Obituaries

Christina Lynn Sparks Basso

CASPER, Wyo.–Christina Lynn Sparks Basso, age 48, passed away at her home Sunday, October 15, 2017.
Funeral services fwere held Saturday, October 21 at Wells Funeral Home. Interment was at Chapel Hill Cemetery. Rev. Roger Howell officiated.

Christina was born October 9, 1969 to the late Johnnie Allen Sparks and Sandra Lynn Iseli Sparks in Memphis. She was a homemaker.

Johnnie Mae Powell Bayne

Johnnie Mae Powell Bayne, 98, died at Germantown Methodist Hospital Thursday, October 12, 2017.
Funeral services will be Saturday, October 21, at 1 p.m. at Macedonia M. B. Church. Visitation will be Friday, October 20, from 4-6 p.m. at Hughes and Sons Funeral Home in Batesville.
Mrs. Bayne was born September 12, 1919 to Hoise Bayne and Lizzy Bayne. She was a homemaker.

John W. Boult

TAMPA, Fla.–John W. Boult, 84, passed away Sunday, October 15, 2017. He was born in Jackson, Mississippi and grew up in the Mississippi Delta town of Belzoni. He spent many happy holidays on vacations in his mother’s ancestral home in Como, Mississippi, a small town just south of Memphis.
He attended college at the University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee, where he graduated with honors.
Thereafter, he attended Vanderbilt University Law School where he was Associate Editor of the Vanderbilt Law Review and where he met and married Jimmy Lou Foster, who was the only female student in his law school class.
After law school, he entered the Navy Officers Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, and was commissioned as a Lieutenant Junior Grade, and served for three years as an Appellate Attorney in the Office of the Judge Advocate General of the Navy at the Pentagon. Upon his relief from active duty in the Navy, he served for a year as an Appellate Attorney with the Office of the United States Attorney General in Washington, D.C. In 1963 John and his wife and two children moved to Tampa, Florida where John practiced law until his retirement. During the last eleven years of practice, he was a member of the mediation group at the firm of Barr, Murman & Tonelli. In 2002, he published his memoir called “Sheltered Places,” recalling his experiences in Delta and in College and Law School in Tennessee.
John was preceded in death by his wife, Jimmy Lou, and daughter, Alison Suder. He is survived by his son, Ward; son-in-law, Brad Suder; and his grandchildren, Cameron and Shannon Suder.
A memorial service will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, October 2, at St. Andrews Episcopal Church, 505 N. Marion Street, Tampa, Fla.
John will be laid to rest at a later date in Como, Mississippi at Friendship Cemetery.
Arrangements are under the care of Blount & Curry Funeral Home- Carrollwood Chapel. Online condolences can be expressed at www.blountcurrycarrollwood.com

Windell Eugene Burns

BATESVILLE–Windell Eugene ”Gene” Burns, 58, died Sunday, October 15, 2017 at his home.
He was born on December 3, 1958 to Rosie Marie Rutherford and Abby Windell Burns.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, October 17 at Dickins Funeral Home. Interment was in Chapel Hill Cemetery.

Ruth Davis Cathey

SENATOBIA-Ruth Davis Cathey, 87, died at Great Oaks Rehab Health Center in Byhalia Saturday, October 16, 2017.
Funeral Services will be Tuesday, October 24, at 12 noon at Senatobia Church of Christ. Interment will follow in Carter Sunset Memorial Cemetery in Senatobia.
Visitation will be Monday, October 23, from 4-7 p.m. at Senatobia Church of Christ. Felix Cauthen Funeral Home has charge of the arrangements.
Ms. Cathey was a retired third grade teacher.

E. L. Frison

COURTLAND- E. L. Frison, 92, passed away Thursday, October 18, 2017 at Baptist Desoto in Southaven. Visitation will be held Monday, October 23, from 10a.m. until 6p.m. Services will be held Tuesday, October 24 at 11a.m. at Fellowship Christian Church in Batesville. Interment will follow in Antioch Church Cemetery in Courtland. Pastor William Frison will officiate.  Mr. Frison was born July 16, 1925 in Oxford to Alex and Matilda Hope Frison. He was a retired factory worker from Parker-Hannifin in Batesville and was a member of Fellowship Christian Church.

Christina Lynn Sparks Basso

BATESVILLE–Billie Jean Nix Jennings, 86, a homemaker, died Wednesday, October 18, 2017 at Panola Medical Center.
Graveside services are 2 p.m. Friday, October 20 at Memorial Gardens in Clarksdale. Meredith-Nowell Funeral Home has charge.
Mrs. Jennings was a member of the Batesville Church of Christ.
Survivors include sons Marc Jennings (Cathy) of Batesville, and Marshall Jennings of Nancy, Ken.; daughter Maryan George of Clarksdale; grandchildren Steven George (Michelle), Whitney Hutchins (Keith), Chris Jennings and Melissa Jennings and six great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Cecil and Juanita Eubanks Nix.

