SARDIS – Eddie Joe Byers, 64, died Tuesday, February 28, 2012, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.

Services were held Saturday at New Rock Hill M.B. Church in Sardis. Rev. Curtis Wilson will officiate. Burial was in Rose Hill Cemetery in Sardis. Kenneth I. Roberson Funeral Home of Sardis had charge.

He was the son of Eddie D. and Nettie Byers and was the owner of Byers Tire Shop in Sardis.
Survivors include: his wife, Ruby Byers of Sardis; three sisters, Daisy Donaldson of Alexandria, Va., Clara Walker of Como and Ella Jean Byers of Joplin, Mo.; four brothers, Charles Byers, Donald Donaldson and Aaron Donaldson, all of Alexandria, Va. and Willie Byers of Sardis and a host of  children and grandchildren.

OLIVE BRANCH –  Rita Laughter Brooks, 60, died Friday, March 2, 2012, at Baptist Memorial Hospital Desoto.

Services will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Brantley Phillips Funeral Home in Hernando. Visitation will be held Tuesday from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. at Brantley Phillips Funeral Home. Burial will be in Grays Creek.

Mrs. Rita was a sketch artist and oil painter. She played the guitar and piano and was also a vocal artist. She was also a writer.

Survivors include: her husband, William C. Simmons of Olive Branch; three daughters, Heather Brooks of Sardis, Mishe Simmons of Hernando and Leigh Teachman and her husband, Jamie of Elizabeth City, N.C.; one brother, Jake Laughter of Sardis and four grandchildren, Morgan, Myles, Kelsey and Madison.

BATESVILLE – Nava Louise James, 88, died Saturday, March 3, 2012.

Services will be held Wednesday, March 7 at 1 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary. Burial will follow in Batesville Cemetery. Visitation is today from 1 to 8 p.m. with family hour from 5 to 8 p.m. at Cooley’s. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

She was a member of the South Panola Community Hospital auxiliary, served on the Main Street Project and the Boy’s and Girl’s Club Advisory Board, just to name a few. She was active at Coleman Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church the local and national Rust Club Alumni Association and community affairs.

She taught both elementary and high school Home Economics.  After teaching for over twenty years, she changed professions and began working for the Federal Government in the Division of Farmer’s Home Administration.

WASHINGTON, Ill. – Ruby Maxine Perkins, 80, died Friday, March 2, 2012 at her home.

Born December 15, 1931 in Sardis, to the late James and Mary B. Martin Appleton, she married Robert T. Perkins on February 7, 1947 in Batesville who preceded her in death on December 8, 1984.  She was  preceded in death by her infant son.

Surviving are her daughter, Janie (Marty) Potts of East Peoria, IL, two brothers, Richard (Mary Jane) Appleton, and Winfred Appleton, and one sister, Patricia Segars, all of Batesville, two grandchildren, Angie (Andy) Hannan of Pekin, IL and Chris (Tina) Skelton of St. Joseph, IL, and 5 great-grandchildren, Drew, Alex and Amanda Hannan and Nick and Luke Skelton.

She went to Peoria, IL from Mississippi in 1951 and in the mid 50’s she attended Brown’s Business School for secretarial skills.  In the late 50’s she worked in the office of Princess Peggy Dress Co. in downtown Peoria, until 1969.  She then went to work in the payroll department at Illinois Central College, retiring in August 1987.  She and her husband enjoyed participating in various bowling leagues for many years.  She was a member of Washington Presbyterian Church in Washington.  

Funeral services was Monday, March 5, 2012 at Deiters Funeral Home & Crematory in Washington.  Pastor Rebecca Weltmann will officiate.  Visitation will be from 3-5 PM Sunday, March 4, 2012 at the funeral home.  Burial will be at Glendale Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to Washington Presbyterian Church, Illinois Cancer Care in Peoria, IL, or Methodist Hospice.

Maxine’s memorial website is available at www.deitersfuneralhome.com where condolences may also be sent to the family.

SARDIS – Rose M.Ivy, 59, died Wednesday, February 29, 2012, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford.

Born in Belzoni, she had moved to Sardis from Virginia in 1991. Mrs. Ivy had primarily been  a homemaker with occasional employment as a cook. Mrs. Ivy was a member of the Church of Christ in Sardis.

Memorial services were held. on Saturday, at The Sardis Church of Christ.

Survivors include her husband, John Ivy of Sardis; her mother, Dorothy Fellows of Sardis;  two sons, Mike Ivy and Mark Ivy both of Sardis,; a daughter, Tammie Ivy of Sardis; a sister, Natoshia Wooten of Marion, AR; a brother, Tommy Lloyd of Swiftown, MS; 7 grandchildren: Tayor Ivy, Heather Ivy, Austin Ivy, Jarrett Ivy, Hunter Ivy, Zach Ivy  Lauren Smith.

SARDIS – Ceil J. Moore, 77, died at his home near Oxford, MS, Friday, March 2, 2012.
Born in Sardis, he had lived in the Oxford area about 19 years having moved from Marks. Mr. Moore had worked primarily in manufacturing in tool and die.

Services were held Sunday at  Coleman Funeral Home Bro. Randall Harris will officiate. Burial was in the Center Hill Cemetery in Panola County. Coleman Funeral Home had charge.

Survivors include three daughters, Alice Jenkins of Batesville, Martha Bowles  and Loretta Bynum, both of  of Oxford; one sister, Ida Dale Cox of Crowder; 8 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

His parents, Lee Ander and Christine Moore, and one son, Tommy Lee Moore, preceded Mr. Moore in death.

Memorials may be made to Center Hill Cemetery, c/o Joe Sanders, 5539 Hwy. 35 South, Batesville, MS 38606.

BATESVILLE – Annie Ruth Darby Swindle, 67, died Thursday, March 1, 2012, at her residence in Batesville.

Services were held Sunday at First United Pentecostal Church. Rev. Steve Cannon officiated. Burial was in Forrest Memorial Cemetery. Dickins Funeral Home had charge.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Hubert Edward Swindle.

Mrs. Swindle, born Jan. 3, 1945, in Batesville, to the late Audrey Ross Darby and Maudie Lee Burke Darby, was manager of Bon Worth and a member of First United Pentecostal Church for 50 years.

Survivors include: two sons, Mike Swindle and his wife, Barbara of Courtland and Ricky Swindle and his wife, Leigh of Batesville; two sisters, Patsy Jones of Enid and Carolyn Mills of Courtland; seven grandchildren, Jennifer Swindle Hughes, Nicholas Swindle, Paige Swindle Self, Payton Swindle, Amber Swindle, Alyssa Swindle, Mason Anthony and eight great-grandchildren, Rylan Hughes, Levi Hughes, Layla Cate Self, Waylon Swindle, Elora Swindle, Bella Swindle, Aiden Swindle and Asher Swindle.
Memorials may be made to the donor’s choice.