Gloria Anne Sayers Baker was born Sept. 30, 1935, to Ralph J. Sayers and Irene Perkins Sayers in Detroit, Michigan. At a very young age, her family traveled to the South, eventually settling in Natchez, Mississippi.

Mrs. