BATESVILLE – Roy C. Davis, 71, died January 4, 2008 at his residence in Batesville.
Services were held January 28 at Forrest Memorial Park in Batesville.

Davis, born November 9, 1936 to Annie Mae Mitchew and Roy C. Davis Sr. in Newellton, La., was a welder and a farmer.

Survivors are two daughters Teresa Davis of Hohenwald, Tenn., and Donna Davis of Batesville and a son, Mark Davis of Portland, Ore.; sisters Marybelle Davis Jenice of Lake Charles, La., and Myrtle Davis Porter of Newellton, La., and brother Frank Davis of Newellton, La.

Wells Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

OXFORD – Herbert Emille Dewees Jr., 65, died Friday, January 25, 2008 at Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo. He was the husband of Dixie Traywick Dewees, formerly of Batesville.

A memorial service was held January 28 at First Presbyterian Church in Oxford with Rev. John Semmes officiating. A reception followed in the Triplett Alumni Center at the University of Mississippi.

Dewees, a native of Meridian, was executive director of University of Mississippi Alumni Affairs from 1990 until his retirement in 2004.  He was a Paul Harris fellow in the Oxford Rotary Club and was active in fundraising for Oxford Medical Ministries and First Presbyterian Church of Oxford. He was a recipient of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award.

Along with his wife, Dixie Dewees of Oxford, survivors are sons Michael Dewees of Big Sky, Mont., and Brad Dewees of Oxford.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to The Dewees Family Scholarship in Law Endowment, UM Foundation, P. O. Box 249, University, Miss. 38677 or to First Presbyterian Church Endowment Fund, 924 Van Buren Avenue, Oxford, Miss. 38655.

Coleman Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

BATESVILLE – Rosa Eudy Hamby, 87 died January 23, 2008 at the North Mississippi Medical Center Long Term Care Center in Eupora.

Services were held January 26 at First United Methodist Church of Batesville. Rev. Pat Ludlam officiated. Burial was at Woodlawn Cemetery of Grenada.

Mrs. Hamby was preceded in death by her husband Thomas G. “Pap” Hamby, a former coach at Batesville High School.

Born November 28, 1920 to James Everett and Olive Willingham Eudy in Webster County. She was a school teacher and a member of First United Methodist in Eupora.

Suvivors were a daughter, Annette Hamby Hutcherson of Lakeland, Fla. and two sons, John C. Hamby of Ackerman and Thomas G. “Tom” Hamby Jr. of Stewart; a sister Mary Olive Eudy Woods of Greenwood, six grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren.

Wells Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

SARDIS – Michael E. Johnson II, 17, died Sunday, January 27, 2008 in Sardis.

Services will be held at 2 p.m., Sunday, February 3 at North Delta School in Batesville. Burial will be in McIvor Creek Cemetery in Sardis.

Visitation will be from 5 – 8 p.m. on Saturday, February 2 at Wells Funeral Home in Batesville.

Mike was born February 13, 1990 to Odessa Black Johnson and Michael E. Johnson Sr. in Los Angeles, Calif. He was a member of McIvor Creek M. B. Church in Sardis. Mike was a senior at North Delta School in Batesville.

Mike is survived by his parents, Odessa Black Johnson and Michael E. Johnson Sr. of Sardis; two sisters, Victoria Catherine Denise Johnson and Sarah Odessa Della Johnson of Sardis; two brothers, Christian Alexis Alexander Johnson and Albert John Johnson of Sardis; and his grandmother, Della Mae Washington Black of Sardis.  

Wells Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

SARDIS – Jean Russell Long, 80, died Saturday, January 26, 2008, at her residence in Sardis.

Services were held January 28 at Moore-Nowell Funeral Home in Sardis. Rev. Jerry Sanford officiated. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery.

Long, born June 17, 1927 in Bruce to Buren Allen Crocker and Oma Irene Coston Crocker, was a member of First Baptist Church of Sardis. She had been an administrative assistant.

Long was predeceased by a son, Gary Karl Russell and a grandson, Daniel Forrest Russell. She was the widow of Fred Long and of Karl Raymond Russell.

Survivors are a son, Spencer G. Russell of Hernando; two brothers, Melvin B. Crocker and Jerry W. Crocker, both of Sardis, and two grandchildren.

Moore-Nowell Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

SARDIS ––­ Daniel Forrest Russell, 35, died Wednesday, January 23, 2008 in Miami, Fla.

Services were held January 27 in the Moore-Nowell Funeral Home Chapel. Rev. Douglas Hardin officiated. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery.

Russell, born July 2, 1972 in Memphis, was a former resident of Tate County. His grandmother was Jean Russell Long of Sardis.

Survivors are his mother, Bonnie L. Schwartz of Memphis and his sister, Leslie Langston of Memphis.

Moore-Nowell Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

BATESVILLE – Jessie Smith died Monday, January 28, 2008 at Baptist Memorial Hospital. Services will be held Wednesday, January 30 at 2 p.m. at Shady Grove Baptist Church. Visitation will be prior to the service, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the church. Wells Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

A complete obituary was not available at press time, but will be published in the Friday, Feb. 1 edition of The Panolian.

BATESVILLE – Sue Kairit Taylor, 59, died January 26, 2008 at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis.

A memorial service will be held today, January 29, at 6 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home Chapel.

Visitation will be held today from 4-6 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home.

Taylor, born August 28, 1948 to the late Carroll and Eleanor Daffer Dack in McCook, Neb., was a US Army veteran and a registered nurse.

Survivors are a daughter, Amber Kairit Helps  of Pope and a son, Brant Humes Kairit of Senatobia; two sisters, Georgia Dack Young of Dover, Del. and Marsha Dack Smeldley of Denver, Col.; four brothers, Leroy Dack of Rolling Hill Estates, Calif., Jamie Dack of Cook, Nev., Walter Dack of Arvada, Col., and Jonathan Dack of Denver; and four grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be sent to the American Lung Association or to the First United Methodist Church of Batesville.

Wells Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.