ANDERSON, S.C. – Vivian Sue Jewell Baker, age 76, died Thursday, January 3, at AnMed Health Medical Center. She was the sister of David Lynn Weeks of Pope and and Barbara Dell Beard of Batesville.

Services were held on Sunday, January 6, 2013 at the River of Life Church of God with Reverend Kevin Jones and Reverend Jerry Rice officiating.  Entombment followed at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Mausoleum.

Survivors along with her brother and sister include: her children, Darryl Jewell of Anderson, S.C., Craig Jewell, of Anderson, S.C., Daphne Mackey of Easley, S.C., Ronald Jewell, Sherry Elqadi, all of Anderson, Roy Baker of Jessup, Ga., Gary Baker of Nashville, Tenn, and Kathy Rice of Calhoun, Ga; brothers, Jerry Weeks of Herculaneum, Mo., John Larry Weeks of Coldchester, Vt., and George Collins Weeks of Grenada; sisters, Leardell Jacobs of Tupelo, Frankie Dunn of Memphis and Virginia Mae Jenkins of Portland; 19 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

BARTLETT, Tenn. – Steven Andrew Buffaloe, 37, died Monday, January 28, 2013, at his mother’s residence.

Memorial services were held Thursday at Bartlett Baptist Church. Memphis Funeral Home had charge of arrangements.

Buffaloe, born Aug. 8, 1975, in Memphis, to Roy Buffaloe of Memphis and Pat Ball Strachn, formerly of Batesville, attended Barlette High School.

He was preceded in death by his grandmother, Addie Lois Ball.

Survivors along with his parents include: two daughters, Addie Buffaloe and Jack Buffaloe, both of Bay St. Louis; one son, Jack Buffaloe of Memphis; one brother, Brady Buffaloe of Arlinton, Tenn. and two aunts, Bennie Fowler of Courtland and Rosemary Smith Ball.

COLDWATER – Steven Keith Butler, 46, died January 28, 2013, at his residence.
Services will be held today at 2 p.m. at Coldwater First Baptist Church. Rev. Bob Maddux and Father Sam Messina will officiate. Burial will be in Magnolia Cemetery. Dickins Funeral Home has charge.

Butler, born Dec. 4, 1966, in Memphis, to the late William Edward Butler and Janice Leigh Wilson Butler, was maintenance man at Tate County Schools. He was a member of Coldwater Baptist Church.

Survivors include: his wife, Shelly Butler of Coldwater; one sister, Robin Burris of Senatobia and one brother, Rodney Cain of Coldwater.

Memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association, 5583 Murray Rd. Suite 200A, Memphis, TN 38119.

ROSCOE, Texas –  Kenneth Thomas Gates, 52, died Tuesday, January 22, 2013, at his residence.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, February 2, at Wells Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Margaret Bondurant officiating. The family will receive friends from 12 p.m. until service time on Saturday. Wells Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Gates was born to Gloria Hale and Derryal Glen Gates on November 27, 1960 in Cleveland. He was an equipment operator in the oil fields in Texas. While living in Mississippi, he worked in Cleveland as a catfish farmer and also in Marks on area farms. But he felt most at home on his job in Ely, Nevada, where he was a rancher.

He was preceded in death by his father, Derryal Gates.

Survivors include three daughters, Whitnee Gates-Overstreet and Lara Atchison, both of Batesville and Jenny Gates of Pope; one son, Bryce Luchi of Florence; one sister, Marsha Williams of Courtland; his brother, Justin Gates of Batesville, Ark.; his mother, Gloria Hale Gates of Courtland and seven grandchildren.

SARDIS — Jermaine Jackson, 28, died Friday, January 25, 2013. Services were held Saturday at at Abundant Harvest Church of God in Christ in Charleston. Robinson Funeral Home had charge.

He graduated as valedictorian from North Panola High School in 2004. While working on his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Mississippi, Jackson was an honors student, a member of the Associated Student Body and a fixture at the Student Media Center.

