LAMBERT– Madison Shane Bland, 35, died Monday, June 22, 2009 at Quitman County Hospital. He was the son of Jerrald Bland of Batesville and Shelby Bland of Lambert.

Services were Thursday at Crowder Baptist Church. Burial was in the church cemetery. Kimbro Funeral Home had charge.

Bland was a member of Crowder Baptist Church and a construction worker.

Survivors along with his parents include: two brothers, Jerrald Bland Jr. of Lake Village, Ark. and Leonard Bland of Olive Branch.

Memorials may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or Crowder Baptist Church.

SARDIS– Melvin Buren Crocker, 74, died Sunday, June 21, 2009, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Desoto.

Services were Wednesday at Ray Nowell Funeral Home Chapel in Sardis.  Rev. Jerry Sanford and Hal Johnson officiated. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery. Ray Nowell Funeral Home had charge.

Crocker, born Oct. 20, 1934, to the late Buren Allen Crocker and Oma Irene Coston Crocker, was a member of the First Baptist Church of Sardis. He was a retired Mississippi National Guard Staff Seargeant and was a U.S. Army veteran. He was retired from the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

Survivors include: his wife, Naomi Smith Crocker; one daughter, Pamela Ruth Crocker Kopf of Senatobia; two sons, Mark Allen Crocker and Mike Crocker, both of Senatobia; one brother, Jerry Wayne Crocker of Sardis and four grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church in Sardis or the American Cancer Society.

BATESVILLE– Carey Dale Davidson, 59, died June 22, 2009, at University Medical Center in Jackson.

Services were Wednesday at Mortimer Funeral Home. Phil Wilkerson officiated. Burial was in Lakeview Memorial Gardens. Mortimer Funeral Home in Greenville had charge.

Davidson, born to the late Carey Thomas Davidson and Caroline Karr Davidson, was a collections manager.

Survivors include: two sons, Chad Davidson of Ridgeland and Neil Davidson of Madison; one sister, Bonnie Parks of Austin, Texas; one brother, James Davidson of Big Canoe, Ga. and four grandchildren.

HERNANDO– Thomas Edwin “Eddie” Mangum, 39, formerly of Batesville, died Tuesday, June 23, 2009, at his residence.

Memorial services were Thursday at Wells Funeral Home. Rev. Alvin Woods officiated. Wells Funeral Home had charge.

Mangum, born April 1, 1970, in Newton County, to the late Thomas Travis and Ellen Mangum, was a fleet admiral for the U.S. Navy during the Gulf War. He was employed in the Gaming Industry.

Survivors include: his wife, Janet Lynn Holden of Hernando; one daughter, Melissa Holden of Memphis; one son, Chad Edwin Mangum of Hernando and one sister, Tracy Mangum Cook of Hernando.

Batesville– Jesse Morris Yates Sr., 69, died Sunday, June 21, 2009, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi.

Services were Wednesday at Dickins Funeral Home. Burial was in Chapel Hill Cemetery in Pope. Dickins Funeral Home had charge.

Yates, born Dec. 11, 1939, to Ilene Grantham Yates of Kosciusko and the late Jesse Norvelle Yates, was a musician for 60 years and nicknamed “The King of Honky Tonks.” He recorded many records such as, “Long Tall Texan,” “Together Again,” “Just a Swingin,” and “Send Me a Letter.”  He was a member of Crossroads Cruiser and Active in Thursday Night Gang-Rod Denders.

He was a mechanic and truck driver.

Survivors include: his wife, Rose Loftis Yates of Batesville; six daughters, Cindy Scruggs of Healdsburg, Calif., Renee Lothspeich of Dacatur, Ala., Trish Harris of Brandon, Cristelle Nixon of Wenatachee, Wash., Gail Kelly of Starkville and Pam Barnes of Pell City, Ala.; one son, Jesse Yates Jr. of Starkville; one brother, Rickey Yates of Arlington, Tenn.; 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Chapel Hill Cemetery in Pope; C/O Mrs. Helen Bell, 2849B Pope Water Valley Rd., Pope, Miss. 38658.