Son Funeral Home, located at 5494 Elvis Presley Blvd. in Memphis, is in charge of arrangements.

BATESVILLE – Lorine Buckley, 76, of Batesville died Sunday, January 6, 2008 at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis.

Services will be held Saturday, January 12 at 11 a.m. at Armstrong Street Church of God in Batesville.  Burial will be in Batesville Cemetery. Rev. Christopher Townsend will officiate.

Visitation will be Saturday from 10 a.m. to  11 a. m., at Armstrong Street Church of God.

Buckley, born July 3, 1931 to Arthur and Ella Smith in Charleston, was a retired assembly line worker. She was a member of New Destiny M. B. Church in Batesville.

Survivors are sons John Buckley of Chicago, Ill. and Harvey Buckley of Boston, Mass.; daughters Arbie Jo Buckley of New York and Viola Buckley House of Oakland; sisters Cora Barnes of Grenada and Nettie Billingsley of Chicago, Ill.; nineteen grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Cooley’s Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

MICHIGAN CITY, IN. – Christopher Aaron Smith, 25, died Friday, December 28, 2007 at his residence in Michigan City, Indiana. He was the nephew of Georgia Wolfe Hollinger of Courtland, Ollie Grant of Batesville, and Mark Shields of Pope.

American Legion Skwiat Post 451 conducted a memorial service on January 2 and services were held January 3 at Countryside Christian Church in Michigan City. Burial was at Greenwood Cemetery. Pastor Kevin Galloway officiated. Ott/Haverstock Funeral Chapel was in charge of arrangements.

Smith was born June 20, 1982, in Michigan City to Bridget Shields Smith, formerly of Batesville, and Phillip Smith. He was a Michigan City police officer. He enjoyed airplanes and was working toward earning his pilot’s license.

Smith was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police – Dunes Lodge 75, St. Joseph Young Men’s Society, and Sons of the American Legion – Skwiat Post 451.

Along with his wife Renee Pearson Smith, survivors are sons Tyler Smith, Prestin Smith and Matthew Smith, all of Michigan City; brother and sister, Phillip Smith II and Gail Smith, both of Michigan City; grandparents Floyd and Margaret Wolf Hallum of Michigan City and Charles and Dorothy Smith of Protestant, Ky; two nieces, one nephew and several aunts and uncles.
Memorials may be made to the Chris Smith Fund, Riley Children’s Hospital, 702 Barnhill Drive, Indianapolis IN 46202, or to the American Cancer Society, 535 West Edison Road, Unit #6, Mishawaka IN 46545.

COMO – Fannie Waits, 77, died Sunday, January 6, 2008 at her residence in Como.
Services will be held at 12:00 p.m., Saturday, January 12 at Harmonia M. B. Church in Sardis. Visitation will be today from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Felix Cauthen Funeral Home in Senatobia.

Waits, born November 22, 1930 in Como to Jessie Campbell and Mary Hudson, was in environmental services at Baptist Hospital. She was a member of the Mother Board of Harmonia.

Survivors are daughter Dianne Eppenger of Sarah and sons James Waits, Jr. of Abbeville and Larry Carl Waits of Como.

Felix Cauthen Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

ROLLING FORK – Patty Laverne Darby McPhail, 45, died in Rolling Fork.
Services were held January 3 in Rolling Fork.

McPhail was the daughter of the late Evelyn and Shine Darby of Batesville. She was the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Dick Darby of Batesville and Mr. and Mrs. Edward Jones of Tilatobia.

Along with her husband, Sully McPhail, survivors include her son, Bert and daughter, Rachel.

Also surviving are brother Ted Darby and sisters Debbie Gullick and Lynn Brooks of Senatobia. She leaves three aunts, Laverne Darby, Lillie Darby and Joyce Sullivan, all of Batesville, and an uncle, Price Darby of Sardis.