BATESVILLE – Lottie Willene Knapp Aultman, 82, died Friday, December 30, 2011, at the Sardis Community Nursing Home.

Services will be held Monday at First Baptist Church, 202 E. Main Street, Charleston. Visitation is 12:30 p.m. prior to services. Burial will be in Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston.

Aultman, born to the late William David and Lottie Garrison Knapp, was a member of First Baptist Church in Charleston where she served as a pianist, WMU director, Sunday School teacher and Keenagers. She kept books for Charleston Drug Company.

Survivors include: her husband of 61 years, Douglas Weldon Aultman of Batesville;p one son, Weldon Aultman of Indianola; one daughter, Denise Coy of Batesville and three grandchildren.

BATESVILLE – Leonard A. Bonnell, 66, died Friday, December 30, 2011, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi.

Memorial services were held Monday at Wells Funeral Home. Rev. Eric Payne and Billy Samuels officiated. Wells Funeral Home had charge.

Bonnell, born Aug. 10, 1945, in Cambridge, Ohio, to Robert Henry and Anna Belle Knouff Bonell, was a park contract representative with the U.S. Army of Engineers at Enid Lake. He served in the U.S. Air Force and was a Methodist.

Survivors include: his wife Barbara Tharp Bonnell of Batesville; one daughter, Lieane LaRae Bonnell McArdle of Lexington, MI; one son, Darian Blake Bonnell of White Lake, Mich.; one sister, Barbara Anne Bonnell Ives of Island Lake, Ill.; two grandchildren; one step-daughter, Casey Welch  of Grenada and one step-son: Steven Harris of Dublin, Ireland.

SARDIS – Robert S. Burns, 79, died, Friday, December 30, 2011, at Baptist Memorial Hospital – North Mississippi in Oxford.
    Services were held Tuesday, at Holy Innocents Episcopal Church in Como. Burial was in Rehobeth Cemetery in Pushmataha, Ala. Ray-Nowell Funeral Home Sardis Chapel had charge.
    He was a member of Holy Innocents Episcopal Church in Como and a U.S. Army Veteran of the Korean War. Mr. Burns served as a tank mechanic in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1957 with a degree in Industrial Management.  He was always an active member of his community heading volunteer fire department, serving as church warden, serving on committees and in leadership positions in Elks C was preceded in death by his wife, Babs Branyan Burns and his parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. Emil Sweet Burns.
    Survivors include his daughters, Dr. Nancy Burns of Ann Arbor, Mich. and Robin Burns Mackey of Como; one brother, Dr. E. Eddy Burns of St. Petersburg, Fla.; one sister, Sharlene Blomquist of Brandon, Fla.; his long-time companion and close friend, Faye Clark of Pope and his grandchildren, Forest and Jared Mackey of Como and Sef and Tate Zeleznik of Ann Arbor, Mich.
    In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to Holy Innocents Episcopal Church Como, Miss. 38619.

SARDIS – Jo Adams Cross, 77,  died on Saturday, December 31, 2011, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center in Batesville.

Memorial services will be held Thursday  at at 3 p.m. at Sardis Presbyterian Church. Ray-Nowell Funeral Home has charge.     

Cross was a member of the Sardis Presbyterian Church in Sardis. She graduated from the Mississippi University for Women in 1953 and received her Master’s Degree from the University of Mississippi in 1964. She was an instructor of General Chemistry at Northwest Mississippi Community College for 31 years.

She was preceded in death by her parents, the late Edgar and Josie Terrell Caldwell.

    Survivors include her husband, Rev. Raymond G. Cross of Sardis; one daughter, Beth Westbrook of Cordova, Tenn.; two sons, Dr. Bo Adams of Germantown, Joseph Adams of Jackson and eight grandchildren.

   The family has requested that memorial donations be sent to The Palmer Home for Children, P.O. Box 929, Hernando, Ms 38632 or French Camp Academy, One Fine Place, French Camp, Miss 39745, or to a charity for abused children of the donor’s choice.

BATESVILLE – Stratford Patterson “Sonny” Childers, 64, died Tuesday, December 27, 2011 at Sanctuary Hospice in Tupelo.   He was born June 26, 1947 to William Stratford and Mary Patterson Childers, was a  member of First United Methodist  Church in Batesville. He was a member and president of the Ashland Civic Club and served as president of the Benton County Fair Association for 30 years.  He was an avid enthusiast and participant of bird dog field trials.

Services were Friday at Ashland Baptist Church. William Kemp officiated.   Burial was in Hillcrest Cemetery.

Survivors include: wife, Leslie Rankin Childers of Batesville; one daughter, Alice Thomas of Ashland; his mother, Mary Patterson Childers of Ashland; one brother, David Childers of Holly Springs and one grandchild.

