COMO– Grover Avant, 65, died Wednesday, September 24, 2008.

Services are today at 11 a.m. at Independent-Tyron Baptist Church in Senatobia. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Rodgers Funeral Home in Coldwater has charge.

Avant was a sergeant for the armed forces.

Survivors include: his wife, Lonzella Avant; one daughter, Dana Avant of Chicago; his mother, Odessa Avant of Chicago; three sisters, Lorraine Stewart of Owosso, Mich., Eula Pratt of Chicago and Emma Denton of Memphis and three brothers, Robert Avant of Memphis, Bobby Avant of Como and Harmon Powell of Crest Hill, Ill.

JONESBORO, Ark.– Eulas “Pete” Gibson, 84, died Monday, September 22, 2008, at NEA Baptist Hospital in Jonesboro. He was the father of Glen Gibson of Pope.

Services were Thursday at Roller-Farmers Union Chapel. Gary Gipson officiated. Burial was in Jonesboro Memorial Park Cemetery. Roller-Farmers Union Funeral Home had charge.

Gibson, born in Jonesboro, to the late Walter and Lucy Gibson, was a farmer and employed by the USDA for several years. He was a deacon at Big Creek Valley Baptist Church and was a member of Jonesboro Association of Missionary Baptist Brotherhood.

He was preceded in death by two sons, Eulas Dewayne Gibson and Elas Byron Gibson.

Survivors along with his son include: his wife, Ruby Gibson of Jonesboro; one son, Terry Gibson of Jonesboro and three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Big Creek Valley Baptist Church, Gibson Cemetery c/o Ivaline Moody or Gideon’s International.

BATESVILLE– Mavis Evans Green, 81, died Saturday, September 20, 2008, at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro, N.C.

Services were Thursday, September 25 at Oliver Chapel in Winona. Burial was in Winona Garden of Memory. Dan Beardain officiated. Oliver Funeral Home had charge.

Green, born Jan. 23, 1927, in Naruna, Va., to the late Walter Carrington and the late Carrie Carwile Evans, graduated from Naruna High School before completing nursing school at Lynchburg General Hospital in 1948.  She was a registered nurse for 35 years, 26 of those working with the Montgomery County Health Department in Winona. She was a member of Sharon United Methodist Church in Naruna, Va.

Survivors include: two daughters, Myron Proctor of Grenada and Teresa Tucker of Batesville; three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

SARDIS– William “Son” Edwin Hudson Sr., 65, died Friday, September 26, 2008, from injuries received in an automobile accident in Batesville.

Services are today at 11 a.m. at Sardis Lake Baptist Church. Rev. Kevin Crofford and Rev. Billy Howse will officiate. Burial will be in Sardis Lake Baptist Church Cemetery. Wells Funeral Home has charge.

Hudson, born Oct. 31, 1942, in Panola County, to the late George William and Edna Mae Morrow Hudson, was a retired SFC with the Mississippi National Guard. He was serving as the Panola County Emergency 911 Civil Defense Coordinator. He was an active member through Panola County and the State of Mississippi. He was a member of Sardis Lake Baptist Church.

He was a member of Panola County Homeland Security where he was director, Panola County E-911 Coordinator, Panola County Fire Coordinator, Panola County Tri-Ad, Panola County Salt Council, Panola County LEPC and Hazard Mitigation, Civil Defense Emergency Management Association and the Mississippi Firefighters Association.

He was a member of E-911 Coordinators Association, a life member of Mississippi National Guard NCO Association and treasurer for Primera Panola Mission Bautista.

Survivors include: two daughters, Leigh Beth Hudson of Batesville and Melanie Nirschl and husband Gary of Huntsville, Ala.; two sons, Bill Hudson and wife Kathy of Huntsville, Ala. and Rusty Hudson of Cordova, Tenn.; one brother, James Rodney Hudson of Sardis and seven grandchildren.

MERIGOLD– James Michael “Jim” Seale, 51, died Saturday, September 27, at his residence.

Services are today at 3 p.m. at Dickins Funeral Home. Rev. Sid Harmon will officiate. Burial will be in Magnolia Cemetery. Dickins Funeral Home has charge.

Seale, born Jan. 14, 1957, to Harvey and Georgia Seale, both of Batesville, was a teacher of fine arts at Delta State and Mississippi Delta Community College. He graduated from West Panola Academy. He attended University of Mississippi where he was a member of Phi Delta Fraternity. He graduated from Delta State University. He received a masters of fine arts degree in graphic design illustration from Syracuse University. He worked as an art director for 15 years in both Memphis and South Louisiana before taking the directorship of the Fine Arts Division of John-Richard, a luxury home furnishing manufacturer in Greenwood, where he originated the Grand Boulevard Collection. In addition to his work as a studio artist, he also served as curator for the Allvian Hotel and spa. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Cleveland.

Survivors along with his parents include: one son, James McKay “Jay” Seale of Merigold; two sisters, Georgeanne Smith and her husband, Dr. John Smith of Greenwood and Pat Neely and her husband Ralph Neely of Memphis; one niece, Georgia-Hart Smith of Greenwood; two step-daughters, Paige Havens, Lee Anne Fioranelli and husband, Eric and son Havens Fioranelli.

Memorials may be made to Bayou Academy and North Delta Academy.

Pallbearers include: Brad Baker, Lance Butler, Charlie Capps, Eddie Nabors, Malcolm Nix, Danny Ray McKittrick and Stephen Sullivan.