MEMPHIS–Larry Edwards Black, 56, died Thursday, April 10, 2008, at the Methodist Hospital in Memphis. He was a member of Walton Chapel C.M.E. Church of Sardis.

Services were Sunday at Alpha Church in Memphis. Burial was in Mt. Level M.B. Church Cemetery. Felix Cauthen Funeral Home had charge.

Black was a teacher for Southaven High School.

Survivors include: his wife, Janice Ales Black; two sons, Bryant Millen of Henning, Tenn. and Jermaine Black of Memphis; five sisters, Freddie M. Conard, Vera Walton, both of Memphis, Teresa Ellison of Olive Branch, Deloris Woodard of Water Valley and Linda Thomas Black of Memphis and five brothers, Johnnie Cooper, James Black, Robert E. Black and Michael S. Black, all of Memphis and Sim H. Black of Detroit, Mich.

PORTAGEVILLE, Mo.–Cecil Robert Beavers, 78, died Sunday, April 13, 2008, at Portageville Nursing Center in Portageville, Mo. He was the brother of Lorene Davis of Batesville.

Services are today at 2 p.m. at Dickins Funeral Home. Burial will be in Forrest Memorial Cemetery. Visitation is today at 11 a.m. at Dickins Funeral Home until service time. Dickins Funeral Home has charge.

Beavers, born Oct. 12, 1929, to the late Elmer and Rene Mae Appleton Beavers was a furniture salesman.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Martha King Beavers.

Survivors, along with his sister, include: one daughter Judy Diane Payne of Portageville; one sister, Merle Herron of Oakland; one brother, Wade Beavers of Senatobia; two grandchildren; three great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

CRENSHAW–Annie Mae Joy, 53, died Wednesday, April 9, 2008, in Batesville from injuries sustained in an automobile accident.

Services were Saturday at Springhill M.B. Church. Burial was in Shiloh C.M.E. Cemetery. Pastor Johnny Jones officiated. Eddie Robinson and Son Funeral Home had charge.

Joy, born April 28, 1954, was a member of Springhill M.B. Church where she served as an usher and was a homemaker.

BATESVILLE– Joe Burke Hartley, 81, died Thursday, April 10, 2008, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services were Sunday at First Baptist Church. Dr. Greg Johnston, Dr. David Ball and Bro. Fred Hartley officiated. Burial was in Magnolia Cemetery. Wells Funeral Home had charge.

Hartley, born Oct. 12, 1926, in Calhoun County, to the late J.F. and Mable Burke Hartley, was a vocational agriculture teacher for 27 1/2 years. He served 16 years as Panola County Superintendent of Education. He was a Charter member of the Batesville Civitan Club in 1958. He was a Korean Veteran who served in the U.S. Army. He served as a deacon at the First Baptist Church in Batesville. For 55 years he taught Sunday school at First Baptist. Since 1974 he was the teacher of the “Joe B. Hartley Sunday School Class.”

He was preceded in death by his wife, Bobbie Lee Caples Hartley; one sister, Mary Evelyn Hartley of Vardaman; one brother, Douglas Cooper Hartley of Grenada and one granddaughter, Amy Elisabeth Hartley of Batesville.

Survivors include: one daughter, Cynthia Hartley Waller of Pontotoc; one son, Richard A. Hartley of Batesville; three brothers, Samuel H. Hartley of Vardaman, Dr. Mark F. Hartley of Waverly, Tenn. and Dave Hardin of Buchanan, Ga.; his companion, Bessie Mae Fite of Batesville and four grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that memorials be given to any of the following: Gideon Ministries, Panola Camp, P.O. Box 791, Batesville, MS 38606; Calvary Baptist Church Children’s Ministry, P.O. Box 1505, Batesville or First Baptist Church Building Fund, 104 Panola Ave., Batesville, MS 38606.

BATESVILLE–Muriel Buchanan Hitchcock, 77, died Sunday, April 13, 2008, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services are incomplete at this time. Wells Funeral Home has charge.

Full obituary information will be in the Friday’s edition of The Panolian.

BATESVILLE–Donna Land, 53, died Monday, April 14, 2008, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services are incomplete at this time. Wells Funeral Home has charge.

Full obituary information will be in Friday’s edition of The Panolian.

BATESVILLE–Charles L. Means, 79, died Thursday, April 10, 2008, at his residence.
Services were Monday at Central Academy Church of Christ. Burial was in Forrest Memorial Park. Wells Funeral Home had charge.

Means, born June 7, 1927, in Saltillo, to the late Tom Edward and the late Blufie Frances Means, was a member of Central Academy Church of Christ. He was retired from the Memphis Fire Department where he was employed for 28 years and a retired Panola County Sheriff Deputy where he was employed for eight years. He was a U.S. Navy Veteran of WWII.

He was preceded in death by one son, Charles Wendell Means.

Survivors include: his wife, Dorothy S. Means of Batesville; two daughters, Charla Means Stark of Batesville and Sheron Means Johnson of Southaven; one sister, Betty Means Scott of Shannon; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

COURTLAND–Wanda Mae McMinn Shields, 57, died Thursday, April 10, 2008, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi.

Services were Saturday at Wells Funeral Home. Rev. Damon Plummer and Rev. Rayford Ables officiated. Burial was in Eureka Cemetery. Wells Funeral Home had charge.

Shields, born April 9, 1957, to the late Cecil Earl and Dorothy Ellis McMinn, in Sardis, was a member of Hosanna Family Worship Center in Pope and a homemaker.

Survivors include: two sons, Terry Lynn Shields of Oxford and Corey Lynn Shields of Brookhaven; three sisters, Sherry Bolton of Courtland, Brenda Campbell and Bobbie Mills, both of Pope.

MEMPHIS–Bertha Kiihnl Wrenn, 91, died Wednesday, April 9, 2008, at Fairfield Assisted Living.

Services were Saturday at Jackson Grove Church of Christ. Burial was in Bethel Cemetery. Memphis Funeral Home Poplar Chapel had charge.

Wrenn, born to the late Edna and Will Kiihnl, was a member of the Church of Christ.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Riley B. Wrenn.

Survivors include: two sisters, Elmyra Eaton of Houston, Texas and Evelyn James of Tampa, Fla.; one brother, James Kiihnl of Enid.

Memorials may be made to the organization of the donor’s choice.