Obituaries

Temecca Inez Gibbons

BATESVILLE – Temecca Inez Gibbons, 33, died at Panola Medical Center Thursday, June 8, 2017.
Funeral services were held Wednesday, June 14 at Mt. Gillion M.B. Church in Sardis.  Pastor Henry Kelly Walls officiated the service.  Interment followed at New Hope Church Cemetery.  Cooley’s Mortuary had charge.
Ms. Gibbons was born August 25, 1983 to Freeman Hentz and Annebel Towns Gibbons of Batesville.  She was a member of the South Panola Class of 2002 and worked at NMRC- Quail Run in Batesville.

Mary Miller

SARDIS – Mary Miller, 66, died at Diversicare of Batesville on Monday, June 12, 2017.
Funeral services will be Friday, June 16 at 11 a.m. at Coleman Chapel AME Zion Church.  Interment will follow at Batesville Cemetery.  Henderson Funeral Home has charge.
Ms. Miller was born in Batesville February 13, 1951, to the late Edgar Johnson and Minnie Miller Hines.

Mildred Irene Nelson

POPE – Mildred Irene Nelson, 97, died Tuesday, June 13, 2017, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford.
Funeral services were Thursday, June 15 at Pope Baptist Church with Dr. Gary Berry officiating. Interment was in Chapel Hill Cemetery.
Dickins Funeral Home had charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Nelson was born in Panola County December 3, 1919 to the late Rachel Ann Davis Snider and Arthur Lister Snider. A retired hairdresser, she owned and operated Mildred’s Beauty Shop for 42 years. She was a member of Pope Baptist Church and a founding member of the Pope Women’s Club. Mrs. Nelson loved to garden and write.

Willie Mae Renix

COMO- Willie Mae Renix, 84, died at her residence Sunday, June 11, 2017.
Visitation will be Friday, June 16 from 4-6 p.m. at Henderson Funeral Home in Sardis, who has charge of arrangements.  Funeral services will be Saturday, June 17 at 2 p.m. at Hammond Hill Church in Como.  Interment will be at Mt. Level in Sardis.
Ms. Renix was born August 17, 1932 in Como to the late Willie Armstrong and Magnola Johnson.

Robert L. Russell

SARDIS – Robert L. Russell, 75, died at the VA in Oxford Friday, June 9, 2017.
Visitation will be Friday, June 16, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary, who has charge of arrangements.  Funeral services will be Saturday, June 17, at 11 a.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary.  Min. Walter Sanders will officiate.  Interment will be in Askew Grove Cemetery in Sarah.
Mr. Russell was born October 15, 1941, in Sardis to Charlie George Russell Jr. and Lee Birde Harris Russell.  He was a farmer and a veteran of the United States Army.  He was a member of the Church of God.
Survivors to cherish his memory include his wife, Margie Russell; children; Robert Russell Jr., Kiva Russell, Terrance Russell, Carvelle Russell, Cassandra Anderson, Carissa Steel, and Rana Stanton; stepchildren, Antonio Johnson, Andre Johnson, and Angel Birge Johnson; brothers, Charles Milton Russell, Alvin Russell, George Craig Russell, Hal Clay Russell, Phil Russell, and Steve Russell; sisters, Bernice Dunnigan, Mary Russell, Rose Russell, Linda Buck, Barbara Russell, Charlene Austin, Carlene Riley, Sandra Watson, Vicky Connor and Pam Russell.

Josephine Spearman

COFFEEVILLE – Josephine Spearman, 87, died Friday, June 9, 2017 at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi.
Services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Mt. Zion Church in Coffeeville. Pastor Moses Thompson will officiate. Interment will be in Rounsaville Cemetery.
Visitation will be Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary, who has charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Spearman was born April 24, 1930 in Coffeeville to Robert Williamson and Sadie Criss.
She was a homemaker and a member of Mt. Zion Church in Coffeeville.

LaTasha S. Taylor

SENATOBIA–LaTasha S. Taylor, 32, died Saturday, June 10, 2017.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 17 at 4 p.m. at Second Baptist Church Life Center in Coldwater. Visitation will be Friday, June 16 from 6-8 p.m. at Felix Cauthen Funeral Home. Burial will be in Zion Cemetery in Senatobia.
Ms. Taylor was the daughter of Darlene Taylor-Jackson and Gary Jackson of Southaven and Nebraska Orr of Como. She was a business owner.

Mary J. Trotter

Mary J. Trotter, 89, of Sardis, MS, passed away on Tuesday, June 13, 2017 at North Oak Regional Medical Center in Senatobia.
Mrs. Trotter was born on April 30, 1928, in Memphis, TN to Henry Ward and Clara Fore Ward. A graduate of Sardis High School, she was a homemaker, loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was an active member of Davis Chapel Methodist Church and also enjoyed attending First Baptist Church in Sardis.
Mrs. Trotter is survived by her loving family, which includes her daughter, Jeanne Kemp of Sardis; two grandchildren, Jennifer LeAnn Kemp of Sardis and Arthur Kemp (Kayla) of Southaven; and one great-grandchild, Gracie Renee Kemp.  She was preceded in death by her husband of 45 years, William Earl Trotter and her parents.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, June 16, 2017 at 4 p.m. in the Sardis Chapel of Ray-Nowell Funeral Home, with Rev. Mike Jernigan and Rev. Charlie Simmons officiating. Interment will take place in Davis Chapel Cemetery in Sardis. Visitation will be held on Friday, June 16, 2017, from 2-4 pm at the funeral home.
Memorial contributions may be made to Davis Chapel Methodist Church or Davis Chapel Cemetery Fund.  Ray-Nowell Funeral Home – Sardis Chapel has charge of arrangements.

Sherry Lynn Welch Varnell

Sherry Lynn Welch Varnell, age 48, of Morrilton, Arkansas, passed away Sunday, June 11, 2017. She was born June 16, 1968 in Wurzburg, Germany, a daughter to Dennis Welch and Mona Taylor Simmons. She was a homemaker and a member of the Ada Valley Community Church.
Survivors include her husband, Michael Varnell; her parents, Dennis (Tammie) Welch of Pope, Mississippi, and Mona (Harlan) Simmons of Petit Jean Mountain; stepmother, Frances Welch of Pope, Mississippi; siblings, Cammy (Danny) Chandler of Lambert, Mississippi, Kathy (Jeff) Webb of Petit Jean Mountain, Mandy (Malcolm) Vaughn, Shane (Amanda) Welch, Jordan (Mallory) Bolen, and Jarred Bolen, all of Pope, Mississippi; children, Justen (Alysen) Varnell of Pope, Mississippi, Austin (Makayla) Varnell of Petit Jean Mountain, Stacie (Daniel) McGuire of Paris, Arkansas, Christopher (Amanda) Varnell of Van Buren, Arkansas, Sarah (Lee) Allen of Paris, Arkansas; eight grandchildren; and a host of nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Elmer and Hazel Welch, D.N. and Bertha Simmons, and Emma Jean Taylor; stepmother, Margaret Welch; granddaughter, Ariel Green; and her father-in-law, Charles Everett Varnell.
Memorial graveside services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, June 17, 2017, at Petit Jean Mountain Cemetery with Bro. Denis LaCook officiating.
Arrangements are by Harris Funeral Home of Morrilton. Online guestbook: www.harrisfuneralhomes.net