Nellie E. Constance

Funeral services were held Monday in Salt Lake City, Utah, for Mrs. Nellie Constance, founder of Explorer’s Bible Study, which has had a chapter in Batesville for 30 years.

Marni McKenzie, teaching leader of the Batesville classes, delivered the eulogy  at the service which was held at Wasatch Presbyterian Church.

Constance died on May 5 in Salt Lake City at the age of 91. She was born on January 22, 1918 in New Castle, Pennsylvania to Ambrose and Myrtle Adams. She graduated from Nyack College, Nyack, New York in 1939. She married Thomas M. Constance on August 4, 1940 in New Castle, PA.

She was a lifetime member of the Christian & Missionary Alliance Church. Along with her husband she opened Intermountain Bookstore which they owned and operated until 1996. The couple also founded and directed Explorer’s Bible Study with headquarters in Dickson, Tenn. She was a teacher and author of ten Bible study courses.

Survivors include her husband Thomas, and her children: Connie Silliman, Salt Lake City; Patricia Russell, Park City, Utah; John Constance, Eugene, Oregon; Thomas Constance Jr., Dickson, Tenn.

She is also survived by nine grandchildren and nine great-grand-children.

A memorial fund has been established for Mrs. Constance at Explorer’s Bible Study; P.O. Box 425, Dickson, TN 37056.

Dona Elizabeth Worlds Milam, 93, died Saturday, May 9, 2009. She was a member of Sardis Lake Baptist Church.

Services will be held today at 2 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be in Forrest Memorial Park. Rev. Kevin Crofford will officiate. Visitation will be held today at 1 p.m. Wells Funeral Home has charge.

Milam, born Oct. 17, 1915, in Lauderdale County, Tenn., was retired from Kimberly Clark.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Amos J. Milam.

Survivors include: three daughters, Margaret Brandon of Senatobia, Dean Warren of Southaven and Bonnie Scheidhauer of Eads, Tenn.; one brother, Cecil Worlds of Memphis; 11 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the charity of the donor’s choice.

 BATESVILLE–Rev. Walter Lee Nash Sr., 83, died Wednesday, May 6, 2009, at the VA Hospital in Memphis.

Services will be held today at 11 a.m. at the Batesville Civic Center. Rev. Jacob Hentz will officiate. Burial will be held in New Bethlehem Cemetery. Visitation will be held today from 10 a.m. until service time at the Batesville Civic Center. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Nash, born Nov. 6, 1925, in Sunflower County, to the late Robert Nash and Gladys Thompson, was the pastor of New Bethlehem M.B. Church of Batesville, Mt. Olive M.B. Church of Batesville and Union Hill M.B. Church in Oxford. He was the former pastor of Viney Creek M.B. Church in Sardis. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army. He was member of the Crowder Lodge 6A and moderator for Tallahatchie-Oxford M.B. Association.

Survivors include: his wife, Nina Belle Nash of Batesville; six daughters, Allie Ray Banks of Chicago, Bobbie Ann Hodges and Judith Marie Bush, both of Memphis, Gladys Mae Perrin of Olive Branch, Nancy Belle Mitchell and Melonie L. Nash, both of Batesville; eight sons, Mack Nash of Batesville; Walter L. Nash Jr., John Otis Nash, Willie Lee Nash, Larry Nash, and Tracy Nash Sr., all of Memphis, Robert Joe Nash of Atlanta, Ga. and James Myles of Chicago; 43 grandchildren; 39 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren.

ENID–Gloria Swanson Crosthwait Newman, 83, died Friday, May 8, 2009.

Services were Sunday at Newsom Funeral Home. Burial was in Bethel Cemetery in Enid. Newsom Funeral Home had charge.

Newman was a former Avon salesman.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Preston Newman.

Survivors include: three sons, R.P. Newman and William Newman, both of Enid and Johnny Newman of Grenada; one sister, Maxine Moore of Enid; six grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

Leland Walls

 COURTLAND–Leland “Kneebaby” Walls, 70, died Tuesday, April 28, 2009, at his residence.

Services were Saturday, May 2, at Antioch M.B. Church in Courtland. Rev. Reginald Reed officiated. Burial was in the church cemetery. Cooley’s Mortuary had charge.

Walls, born May 29, 1938, to the late Hartford Walls and the late Zula Claspberry, was a retired truck driver and a member of Antioch M.B. Church.

Survivors include: one daughter, Carol Ellis of Courtland; four sons, Wayne Winfield and Wayne Joiner, both of Courtland, Kettrich Winfield of Batesville and Charles Walls of Beaumont, Texas; two sisters, Essie Bobo of Courtland and Nezzie Pugh of Ferndale, Mich.; 21 grandchildren and a host of great-grandchildren.