Mildred Shaw Respess

After being blessed with 93 years here on this earth, Mildred Shaw Respess peacefully entered her heavenly home at noon on Monday, October 16, 2017 surrounded by her surviving sons, Don and Ronnie.
Funeral services for Mildred were held Wednesday, October 18, 2017 at Lambert First Baptist Church with visitation beginning at 12 noon.
Rev. Millard Caulder and Rev. Joey Faulk officiated. Interment followed at Lambert Cemetery.
Those honored to be pallbearers were Ron Respess, Miles Respess, Stone Respess, Lee Respess, Wash Respess, Ward Corbin, Will Corbin and Wilson Albrecht.
A prayer warrior with a servant’s heart, Mildred was the oldest active member of Lambert First Baptist Church. At the age of 13, she asked Jesus to be her Savior and Lord and then began her life-long membership at First Baptist Lambert.
She was also active in many community groups and was often found visiting the sick and widowed. Because God was the chief cornerstone of her life, she enjoyed being a friend and showing love to anyone she came in contact with.
She loved being outdoors and gardening. In recent years when she could no longer walk her mile a day, she continued to walk around her home daily and enjoyed sitting outside taking in the sounds and smells of God’s beautiful world.
Grandmama, as she was called, was a great cook. She truly enjoyed serving others. Her dill pickles, hot water cornbread, and fried okra were among the many favorite dishes her family and friends enjoyed.
Mildred was blessed to be an integral part of her sons, grandchildren and great-grandchildren’s lives.
Those she leaves behind to cherish her loving memory include two sons, Don Respess (Kathy) of Lambert, and Ronnie Respess (Linda) of Grenada; one brother, Malcolm Shaw of Coffeeville; seven grandchildren, Ron Respess, Amanda Bayles, Courtney R. Albrecht, Lee Respess, Amy R. Corbin, Wash Respess, and Crystal Clark; 14 great-grandchildren, Miles, Stone, Katherine, Ward, Elizabeth, Evan, Brooke, Wilson, Cade, Will, Grace, Kate, Erin and Allie.
The family would like to give a huge thank you to her special caregiver, Audrey Aven.
Mildred is preceded in death by her parents; Clyde Shaw and Estelle Walton Shaw, her husband; Hubert Lee Respess, one son; Chuck Respess, one sister, Judy Green, and five brothers; Edwin, Gilespie, Eugene, Jerry and Wesley Shaw.
The family asks for those wishing to send memorial contributions in Mildred’s honor to please do so to Lambert First Baptist Church, 812 6th St., Lambert, MS 38643.

Louanna Hughes Smith

BATESVILLE–Louanna Hughes Smith, age 84, passed away peacefully on Sunday October 15, 2017 at Baptist Memorial Hospital Oxford.
She was born November 13, 1932 in Sardis to the late Gracie Lee Austin Hughes and Galvester “Lil” Hughes. She resided in her home in Batesville until her death.
Services will be Saturday October 21 at 11 a.m. at Rocky Mount Primitive Baptist Church in Sardis. Pastor Earl Richardson will officiate. Burial will be in Lowes Cemetery in Sardis.
Visitation will be Friday October 20 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary with a family hour from 5 p.m.-6 p.m.

Linder Darnell Stinson

Linder Darnell “Nell” Stinson, 65, was born in Pontotoc County on February 27, 1952, the daughter of Linder and Bessie Mae Horton Willard.
She died Sunday, October 8, 2017, at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo.
Nell was a retired factory employee and was of the Pentecostal faith.
Her husband, Robert L. Stinson, preceded her in death on August 9, 2013.
Funeral services were held Wednesday, October 11 at Glenfield Funeral Home with burial following in the family cemetery at West Union.
Brother Doug Pepper and Brother Adam Lenard officiated. Active pallbearers were David and Ricky Nolan, J. R. and James Willard, Eley and Scooter Anderson, and Cody Gullick.
She is survived by her mother and stepfather, Bessie Mae and Daniel L. Rowland of Batesville; three brothers, Sidney (Dago) Willard of Tremont; Jimmy Glenn Willard of Water Valley; and Robert Lynn Willard of Batesville; a sister, Towanda (Sissy) Crawford of Pope; three stepbrothers, Bobby Rowland, Robby Rowland, and Raymond Rowland; and several nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her father and her sister, Fairy Mae Dillard.

Jason McCord Webb

Jason McCord Webb, 41, died October 14, 2017 in New Orleans.
Funeral services will be Saturday at noon at Old Rock Hill M.B. Church. Visitation will be Friday, from 4-6 p.m. at Felix Cauthen Funeral Home and from 11 a.m. until service time Saturday.
He is the son of Zennie and Benjamin Webb of Sardis and was an assistant teacher.

John Anderson Wiley

Courtland—John Anderson “Froggy” Wiley, 71, died at his residence on October 12, 2017.
Funeral services will be Saturday, October 21, at 2 p.m. at Power House Church of God In Batesville. Pastor Jonathan Wiley will officiate the service.
Visitation will be Friday, October 20, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Cooley’s Mortuary with family hour from 5-6 p.m. Interment will be at Batesville Cemetery.
Mr. Wiley was born September 18, 1946 to Tommy Wiley, Sr. and Alvania Boyd Wiley of Marks. He was a retired engineer.
Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Martha Ann Wiley of Courtland; three sons, Derwin Wiley, Kelvin Wiley, Edwin Wiley; one daughter, Pantrice Wiley Love; five brothers, Tommy L. Wiley, James B. Wiley, Jonathan Wiley, Lee E. Wiley, Johnny B. Wiley; four sisters, Dorothy Ballard, Lorean Norwood, Essie B. McKinnley, Gladys Flower; and a host of grandchildren, great grandchildren, and nieces.