Obituaries 2-6-09

Jerry Lofton Buntin

BATESVILLE– Jerry Lofton Buntin, 66, died Tuesday, February 3, 2009, at Sanctuary Hospice in Tupelo.

Services are Friday at 2 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home. Burial will be in Mt. Pisgah Cemetery in Enid. Visitation will begin one hour before services at 1 p.m. at the funeral home. Wells Funeral Home has charge.

Buntin was born Dec. 19, 1942, in Tallahatchie County, to the late Robert R. and Flake Little Buntin. He had a master of science degree from Mississippi State University and was the owner of Batesville Vending.

Survivors include: his wife, Geneva Howell Buntin of Batesville; one step-daughter, Donna Crosswhite and husband David of Batesville; two step-sons, Ronnie Holley of Batesville and Rodney Holley and wife Teresa of Oxford; one sister, Jane Buntin Pierce of Nashville, Tenn.; one brother, William Reed Buntin Sr. of Batesville and three granchildren, Dave Crosswhite, Kathleen Holley and Abigail Holley.

OXFORD– Lillie Bell Clark, 92, died Tuesday, February 3, 2009, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford. She was the mother of Therold Clark of Sardis.

Services will be held on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Coleman Funeral Home in Oxford with Jimmy Sockwell officiating. Visitation will be held Friday from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Coleman Funeral Home has charge.

Clark, born to the late Frank and Annie Holland, was a retired production operator of Big Yank Corporation. She was a member of Tula Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Houston Clark.

Survivors along with her son include: two daughters, Peggy Kitchens of Southaven and Glenda Mason of Oxford; two additional sons, Harold Clark and Donald W. Clark, both of Oxford; 13 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren.

Memorials  may be made to the Tula Cemetery Fund, 64 CR 436, Oxford, Miss. 38655.

BATESVILLE– Musette Jones Dugger, 73, died Saturday, January 31, 2009, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services are Saturday at 2 p.m. at the Batesville Junior High School Auditorium. Rev. Karsten Dugger will officiate. Memorial services will also be held Friday 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at West Camp M.B. Church. Visitation will be Friday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary. Burial will be in West Camp Cemetery. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Dugger, born March 4, 1935, in Holly Springs, to the late Earnest Jones and Clara Cox Jones, was a member of West Camp M.B. Church where she served as Sunday school teacher, organized vacation Bible school and served as director. She was also youth leader, mission teacher and served as president of deaconesses. She worked in the music department and was a choir member. She served as a board member and was second vice president of the Women’s Auxiliary, instructor of Christian Education and District Choir member. She sang with the United Voices of Praise and with the Billy Graham Crusaders. She was president and chaplain of the Unity Homemakers Club and member of the Silverleaf Federated Club.

She graduated from M.I. High School and earned her B.A. degree from M.I. College. She worked on her master’s degree at Livingston College in Montgomery, Ala. and further studied at the University of Mississippi. She taught school in Crowder, at Patton Lane, in Montgomery, Ala., at military school in Germany for three years and returned back to Batesville and retired with 25 years of teaching at Batesville Intermediate School in 1997.

Survivors include: her husband, Calvin Alston Dugger; one son, Rev. Karsten Merrick Dugger of Horn Lake; five sisters, Dorris Howell of Memphis, Sadie Ross of Oakland, Calif., Vera Hunter of Baldwin, Susie Bell of Holly Springs and Carolyn Harris of San Antonio, Texas and three brothers, Earnest Jones, James Jones and M.H. Jones.

COURTLAND– Fern Elizabeth “Betty” Devine Karr, 75, died Monday, February 2, 2009, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services were Thursday at Wells Funeral Home. Rev. Todd Pittman and Rev. Roger Richards officiated. Burial was in Lovejoy Cemetery in Courtland. Wells Funeral Home had charge.

Karr, born Aug. 21, 1933, to the late Charles Ward “D.D.” and Flora Lenora Redish Devine, was a licensed registered nurse for South Panola Community Hospital. She was a member of Lovejoy United Methodist Church in Courtland.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles R. Karr Sr.

Survivors include: one daughter, Carolyn Karr Brower of Water Valley; two sons, Charles R. “Bubba” Karr Jr. of Courtland and David E. Karr of Batesville and six grandchildren.

BATESVILLE– James E. McMahon, 78, died Tuesday, February 3, 2009, at his residence.

