Obituaries

Jimmie Royce “Jim” Fortune

Jimmie Royce “Jim” Fortune, 78, passed away Saturday, October 29, 2016, at Methodist Healthcare Hospice Residence in Memphis.
Services will be held today at 11 a.m. at the Batesville Church of Christ with interment to follow in Forrest Memorial Park in Batesville.  Visitation will be held one hour prior to service at the church. Wells Funeral Home has charge.
Jim, born April 20, 1938, in Memphis, to the late Ernest C. and Ella Mae Higginbottom Fortune, was a member of the Batesville Church of Christ and honorably served his country in the U.S. Navy. He was the owner of Fortune Real Estate in Batesville.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley Morgan Fortune.
Survivors include: his two children, Dawn Fortune of Memphis, Tenn., Steve R. Fortune of Cabot, Ark., and granddaughter, Meri Morgan Fortune.

Linda Harris

Linda Harris, age 65, passed away Tuesday, October 25, 2016 in Greenville.
Services were held Saturday at Wells Funeral Home. Interment followed at Forrest Memorial Park.

Betty Goza Langley

Betty Goza Langley, age 71, passed away Thursday, October 27, 2016, in Charleston, at the Tallahatchie General Nursing Home.
Services were held Monday at Wells Funeral Home. Interment followed at Forrest Memorial Park. Reverend Ed Temple officiated. Wells Funeral Home had charge.
Betty was born July 11, 1945, to the late Robert Taylor Goza and Emma Geneva Neal Goza in Houston, was a member of First United Methodist Church in Batesville. She was retired but worked for First Security Bank and MS Dept. of Transportation during her lifetime. Betty enjoyed reading, fishing, and going on trips with the Batesville Lion’s Club of which she was a member. She also enjoyed spending time with her grandson.
She was preceded in death by her son, Gary Ray Langley.
Survivors include: her daughter; Rhonda Fox (Jackey) of Courtland; brother; Robert Goza (Linda) of Houston, MS, and one grandchild, Blake Fox.

Mittie Lee DuBoise Martin

Mittie Lee DuBoise Martin, 96, passed away Saturday October 29, 2016, at her home in Batesville.
Services will be held Wednesday, November 2 at 2 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Batesville.  Visitation will be held from noon until service time. Interment will follow at Batesville Magnolia Cemetery. Dickins Funeral Home has charge.
Martin, born November 10, 1919, in Cascilla, to the late Willie Coleman DuBoise and Foncie Duboise, was a member of Batesville First Baptist Church. She enjoyed sewing and cooking, but she especially loved her flowers.
Mittie and her husband, George, were known for her daylily garden.  She was passionate about taking care of her home, her three children and her family. Her marriage of 76 years to George was one of mutual love and devotion and they were always together. She will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great- grandmother.
She was preceded in death by her husband, George Wesley Martin, Jr.; one son, George Wesley Martin III.
She is survived by one daughter, Betty Martin Horton and husband, Bill, and one son, Mike Martin, all of Batesville; one sister, Deloise Usry (Buford) of Brandon; eight grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
The family requests memorial contributions to be sent to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Sadie Charnes Perkins

Sadie Charnes Perkins, 91, died Saturday, October 29, 2016, at Desoto Health Care Facility.
Services will be held Thursday, November 3 at 2 p.m. at Como Baptist Church with interment to follow in Mt. Zion Cemetery in Independence. Visitation will be held one hour prior to service. Wells Funeral Home has charge.
Perkins, born February 5, 1925, in Waverly, Tenn., to the late Charles Marvin and Madie Ferguson Charnes, was a homemaker, worked as a clerk for K-Mart and was a member of Como Baptist Church.

Thomas Jack Pickett

Thomas Jack Pickett, 75, passed away peacefully to join our heavenly Father Friday morning, October 28, 2016, at the Mississippi State Veterans Home in Oxford.
Services will be held Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Wells Funeral Home. Visitation will be held Tuesday 5 –  8 p.m. at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Chapel Hill Cemetery with full military honors.
Jack was born on September 5, 1941, in Pope, to the late Brady and Zelma Baker Pickett. He is survived by his wife Dorothy Daugherty Pickett of Pope; two sons, Chris and Brad Pickett both of Pope; granddaughter, Devan Alexandria Pickett, two grandsons, Jackson and Manley Pickett; sister, Frances Pickett of Southaven; brother, Charles Hugh “Charlie” Pickett of Pope, as well as his nieces, Tamie, Mandy, Penny, and nephews Mike, Patrick, Jeffrey and Phillip.
Jack spent his entire life in the Pope area. He often traveled for work but always referred to Pope as home. Jack was a loving and devoted husband and father who came from humble beginnings as the son of a share-cropper. Jack worked many odds jobs in his early years, from digging ditches for the Liberty Hill Water Association to factory work at Polaron in Batesville, until finally settling in as a union insulator with the Local 90 asbestos workers union in Memphis. Although this career path would  often take him away from his loved ones, he was determined that hard work would pay off. He had a vision of where he wanted to be and continued to move forward to accomplish his goals. Having worked his way up in a very competitive environment, Jack believed anyone could accomplish whatever they set their mind to if you worked hard. Having proven this fact by starting out as field insulator and working his way up to  foreman, then supervisor, estimator and finally branch manager for United Thermal Industries out of Marion, IL.
In 1986, Jack made a decision to go into business with two of his friends and colleagues, Bobby Stewart and Wayne Clearman in Memphis.  They formed a partnership and more importantly a bond that would prevail over time. As Thermo-Spray and Clear-Art expanded, so did the opportunities. Jack was able to work on many projects, from the White House in Washington, D.C., to Rocky Flats Nuclear arms depot in Denver, CO. He even worked as far west as the Irvin Towers in Irvin, CA. This small town boy, who never lost sight of his goals, had made his mark in the world. Jack also worked with his wife, Dorothy, in a restaurant known as the Catfish Hut. He would often be seen socializing with the guests and trading stories to keep everyone entertained. He never forgot where he came from, and always maintained his love of the farm he grew up on. After retirement, Jack rekindled his love of raising cattle and kept a herd of cattle to keep him busy. Jack would often be seen with his granddaughter, Devan, in tow around the farm. Later his grandsons, Jackson and Manley, were taken under his wing, so he could encourage them.
He served in the Mississippi National Guard until he retired in 2001 after 32 years of service, with the retired rank of E9, SGM. He served as the Food Service Supervisor for the 168th Engineer Group and was part of the State Inspector General Inspection team. He initially served with the 223rd Engineer Battalion, and with Troop B, 1/108th Armored Calvary unit in Batesville. His awards include: the Sharpshooter Rifle Qualification Badge, the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Hour Glass Device, NCO Professional Development Ribbon with numeral 3, Army Service Ribbon, Mississippi Magnolia Cross, Mississippi Commendation Medal, Mississippi Medal of Efficiency, Mississippi War Medal, Mississippi Longevity Medal with Silver Oak Leaf Cluster.