GOSHEN, Ind. – Melvin Bledsoe III, 47, formerly of Batesville, died Sunday, September 25, 2011, in Goshen, Ind.

Graveside services will be held Saturday at 3 p.m. at Batesville Cemetery. Minister Bruce Fondren will officiate. Visitation will be held today from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Bledsoe, born Sept. 9, 1946, in Sardis, to Melvin Bledsoe Jr. of Goshen, Ind. and Annie Mae Wright Eckford of Batesville, was a delivery man for California Connection and Furniture Lane in Goshen.

Survivors along with his parents include: two sons, Melvin Bledsoe IV and Javon Bledsoe, both of Alabama; five brothers, Reginald Bledsoe, Anthony Bledsoe, Timothy Bledsoe, Christopher Bledsoe and Undray Bledsoe, all of Batesville and five grandchildren.

BATESVILLE – Dorothy Louise Fondren, 78, died Sunday, September 25, 2011, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi.

Services will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at T.O.M.B. Building in Oxford. Pastor Jamuel Johnson will officiate. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Fondren, born Aug. 3, 1933, in Oxford, to Commodore “Whit” Joy and Essie Lee Wadlington Joy, was a retired factory worker for Big Yank Corp. She was a member of North Hopewell M.B. Church in Taylor where she was an usher.

Survivors include: two daughters, Joni Price of Batesville and Norma Fondren Murdock of Balch Springs, Texas; one son, Leslie Lee Bailey of Memphis; four sisters, Annie White and Ora V. Joy, both of Oxford, Lula Pratcher of Memphis and Nina Hervey of Detroit, Mich.; three brothers, James Arthur Joy of Harrisburg, Pa., L.A. Joy of Water Valley and L.P. Joy of Holly Springs; eight grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

SARDIS – James Edwin Johnson, 53, died Tuesday, September 27, 2011, at his residence.

Memorial services were held Thursday at Wells Funeral Home. Hal Johnson officiated.

Johnson, born September 15, 1958 in Sardis, to the late Darel Carlton and Rebecca Lorette Johnson. Jimmy was a welder for Aluminum Extrusions in Senatobia, MS and was a member of the Church of Christ.

Survivors include: his wife, Janice “Jan” Annette Musselwhite Johnson of Sardis; daughter, Krystle Lynn Johnson of Sardis,; son, Carlton Brooks Johnson of Sardis; two sisters, Verna Johnson Brockman of Foley, Ala., Vanessa Johnson Aaron of Courtland; brother, Bruce A. Johnson of Abrams, Wis. and one grandson.

CHARLESTON – William Brooks Pressgrove Jr., 49, formerly of Batesville, died Sunday, September, 18, 2011, at his residence.

Services were held Tuesday at Friendship Baptist Church. Burial was in Friendship Cemetery. Newsom Funeral Home of Charleston had charge.

Pressgrove graduated from Charleston High School.

Survivors include: his children, Travis Burt, Paige Burt Hyde, William Anthony Pressgrove, Victoria Brooke Pressgrove, Brandy Mariah Pressgrove; three sisters, Brenda Pressgrove Johnson, Sandra Pressgrove Taylor and Nona Pressgrove Smith; one brother, Michael Griffin Ross and two grandchildren.

BATESVILLE – Peggy Nell Cook Wright, 66, died Tuesday, September 27, 2011, at her residence.

Services were held Thursday at Sardis Lake Baptist Church. Rev. Kevin Crofford officiated. Burial was in Forrest Memorial Park. Wells Funeral Home had charge.

Wright, born Nov. 30, 1944, to William Harold and Myrtle Medlin Cook, was a member of Sardis Lake Baptist Church. She worked for 33 years at Chromcraft Industries.

Survivors include: her husband, Donald H. Wright  Sr. of Batesville; two daughters, Linda Wright Murphree and Brenda Wright Beard, both of Batesville; two sons, Kenny Wright of Brandon and Donald Wright Jr. of Batesville; one sister, Linda Bryant of Batesville; two brothers, Bobby Cook and Larry Cook, both of Batesville; three grandchildren and one great-grandchildren.

The family requests that memorials be sent to Save-A-Life Foundation, P.O. Box 932, Batesville, Miss. or Sardis Lake Baptist Church, 24709 Hwy. 35, Sardis, Miss. 38666.