OBITUARIES 8/8/2014

Published 12:00 am Friday, August 8, 2014

Scotty W. Bland

BATESVILLE–– Scotty W. Bland, 53, died Wednesday, August 6, 2014, at Allegiance Hospital in Greenville.

Services will be held today at 5 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home. Burial will be in Forrest Memorial Park. Rev. Rusty Miller will officiate. Wells Funeral Home has charge.

Bland, born Sept. 9, 1960, in Sardis, to Mattie Melton Bland of Batesville and the late Osbond Smith Bland, was disabled due to an accident many years ago in Texas.

Survivors along with his mother include: three sons, Gary Wayne Bland Sr. of Batesville; Steven Scott Bland of Sledge and Jody Bland of Batesville; one brother, David Bland of Sunflower and seven grandchildren.


Emily Rebecca Grace

SARDIS––Emily Rebecca Grace, 88, died Thursday, August 7, 2014, at Sardis Community Nursing Home. 

Memorial services will be held Saturday, August 9 at 10 a.m. at Independence Presbyterian Church on Highway 35 South. 

Grace, born July 6, 1926, to Maude Rebecca Carpenter Grace and Charles Victor Grace, in Jasper, Ala., graduated from Walker County High School. She attended Huntingdon College and received degrees from both Auburn University (API) and Columbia University. She retired from teaching after 25 years of tenure at the University of Mississippi.

She was a member of Independence Presbyterian Church, Friends of the Library, The Historical and Genealogical Society of Panola County and The Daughters of American Revolution. 

Since 1962, Miss Grace resided in the historic “Carpenter House” built by her grandfather in 1869 or 1870. She was the last living grandchild of John Able Carpenter and Anne Rebecca Potterfield Carpenter.

Survivors include: cousins, Ben Benson and Terry Hill.

Memorials may be sent to Independence Presbyterian Church in care of Stan Sullivant, 861-A Sullivant Rd., Batesville, Miss. 38606.

William Clayton “Pee Wee” Johnson

BATESVILLE–– William Clayton “Pee Wee” Johnson, 82, died Tuesday, August 5, 2014, from an auto accident on Interstate-55 south of Pope.

Services will be held today at 1 p.m. at Calvary Baptist Church. Rev. Paul Middleton and Rev. Charles Locke will officiate. Visitation is toady at 11 a.m. until service at the church. Burial will be in Magnolia Cemetery. Dickins Funeral Home has charge.

Johnson, born Feb. 20, 1932, in Batesville, to the late Cecil Johnson and Robbie LeMaster Johnson, attended Batesville Presbyterian Church and was a veteran of the Korean War. He retired from Coors Brewing Company in Memphis and also worked for the Panola County Courthouse as a bailiff.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Lillie Johnson. 

Survivors include: his daughter, Libby Johnson of Oxford; two sons, Perry Harrison and his wife, Judy of Blue Springs and Larry Harrison and his wife, Virginia of Batesville; two sisters, Linda Combs of Batesville and Joan Walker of Grenada; seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to North Mississippi Regional Center, 967 Regional Center Dr., Oxford, Miss.

Marty Keith Sharp

BATESVILLE–– Marty Keith Sharp, 55, died Monday, August 4, 2014, in Batesville from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. 

Services will be held today at 2 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home. Burial will be in Forrest Memorial Park. Visitation will be held from noon until service time. Wells Funeral Home has charge.

Sharp, born Feb. 24, 1959, in Clarksdale, to Cecil and Bonnie Tutor Sharp of Batesville, was a retired salesman. He played drums in several local bands including: Sidetrack, Jessie Yates Band and Krossover. He was a member of First Baptist Church.

Survivors along with his parents include: one daughter, Jordan Sharp of Dundee; and his brother, Kevin Sharp of Hernando.

The family requests anyone wishing to send memorials to forward those to Panola County Humane Society, P.O. Box 1756, Batesville, Miss. 38606 or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.