Obituaries

Margaret M. ‘Peggy’ Cole

BATESVILLE – Margaret M. “Peggy” Cole, age 72, passed away at her home outside of Batesville on September 11, 2017.
Funeral services for Peggy will be held at noon on Friday, September 15, 2017 in the Martin Willingham Memorial Chapel of Wells Funeral Home in Batesville, with visitation beginning at 10 a.m. Interment will follow the service at Bethel Cemetery in Enid.
Peggy was born October 26, 1944 in Greenwood, to the late John Francis Mann and Frances Holliday Mann. Peggy was a retired office manager. She enjoyed life, she loved to play tennis and was fond of western jewelry.
Those she leaves behind include two sons, William B. Holland IV of Batesville, and John Mann Holland of Paragould, Ark.; two brothers, John Mann of Philadelphia, Miss. and James Albert Mann of San Diego, Calif.; three grandchildren, Holly Holland, Spencer Holland, and Bailey Holland, all of Batesville.
In addition to her parents, Peggy is preceded in death by one son, Jim Tom Cole.

Roye Bruce Dawson

BRANDON – Roye Bruce Dawson, age 51, passed away at his home on September 9, 2017.
A memorial service will held at 3:30 p.m. on Friday, September 15 at Wells Funeral Home. The family will receive friends beginning at 2 p.m. prior to the service.
Bruce was born in Greenwood on November 3, 1965 to Richard Russell and Carolyn Kay Johnson Dawson.
He had degrees in environmental science and secondary education from Delta State University and a nursing degree from Hinds Community College. He worked at Future Labs.

Charles Eldredge Jones

RALEIGH, N.C. – Charles Eldredge Jones, 81, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on Saturday, September 9, 2017, in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Charles, affectionately known as Charlie or “Red” in his younger days, was born and raised outside Ripley, Tennessee in the Luckett community. He was the son of the late Elmer and Willie Mae Walker Jones.
He was some kind of “tight” with his Mama, Willie Mae. They must be celebrating their timely reunion, which occurred on her birthday, proof that he did indeed do it “My Way”.
In addition to his Mama, he loved his family, flowers (especially Peonies), Southern Cooking (and anything chocolate), antiques, (always looking for a great deal) and dancing the boogaloo! He was a hardworking man and instilled that same work ethic in all of his children. He farmed the land with his family, briefly worked for the automobile industry in Chicago and then headed to the big city of Memphis to work in the flooring business. He later started his own business, Jones Carpet Service, in northern Mississippi and expanded to Starkville. In 1981, he was elected and served three four-year terms as the Mayor of the Town of Como, Mississippi. He loved to attend antique auctions and also had a storefront in downtown Como where he and his wife bought and sold antiques and collectibles for a number of years.
After his diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease, Charles’ health declined. He and his wife Sandra relocated to North Carolina in the spring of 2016.
Charles’ family includes his wife Sandra; children, Cindy (& Jimmy) Wilbourn, Theresa (& Billy) Willis, Tammy (& Tony) Swaggard, Jeani (& Chip) Shankle, Chad (& Michelle) Jones and Lynne Jones; his grandchildren, Davis (& Neely) Wilbourn, Jonathan Wilbourn, Kim (& Matt) Besecker, Cory (& Renee) Willis, Joseph (& Mary) Willis, Gloria Dawn Cain, Leeanne Gonzalez, Matt (& Marie) Gulliver, Justin (& Lindsey) Gulliver, Carmen Shankle and Carson Jones; his great grandchildren; Jackson Wilbourn, Harrison Wilbourn, Ryan Besecker, Lilah Besecker, Amber Bass, Ehren Bass, Austin Helmick, Nathan Willis, Cody Willis, Samantha Nelson, Cade Cain, Juana Gonzalez, Lili Gonzalez, Zeke Gulliver, Jude Gulliver and Abel Gulliver; great-great grandchild Caiden Bass; his brother Benny Jones, and sisters Delene Craig and Brenda Bountry as well as his nephew and nieces.
Charles specifically requested that there be no funeral service. A private memorial will be held at a later date.
Our entire family would like to thank the talented and compassionate medical staff at both Duke Raleigh Hospital and Transitions LifeCare (formerly Hospice of Wake County).
In memory of Charles, our family kindly requests that you consider a donation to one of the following organizations: Alzheimer’s Association ALZ.org,Transitions LifeCare transitionslifecare.org; Hospice House, where not only Charles, but also our family, were so compassionately taken care of in his final days.
As Charlie “Red” Jones often said, “It was something else”.

Lee Sherman Jones

SARDIS–Lee Sherman Jones, 82, died Monday, September 11, 2017 at his residence.
Born January 31, 1935, in Panola County, he was the son of Howard Lee and Willella Leach Jones.
Mr. Jones served in the U.S. Air Force.
He is survived by his wife, Darcus Campbell Jones, and by five children, ten grandchildren, nine sisters, three brothers and one uncle.
Funeral services will be Saturday, September 16 at 11 a.m. at Mt. Gillion Church.
Visitation will be Friday at Henderson Funeral Home from noon to 4 p.m. and at Viney Creek Church from 5-7 p.m.

Edith Teen Lewis

BATESVILLE – Edith Teen Lewis died September 5, 2017 at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi in Oxford.
Born December 22, 1958, she was the daughter of Edith Teen Lewis.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, September 16 at 11 a.m. at Howard Chapel CME Church, Como. Visitation will take place from 10 a.m. until service time. Hughes and Sons Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.

Jimmy Neal Long

COMO – Jimmy Neal Long, age 74, passed away Sunday afternoon, September 10, 2017, at his home.
Funeral services for were held Thursday, September 14 at Wells Funeral Home. Interment was at Forrest Memorial Park. Rev. Rick Geeslin officiated. 
Jimmy was born October 20, 1942 to the late Kendrick Long and Inez Leech Long in Memphis. He served in the U.S. Army and worked as a truck driver.

Jim Travis Rainey Sr.

BATESVILLE–Jim Travis Rainey Sr., age 80, died September 10, 2017, at Baptist Memorial Hospital of North Mississippi in Oxford.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, September 16 at 2 p.m. at Wells Funeral Home. The family will receive friends beginning at 1 p.m. prior to the service.
Jim was born August 14, 1937 to the late Emmitt B. Rainey and Sophia Ruth Price Rainey in Milan, Tenn. He served in the U.S. Navy and was a division safety manager for UPS for the Southeast Territory.

Mary E. Wilson

COURTLAND–Mary E. Wilson, 82, died September 5, 2017 at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Miss.
Funeral services will be Friday, Sept 15 at 2 p.m. at St. Peter M. B. Church, with burial in the church cemetery. L. Hodges Funeral Services has charge.