CRENSHAW– Geraldine Crigler, 77, died Tuesday, June 1, 2010, at her residence.

Services will be held today at 10 a.m. at Sledge Baptist Church. Burial will be in Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Sardis. Ray-Nowell Funeral Home has charge.

Crigler, born Aug. 20, 1932, to the late Abner and Wincey Humbers Baugus, was a member of Sledge Baptist Church and a homemaker.

Survivors include: one daughter, Rhonda Crigler West; one son, Larry Crigler; six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Sledge Baptist Church.

Sheila Hall Douglas

BATESVILLE– Sheila Hall Douglas, 61, widow of Tommy Lee Douglas, died Monday, May 31, 2010 in an automobile accident near Springfield, Ill.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m., Friday, June 4, at First Baptist Church in Batesville with Rev. Owen Riddick and Dr. Gary Robertson officiating. Interment will follow in Longtown Cemetery. Wells Funeral Home has charge.  

Douglas was born on January 25, 1949, in Sledge to Juanita Chapman and Eugene O’Dell Hall, Sr. She retired as the Dean’s administrative secretary at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. She was also a member of Shady Grove Baptist Church in Batesville, where she taught children’s Sunday School. Sheila was a member of the Explorers Bible Study in Batesville. She loved to spend time in her flower garden and with her grandchildren.

Survivors include two sons, Tim Douglas and wife, Candy, of Batesville and Chris Douglas of Batesville; her sister, Deborah Hall Faust and husband, Norris, of Sardis; a brother, Jody Hall and wife, Rita, of Sarah; two grandchildren, Austin and Peyton Douglas of Batesville.

The family asks that memorials be sent to any of the following: Turning Point, P.O. Box 3838, San Diego, CA 92163 or World Missions Far Corner, P.O. Box 2611, Long Beach, CA 90801-9946 or Harbor Evangelical International, P.O. Box 392, Apison, TN 37302.

Martha Wilbourn Franklin

COMO– Martha Wilbourn Franklin, 58, died Friday, May 28, 2010, at North Oak Regional Medical Center.

Services will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at Beulah M.B. Church near Como. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Pate-Jones Funeral Home has charge.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jim Henry Franklin.

Survivors include: daughters, Peggy Howell of Southaven, Joyce Reynolds of Waterford, Brenda Franklin of Holly Springs and Cassandra Franklin of Como; two sisters, Charlene Fonville, Roseanna Tucker;  brothers, John Wilbourn and J.D. Wilbourn, both of Como; seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Juanita Chapman Hall

SARAH– Juanita Chapman Hall, 80, died Monday, May 31, 2010, in an automobile accident near Springfield, Ill.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, June 4, at First Baptist Church in Batesville with Rev. Roy Hartzell officiating. Interment will follow in Longtown Cemetery near Crenshaw.

Hall was born on February 10, 1930, in Friars Point to Joe and Bertha Pinion Chapman. She was a member of Hollywood Baptist Church in Sledge. She was also a member of The Explorers Bible Study in Batesville. Juanita had retired from the Dana Corporation in Crenshaw.

Survivors include a daughter, Deborah Hall Faust and husband, Norris, of Sardis; a son, Jody Hall and wife, Rita, of Sarah; two sisters, Bertha Kaye Chapman Ritter of Batesville and Joanne Chapman of Crenshaw; two brothers, Herbert Chapman of Senatobia and Stanley Chapman of Southaven; six grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded by her husband, Eugene O’Dell Hall; a daughter, Sheila Hall Douglas and her parents, Joe and Bertha Pinion Chapman; three sisters, Sybil Chapman McGregor, Lillie McElyeah and Sandra Chapman; two brothers, Johnny Harold Chapman and Elmer Clinton “Bubba” Chapman.

The family asks that memorials be sent to Hollywood Baptist Church, 2200 Wadlington Rd., Sledge, MS 38670.

 Bobbie Blackburn Rudd

BATESVILLE– Bobbie Blackburn Rudd, 51, formerly of Enid, died Friday, May 28, 2010, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in East Memphis.

Services will be held today, at 1 p.m. at Mt. Pleasant M.B. Church in Enid with burial at the church cemetery.

Rev. William Johnson, Sr. will officiate. Cooley’s Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Rudd was born November 2, 1958, in Enid to Sam “Big Boy” Blackburn and Daratha Wren Blackburn. She was a team leader for Jabil Circuit in Memphis and member of Mt. Pleasant M.B. Church in Enid.

Survivors include her husband, Sammie Rudd of Memphis; her mother, Daratha Blackburn of Enid; three daughters, Stephanie Brown of Batesville, Annette Rudd of Memphis and Carolyn Murdock of Baton Rouge, La.; six sons, Martel Shegog of Hinesville, Ga., Calvin Rudd of Alaska, Jermaine Rudd, Jimmy Rudd, John Rudd and Sammie Rudd, Jr. all of Memphis; five sisters, Minnie Ray of Water Valley, Betty Blackburn, Gloria Webster, Odester Tellis and Phylisten Leonard, all of Enid; five brothers, Edward Blackburn of Minnesota, Sam Blackburn and Ben Blackburn, both of Chicago, Ill. and Joel Blackburn and Micheal Blackburn, both of Enid; 22 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Eugene Strong

COURTLAND– Eugene Strong died Wednesday, May 26, 2010, at Baptist North Mississippi Hospital.  He was 81.

Services were held Monday, May 31, at Cooley’s Mortuary Chapel with burial at Johnson Chapel A.M.E. Zion Cemetery in Courtland. Rev. Jacob Hentz officiated. Cooley’s Mortuary was in charge of arrangements.

Strong was born December 26, 1928, to Monroe Strong and Lillian Ledbetter in Courtland.  He was a carpenter and member of Johnson Chapel A.M.E. Zion in Courtland.

Survivors include his wife, Lela Mae Strong of Courtland; five daughters, Jearline Moering and Patricia Strong, both of Courtland; Casey M. Bledsoe and Lisa Barksdale, both of Batesville and Sallie C. Scott of Pittsburg, Calif.;  five sons, Eugene ?Strong, Jr. of Batesville, Mike Strong, Arthur Strong and Willie James Strong, all of Courtland and James W. Strong of St. Louis, Mo.; two sisters, Annie Farmer and Margarette Sanford, both of Courtland; two brothers, Monroe Strong and Charles Strong; 41 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren and nine great-great-grandchildren.

SARDIS–Mary Paula Gordon Webb, born October 10, 1953, passed away on Monday, May, 31, 2010 at Baptist DeSoto Hospital in Southaven.

Services will be held today, at 3 p.m. at Sardis United Methodist Church with visitation prior to services at 1 p.m. at the church. Minister Dayna Goff will officiate. Ray-Nowell Funeral Home in Sardis is in charge of arrangements.

She was preceded in death by her father, Curtis W. Gordon Sr.

She is survived by her mother, Polly Thomas Gordon; two sons, Curtis Eugene Webb of Birmingham, Ala. and Gordon Lamar Webb of Love; one grandson, Austin Webb; three brothers, Curtis W. Gordon Jr. of Birmingham, James David Gordon of Memphis, and Charles M. Gordon of Hernendo.

She graduated from North Panola High School in 1974, and from Northwest Community College Cosmetology school.  She worked as a beauty operator at the Chatter Box in Sardis for several years.  She ran a daycare center for pre-school children for five or more years at her home at 200 North Main.  She was a home health care provider for Joan Ford for several years.  She also worked for Fred’s Dollar Store.

Memorials may be made to the Sardis United Methodist Church or to the charity of your choice.