BATESVILLE — Lula B. Black, 108, died Wednesday, December 5, 2012, at her residence.

Services will be held Sunday at 1 p.m. at Concord M.B. Church in Batesville. Pastor Zannie Leland Jr. will officiate. Visitation will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary. Burial will be in Shiloh Cemetery in Sardis.

Black, born Dec. 31, 1904, in Batesville, to the late Walter Griffin and Hattie Johnson, was a homemaker and a member of Shiloh C.M.E. Church.

Survivors include: one nephew, Stanley Thomas; five nieces, Wilkie Hentz, Irma Lee Martin and Lucille Cooper, all of Batesville, Lula Bell Childs of Warner, Okla., Annie Clara Smith of Tulsa, Okla.; six step-daughters, Lou Bertha Hawkins of Sardis, Daisy Chapman, Rosie Ross, Delores Black and Brenda Samuel, all of Chicago and Betty Bates of Gusia, Okla.; and three step-sons, John Black, Casey Black and Charles Black, all of Chicago.

CHARLESTON — Earline Griffin, 85, died Tuesday, December 11, 2012.

Services will be held today at 2 p.m. at Newsom Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be in Bethel Cemetery. Newsom Funeral Home has charge.

Griffin, was a homemaker and a member of Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church.

Survivors include: four daughters, Betty Appleton of Batesville, Irene McCoy and Mary Jane Kester, all of Batesville and Pauline Wiggins of Pontotoc; two sons, John Griffin of Charleston and Bobby Griffin of Macclenny, Fla.; one brother, Ira Spears of Mize; 22 grandchildren and 20 great-great-grandchildren.

BYHALIA — Joyce Herbert Kirkham, 89, died Monday, December 10, 2012, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Desoto.

Graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. at Pilgrims Rest Cemetery, 470 Pilgrims Rest Rd. in Batesville. Visitation will be held from 12:00 – 12:30 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home.

Kirkham, born Dec. 5, 1923, in Hunnigton Island, Ny. to Joseph Allen and Dorothy Burton Herbert, was a homemaker and a member of Olive Branch Christian Church.

Survivors include: one daughter, Rahne Kirkham of Federal Way, Wash.; one son, Gary Kirkham of Puyallup, Wash.; one sister, Olive Pearl Rutherford of Olive Branch; two brothers, Warren Joseph Herbert of Olive Branch and Robert J. Herbert of Byhalia and two grandchildren.

POPE –  John Mark Pickett, 52, died on Monday, December 10, 2012, at his residence.

Services were held Wednesday, December 12, at Wells Funeral Home Chapel with burial in Chapel Hill Cemetery in Pope. Wells Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Pickett was born to Joseph Barney and Elizabeth Jones Pickett on July 5, 1960, in Memphis. He graduated from South Panola High School then on to Northwest Community College. Afterwards he enrolled at The University of Tennessee-Martin, where he received his Agricultural Economics degree. He was a cattleman, roper and bulldogger. He received the Rookie of the Year Award in 1983 from The Professional Rodeo Cowboy’s Association (P.R.C.A.)

Survivors include his wife, Rachel Callahan Pickett of Pope;  two children, Elizabeth Grayson Pickett and John Cade Pickett; his mother, Elizabeth Jones Pickett of Pope and two brothers, Joseph Rodney Pickett of Pope and Joel Stanton Pickett of Greenville, Ill.

The family requests memorials may be sent to The NWCC Foundation, Rodeo Scholarship Fund, 4975 Hwy 51 North, Senatobia, MS 38668 or The University of Tennessee-Martin, Office of Development, 554 University St., Martin, TN 38238.

COMO – RP Roberson, 70, died Sunday, December 9, 2012, at Select Specialty Hospital in Memphis.
 
Services will be held Saturday, December 15, at noon at Cherry Street M.B. Church in Como with burial in Liberty Hill in Como. Felix Cauthen Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Survivors include four daughters, Ida Carter of Batesville, Tracey Taylor of Como, Carolyn Todd and Teresa R. Farsee, both of Memphis; four sons, Michael Moore and Marcus Moore, both of Memphis and Scottie Wilbourn and Jason Wilbourn, both of Como; 18 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

COURTLAND –  Mae Ella Watson, 75, died Sunday, December 9, 2012, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi.

Services will be held Saturday, December 15, at 2 p.m. at Springhill Asa M.B. Church in Courtland with burial in church cemetery. Visitation will be held Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary.

Pastor Louis Wilson will officiate. Cooley’s Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Watson was born August 26, 1937 in Batesville to Monroe Bobo, Sr. and Joe Ella Wilson. She was a homemaker and member of Springhill Asa M.B. Church.

Survivors include two daughters, Barbara Watson and Lois Benson, both of Courtland; four sons, Jerry Watson of Charleston, James Edward Watson, Jimmie Watson Jr. and Joe Watson, all of Courtland; one brother, Monroe Bobo of Jackson; her husband, Jimmie Watson Sr. of Chicago, Ill.; 21 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.