At Ole Miss he helped with the creation of the DMonline.com and participated in NewsWatch, The Daily Mississippian, the Ole Miss yearbook, the Associated Student Body, Honors College, and Ole Miss Mock Trial.

RIDGELAND – Cindy Gilbert O’Neal, 42, died on Monday, January 28, 2013, at her home.  
Graveside services were held Thursday, at Longtown Cemetery near Crenshaw. Ray-Nowell Funeral Home – Senatobia Chapel had charge.

O’Neal, formerly of Clarksdale, owned a dance studio and taught dance for 18 years.  She was a former social worker in Jonesboro, and was actively involved with the American Red Cross during Hurricane Katrina. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, the late Uler Jenkins Gilbert and Barbara Ramsey Gilbert. 

 Survivors include: her husband, Trey O’Neal; three sons, Andrew Bryant of Oxford, Carter Bryant and Baily Bryant, both of Sledge, and one brother, Thomas Rowe of Jonesboro.  
Memorials may be made to the ALS Foundation, 1275 K Street, NW, Suite 1050, Washington, DC  20005.  

BATESVILLE – Earline Ballard Thomas, 63, died Monday, January 28, 2013.

Services will be held Sunday at Cooley’s Mortuary. Rev. Zannie Leland will officiate. Burial will be in Eureka Cemetery. Visitation will be Saturday at the funeral home from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Thomas, born Aug. 16, 1949, in Batesville, to Linell Ballard and Leora Johnson Ballard, was retired from Parker Hannifan. She was a member of West Camp M.B. Church.

Survivors include: one daughter, Juanita L. Jones of Batesville; three sons, Joey D. Thomas, Michael L. Thomas and Scotty L. Thomas, all of Batesville; two sisters, Mary P. Market of Batesville and Loretta Ballard of Wilson, N.C.; 11 brothers, Linell Ballard of Sledge, John Johnson of Chicago, Ozzie Ballard of Toledo, Ohio, Jerry Ballard of Batesville, Linell Ballard Jr., Forrest Ballard, Joe Ballard and Clyde Ballard, all of Wilson, N.C., Terry Ballard of Los Angeles, Willie Frank Ballard of Alexander, Va. and Lonnie Johnson of Milwaukee, Wis.

BATESVILLE – Earl Tucker died Wednesday night, January 30, at age 99.
Visitation is from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday night and Saturday from noon until the 2:30 p.m. service begins at Spring Hill Asa M. B. Church. Delta Burial Service has charge of arrangements.

Tucker was a U. S. Army veteran of World War II, serving in Europe. He was active in the Civil Rights movement in Panola County and was the last living plaintiff in the Panola County Voters League vs. Duke lawsuit filed in U. S. District Court in 1960.

When the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals eventually ruled in favor of Tucker and his co-defendants, the court decision became the tool that eventually forced the Panola County Circuit Clerk to open voter registration to black applicants. Tucker was active in the N.A.A.C.P.
Tucker had lived in the Chapeltown Community since 1938 and was always active in the Spring Hill Asa M. B. Church where he was a member and church officer.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Eva Boyd Tucker, and eight children, Gloria, Earl Jr., Melvin, Allen, Dorothy, Alice, Benny and Sylvester. He was preceded in death by another son, Keith Tucker.

Additional obituary information will be published in the Tuesday edition.

MARKS ––Jerry Glynn Willard, 60, died Tuesday, January 8, 2013.

Services were held Friday at West Marks Baptist Church.Burial was in Longtown Cemetery. Rev. Troy Moses officiated. Kimbro Funeral Home had charge.

Willard was born Sept. 12, 1952, in Crenshaw. He was preceded in death by his father, Leaster Elisha Willard.

Survivors include: his wife, Mary Ann Willard; his mother, Ellen Willard; one daughter, Amy Worrell of Senatobia; two brothers, Tony Willard of Strayhorn, Danny Willard of Longtown; three sisters, Carol Stephens of Longtown, Sherry Burkes of Sardis, Cathy Bolen of Crenshaw and two grandchildren.