Doyle Beard, 88, died Friday, January 1, 2010 at Baptist Memorial Hospital North Mississippi in Oxford.

Funeral services were Sunday, January 3, at Wells Funeral Home. Interment followed at Harmontown Cemetery in Como.

Beard was a retired truck driver for Yellow Freight having worked for approximately 35 years. He was a Baptist and loved fishing, hunting, gardening, boating and especially had a love for dogs.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Myrtle Beard, and his wife, Ruby Ruth Pace Beard.

Survivors include his son, Doyle Beard, Jr. of Como; daughters, Lynn Beard Tomlin of Cleveland, Tenn., and Billie Beard Holden of Como; and two grandchildren.

BATESVILLE—Annie Wright Chapman, 79, homemaker, died December 22, 2009 at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Miss in Oxford.

She was a native of Panola County and was a member of Eureka A.M.E. Zion church.

Funeral services were held Saturday December 26, 2009 at Eureka AME Zion Church, with Rev. George Golden officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery.  Hodges-Serenity Funeral Home of Oxford was in charge of arrangements.

Survivors include seven children Annie Marie Henderson, Clara Chapman, Betty Moore, Mary Ann Conner, Robert Chapman, Curtis Chapman and Greg Chapman,  all of Batesville; one sister, Mealissie Wright of Batesville; 22 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by two sons, Leroy Chapman and James Chapman.

LAKEWOOD RANCH, FLA.–Former Batesville resident Patricia P. Chatham, 74,  died December 30, 2009.

Born in Monroe, La., she lived many years in Atlanta, then moved to Sarasota, Fla. in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina. She was a commercial and residential real estate developer and investor and was a flight attendant with Braniff Airlines.

She was a member of Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church and Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club where she was an avid golfer.

Chatham was preceded in death by her parents, William Marvin Parnell and Nowata Yeager Parnell and her husband, Pierce Chatham.

Survivors include her daughters,  Polly Stubblefield and Holly Stubblefield of Bradenton, Fla.; sons, William Hugh Stubblefield III and his wife Pam and Parnell Stubblefield and his wife Andrea, all of Batesville; grandchildren, Cameron Barakat, Kathleen Stubblefield, Isabella Stubblefield; great-grandchild, Taylor Barakat.

Memorial services were held Sunday, January 3, at Griffith-Cline Funeral Home.

Memorial donations may be sent to: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105; TideWell Hospice, Inc., 5955 Rand Blvd., Sarasota, FL 34238; ASPCA, 424 E. 92nd St., New York, NY 10128-6804.

SARDIS–Renate Ursula Cranford, 64, former owner of Bavarian Garden Restaurant in Panola County, died Tuesday, December 29, 2009 at her home.  Memorial services were Sunday at Waller Funeral Home Chapel with Father Sam Messina officiating.   

Survivors include her husband of 41 years, Herschel M. Cranford Jr. of Sardis; two sons, Henry Robert Boggs of Batesville, and Herschel M. Cranford, III of Sardis; two sisters, Martha Saucier of Gloster and Honey Gutmann; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Born in Munich, Germany, Mrs. Cranford enjoyed cooking and gardening.  

The family has asked that memorial contributions  be made to North Shore Animal League, 25 Davis Avenue, Port Washington, NY 11050.

CLEVELAND—Frances Laster Flemons, 61, a retired teacher assistant with Clarksdale Public School and sister to four Batesville residents, died Dec. 27, 2009 at Bolivar Medical Center, Cleveland.

Funeral services were Wednesday at Meredith-Nowell Funeral Home in Clarksdale. Burial was in  Oakridge Cemetery. Meredith-Nowell Funeral Home in Clarksdale was in charge of arrangements.

She was a member of Oakhurst Baptist Church.

Survivors include: daughter Heather Flemons of Southaven and son Greg Flemons of Clarksdale; four brothers, Frankie Laster, David Laster, Donald Joe Laster all of Batesville and Paul Laster of Fort Payne, Ala., three sisters, Carolyn Walker of Cleveland, Barbara Burrell of Oxford and Betty Robertson of Batesville, and two grandchildren.

GREENWOOD—Billy Travis Fisk, 71, died Wednesday, December 30, 2009.

