PONTOTOC- Rev. Wade Allen, 87, died Friday, September 13, 2013 at the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. He was the father of Carey Allen of Sardis.

Services were held Thursday at the First Baptist Church of Pontotoc with Dr. Lewis Harrell officiating.  Burial was in the City of Pontotoc Memorial Park.  Baldwin Nowell Funeral Home of Pontotoc had charge.

 He was born on May 12, 1926 to Thomas and Mary Clark Allen.  He was ordained as a minister in 1950.  He served as pastor of many churches and served as a judge in the Mississippi Bible Drills for many years.    He was listed in Who’s Who in Religion.  He served in the United States Military: US Navy 1944-46; US Air Force 1947-51.  He was a member of First Baptist Church of Pontotoc.

Survivors along with his son include, his wife; Betty Allen of Pontotoc;  two daughters, Barbara Wiggins of Lakeland, Fla. and Carol Gates of Orlando, Fla.; son, Wade Allen Jr. of Suffolk, Va.; four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren and one sister-Dot Teutsch of Beaumont, Texas.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Pontotoc County Baptist Association-254 Hwy 15 North-Pontotoc, MS 38863.

CHICAGO- Orah Sledge Ballentine, 90, died Wednesday, September 11, 2013.

Services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Bluff Springs M.B. Church in Sardis. Rev. L.C. Smith will officiate. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be held today from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Ballentine was born Oct. 14, 1922, to the late James William Sledge and the late Lucille Draper.

She is survived by her daughter, Diane Daniels of Chicago.

BATESVILLE– Sherree L. Beene, 37, died Monday, September 16, 2013, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi.

Services will be held Sunday at 3 p.m. at Batesville Junior High. Pastor Nathaniel Holleman Jr. will officiate. Burial will be in Royston Chapel C.M.E. Church Cememtery located in Potts Camp. Visitation will be held Sunday 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. at Batesville Junior High Auditorium. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Beene, born Nov. 12, 1975, in Memphis, to Anthony Royston of Potts Camp and Earnestine Smith of Potts Camp, was a school teacher for South Panola School District. She was a member of Church of God in Christ.

Survivors along with her parents include: her husband, Charles A. Beene of Batesville; one son, Charles Beene Jr. of Batesville; one daughter, Erica S. Beene of Batesville and four brothers, Gray Royston of Ashland, Eric Royston of Olive Branch, Ceadrick Royston of Southaven and Timothy Royston of Cordova.

MEMPHIS– George Ellis, 67, died Tuesday, September 10, 2013, at Methodist University Hospital in Memphis.

Services will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at New Home M.B. Church in Batesville. Pastor Jacob Hentz will officiate. Burial will be in New Hope Church Cemetery. Visitation will be held Friday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Ellis, born Nov. 29, 1945, in Batesville, to Charlie Ellis and Ethel Thomas, was a member of West Camp M.B. Church.

Survivors include: his wife, Betty Jean Ellis of St. Louis, Mo.; four daughters, Helen Ellis, Dorothy Jones, Barbara Jean Ellis, Georgia Ellis, all of St. Louis; three brothers, Willie B. Ellis of Batesville, Walter Ellis of Memphis, Worn G. Ellis of Courtland; two sisters, Rosie Sanders of Sardis and Eula Mae Ellis of Memphis; 19 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.

RIDGELAND- Mary Elizabeth Sparks Morrison, 96, died Tuesday, September 17, 2013, at Hospice Ministries in Ridgeland.

Services will be held today at 2 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home. Rev. Web Armstrong, minister for New Zion Baptist Church in Crystal Springs will officiate. Burial will be in Forrest Memorial Park Cemetery. Visitation will be held 11 a.m. until services. Wells Funeral Home has charge.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James O. Morrison and one son, Eddie Morrison.

Morrison, born Sept. 15, 1917, to the late Jessie Lawrence and Clara Mae Lewellen Sparks, worked at Garan Industries in Lambert. She was a member of New Zion Baptist Church in Crystal Springs. She was formerly a member of Belen Baptist Church in Lambert.

Survivors include: two daughters, Nellie Morrison Wright of Houston, Texas and Linda Morrison Ragon of Terry; one son, Jessie Morrison of San Antonio; six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

SARDIS- Antavius Thomas, 16, died Sunday, September 15, 2013, at Tri-Lakes Medical Center.
Services will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at North Panola High School. Rev. Marcus Newsom will officiate. Burial will be in Mt. Level Cemetery. Henderson Funeral Home has charge.

Thomas, born Aug. 11, 1997, in Sardis, was an honor student at North Panola High School. He was a member of God’s Word Impact Ministries.

Survivors include: his mother and step-father, Angela and LaKendric Thomas of Sardis; his father, Davis Battle of Batesville; two brothers, Cortez Battle of St. Louis and Artavious Johnson of Sardis; one sister, Aniyah Thomas of Sardis and his grandmother, Willie Mae Thomas.

SOUTHAVEN – Saint Mark Reeves, 63, died Tuesday, September 10, 2013, at Methodist Speciality Care Center in Flowood.

Services were held Wednesday, September 18, at Maceonia M.B. Church in Batesville. Pastor George Pollard officiated. Burial was in the church cemetery. Cooley’s Mortuary was in charge of arrangements.
Reeves was born May 3, 1950, to Willie Reeves and Annie Mae Cross in Panola County.  He was a pastor, school driver, supervisor of GCA cleaning service.  He was a member of West Batesville Pentecostal Church and pastor. He loved fishing, playing guitar and playing pool.

Survivors include his wife, Beatrice B. Reeves of Southaven; two sons, Marcus Reeves of Horn Lake and Derrick Reeves of Southaven; two daughters, Takellia Reeves Cage of Southaven and Lakeshua Johnson of Memphis; three brothers, James Reeves of Churchfall, Va., Calvin Reeves of Batesville and William Henry Reeves of Chicago, Ill.; three sisters, Maxine Jones and Ruby Johnson, both of Batesville and Shirley Reeves of Springdale, Md. and 14 grandchildren.

COMO – Berkley Walton, 84, died Friday, September 13, 2013, at Baptist Memorial Hospital – DeSoto in Southaven.

Services will be held Saturday, September 21, at 11 a.m. at Como C.M.E. Methodist Church in Como. Visitation will be held Friday from 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. at Felix Cauthen Funeral Home. Burial will be in Rose Hill Cemetery in Sardis. Felix Cauthen Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Walton was a retired factory worker.

Survivors include his wife, Alcey L. Walton of Como and two sisters, Levorn Finnley of Memphis and Odelia Boyce of Como.grandchildren.