SARDIS–June Short Gant, 58, died Sunday, March 16, 2008, at her residence.

Services were Wednesday at the Sardis United Methodist Church. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery. Rev. Dayna Goff officiated. Ray-Nowell Funeral Home had charge.

Gant, born July 19, 1949, to Dora Rivers Perkins Short and the late Robert Sorrells Short, was a member of Sardis United Methodist Church and a homemaker.

Survivors along with her mother include: her husband, Jerry Tillman Gant; one daughter, Jennifer Gant Pardoe and husband, Walter Jason Pardoe of Oxford; one son, Jerry Tillman Gant II of Sarasota, Fla.; one sister, Cynthia Short Beard; two brothers, Monroe Short and Robert Sorrells Short Jr. and one grandchild.

Memorials may be made to Foreign Missions, Sardis UMC, P.O. Box 383, Sardis, Miss. 38666.

ENID–Fannie Mae Hankins, 91, died Thursday, March 13, 2008, at her residence.

Services are Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Batesville Jr. High School Auditorium. Rev. William Johnson will officiate. Burial will be in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Enid. Visitation will be today 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary and Saturday 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. at the Batesville Jr. High Auditorium. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Hankins, born July 21, 1916, in Enid to the late Benjamin Sayles and the late LuMottie Sayles, was a member of Mt. Pleasant M.B. Church in Enid where she was a Sunday school teacher, usher, pastor’s aide, choir member, on the church program committee and Mother Board. She was a member of the Home Mission Baptist Training Union, Dining Committee, Mission Society and Sainted Pray Band. She was captain of the Women’s Day Committee and a homemaker.

Survivors include: four daughters, Everlean Hankins Ellis of Enid, Louella Hankins Ward and Betty Hankins Hyde, both of Chicago and Jaunita Ware of Memphis; two sons, Earnest Hankins of Enid and James Earl Hankins of Charleston; 64 grandchildren; 50 great-grandchildren and 30 great-great-grandchildren.

HOUSTON–Maylene Reese Harmon, 91, died Friday, March 14, 2008, at Floy Dyer Manor in Houston.

Services were Sunday at Houston Funeral Home. Dr. Randy Rinehart officiated. Burial was in Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Atlanta. Houston Funeral Home had charge.

Harmon, born Sept. 13, 1916, in Calhoun County, to the late Augustus Reese and Eula Mae Jennings Reese, was a retired employee of Gulf States Ceramic and Tile and a member of Parkway Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Vernon B. Harmon.

Survivors include: three daughters, Rachel Breland of Butler, Ala., Bobbie H. Prevallet of Pope and Sandra Russell of Woodland; one son, James V. Harmon of Houston; one brother, Floyd D. Reese of Atlanta; eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

MEMPHIS–Mary L. Nash, 52, formerly of Batesville, died Tuesday, March 14, 2008, at Methodist South Hospital in Memphis.

Services are Saturday at 3 p.m. at New Bethlehem M.B. Church. Rev. W.L. Nash will officiate. Burial will be in New Bethlehem Cemetery. Visitation will be today 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary and 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. Saturday at New Bethlehem M.B. Church. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Nash, born May 19, 1955, in Batesville, to the late Lueonia Bradford Cole, was a member of Coleman Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church. She was a material handler and field representative for Fedex and The Commercial Appeal.

Survivors include: her husband, Willie Nash of Memphis; one daughter, Marilyn Nash of Memphis; one son, Willie Nash Jr. of Memphis; six sisters, Louise McMillian and Deborah Gardner, both of Batesville, Sharon Cole Ford of Courtland, Loretta Cole of Marks, Thelma Cooper and Sandra Faye Cooper, both of Memphis; 10 brothers, Roy Lee Cole, Roosevelt Cole, William Cole, Farris Cole, Curtis Lewis Cole, Otis Cooper and James Richard Cooper, all of Batesville, John Lee Cole of Leesville, La., Danny Ray Cole of Senatobia and Shelton Cooper of Memphis and one grandchild.

BATESVILLE–Virginia Key, 94, died Sunday, March 16, 2008, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services are today at 2 p.m. at Coleman Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church in Batesville. Rev. Zannie Leland Jr. will officiate. Burial will be in Batesville Cemetery. Visitation will be today 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. at Coleman Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Key, born Jan. 23, 1914, in Batesville, to the late James Leland and the late Rosie Chapman, was a member of Coleman Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church and a homemaker.

