Obituaries

Jeffrey Bruce Ballard

CLARKSDALE–Jeffrey Bruce Ballard, 38, a diesel truck driver for Gresham Petroleum, died April 8, 2017 at Baptist East, Memphis. Visitation is today from 5-6 p.m. at Clarksdale Baptist Church. Funeral services will follow at 6 p.m. Meredith-Nowell Funeral Home in Clarksdale is handling the arrangements.
Jeffrey was very active in Awanas at Clarksdale Baptist Church where he was a member.
Survivors include: fiancée Candace Fischer of Clarksdale; two daughters, Kirby and Hannah Ballard, both of Texas; son Rally Windham of Clarksdale and his mother, Debra Ballard of Longtown.

Flora May Cobb

LAMBERT–Flora May Atkinson Cobb passed from this earthly life on Monday, March 6, 2017, in Blairsville, Georgia, just months before her 100th birthday.  Although she called Lambert home for most of her life, she lived in Suches, Ga. with her daughter for the last 15 months of her life.
The daughter of William Joseph Atkinson and Elizabeth “Betty” Brewer Atkinson, Flora May was born on October 22, 1917, in Lambert.  She was one of three children born to this couple that lived to adulthood.  Flora enjoyed a close relationship with both of her siblings and their families.
She graduated from Lambert High School and then married her sweetheart, Jasper Darrell Cobb, on December 25, 1935 at her home in Crowder.
One of her greatest joys was being a part of the large, close-knit “Cobb clan,” as she loved to call them.  She reminisced about family nights with her husband’s siblings and their spouses that involved lots of laughter, food and card games.
Until her failing health made it impossible to do so, she faithfully attended every Cobb and Atkinson family reunion.  Family was extremely important to Flora May.  Her home was filled with pictures of her children and grandchildren and her conversations were just as full of stories of their latest accomplishments.
Flora May was a dedicated and enthusiastic piano teacher for many years.  She tried to impart to her students the same love for music that she possessed.  It was not uncommon to hear her exclaim, “I love music!  Music is my life!”
As she sang in the senior adult choir at First United Methodist Church in Batesville when she was in her 90’s, her love for music and for her Lord radiated on her face.
Church and her love for the Lord played a major role in Flora May’s life.  Although Flora May was originally a member of First Baptist Church in Lambert, she joined Lambert United Methodist Church with her husband Darrell in 1939.
She continued to be active in that church until she moved to Batesville, where she joined First United Methodist Church.  There she was active in church, Sunday school, UMW, the senior choir and OWLS.
Flora May was a tiny woman with a zest for life.  Despite the many changes in technology that she saw during her 99 years, she remained active and engaged.  She learned to use cell phones and computers.  She even surprised and amazed her grandchildren by opening a Facebook page!
Her energy and enthusiasm were contagious.  She constantly challenged herself physically and mentally by exercising and studying regularly.  She never found a crossword puzzle that was too challenging.
Flora May was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, William Walter “Pat” Atkinson, and his wife, Sadie Cobb Atkinson; her sister, Nellie Atkinson Bunnell, and her husband, Robert; her beloved husband, Jasper Darrell Cobb, and two of her sons, Percy Rex Cobb, who died as a young child, and Jack Allen Cobb (survived by his wife, Vicki).
She is survived by her oldest son, Larry Cobb, and his wife, Kay, and her daughter, Jean Cobb Mixon (Charles), 10 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren, 3 great-great grandchildren, many loving nieces and nephews and numerous friends.
The family is planning a memorial service to celebrate the life of Flora May later this year at Lambert United Methodist Church.

Velma Mae Ford

COMO—Velma Mae Ford, 93 died April 6, 2017, at Avalon Hospice in Memphis.  Funeral services were held April 8 at the Felix Cauthen Funeral Home Chapel.  Interment was at Cistern Hill M.B. Church in Como.
Ms. Ford was a homemaker.

David Michael Helms

BATESVILLE–David Michael Helms, 54, died at Baptist Medical Center in Little Rock on April 1, 2017.
A memorial service for Mr. Helms will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 15 at Wells Funeral Home in Batesville with visitation beginning at 2 p.m.
Mr. Helms was born July 1, 1962 to Edward Earl Helms and the late Emma Lou Graham Helms.
He served in the U.S. Air Force and was a truck driver for Snyder Transportation.

Dera C. Kirchoff

BATESVILLE—Dera C. Kirchhoff, 78, died April 5, 2017, at the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo.
Funeral services were held April 8 at  Wells Funeral Home.  Interment was in Forrest Memorial Park.
Mrs. Kirchhoff was born November 13, 1938 to the late James Warner Connell and Gladys Gertruse Alcorn Connell in Sumiton, Ala.
She was a retired mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service.  She was of the Methodist faith.