Obituaries

James Gray Hailey

POPE- James Gray “Jim” Hailey, 82, died at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis Friday, August 25, 2017.
Funeral services were held Sunday, August 27, 2017 at Wells Funeral Home, who had charge of arrangements. Interment was in Chapel Hill Cemetery in Pope. Rev. Derrick Simmons officiated the service.
Mr. Hailey was born June 9, 1935 in Michigan City to the late William C. and Annie Gray Hailey. He was a retired farmer and a member of Victory Baptist Church.

Dorris Donald Summers

BATESVILLE – Dorris Donald “Don” Summers Sr., 86, passed away Sunday evening, September 3, 2017, at his home.
Funeral services were held Wednesday, September 6, 2017 at the First United Methodist Church with interment to following in Forrest Memorial Park in Batesville. The Reverends Martin Case and Ed Temple officiated the service. Those honored to serve as pallbearers include, Eric Summers, Ryan Summers, Nathan Summers, Bobby Summers, Joshua Davis, Zach Davis and Brady Summers. Wells Funeral Home had charge of the arrangements.
Don was born March 21, 1931 in Airmount, Miss. to the late Frank Dewey Lenord and Mayfried Vickery Summers. He has been a longtime faithful member of the First United Methodist Church, where he has served in many different capacities throughout the years. At the age of eighteen, Don entered the U.S. Navy and served during the Korean War. After honorably serving his country, Mr. Summers went to Mississippi State University on the GI Bill, and graduated second in his class with a degree in electrical engineering. He had a life long love of learning. Don was present and witnessed the first hydrogen bomb test, and then went on to join a team that helped to design the guidance system for the first moon launch. From 1967-1980, he built and sold homes in Yalobusha and Tallahatchie Counties. While still building homes, Mr. Summers entered the grocery business, where he owned and operated several Piggly Wiggly stores including from 1974-1980 in Coffeeville, 1980-1986 in Water Valley, and Piggly Wiggly in Batesville from 1984-1998. It was somewhere in that time Don found time to earn his private pilot’s license and continued to fly small private airplanes for many years. He was a community leader in Batesville for many years, having served as a member of the Batesville Rotary Club and past president of the Panola Chamber of Commerce.
Don’s loving memory and legacy will live on with his wife, Betty Porter Summers of Batesville; daughter, Angela Summers of Batesville; two sons, D. Donald Summers Jr. and wife Heidi of Batesville, John E. Summers of Los Angeles, Calif.; brother, Clyde Hugh Summers of Coffeeville; three grandchildren, Eric Summers (Tracy), Nathan Summers, Ryan Summers and one great-grandchild, Brady Summers.
Beside his parents, Don was preceded in death by two sisters, Anna Mabel Summers Harrison, Jonnie Inez Summers McCormack, and two brothers, Selvin Coleman Summers and Frank Dewey Lenord Summers, Jr.
Anyone wishing to send a memorial contribution may forward those to the First United Methodist Church, P.O. 797, Batesville, MS 38606.

Jo Ann Thomas

SARDIS- Jo Ann Thomas, 80, died at her residence on August 31, 2017.
Funeral services will be Saturday, September 9, at 2 p.m. at St. Peters M.B. Church in Sardis. Min. Allen Brassell will officiate. Interment will be in St. Peters Church Cemetery in Sardis.
Visitation will be Friday, September 8, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary, who has charge of arrangements.
Ms. Thomas was born May 22, 1937 to Willie B. Galmore and Jo Anna Briscoe of Sardis. She was a homemaker and a member of St. Peters M. B. Church.

Annie P. Kennedy Tidwell

BATESVILLE – Mrs. Annie P. Kennedy Tidwell, 83, died Monday, September 4, 2017, at her home.
Funeral services were held Thursday, September 7, 2017 at Dickins Funeral Home with Bro. Roger Howell officiating. Interment was in Forest Memorial Cemetery.
Mrs. Tidwell was born on May 11, 1934 to the late Carrie Cleo Davis Kennedy and Luther Kennedy. She was a member of Jackson Grove Church of Christ and a member of the Homemaker’s Club.

William Marter Trussell

Richardson, Texas — William Marter “Bill” Trussell died Saturday, September 2 at his home.
Arrangements for a memorial service in late October at Wells Funeral Home will be announced later.
Born June 25, 1948 in Grenada, he was the son of the late James and Marie Trussell of Batesville and the husband of the former Robbie Lynn Gee of Crowder.
A 1966 graduate of South Panola High School, Trussell earned his B.A.E. and M.A.E degrees from Ole Miss and was a 1975 graduate of East Texas State University where he earned his Ed.D. and M.L.S degrees.
He was a member of the Canyon Creek Presbyterian Church in Richardson. Always an avid sports fan, especially for Ole Miss and South Panola, Trussell broadcast South Panola football games on radio for six years and wrote a sports column for The Panolian while in high school and at Ole Miss. He was also an avid cyclist and golfer.
Survivors, in addition to his wife, include his daughter, Rev. R. Miranda Trussell and son-in-law David Antonelli of Arlington, Texas; his brother, James Trussell of Mobile, Ala.; nephews Jay Trussell of Slidell, La. and Mike Trussell of Seattle and niece Nancy Trussell Herald, also of Mobile.
Memorials may be made to the University of Mississippi General Scholarship Fund, the University of Mississippi Foundation, 406 University Ave., Oxford, MS 38655 or Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Presbyterian Church (USA), P. O. Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700.

Michael E. Tutor

OAKLAND – Mr. Michael E. Tutor, 61, passed away Friday, September 1, 2017, at his home in Oakland.
Mr. Tutor was born in Marks. He was a NASCAR fan and he loved his work in trucking.
Mr. Tutor also had a great love for his dogs and most of all, his family. He was described as the type of man who worked hard and played hard.
A private memorial service was held by the family Wednesday, September 6, 2017, at his residence at 46 County Road 557, Oakland, MS 38948. Coleman Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
He is survived by his wife, Angela Tutor of Oakland; one sister, Janie (John) Ard of Courtland, MS; and two brothers, Ricky (Deborah) Tutor of Courtland, MS, and Barry Tutor of Batesville, MS.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Sherman Tutor and Geneva Tutor; and one sister, Anita Hobson.
Memorials and donations in honor of Mr. Tutor may be sent to the Oxford/Lafayette County Humane Society; P.O. Box 1674, Oxford, MS 38655.
Online condolences may be left on the Tribute Wall at www.colemanfuneralhome.com.

Terry Lee Vernon

HARMONTOWN- Terry Lee Vernon, 61, died September 2, 2017 at his home.
Funeral services were held September 7, 2017 at Wells Funeral Home with a committal service at Memphis Memory Gardens Cemetery in Memphis.
Mr. Vernon was born November 5, 1955 to the late William D. Vernon, Sr. and Dorris McCollum Vernon. He was a self employed painter.

Mary Alice White

CROWDER – Mary Alice Roach McMillan White, 73, died Thursday, August 31, 2017 at her residence.
Funeral services were held Monday, September 4, 2017 at Pate-Jones Funeral Home in Senatobia. Burial followed at Batesville Magnolia Cemetery.