Carol Winfield Ellis

COURTLAND–Carol Renea Winfield Ellis, 42, died September 11, 2015 at Merit Health-Batesville. The daughter of Leland Walls and Jeanett Winfield, she was born in Batesville November 13, 1972. 

She was a school bus driver for the South Panola School District and belonged to Antioch M.B. Church. 

Funeral services will be Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Batesville Junior High School auditorium. Pastor Reginald Reed will officiate. Burial will be in the Shiloh Church Cemetery in Courtland. Visitation will be today from 10-6 at Cooley’s Mortuary, and at the school from 1-2 Saturday afternoon.

Mrs. Ellis is survived by her husband, Willie B. Ellis Jr. of Batesville; two sons, Antonio Winfield and Winsten Winfield, both of Courtland; one daughter, Brittany Winfield of Courtland; three brothers, Thomas Winfield and Wayne Joiner of Courtland and Charles Wallace of Beaumont, Texas; two grandchildren.

John Willie Harris

BATESVILLE–John Willie Harris, 73, died September 11, 2015 at his residence. Born June 8, 1942 in Batesville, he was the son of Oscar Harris and Verlene Johnson. Mr. Harris was a tractor driver and belonged to Shiloh C.M.E. Church.

Funeral services will be Saturday at 11 a.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary Chapel, with Pastor Lafayette Morris officiating. Burial will be in the Macedonia Church Cemetery. Visitation will be today from 10-6 at Cooley’s.

Survivors include his wife, Lillian Harris of Batesville; four sons, Larry Harris, Earl Burdette, Willie Ernest Laws and Gearld Harris, all of Batesville; two daughters, Jeanette Benner of Sardis and Shelia D. Laws of Batesville; two brothers, William Earl Harris of Bradview, Ill., and Oscar Harris Jr. of Lake Wale, Fla.; three sisters, Azalene Webb and Eunice Mae Moore, both of Maywood, Ill., and Jimmie Dale Burdette of Batesville; 17 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren.

Frances Browning Houston

BATESVILLE–Frances Charlene Browning Houston, 74, died at her home September 10, 2015.

Funeral services were September 14 at Shady Grove Baptist Church with Rev. Tim McMillan and Hal Johnson officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery. Dickins Funeral Home had charge.

Mrs. Houston was born July 24, 1941 to the late Charles Eugene Browning and Elizabeth Catherine Johnson Browning in Panola County. She was a member of Shady Grove Baptist Church.

She is survived by three sons, Dorylan M. Brown Jr., Steven E. Brown and Lawrence W. Houston Jr., all of Batesville; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Judy Cosby Karr

BATESVILLE–Judy Lynn Cosby Karr, 56, died September 16, 2015 at Baptist Memorial Hospital East in Memphis. Funeral services will be Sunday at 2 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home with the Rev. Laron Self officiating. Visitation will be at Wells from 6-9 p.m. Saturday.

Born January 27, 1959 in Panola County to the late Shuford W. Cosby and Myrtle Brewer Cosby, she worked as a seamstress for more than 20 years at the Big Yank company in Water Valley. She was a member of Liberty Hill Baptist Church.

Survivors include: her husband, Jerry Schmitz of Pontotoc; four daughters, Judy Ford Sullivan of Batesville, and Charmie Schmitz, Carrie Griffin and Trista McNeal, all of Water Valley; four sons, John Ford Jr. and Walter Karr, both of Batesville; Brian Schmitz of Ohio and Allen Schmitz of Bruce; two brothers, Larry Wayne Cosby and Mike Cosby, both of Water Valley, and 14 grandchildren.

Scott Lewis

SARDIS–Scott Lewis, 52, died at his home on September 14, 2015. He was the husband of Diane Lewis.

Funeral services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Shiloh United Methodist Church near Batesville, with the Rev. Chris Cooksey officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be today from 5-8 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home.

Born December 25, 1962 to the late William Scott Lewis and Barbara Ruth Denton Lewis in Memphis, he was a retired x-ray technician for Quitman County Hospital and belonged to Shiloh U.M. Church. He held a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in physics, was an EMT, a licensed funeral service provider, musician and scuba diver.

Survivors include his wife, Diane Wilkerson Lewis of Sardis; two children, Devin Griffith of Biloxi and Sean Patrick Wilkerson of Richmond, Va.; one brother, John C. Lewis of Olive Branch.

Essie Mae Robinson Shannon

ENID–Essie Mae Robinson Shannon, 93, died September 15, 2015 at her home.

Funeral services will be today at 11 a.m. at Mt. Pleasant M.B. Church at Enid, with the Rev. William Johnson officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery.

Born November 23, 1921 in Enid to the late Willis Murphy Robinson and Mary Susan Venable, she was a homemaker and member of Mt. Pleasant Church and the Victory Star #121 Order of the Eastern Star.

Mrs. Shannon is survived by her sons, Laron Shannon of Enid and Thomas Love of Covington, Ga.; daughters, Erlean Shegog, Jacqueline Johnson and Phyllis Shannon, all of Enid; brother, William Robinson of Memphis; 23 grandchildren and 53 great-grandchildren.

Charles Edward Simmerman

DUNDEE–Charles Edward Simmerman, 72, a farm manager for Mascot Planting, died September 12, 2015 at Baptist DeSoto Hospital in Southaven. Funeral services were September 16 at Lula Baptist Church, where he was a member, with burial in the Longtown Cemetery. Meredith-Nowell Funeral Home in Clarksdale had charge of arrangements.

   Mr. Simmerman was an avid fisherman and deer hunter and enjoyed watching sports, especially the St. Louis Cardinals.

    Survivors include his wife, Eula Simmerman, of Dundee; son, Rusty Glover, of Oxford; daughter, Angie Peters, of Dubbs; brothers Gene Simmerman, John Simmerman, and Henry Simmerman, all of Porterville, Calif.; sister Louise Clark of Porterville.

   He was preceded in death by his son, Jody Simmerman.