BATESVILLE–Mary Elizabeth Morrow York Burns, 74, died Tuesday, March 25, 2008, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis.

Services are today at 10 a.m. Calvary Baptist Church. Rev. Paul Middleton and Rev. Tim Shields will officiate. Burial will be in Forrest Memorial Park Cemetery. Wells Funeral Home has charge.

Burns, born Aug. 11, 1933, in Hamilton, Ala., to the late Julius Henry and the late Elizabeth Glenn Morrow, was retired from Panola Mills.

She was preceded in death by one son, Travis Wade Burns; four sisters, Ann Morrow Stratton, Jeanette Morrow Rowsey, Eunice Morrow Legge and Vera Morrow Shields and one brother, Julius Morrow Jr.

Survivors include: her ex husband, Sidney Burns Sr. of Batesville; one daughter, Elizabeth Ann York Rikard of Oxford; one son, Sidney Burns Jr. of Batesville; two sisters, Miriam Morrow Koerner of Barnett, Mo. and Helen Grace Morrow White of Senatobia; one brother, Arvie L.J. Morrow of Batesville; four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

CROWDER–Kevin D. Cooper, 32, died Sunday, March 30, 2008, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center from injuries received in an automobile accident.

Services are Sunday at 11 a.m. at the Batesville Junior High School Auditorium. Minister James Wright will officiate. Burial will be in Oak Grove Cemetery in Crowder. Visitation will be Saturday 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Cooper, born Feb. 20, 1976, in Marks, to Calvin Williams of McComb, Ill. and Patricia Cooper Burnette of Crowder, graduated from South Panola High School, Northwest Mississippi Jr. College and Mississippi State University, where he played football. He was a project manager for recreational development and a former professional football player. He played for the Minnesota Vikings, Memphis XPlorers, the indoor football league Tupelo Fire Ants. He was a member of New Bethel M.B. Church.

Survivors along with his mother and father, include: one daughter, Kyla Rudd of Sardis; one son, Tyler Rudd of Sardis; one brother, Antonio Burnette of Crowder and three sisters, Malena Joiner of Japan, Tiffany Pryor and Jennifer O’Neal, both of Lambert.

SARDIS-Roosevelt Hall, 74, died Tuesday, March 25, 2008, at his residence.

Memorial services will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at Mt. Zion M.B. Church. Rev. Cedrick Jackson will officiate. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Hall, born Feb. 15, 1934, in Pontotoc, to the late Roosevelt Hall Sr. and the late Anar Beckley Hall, was a retired teacher for North Panola High School. He graduated from Pontotoc High School and Mississippi Industrial College, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics. He began his teaching career in Duck Hill. In 1958 he moved to Panola County and began teaching at the Walton Chapel Vocational School in Como. He was a member of Mt. Zion M.B. Church.

Survivors include: his wife, Rosie L. Hall of Sardis; two daughters, Pamela Hall Sevalia of Lawton, Okla. and Tammy Philips of Killeen, Texas; one son, Antonn Furdge of Sledge; one sister, Marlene Farr of Racine, Wis.; one brother, Bobby Hall of L.A., Calif.; four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

JACKSON–Douglass Jones, 51, died Thursday, March 20, 2008, at Central Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.

Services are Saturday at 10 a.m. at New Horizon Church of International in Jackson and 3 p.m. at Fairview M.B. Church in Paulding. Bishop Ronnie C. Crudep will officiate. Burial will be in Fairview Cemetery. Visitation is Saturday 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. at New Horizon Church of International and 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. at Fairview M.B. Church in Paulding. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Jones, born July 5, 1956, to the late Moses Jones and  Hessie Lindsey Jones of Paulding, graduated from Heidelberg High School and Jackson State University where he received a degree of bachelor’s of business administration and a master’s in accounting. He was the owner of Jones Financial and Tax Services LLC. He was a member of New Horizon Church of International in Jackson.

Survivors along with his mother include: three daughters, Adria Jones of Jackson, Kristie Jones and Xaviea R. Jones, both of Brandon; one sister, Joann Clayton of Greenwood and one brother, Jerry L. Jones Sr. of Jackson.

BATESVILLE–Sarah Francis Bradford Kelley, 57, died Friday, March 14, 2008, after a short illness.

Services were Friday at Galilee Baptist Church in Sugar Land, Texas. Fall Creek Memorial Chapel had charge.

Kelley, born April 25, 1950, in Batesville, to Ann Bradford of Batesville and the late Willie Hamp Bradford, was employed for nearly 20 years with the Kroger Corporation in Retail Customer Service. She was a member of Oak Lake Baptist Church. She was a graduate of Hitchcock High School.

Survivors along with her mother include: her husband of 40 years, Randle “Ricky” Kelley;  two daughters, Yolonda Renee’ Larry and Atasha Meon Harris; two sisters, Denice Norwood of Houston, Texas and Delores Bradford of Batesville; one brother, Willie Melvin of Batesville and four grandchildren.

Ft. WALTON BEACH, Fla.–Jennifer Alexander Nichols, 48, died Saturday, March 22, 2008, after a long battle with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.

Services were Tuesday at Emerald Coast Funeral Home. Pastor Don Kirby officiated. Emerald Coast Funeral Home had charge.

