CRENSHAW–Minnie Lee Askew, 55, died Saturday, March 7, 2009, at Methodist University Hospital.

Services are Saturday at 1 p.m. at Longtown Church of God in Sarah. Burial will be in Askew Grove Church Cemetery Felix Cauthen Funeral Home has charge.

Askew was a nurse and a member of Askew Grove M.B. Church where she was a Sunday school teacher.

Survivors include: three daughters, Paula Askew of Horn Lake, Angela Askew of Hernando and Caroline Phillips of Southaven; one son, Christopher Askew of Crenshaw; her mother, Lillian Askew of Crenshaw; four sisters, Bobbie Johnson of Horn Lake, Hattie Robinson of St. Louis, Regina Williams of Memphis and Vernita Polk of Oxford; seven brothers, Charles Askew of Memphis, George Askew of Senatobia, Lee Askew Jr. of Sledge, Simmie Askew of Crenshaw, Calvin Askew and Bernard Askew, both of Atlanta and Undra Askew of Crenshaw and six grandchildren.

COMO–Margaret J. Houston, 81, died Tuesday, March 10, 2009, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Desoto.

Services are at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Brantley-Phillips Funeral Home in Hernando. Visitation will be held today from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Brantley-Phillips Funeral Home. Burial will be in Friendship Cemetery. Brantley-Phillips Funeral Home has charge.

Houston was a retired postal clerk and owner of L&M Grocery in Como. She was a member of Como Baptist Church.

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

Survivors include: one daughter, Beverly Boyette of Como; one son, Hal Houston and  his wife, Kathy of Olive Branch; one sister, Robbie Hill of Huntsville, Ala.; six grandchildren, Kevin, Tony, Craig, Jamie, Shaun and Rickey; 14 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

CRENSHAW–Lewis Crawford Raines, 90, died Sunday, March 8, 2009, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Graveside services were Monday at Longtown Cemetery. Rev. Justin McLendon officiated. Kimbro Funeral Home had charge.

Raines, born Feb. 5, 1919, in New Albany, was a farmer.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Bertie Lee Woods Raines.

Survivors include: two daughters, Barbara Raines Boyd of Como and Janie Westmoreland of Sardis; two sons, Bobby Raines and Bill Raines of Crenshaw; one brother, Larry Raines of Crenshaw; five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

MEMPHIS–Peggy Hallbrook Tanksley, formerly of Batesville, died Sunday, March 8, 2009, at Methodist Germantown Hospital as the result of a stroke on February 7.

Memorial services were Thursday at at Memphis Funeral Home Poplar Chapel. Memphis Funeral Home had charge.

Tanksley, born to the late Mr. and Mrs. James Porter Hallbrook Sr., graduated from Belzoni High School and attended Harding College in Sercy, Ark. She was a member of the Batesville Garden Club and the Batesville Church of Christ where she was involved in many different aspects from teaching little ones Sunday school, Vacation Bible school and served as the church secretary. She was retired from the South Panola School District where she worked as an elementary school secretary.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Radford Douglas (Pete) Tanksley Sr.

She is survived by her sister Sarah Thornton Halbrook of Bright Glade Health and Rehab, Memphis;.one son, Dr. Radford Douglas Tanksley Jr., and his wife Liane Tanksley of New London, Conn.; one daughter, Sissy Tanksley Criss and her husband, Robert Criss of Memphis; her grandchildren, Rachel Criss Black and husband Lt. Andrew Black of Dover, Del., Ethan Douglas Tanksley and wife Tricky Tanksley of New London, Conn., Meredith Jordan Tanksley of New York, and Mary Caitlin Tanksley of New London, Conn.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be sent in Peggy Tanksley’s memory to one of the following; Harding University Graduate School of Religion, Memphis, Methodist Alliance Hospice, or the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County.

BATESVILLE–Jessie Lee Williams, 56, died Thursday, March 5, 2009, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services are Saturday at 2 p.m. at West Camp M.B. Church. Rev. Zannie Leland Jr. will officiate. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation is Friday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Williams, born Dec. 1, 1952, to the late Lawyer Williams and the late Emmaline Smith Williams, was a member of Mt. Zion M.B. Church.

Survivors include: three sisters, Walter Mae Corner of Batesville, Geneva Bell and Pauline Williams, both of Memphis and one brother, Lawyer Williams Jr. of St. Louis.