Services were Saturday at Wells Funeral Home. Burial was in Chapel Hill Cemetery. Wells Funeral Home had charge

Fisk, born Dec. 27, 1938, in Clarksdale, to the late Clayton and Ruby Rogers Fisk, was a retired farmer.

He was preceded in death by two wives, Emma Jean Ware Fisk and Faye Fisk, and two sons, Duarel Fisk and Travis Fisk.

Survivors include: four daughters, Brenda Carroll of Batesville, MaLinda Johnson of Batesville, MaLissa Allison Kinney of Clarksdale and Eva Costilow of Batesville; one son, Wade Fisk, of Greenwood; three brothers, Gary Wayne Fisk, of Ft. Worth, Texas; Clayton Fisk of Winona, and David Earl Fisk of Nesbit; eight sisters, Bobbie Ellis, Joyce Spencer Naramore, and JoAnn Bailey, all of Grenada; Esther Rose and Nellie Martin of Batesville; Carloyn Hutchens Rico of Enid, and Mary Ann Martin of Greenwood, and Betty Ann Byford of Coffeeville; 19 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.

BATESVILLE—Dixie Scruggs Gladney, 90, died Tuesday, December 29, 2009, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services were Thursday at Batesville Presbyterian Church. Rev. Karen O’Brien officiated. Burial was in Magnolia Cemetery.

Wells Funeral Home had charge of arrangements.

Gladney was born Jan. 2, 1919 to the late Lillie Waldrup and the late Robert Wilkerson Scruggs in Panola County. She was preceded in death by her husband Charles Harold Gladney.

Gladney was a homemaker and enjoyed cooking and sewing.

She is survived by one daughter, Charlayne Gladney Lamb of Batesville, and one son, Robert Harold Gladney of Batesville; and five grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

The family asks that memorials be sent to Batesville Presbyterian Church, 121 Eureka St., Batesville, MS 38606.

SARAH—Helen Shirley Herron, 76, died Saturday, Jan. 2, 2010 at her home.

Services were Monday, Jan. 4, 2010 at Ray-Nowell Funeral Home in Senatobia. Rev. Alan Parnell officiated.

Ray-Nowell Funeral Home had charge.

She was preceded in death by her husbands James K. Herron, Dan McCarver and Raymond Purdon; one daughter, Phyllis Thacker; and one son Albert Purdon.

She is survived by one daughter, Peggy Lewallen of Sarah; four sons, Ronald Nelson, Bobby Purdon and Raymond Purdon of Sarah and Jerry Purdon on Munford, Tenn.; 10 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.

The family requests memorials be made to LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center in Memphis.

BATESVILLE—Beatrice Creekmore Morgan, 96, died Sunday, December 27, 2009, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services were Wednesday at Wells Funeral Home. Burial was in Crowder Cemetery. Wells Funeral Home had charge.

Morgan, born Feb. 4, 1913, to the late Will and Lula Byrd Creekmore, was a member of Enon Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Walter “Bill” Morgan.

Survivors include: three daughters, Carolyn Morgan Yacko of Columbiana, Ala., Rita Morgan Pinkston of Anchorage, Alaska and Teresa Morgan Cannon of Batesville; one son, Ricky Donald Morgan of Eugene, Ore..; 15 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

COURTLAND—Max Dwain Martindale, 74, of 814 Martindale Road, died at his home on January 3, 2010. He was the husband of Maureen Martindale.

A memorial service will be held at Wells Funeral Home Chapel on Wednesday, January 6 at 2 p.m. Visitation will be this evening from 5-8 at Wells Funeral Home.

POPE—Louis Snider, 94, died at his home on January 3. Funeral services will be today at 2 p.m. at Liberty Hill Baptist Church, with burial in the church cemetery.

Born October 24, 1915 in Panola County to Albert Louis and Jennie Bankston Snider, he was a farmer and and independent trucker. At Liberty Hill Baptist Church he served as a deacon, Sunday School teacher and Sunday School secretary. Snider was recognized for 45 years of perfect attendance in Sunday School at Liberty Hill.

He is survived by two sons, Jimmy Louis Snider of Batesville and Berry Franklin “Frank” Snider of Pope; five grandchildren and six great grandchildren.

The family requests that memorials be sent to Liberty Hill Cemetery Fund, in care of Sandra Copeland, 747 Snider Road, Pope, MS  38658.