BATESVILLE – Pearline Easley Gordon, 96, died Saturday, December 17, 2011, at Indywood Assisted Living in Indianola.

Services will be held today at 2 p.m. at Dickins Funeral Home. Visitation will be held from 1 p.m. until service time. Burial will be in Magnolia Cemetery. Dickins Funeral Home has charge.

Gordon, born to the late Elisha Thomas Easley and Dixie Sara Ellen Brannon, was a homemaker and a member of Enon Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Earl Benjamin Leon Gordon.

She is survived by a niece Norma Easley Tucker and six nephews, Earl Ray Easley, Earnest Easley, Johnny Easley, Ray Hardy, Richard Hardy and William Hardy.

JACKSON – Emma Pepper, 91, died Wednesday, December 14, 2011, at her residence. She was the grandmother of Tripp Pepper of Batesville.

Services were held Saturday at St. Therese Church in Jackson. Burial was in Lakewood Memorial Park. Wright and Ferguson Funeral Home had charge of arrangements.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James “Pep” Pepper.

She was born on May 7, 1920, in Bexar County, Texas, to the late John Vincent Jonietz and Bridget Cecile Drzymalla. She attended China Grove School in Martinez and Draughan Business College in San Antonio. She and her husband operated Pepper Carpets in Jackson.

She was a founding member of St. Therese Parish and was a member of the choir and Little Flower Circle from 1955 until her death. She served on the parish council, and she coordinated the parish’s Young at Heart group for seniors. She was a member of the Jackson Garden Club, and enjoyed bowling and bunco.
She continued her associate membership in the Military Order of World Wars (MOWW), serving as assistant to the adjutant in arranging monthly meetings until her death.

Survivors include: one son James D. Pepper Jr. of Huntsville, Ala.; three daughters, Janna Avalon of Jackson, Debbie Reidy of Austin, Texas, and Teresa Maloney of Hattiesburg; 10 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

BATESVILLE– William H. “Bill” Stubblefield, Jr., 77, died Sunday, December 18, 2011 at his home in Batesville.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at First United Methodist Church in Batesville with Rev. Pat Ludlam and Father Sam Messina officiating. Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday prior to the service.

Serving as honorary pallbearers are Collins Bailey, Robert Crites, Andrew Jackson, David LaVergne, Jimmy Meek, Malcolm Nix, Jack Lewis Robison, Kevin Touchstone, Frank Oakes and Scott Oakes.

Bill was born in Fayetteville, Arka., March 29, 1934, to the late Mr. and Mrs. William Hugh Stubblefield. He was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity and played football at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He owned Southside Chevorolet for many years before entering business as an oil distributor. Bill found joy in entertaining friends and traveling broadly.

He was an avid golfer, cook, fisherman and sports enthusiast. Bill was a faithful member of the First United Methodist Church where he served on the finance committee, building committee and administrative council. Other community service was given through the Boy Scouts, the Rotary Club, The Ole Miss Rebel Club, fundraising for Muscular Dystrophy Association, and missionary efforts to Honduras and through Campus Crusade for Christ. He will most be remembered for his loving devotion  to his family.

He enjoyed 34 years of marriage with his wife, Ky (nee Mari Klyce Oakes) of Batesville. Besides Ky, Bill leaves his children: William H. Stubblefield III (Pam) of Oxford, Holly and Polly Stubblefield of Sarasota, Fla., Parnell Stubblefield of Pope, and Shannon Stubblefield Jackson (Andrew) of Olive Branch; two brothers, Don Stubblefield (Gail) of Missouri and David Stubblefield (Suzanne) of Texas; and six grandchildren: Cameron Barakat, Kathleen Stubblefield, Isabella Stubblefield, Anna Claire, Ava and Ameila Jackson, and one great-grandchild: Taylor Barakat.

The family requests that memorials be sent to First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 797, Batesville, Miss. 38606.

BATESVILLE- Frank Taylor, 89, father of Bobby Taylor Vance, died Friday, December 16, 2011, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services were Sunday at Wells Funeral Home. Dr. Doug Sullivan-Gonzalez officiated. Burial was in Forrest Memorial Park. Wells Funeral Home had charge.

Taylor, born Sept. 24, 1922, in Houlka, to Louis Clark and Lennie Lela Chaffen Taylor, was a self employed farmer and timberman. He was a veteran of World War II serving in the U.S. Army and a Presbyterian.

Survivors, along with his daughter include one daughter, Betty Taylor Brown of Oxford; one son, Billy Frank Taylor of Houlka; one sister, Burta Estell Taylor Baker of Malvern, Ark. and three grandchildren, Clayton, Heather and Ashley.

The family requests that memorials be made to Independence Presbyterian Church (USA), 10700 Hwy. 35 South, Batesville, Miss. 38606

CROWDER – Earline Calvert White, 84, died Friday, December 16, 2011, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services were held Monday at Crowder Baptist Church. Revs. Ben James and Larry Kilgore officiated. Burial was in Crowder Cemetery. Wells Funeral Home had charge.

White, born Jan. 25, 1927, in Count Spur, to the late Earl and Maggie Bailey, was retired from the Hoisery Mill in Batesville where she was an inspector for 20 years. She was a member of Crowder Baptist Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Flake White.

Survivors include: three daughters, Janie Calvert Smith and Susan Calvert Elliott, both of Crowder, Debbie Calvert Smith of Olive Branch; one son Scott Calvert of Marietta, Ga.; three sisters, Louise Bailey Wimberly of Lambert, Shirley Bailey Vowell of Batesville and Sue Bailey Sutton of Crowder; step-daughter, Marcy White Meros of Clearwater, Fla.; nine grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.

CROWDER – James Thomas White, 75, died Tuesday, December 13, 2011, at Quitman County Hospital.
Services were held Friday at Pate-Jones Funeral Home in Senatobia. Burial was in Union Cemetery in Sardis.

Survivors include: his wife, Mary Alice White of Crowder; one daughter, Regina Lynn White of Crowder; step-daughter, Mary Ann Copeland of Jacksonville, Ark.; one son, Richard Thomas “Ricky” White of Pontotoc; step-son, Dwayne McMillan of Pope; nine grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.