Services will be today at 2 p.m. at Memphis Funeral Home Germantown Parkway Chapel. Visitation will be one hour prior to service . Burial will be in Memory Hill Gardens.

McMahon was born to the late Rhea Daugherty and Margarite Collins Daugherty.

He was preceded in death by his son, Robert McMahon.

Survivors include: his wife of 57 years, Patricia McMahon; three daughters, Mary McMahon and Angela McMahon, both of Batesville and Linda Owings of Olive Branch and two sons, Jimmy McMahon and Michael McMahon, both of New Orleans, La.

Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association.

BATESVILLE– John Davis “J.D.” McKinney Jr., 71, died Thurssday, January 29, 2009, at his residence.

Services are Saturday at 11 a.m. at Second Concord M.B. Church in Batesville. Rev. J.A. Wilson will officiate. Visitation is today 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary and Saturday 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. at Second Concord M.B. Church. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

McKinney, born April 9, 1937, to the late John Davis McKinney Sr. and Reather Kuykendall, was a farmer and a member of Second Concord M.B. Church.

Survivors include: his wife, Annie McKinney of Batesville; five daughters, Shirley Burgess and Lucinda McKinney, both of Batesville, Sandra McKinney, Renita Boothe and Roshell McKinney, all of Jackson; three sons, John McKinney of Batesville, Stanley McKinney of Sardis and Lee McKinney of Gulfport; four sisters, Elizabeth Baker and Mary Leland, both of Batesville, Stella Pride of Darling and Ella Brown of South Euclid, Ohio; two brothers, Rufus McKinney of Sardis and Mack Henry of Batesville; 20 grandchildren and 18 great-grandchildren.

COMO– Joseph Lee “Joe” Neal, 60, died Tuesday, February 3, 2009, at North Oak Regional Medical Center in Senatobia.

Services are today at 2 p.m. at Pate-Jones Funeral Home in Senatobia. Burial will be in Greenleaf Cemetery. Pate Jones Funeral Home has charge.

Neal was a member of the First Baptist Church in Batesville where he was a former Sunday school teacher. He was a member of VICA. He was honored by Who’s Who on two occasions.

Survivors include: his wife, Alice Smith Neal of Como; three daughters, Jan Daugherty and Joanne Britt, both of Sardis and Elizabeth Stratton of Starkville; one son, James Stratton of Millington, Tenn.; one sister, Cathren Visconti of Como; one brother, Charles Neal of Coldwater; eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

SARDIS– Jack Edward O’Neal, 76, died Tuesday, February 3, 2009, at Sardis Community Nursing Home.

Services were Thursday at Union Baptist Church in Sardis.  Rev. Bob Hickey officiated. Burial was in the church cemetery. Ray-Nowell Funeral Home had charge.

O’Neal, born April 20, 1932, to the late Charles O’Neal and Gracy Murry O’Neal Roberts, was a self employed dozer operator. He was a member of Union Baptist Church.

Survivors include: his wife, Nancy Louise Moore O’Neal of Sardis; two daughters, Regina Riales and Jackie Solomon, both of Sardis; four sisters, Juanita Brown of Sardis, Ethel Santucci of Eid, Arlene Dickey and Daisy Smith, both of Huntsville, Ala.; one brother, Gerald Roberts of Pope; three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

COLDWATER– Bonnie Dean Todd, 56, died Friday, January 30, 2009. She was the brother of Lee Lewis Jr. of Como

Services are Saturday at 1 p.m. at Second Baptist Family Life Center in Coldwater. Burial will be in Hunters Chapel Cemetery in Como. Rodgers Funeral Home has charge.

Todd was a cook.

Survivors along with her son include: three daughters, Contessa Todd and Contelia Wooten, both of Coldwater and JoVetta Reliford of Holly Springs; three sons, Terry D. Lewis, Mark Todd and Keenal O. Todd, all of Coldwater; seven sisters, Earline Holiday and Denatra Crawford, both of Memphis, Earline Allen and Erma Renfro, both of Coldwater, Lee Ann Lewis of Hernando, Mattie Anderson of Temple, Texas and Vinney Watts of Chicago, Ill.; five other brothers, Andrew Daniels, Nathaniel Daniels and Esebe Daniels, all of Memphis, Willie C. Lewis of Hernando and Tom Lewis of Chicago and 12 grandchildren.