Nichols was born Aug. 30, 1959, in Marks, to James Alexander and Ruby Scruggs.

Survivors along with her parents include: her husband of 20 years, David Nichols; two sons, Shawn Nichols and Jeremy Nichols; four brothers, James J. Alexander, John R. Alexander, Mark K. Alexander and Patrick A. Scruggs; three sisters, Mary E. Little, Debbie L. Pittman and Robin Anderson and two grandsons.

Memorials may be made to Covenant Hospice of Florida or the Emerald Coast Center Age Institute of Florida.

BATESVILLE–Frances Aline Melton, 86, died Tuesday, March 25, 2008, at Fairfield.

Services are today at 11 a.m. at Courtland Church of Christ. Burial will be in Magnolia Gardens Cemetery in Charleston. Dickins Funeral Home has charge.

Melton, born May 14, 1921, to the late Clarence and Susie Hall Kiihnl, was a retired clerk for Mr. Jiffy.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Harmon Melton.

Survivors include: two daughters, Betty Moore of Batesville and Shelia Melton of Los Alamos, Mexico; two sons, Bobby Hunter of Kenner, La. and Larry Melton of Ashland; two brothers, Clarence Kiihnl of Charleston and Raymond Kiihnl of Savannah, Tenn.; nine grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson.

OAKLAND–Thelma Short Earline Patton Paris, 88, died Tuesday, March 25, 2008, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi.

Services are Saturday at 10 a.m. at New Life Fellowship Church in Oakland. Burial will be in Oakland City Cemetery. Dickins Funeral Home has charge.

Paris, born Oct. 28, 1919, to the late Amos and Luna Gillespie Patton, was a civil service-clerk.

Survivors include: her husband, James A. Paris of Oakland; one son, James “Ping Pong” W. Paris of Oakland; three sisters, Velma Patton Dickson of Tucson, Ariz., Mary Patton Quick of White Haven, Tenn. and Ruth Patton Coaten of Grenada and four grandchidren.

CRENSHAW– Kenyatta O. Rodgers, 34, died Saturday, March 22, 2008, from injuries received in an automobile accident.

Services are Saturday at 12:30 p.m. At Madison Palmer High School. Elder Forest Mouton will officiate. Burial will be in Longtown Cemetery. Visitation will be Friday 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. at Delta Burial in Marks. Delta Burial has charge.

Rodgers, born Dec. 14, 1973,  to Emmie Rodgers and Tommy Rodgers Sr., both of Crenshaw, was self employed and a graduate of Quitman County High School.

Survivors along with his mother and father, include: his wife, Charlotte Rodgers of Como; one daughter, Keyunna Rodgers of Como; two sons, Kentavious Rodgers and Kendaria Rodgers, both of Sledge and three brothers, Tommy Rodgers Jr., Quartney Rodgers and Quinton Rodgers, all of Crenshaw.

BATESVILLE– George David Rushing, 80, died Monday, March 24, 2008 at Golden Living Nursing Home in Batesville.

Services were Thursday at Waller Funeral Home Chapel. Rev. Ken White officiated.

Burial was in Cambridge Cemetery. Waller Funeral Home had charge.

 Mr. Rushing was the widower of Sue Keel Rushing. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War.

He was a retired autobody worker.

 Mr. Rushing is survived by his son, Clay Rushing of Oxford.

CLARKSDALE– Frances Doris Switzer, 77, died Sunday, March 23, 2008, at her residence. She was the sister of Johnny Hester of Batesville.

Services were Wednesday at National Funeral Home. Rev. Dan Woodard and Rev. John Shackleford officiated. Burial was in Memorial Gardens Cemetery. National Funeral Home had charge.

Switzer, born Aug. 29, 1930, in Pontotoc, to the late Mollie McGreight and Luther Hester, was a member of Riverside Baptist Church. She was a retired switchboard operator for the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

Survivors along with her brother, include: her husband, Robert Earl Switzer of Clarksdale; one son, Robert Ernest of Rogers, Ark.; One daughter, Mary Frances Long of Marks; three brothers, Donald Hester of Burnett, Texas, L.D. Hester of Edmonton, Ky. and  O.D. Hester of Guntown; four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to St. Jude, Riverside Baptist Church of West Marks Baptist Church or the donor’s choice.

SARDIS– Jamarion Colenesta Toliver, 2, died Saturday, March 22, 2008.

Graveside services will be Saturday at 1 p.m. at Pleasant Green M.B. Church Cemetery  in Sardis. Visitation will be 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. at Kenneth I. Roberson Funeral Home. Kenneth I. Roberson Funeral Home of Sardis has charge.

Survivors include: his mother, Lakeitha Toliver of Sardis; his father, Keith Danner of Memphis; five brothers, Jecory Toliver, Gadarrius Toliver, Ja’Rameo Toliver, Keshawn Danner and Keith Danner Jr., all of Sardis; four sisters, Jeneisha Toliver, Jekerrius Toliver, Markeitha Danner, all of Sardis and Tiara Golden of Southaven; his grandfathers, John Danner, Bobby Bobo and Eugene Stigler, all of Sardis and his grandmother, Luvenia Armstrong of Sardis.