OBITUARIES – 12/23/2014
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, December 24, 2014
Glenda Lea Cook
SLEDGE–Glenda Lea Cook, 51, died December 18, 2014 at Baptist Memorial Hospital East in Memphis.
Funeral services were December 20 at Wells Funeral Home. Burial was at Longtown Cemetery, Crenshaw.
A sales clerk and outdoors enthusiast, Cook was the daughter of the late Thomas J. Cook and Rosemary Barlow Cook. She is survived by her sister, Faye Cummins of Crenshaw.
Charles L. Darby
POPE–Charles L. Darby, 68, died December 18 at Baptist Memorial Hospital-DeSoto in Southaven. Funeral services were held December 21 at Wells Funeral Home with burial in Bethel Cemetery near Enid.
Robert Rawson and Tommy Darby officiated.
Born September 3, 1946 in Enid to the late Robert Franks and Mildred Darby Franks, he was a member of Batesville First Assembly of God Church. He was a retired mechanic who enjoyed bluegrass music and played the dobro.
He is survived by his wife, Connie White Darby of Pope; two daughters, Tammy Marie Darby of Pope and Amber Leigh Towles of Southaven; two sons, Charles Wayne Darby of Tamarec, Fla., and Christopher Allen Darby of Pope; two sisters, Juanita Shelton and Shirley Alred, both of Sardis; four grandchildren.
John Meacham
BATESVILLE–Services for longtime Batesville banker and economic developer John Meacham Jr., were Monday, December 22, 2014, at the First United Methodist Church in Batesville. Interment was at the Magnolia Cemetery with Wells Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.
Meacham, 93, died Wednesday, December 17, at his home.
Meacham was born August 15, 1921 in Scooba to the late John Wesley and Lota Cavitt Meacham.
He graduated from Kemper County Agricultural High School in 1939 and attended Oglethorpe University in Atlanta on academic scholarships, earning his B.A. and M.A degrees. Following service in the U.S. Navy in World War II, Meacham earned his Master of Business Administration from Ole Miss and qualified as a Certified Public Accountant.
Meacham first moved to Batesville to become comptroller for Tucker-Brame Athletic Manufacturing and later opened a CPA practice with William H. Polk.
In 1958, Meacham was elected cashier and manager of Batesville Security Bank where he remained until his retirement until 1999, serving as president, trust officer, chief executive officer and chairman of the board. Under Meacham’s leadership, the Batesville Security Bank grew into the regional First Security Bank.
Meacham also served as director or officer of the Batesville Planning Commission, Shoppers Square, Inc., Whitten Insurance Agency, Batesville Concrete Products, Inc., Muscle-Shoals Rubber Company, Linn Sand and Gravel Company, among others.
The career bank executive also served as president of the Batesville Rotary Club, charter president and director of the South Panola Area Chamber of Commerce, director of the Mississippi Economic Council, the Small Business Administration Advisory Board, the North Delta Planning and Development District and as chairman and treasurer of the Panola County Republican Party.
In 1988, Meacham was selected, by virtue of his having graduated from Kemper County Agricultural High School, as East Mississippi Community College Alumnus of the year.
Meacham was the widower of Hope Dulaney Meacham. Survivors include two daughters, Rebecca Meacham of Bridgewater, NJ; Cecelia Meacham Carothers of Norcross, GA; four grandchildren, Amy Moffatt of Dublin, Ireland; James Meacham Moffatt of Norwalk, CT; Claire Carothers Oates and husband Adam of Atlanta, GA; Richard A. Carothers, Jr.and wife Caroline Gilliam of Austin, TX and one great-grandson, Samuel Cavitt Oates of Atlanta, GA.
The family requests anyone wishing to send memorial contributions to forward those to the First United Methodist Church, 119 Panola Ave., Batesville, MS 38606; John Meacham, Jr. Scholarship Fund c/o Northwest Community College, 4975 Hwy 51 N, Senatobia, MS 38668.
Buddy Roper
BATESVILLE–Buddy Roper, 51, died December 19 at his home. Funeral services were December 23 at Wells Funeral Home, with burial in Forrest Memorial Park. Chris Kling officiated.
Roper was born August 2, 1963 in Lambert to the late Lowell Raymond and Jewell Murphey Roper.
He was of the Christian faith. A construction worker, he enjoyed hunting and fishing.
Survivors include his wife, Nancy Hadorn Roper of Batesville; one daughter, Andrea Nichelle Moore of Batesville; four sons, Nathan W. Darby of Hernando; Chris L. Roper of Oxford, Derek Neil Joslin of Batesville and Raymond Daryle Roper of Batesville; two brothers, Dennis Roper of Ripley and Jimmy Roper of Fulton; and 15 grandchildren.
Denelda A. Roberson
SARDIS–Dynelda A. Roberson, 38, died December 19 at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi in Oxford.
Funeral services will be Saturday at 2 p.m. at New Rock Hill M.B. Church in Sardis, with Charles Becton officiating. Burial will be in West Camp M.B. Church Cemetery. Cooley’s Mortuary has charge of arrangements.
Visitation will be Friday at Cooley’s Mortuary from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Mrs. Roberson is survived by her husband, Derick Roberson of Sardis; three daughters, Precious S. Turner and Qualesha A. Turner, both of Batesville, and Tiffany Dishmon of Sardis; one son, Jamikal R. Turner of Batesville; her parents, Jessie Turner and Joyce Flowers Turner, both of Batesville; four brothers, Jonathan J. Turner and Jacques D. Turner, both of Batesville, and Jason Dishmon and Dexter Roberson, both of Sardis; two sisters, Erica S. Turner of Batesville and Shaquisha Robinson of Courtland; one grandchild.
Clayton Cory Sayles
POPE–Clayton Cory Sayles, 28, died December 18 at his home.
Funeral services were December 21 at Hosanna Family Worship Center in Pope. Damon Plummer and Rayford Ables officiated.
Born in Clarksdale May 3, 1986, he was the son of Jimmy Ray and Debbie Pittman Sayles.
An avid outdoorsman, he liked to hunt, and especially enjoyed taking children hunting.
Survivors, in addition to his parents, include his sisters, Sherri LaRaye Sayles of Pope and LaDuski Lynn Hale of Mayfield, Ky.; his grandmother, Imogene Hester of Batesville.
