BATESVILLE– Mae Ella Jones, 89, died Monday, September 29, 2008, at Mid-South Health Rehabilitation Center.

Services are Saturday at 11 a.m. at Morris Chapel M.B. Church in Sardis. Rev. Zannie Leland Jr. will officiate. Visitation is today 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary. Burial will be in Morris Chapel Cemetery. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Jones, born June 15, 1919, in Sardis, to the late Will Jones and the late Alice Christon, was a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church. She was a housekeeper.

Survivors include: three sons, Eddie Childs and Willie Childs, both of Sardis and Tommie Jones of Batesville; three daughters, Fannize Richard of Los Angeles, Betty Draper of Memphis and Barbara Kern of Batesville; 26 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.

COURTLAND– Billy Martin, 70, died Monday, September 29, 2008, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services are Saturday at 2 p.m. at Johnson Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church in Courtland. Rev. Warren Johnson will officiate. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation is today 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary and Saturday 1 p.m. – 2 p.m. at Johnson Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Martin, born May 24, 1938, in Courtland, to the late Ven Arthur Jones and the late Mattie Martin, was a member of Johnson Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church. He was a general laborer.
Survivors include: his wife, Ressie Ford Martin of Courtland; five sons, John Henry Ford of Courtland, Billy Joe Lee, Ron Christopher Lee and Bernard Lee, all of Batesville and Bryan Lyndell Lee of Dayton, Ohio; six daughters, Maggie Pearl Martin of Chicago, Diane Lee, Veronica Lee, Demetria Lee, Cassandra Lee and Kimberly Lee, all of Batesville; one sister, Maggie M. Cauthern of Davenport, Iowa; 50 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

COFFEEVILLE– Jeremy Cole Tharpe, 22, formerly of Batesville, died Thursday, September 25, 2008, from injuries received in an automobile accident.

Services were Sunday at First Baptist Church in Coffeeville. Rev. Mike Haas and Rev. Bryan Bailey officiated. Burial was in Coffeeville Cemetery. Garner Harper Funeral Home had charge.

Tharpe, born Jan. 6, 1986, in Grenada, was a member of Trinity Baptist Church. He attended South Panola High School and was self-employed.

Survivors include: his parents, Phil and Mandy Tharpe of Batesville and Dawn Tacket and Kerry Tacket of Tupelo; two brothers, Justin Tharpe and Jayson Gazaway, both of Batesville; three sisters, Amber Gazaway of Water Valley, Brittney Tacket and Carman Tacket, both of Mantatchie and his grandparents, William and Ann Tharpe of Coffeeville, Gladis Perkins of Coffeeville and James Abery and Betty Sue Perkins of Coffeeville.