Obituaries 7/26/16
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Aaron Collins Sr.
SENATOBIA––Aaron Collins Sr., 85, died Thursday, July 21, 2016. Services will be held Saturday, July 30, at 2 p.m. at Kingdom Hall of the Jehovah’s Witness in Senatobia. Rodgers Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.
Billy Joe Matthews
SARDIS––Billy Joe Matthews, 68, passed away July 23, 2016, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi.
Visitation will be held Tuesday, July 26, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Pate-Jones Funeral Home in Senatobia.
Billy Joe was a member of First Baptist Church in Sardis.
He leaves his daughter, Cammy Tyler (Mark) of Olive Branch and his son Beau Matthews (Debbie) of Sardis; grandchildren Justin Matthews, Tyler Matthews, Logan Tyler and Alex Tyler; great-grandchildren, Andrew and Allison Matthews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Raney and Edna Matthews; sister, Barbara McGregory and his brother, Leon Mathews.
James Roy Waller Jr.
CROWDER––James Roy Waller Jr., 96, of Crowder, went to be with Jesus on Saturday, July 23, 2016, at his home.
He was born in Eden on March 26, 1920, to James Roy and Lelia Day Waller.
He was a member of Crowder Baptist Church and he served as a Deacon Emeritus.
Services will be held Tuesday July 26, at 2 p.m. at Crowder Baptist Church with Bro. Larry Kilgore and Bro. Truman Scarborough officiating. Dickins Funeral Home has charge.
Mr. Waller attended Nashville Aviation School in 1940 and received a certificate, which enabled him to work at Lockhead Aircaft in Burbank, California as a Foreman in the building of firewalls in cockpits of P38 Fighter planes. He served in the Army in World War II and was shot several times during the invasion of Okinawa and received the Purple Heart, Asiatic-Pacific Service Medal, Philippine Liberation Ribbon, Combat Infantry Badge, MM Riffle MI BADGE, and the Good Conduct Medal.
After the War he ran the Crowder Service Station and Golden Rule Mercantile. He was an engineer and relief pilot for Southern Towing Company, a cotton ginner and long time farmer in his beloved town of Crowder.
Among his many life accomplishments, he was a Gideon, assisted in the formation of the VFW in Batesville, was long time member of the Yazoo Waterway Management Board, was part of the American Agriculture Movement, a committee member of Farm Bureau, Lions Club Member, Mason, Shriner, and member of Eastern Star.
He served on the Board of Directors of Citizens Bank and Trust and was co-owner of the Panola-Quitman Grainer.
He was preceded in death by his parents: James Roy and Lelia Day Waller; wife of 55 years and childhood sweetheart, Esther Sue Knight Waller; sister, Audrey C. Parrish; and brother, Norris E. Waller.
He is survived by his sister, Margaret Moore of Batesville, sister-in-law, Helen Warrington Waller of Marks, and aunt, Cinda Mae Bull (97) of Memphis; seven children: James William Waller (Beverly), Sandra Moore, Dotsy Guest, Wanda Moore, Marie Martin (Jim), Lynette Bland (Ricky), and Glenn Waller (Donna); 14 grandchildren: Darryl Waller (Becky), Phil Moore (Tracy), Jana Waller, Lonnie Moore (Libby), Karry Anderson (Brandon), Jay Weaver, Jamey Martin (Trisha), Joshua Moore (Candy), Clay Bland, Christopher Waller (Jana), Coy Bland (Shasta), Angela Waller, Amanda Cyr (Carl), and Daniel Waller; 25 great-grandchildren: Tyler Anderson, Philip Moore, Suzanna Anderson, Hannah Moore, William Anderson, Brittaney Cyr, Christian Moore, Casey Moore, Maddie Murray, Gabriel Moore, Ethan Moore, Cooper Walls, Cailin Walls, Levi Martin, Makenzie Hancock, Waller Weaver, Garrett Moore, Jacob Waller, Emma Martin, Hayden Waller, Hadley Waller, Ryleigh Kate Mitchell, Hayes Waller, Aubrey Bland, and future Ryan Cyr.
His legacy lives on through his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and in the lives of many others he touched and the memories, which remain.
The family request any memorials be made to Crowder Baptist Church Missions organizations and Gideons International.
H. Devon ‘Von’ Graham
HOUSTON, Texas––H. Devon ‘Von’ Graham died Friday, July 22, 2016 at his daughter’s home. He was 81.
Graham grew up in Batesville and was the son of the late Mr. and Mrs. H.D. Graham Sr. A graduate of Batesville High School and Mississippi State University, he rose through the ranks to become a top executive with the Arthur Andersen accounting firms offices in Houston and New Orleans. He was chosen as Mardi Gras carnival King Rex in New Orleans in 1985.
A memorial service in Houston will be held Thursday at Chapelwood United Methodist Church. A private visitation will be held in New Orleans Friday.
Graham is survived by his wife, the former Betty Caldwell; son Dr. H. Devon Graham III of New Orleans; daughter Elizabeth Graham Giroir of Houston; two sisters, Mary Virginia Knapp of Houston and Elizabeth Ann Butler of Michigan City, Miss.; four grandchildren and a step-grandchild.
Lucille Nix Norwood
Lucille Nix Norwood, 80, died Wednesday, July 20, 2016, at Gallaway Healthcare in Gallaway, Tenn.
Services were held Saturday at Wells Funeral Home. Burial was in Magnolia Cemetery. Wells Funeral Home had charge.
Norwood, born Feb. 5, 1936, to the late James H. Nix and Pauline Hodges Nix, in Calhoun County, was a homemaker. She was a member of Batesville First Baptist Church.
Charles Albert Roberson
Charles Albert Roberson, 80, died Wednesday, July 20, 2016, at the Memphis VA.
Services were held Saturday at Holly Springs Funeral Home.
Roberson was born March 27, 1936, in Batesville, to the late Ben Roberson and Stella Dalton Roberson.