BATESVILLE — Melvin Dandridge, 57, died Thursday, October 17, 2013, at his residence.

Services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Pleasant Green M.B. Church in Sardis. Burial will be in Rock Hill Church Cemetery. Pastor  Robert Govan will officiate. 

 Visitation will be held today 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary. 

Dandridge, born Aug. 7, 1957, to the late James A. Dandridge and Ivora Trammell attended North Panola School. He was a member of Black Hill M.B. Church. Survivors include: his wife, Linda Dandridge of Batesville; one daughter, Lakendra “Kym” Burdette of Memphis; two sons, Jermaine Winfield and Tarance Winfield, both of Batesville; three sisters, Delores Dandridge of Oxford, Evelyn Rice of Courtland and Janice Dandridge of Sardis; one brother, Carl Dandridge of Batesville; eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

OXFORD — Willie L. “Billie” Tucker, 90, died Wednesday October 23, 2013, in the State Veterans Home in Oxford. Mrs. Tucker is the widow of Milton Harry Tucker.

Graveside services will be held today at 11:00 a.m..  in the Veterans Section of Forrest Memorial Park in Batesville. There will be no visitation. Wells Funeral Home has charge.

Tucker was born June 19, 1923 in Memphis, to the late Robert William and Lora Lee Collins Durham. She was a member of Oakland Baptist Church and was also a retired secretary for Benswanger Glass Company. Mrs. Tucker served her country in the U.S. Coast Guard as a Specialist Second Class and was Honorably Discharged on May 15, 1946.

Survivors include, two daughters, Melanie Lynch of Oxford, Deborah Emiston of Cordova, Tenn.; son, Danny Tucker of Memphis; nine grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

BLUE ISLAND, Ill. — Pamela Shannon, 46, died Saturday, October 19, 2013.

Services will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Pope Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church. Pastor Nehemiah Martin will officiate. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Shannon, born Jan. 1, 1967, in Chicago to Arzell Shannon of Chicago and Rose Pough Shannon of Blue Island, Ill., was a nurse for University of Chicago Hospital and Chicago Metroplian Assurance Company.

Survivors along with her parents include: one daughter, Ashley Monquie Shannon; two grandchildren, Daliyah Shannon Nelson and Darriach Cagalee Nelson, all of Blue Island, Ill.; three uncles, Climmie Pough Jr., Joe Hankins; cousin Coleman Street.

MERIDIAN — Hugh A. Rhodes, 61, died Wednesday, October 23, 2013 at Anderson Regional Hospital in Meridian.

Services will be held at  2 p.m. on Saturday at Wells Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until service time. Hugh was born to Allen Lavon “Jack” and Ruby Reese Rhodes on March 17, 1952 in Calhoun City. Mr. Rhodes was a member of First Baptist Church, Batesville and graduate of South Panola High School’s Class of 1970. Hugh continued his education at Mississippi State University where he studied Architecture. While at MSU, he became an active member of Sigma Chi Fraternity.

Throughout his life, Hugh was an extremely creative individual; whether it be flowers, furniture or building structures, he had an eye for design. His creativity enabled him to open a Wholesale Showroom in Atlanta, GA, named, “The Mississippi Pavilion”. 

Those family members he leaves behind include: his sister, Janet Rhodes Heggie (Wallace) of Meridian, MS; niece, Jennifer Heggie of Brandon, MS; nephew, Wade Heggie (Erica) of Meridan; great niece, Megan Heggie & great nephew, Matthew Heggie both of Meridian.

William Pope

BATESVILLE — William Pope, 66, died Monday, October 21, 2013, at Golden Living Nursing Home. 

Services will be held Sunday at noon at Pope Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church. Pastor Nehemiah Martin will officiate. Burial will be in Pope Chapel Church Cemetery. Visitation will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge.

Pope, born Jan. 10, 1947, in Pope, to Hilliard Pope and Margaret Wright Pope, was a member of Pope Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church where he was in the male chorus. He was a former roofer and gas attendant.

Survivors include: his wife, Earnestine Gleaton Pope of Pope; three sons, Rickey Foster of Charleston, Clifford Hoskins of Memphis and Blake Moering of St. Louis; three sisters, Birdia Pope of Batesville, Georgella Hall of Pope and Christina Smalley of Detroit; one brother, Jury Pope of Detroit, five daughters, Whitney Gleaton, Melissa Gleaton and Peaches Gleaton, Margorie Gleaton Sanford and Nerrissa Gleaton of Pope; 15 grandchildren, 15 and one great grandchild.