SARDIS – Thelma Estelle Freeman, 72, died Friday, December 30, 2011, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

    Graveside services were held Thursday, January 5, at Bethel Cemetery in Enid. Rev.  E.K. Gordon officiated. Wells Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Freeman, born August 21, 1939, in Tallahatchie County to Lester Thomas and Glennie Gordon Alexander, was a factory worker at Muscle Shoals Rubber Company of Batesville. Mrs. Freeman was a Baptist in faith.

    She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Jimmy; two daughters; Pamela and Deborah Kay; one son, James; three sisters, Louise, Ruby and Ella and two brothers, J.T. and Bobby.

Survivors include her sister, Faye Alexander Johnson of Sardis; two bothers, Edward Alexander of Bay Town, Texas and Norris Alexander of Courtland; nine grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

SARDIS – Stanley Nelson Iles, 60, died Sunday, January 1, 2012, at The Regional Medical Center in Memphis, from injuries received in an automobile accident.   

The family will hold a memorial service at a later date. Wells Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Iles was born on July 15, 1951, in Alexandria, La. to James H. and Louise W. Wright Iles. He was an Auto Body Repairman. He was of the Baptist Faith.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Verna Brown Iles and his father, James H. Iles.

    Survivors include his son, Paul Nelson Iles of Memphis; his mother, Louise W. Iles of Oxford and one sister, Marleen Iles Dexter of Courtland.

BATESVILLE – Benjamin Murphey, 39, died suddenly of Pulmonary Edema on Friday, December 30, 2011, at Lady of the Sea General Hospital in Galliano, La.

Services were held Wednesday at First United Methodist Church in Clarksdale. Todd Pittman and Andy Cotton officiated. Burial was in Memorial Gardens.

He was preceded in death by his father, Richard Kendrick Murphey Sr.

Survivors include: his mother, Wanda Willis Murphey of Batesville; one brother, Ken Murphey Jr. of Clarksdale.

The family requests that memorials be donated to First United Methodist Church of Clarksdale.

    ATHENS, Ala. – Rev. Calvin C. Inman, 86, died Friday, December 30, 2011. He was married to Lucile Crouch Inman, formerly of Batesville, for 64 years.

Services were Monday at Sardis Springs (Ala.) Baptist Church. Rev. Tim Keenum and Jack Bailey officiated. McConnell Funeral Home had charge.

Inman, born July 25, 1925, in Water Valley to the late Willie Houston and Vera Caroline Inman, graduated from Jeff Davis High School in Water Valley and joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1943. He served in WWII as a flight engineer, top turret gunner and staff sergeant. He graduated from Mississippi College in 1954 and attended New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where he graduated with a master of divinity degree in 1957. During his ministry of 37 years he served as pastor for Simmons Memorial Mission, Friendship Baptist Church in Natchez, Walnut Baptist Church, Vance; Evergreen Baptist Church, Louisville; Sardis Springs Baptist Church, Athens; West Marks Baptist Church and East Highland Baptist Church, Hartselle, Ala.

He then retired in 1989 and participated in mission trips to Israel, Columbia and Zambia.

Survivors along with his wife, include: one son, Stephen Inman of Athens and one sister, Nalda Oakes of Clarksdale.

The family requests that memorials be made to Sardis Springs Baptist Church Building fund or Alzheimer’s Research.

BATESVILLE – Eleanor H. Murphree, 88, died Thursday, December 29, 2011, at Senatobia Convalescent Center in Senatobia.

Services were held Saturday at Dickins Funeral Home. Burial was in Center Hill Cemetery.

She was a retired school teacher. She was a member of Batesville First United Methodist Church, Delta Kappa Gamma and South Panola Hospital Ladies Auxiliary.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Travis D. Murphree and one daughter, Nancy Childress.

Survivors include: one daughter, Ann Haraway of Olive Branch; one son, Travis D. Murphree Jr. of Senatobia; six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

The family has requested memorial contributions be sent to Center Hill Cemetery Fund, c/o Joe Sanders, 5539 Hwy. 35 South, Batesville, Miss 38606 or First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 797, Batesville, Miss. 38606.

OAKLAND – Porter Richard Wilkinson Sr., 73, died Tuesday, January 3, 2012, at his residence.

Services were Thursday at Womble Funeral Home. Burial was in Wilkinson Cemetery near Enid. Rev. Shelly Scallions officiated.

Survivors include: his wife, Frances Rebecca Williams Wilkinson; two daughters, Beverly Biggers of Enid and Terri Ostrander of Bruce; two sons, Donnie Wilkinson of Enid and Porter “Dickie” Wilkinson Jr. of Sumner; two sisters, Louise Baker of Arlington, Ariz. and Shirley Brownell of The Villages, Fla.; one brother, David Wilkinson of Oakland; 10 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Memorials be made to Paducah Wells Church of God of Prophecy or St. Jude. Children’s Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000 Dept. 142, Memphis, Tenn., 38101.