Obituaries 7-27-12

Published 12:00 am Friday, July 27, 2012

Johnny Lee Butts


COMO–Johnny Lee Butts, 61, passed away July 22, 2012. Services will be held Saturday, July 28 at noon at Mt. Moriah C.M.E. Church where he was a member. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

Mr. Butts was the son of Jack Butts of Como and the late Jessie L. Pratcher.

Survivors, in addition to his father, include his son, Donny D. Butts of Courtland; sisters Linda D. Jefferson of Nashville, Patricia A. Jones of Columbus, Ga., Hattie Lee Buchannan of Memphis, Martha Danner of Como, Gloria Mitchell of Como, Irma Butts of Como, Kathleen Jones of Como, Betty Toliver of Sardis; his brothers Fred Butts, Melvin Butts, Riley Butts and Cederic Walker of Como; two grandchildren.

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Deborah Ritter Crapa


SOUTHAVEN–Deborah Ritter Crapa, 58, died July 20, 2012 at Baptist Memorial Hospital DeSoto in Southaven.

Born in Shelby County, Tenn., August 22, 1953, to James and Barbara Tubbs Billings, she worked as a manager for Kroger.

Her survivors include two daughters, Jennifer Leight Brister and Lisa Kay Huddleston, both of Byhalia; four sisters, Donna Hollifield, Teresa Marcum, Pamela Massengill and Kimberly Kelley, all of Byhalia; three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

The family plans a memorial service at a later date.

Wells Funeral Home had charge of arrangements.

Randall Leonard Deloach


SARDIS–Randall Leonard “Randy” Deloach Jr., 64, died July 25 at Baptist Memorial Hospital DeSoto in Southaven. He was a retired dispatcher for the Sardis Police Department and was a Navy veteran of the Vietnam War. Mr. Deloach was a Baptist.

He was born January 13, 1948 in Memphis to Randall Leonard Deloach Sr. and Sara Elizabeth Sexton Deloach.

Funeral services will be today at 2 p.m. at Ray-Nowell Funeral Home in Sardis, with burial in Baldwin Memorial Gardens in Pontotoc. Hal Johnson will officiate.

He is survived by two aunts, Mildred Parrish and Mattie Owens, both of Pontotoc, and two uncles, Claude Sexton of Pontotoc and J.C. Sexton of Como.


I.V. Shegog Henley


CHICAGO–Ms. I.V. Shegog Henley, 85, formerly of Pope, died July 23 in Chicago.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday, July 31 at 11 a.m. at Pope Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church. Pastor Coya Blackburn will officiate. Burial will be in Chapel Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be held Monday from 3-6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary and Tuesday from 10-11 a.m. at the church. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Ms. Henley was born July 16, 1927 in Pope to Emmitt Shegog and Lena Gleaton.

She was a retired cook for the Cook County School System.

Survivors include her sons, Billy Shegog of Pope and Ronnie Henley of Chicago; her daughter Lisa Henley Nichols of St. Paul, Minn.; her sisters, Estelle Blackburn and Tinye Harvey, both of Pope; six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Rubystine Leverson


COMO–Rubystine Leverson, 55, died July 18, 2012 in Oxford. She was a home health nurse.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 28 at Ruffin Grove M.B. Church near Como. Burial will be in Cistern Hill Cemetery. Rodgers Funeral Home has charge.

Visitation will be today at 11 a.m. and tomorrow for one hour prior to the funeral at the church.

Survivors include her husband, Eddie James Leverson; her mother, Ethel Mae Lark of Como; her daughters, Lakisha Milam of Como and Tracy Leverson of Senatobia; her sons John Hunt of Como and Quinctus Hunt of Starkville; two sisters, Alma Hunt of Como and Earnestine Augustus of Chicago.


Jack Tyrone Lott


BATESVILLE–Jack Tyrone Lott, 87, died Monday, July 23, 2012 at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis.

Funeral services were held Wednesday, July 25 at Dickins Funeral Home Chapel. Burial was in Batesville Magnolia Cemetery.

Dickins Funeral Home had charge of arrangements.

He was the son of the late William Clifton Lott and Ava Tyrone Lott. Lott was a Baptist and a World War II Veteran of the United States Army and fought in the Battle of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. He retired as an engineer with International Harvester.

He was preceded in death by one son, Larry Rhear.

Survivors include one daughter, Pamela Baker of Milton, Ga., three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be sent to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Hazeltine Conrad Taylor


COMO–Hazeltine Conrad Taylor, 89, died July 20, 2012 at her residence. She was the widow of the Rev. Mack Henry Taylor Sr. and had worked in the dry cleaning business.

Services for Mrs. Taylor will be held today at 11 a.m. at Mt. Zion Church in Sardis, wth burial in Mt. Moriah Cemetery near Como. Felix Cauthen Funeral Home has charge.

Survivors include her daughters, Barbara J. Crowe of Ceveland, Ohio; Gwendolyn J. Cox of Houston, Texas; Glendora T. Dugger of Como; Donna Kaye Taylor of Como; Carolyn R. Taylor of Southaven; her sons, Larry Taylor Sr. of Warrensville Heights, Ohio; Aubrey D. Taylor, Leon C. Taylor and Mack H. Taylor, all of Como, and Bridgette C. Taylor of Holly Springs; two sisters, Earline Mattix of West Point and Gladys Gines of St. Louis; 36 grandchildren, 49 great-grandchildren and 13 great-great-grandchildren.

Walter R. Scruggs Jr.

PANAMA CITY, Fla.–Lt. Colonel (retired) Walter R. Scruggs Jr., 86, of Panama City, passed away July 22, 2012. Lt. Col. Scruggs was born in Sardis in 1926 to the late Walter Sr. and Elizabeth Scruggs.

He retired from the United States Air Force in 1970 after 27 years. He was an Air Marshal and then was a U.S Customs Agent and retired from Customs after 20 years. He loved his country and had a passion for flying.

Survivors include his sons, Bob Scruggs of Colorado, Jim Scruggs and Larry Scruggs of Panama City, Fla.; two grandchildren, Ashley Safford and Cory Scruggs; two brothers, Phillip Scruggs and Jake Scruggs; four sisters, Frances Smith, Martha Freeman, Dollye Riggs and Sandra Barnett.
Graveside services will be held today at 11:30 a.m. in the Cold Springs Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the Ray Nowell Funeral Home, Sardis, on Friday from 10-11 a.m. prior to the graveside service.  
In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Covenant Hospice, 107 West 19th Street, Panama City, FL 32405 in memory of Walter R. Scruggs Jr.

Wilson  Funeral Home had charge of arrangements.