Alton L. Gillen Jr.

MESA, Ariz.–Alton L. Gillen Jr., 77, died Monday, April 13, 2009, at his residence.

Graveside services will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Marks Cemetery. Visitation will be held today from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home. Wells Funeral Home has charge.

Gillen, born Dec. 31, 1931, in Marks, to the late Alton Lynn Gillen Sr. and Nora Dew Gillen, was a retired cattlman and real estate agent. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force.

Survivors include: four daughters, Mary Nell Stokes and husband Lee of Crystal River, Fla., Martha Ann McClain and husband Charles of Alpharetta, Ga, Melissa Perrin and husband Donald of Lacanto, Fla. and Melinda Gonzalez and husband Darryl of Clermont, Fla. and six grandchildren, Justin and Heather McClain of Sterling, Va., Bryan and Melissa Ann Gonzalez of Clermont, Fla. and Eric Stokes and Reese Hammond of Crystal River, Fla.

OXFORD– Chris Ann Harwell, 45, died Monday, April 13, 2009. She was the daughter of Ora Milan and Willie Spence Milan Sr. of Como.

Services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Como. Visitation will be held today from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Rodgers Funeral Home in Coldwater and also Saturday from 1 p.m. until service time at the church. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Rodgers Funeral Home has charge.

Harwell was an electrician.

Survivors along with her parents include: her husband, James Harwell; one daughter, Jamie Harwell of Oxford; one son, Michael Milan of Pennsylvania; two sisters, Lula Deberry of Brockton, Mass. and Magnolia Phillips of Springfield, Mass.; five brothers, Willie Deberry of Senatobia, Albert Milan of Lynn, Mass., Willie S. Milan Jr. and Jerry W. Milan, both of Como and Bobby Milan of Providence, R.I. and two grandchildren.

SARDIS– Myrtle Taylor Hays, 92, died Wednesday,  April 15, 2009, at Baptist East Memorial Hospital in Memphis.

Services will be held today at 11 a.m. at Sardis United Methodist Church. Rev. Dayna Goff will officiate. Visitation will be 10 a.m. until service time. Burial will be in Rose Hill Cemetery. Ray-Nowell Funeral Home had charge.

Hays, born Dec. 29, 1916, to the late Guy Byron and Kate Stephens Taylor, graduated from Oxford High School and attended the University of Mississippi. She was a member of Sardis United Methodist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William Nathan Hays and one son, Nathan Taylor Hays. Survivors include: one son, David Hays and his wife, Jeanette of Sardis; three daughters, Frances Thomas-Dillender and her husband, Sam of Winston-Salem, N.C., Mary Lipscomb and her husband, Bobby of Como and Evelyn Gordon  and her husband Curtis, of Birmingham; her grandchildren, Nathan Thomas, J.T. Magellan and his wife, Yoko, Greg Hays, Catherine Rowsey and her husband, Perrin, John Mark Hays, Hays Lipscomb and his wife, April, Lee Wright and spouse Major, David Gordon and his wife, Rachel and Jonathan Gordon and her great-grandchildren, Seth and SaraGrace Thomas, Emily, Rebecca, and Mary Paige Rowsey, Levi and Kane Lipscomb, Law and Hays Wright and Sarah and Emma Gordon.

The family requests that memorials be directed to Sardis United Methodist Church, P.O. 383, Sardis, 38666 or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 50, Memphis, Tenn., 38101.

BATESVILLE– Betty Bobo Houston, 66, died Saturday, April 11, 2009, at Baptist Memorial-North Mississippi.

Services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Springhill Asa M.B. Church in Courtland. Rev. Louis Wilson will officiate. Visitation will be held today from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary and Saturday from 1 p.m. until service time at the church. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Houston, born May 29, 1942, to the late Monroe Bobo and Joella Wilson, was a retired factory worker. She was a member of Springhill Asa M.B. Church where she served as an usher.

Survivors include: three daughters, Lois Bobo of Courtland, Jamie Bobo of Batesville and Sonya Standford of Memphis; one son, John Bobo of Batesville; one sister, Mae Ella Watson of Pope; one brother, Monroe Bobo Jr. of Clayton, N.C.; six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

BATESVILLE– Willie Wayne Lantrip, 56, died Thursday, April 9, 2009, at his residence.

Services were Monday at Wells Funeral Home. Burial was in Forrest Memorial Park. Rev. Raymond Aven officiated. Wells Funeral Home had charge.

Lantrip, born Nov. 24, 1952, in Sledge, to Johnnie Young Lantrip of Batesville and the late Willie E. Lantrip, was an auto mechanic and a member of New Hope Church of God.

Survivors along with his mother include: his wife, Shelia Wells Lantrip of Batesville; two sons, Keith Edward Lantrip of Batesville and Paul Stacy Wells of Senatobia; two sisters: Sally Ann “Annie” Lantrip Loggains of Walls and Brenda Joyce Lantrip Smith of Tupelo; one brother, Jerry Wayne Lantrip of Batesville; eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Jeannie McDonald McLin

DENHAM SPRINGS, La.– Jeannie McDonald McLin, 59, died Friday, April 3, 2009, at her residence. She was the sister of Willie McDonald and Joanne “Gatsy” McDonald Dulin of Batesville.

Services were Sunday, April 5 at House of Prayer Church. Rev. Benny Jones and Joey Laird officiated. Burial was in the church cemetery. Seale Funeral Home had charge.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Louie Andrew McLin and her parents, Eugene and Eva Williams McDonald and one son, Louis Wayne McLin.

Survivors along with her brother and sister include: her children, Melissa McLin Kinchen, Louie Joseph McLin, Micheal Gene McLin; Joshua Andrew McLin; one brother, Ray McDonald; one sister, Kathy Martin; and seven grandchildren.

BATESVILLE– Christopher Logan Morton was stillborn Saturday, March 28, 2009, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Graveside services were Tuesday, March 31 at Magnolia Cemetery. Rev. Rayford Ables officiated. Wells Funeral Home had charge.

He was preceded in death by his grandfather, Herbert Jones.

Survivors include: his parents, Phillip Charles Morton and Veronica Renee Jones of Batesville; three sisters, Kaylie and Bethany Morgan of Batesville and Alysa Morton of Oxford; his grandparents, Mary and Eddie Morton of Courtland, Patricia Jones of Batesville and Frankie Jones of Lula.

BATESVILLE– James Edward “Bro” Tucker, 55, died Saturday, April 11, 2009, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi.

Services will be held today at 2 p.m. at Antioch Baptist Church. George Douglas will officiate. Burial will be in Antioch Cemetery. Eddie Robinson Funeral Home has charge.

Tucker was the assistant minister of Boclair Drive Church of Christ in Charleston.

Survivors include: his wife, Lizzie Mae Tucker of Batesville; five sons, Timothy Tucker, Bryan Tucker, Quardarius McMurry and Shaquille McMurry, all of Batesville and Shawn Moore of Memphis; eight daughters, Tomeka Tucker, Peaches McMurry, Ju’Aundria McMurry, Shaquita McMurry and Amber Lee, all of Batesville, Linda Tucker Campbell of Oxford, Roshell Tucker and Helen McMurry, both of Courtland; three sisters, Aggie Thrantham of Batesville, Earlene Archies of Georgia and Katie Threadgill of Freeport, Ill.; three brothers, Luster Benson Jr. of Pope, Dan Tucker of Kansas and Jim Benson of Sardis; 17 grandchildren, five of whom he raised, LePhaedra Hunt, Jamartez Tucker, Cor’Darrius McMurry, Letreyvius Bradford and Promise Booker, all of Batesville.