Survivors include: six daughters, Miley Davison of Detroit, Gracie Harvey of Edward, Mich., Josie King and Hazel Key, both of Chicago, Bonnie DePlat and Ardean Harper, both of Boston, Mass.; six sons, Billy Key of Batesville, Rev. Larry Key of Courtland, Rev. Harry Key and Jerry Key, both of Memphis, and Joseph Key and Bobbie Key, both of Chicago; one sister, Carrie Johnson of Batesville; 50 grandchildren; 87 great-grandchildren and 32 great-great-grandchildren.

 Survivors include: one sister, Eula Faye Adams of Batesville and one brother, Sidney “L.Q.” Avant of Batesville.

BATESVILLE–Luna Louise Oliver, 60, died Tuesday, March 18, 2008, at the Regional Medical Center in Memphis.

Services are today at 11 a.m. at Wells Funeral Home. Visitation will be 9 a.m. until service time today at  Wells Funeral Home. Burial will be in Forrest Memorial Park Cemetery. Wells Funeral Home has charge.

Oliver, born May 5, 1947, in Casa Grande, Arizona, to Mary Frances Hargrove Robinson of Jackson the late Edward B. Robinson, was a member of Blackjack Baptist Church and a homemaker.

Survivors along with her mother include: her husband, Kenneth L. Oliver of Batesville; one daughter, Mary L. Oliver Belvin of Batesville; two sisters, Mary Alice Robinson Sartin of Jackson and Ruth Robinson Gibson of Columbus; one brother, Edward B. Robinson of Jackson and one grandson, Brice H. Belvin of Batesville.

OXFORD–Glada Mae Parker, 90, died Tuesday, March 18, 2008, at Graceland Nursing Home in Oxford.

Graveside services are today at 2 p.m. at Evergreen Cemetery in Carrollton. Rev. E.K. Gordon will officiate. Wells Funeral Home has charge.

Parker, born July 4, 1917, in Booneville, to the late John Henry and Havana Stepp Parker, was a member of Oakhurst Baptist Church in Clarksdale. She was a secretary to the dietician in Clarksdale and a care taker for many family members and others.

Survivors include: one sister, Mary Lou Parker Loehr of Marysville, Calif.; one nephew, Parker Naron of Jackson and her caregiver, Joan Butler of Oxford.

BATESVILLE–Willie Vertrine Patton, 80, died Monday, March 17, 2008, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services are today at 11 a.m.  at New Bethlehem M.B. Church. Rev. W.L. Nash will officiate. Burial will be in New Bethlehem Cemetery. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Patton, born June 27, 1927, in Batesville, to the late Frank Oliver and the late Lula Mae Carr, was a homemaker.

Survivors include: her step-mother, Margaret Oliver of Batesville; two daughters, Edna Richardson and Seretha Daggs, both of Batesville; four sons, Ray Patton and Anthony Patton, both of Batesville and S.L. Patton and Andrew Patton, both of Memphis; one sister, Mary O. Turner of Batesville; four brothers, E.Q. Oliver of Batesville, Sidney Oliver, O.C. Oliver and Wilton Oliver, all of St. Louis, Mo.; 22 grandchildren and a host of great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

BATESVILLE–Mary Claire Caruthers Shepard, 78, died Thursday, March 20, 2008, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis.

Graveside services will be Saturday at 3 p.m. at Rose Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. at Ray-Nowell Funeral Home in Sardis. Ray-Nowell Funeral Home has charge.

Shepard was born Feb. 16, 1930, in Sardis, to the late Archie and Berdie Mae Caruthers.

Survivors include: her husband, Billie E. Shepard Sr. of Batesville; one daughter, Lisa Glen of Columbus; two sons, Steve Cathey of Dallas and Bill Cathey of Hoover, Ala.

BATESVILLE–Catherine Elnora Avant Shields, 69, died Tuesday, March 18, 2008, at her residence.

Services are today at 2 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home. Burial will be in Forrest Memorial Park Cemetery. Wells Funeral Home has charge.

Shields, born Aug. 3, 1938, in Marks, to the late Homer Nathaniel and Eula Bridwell Avant, was retired from Frame Picture Enterprise.

She was preceded in death by her husband, T.L. Shields.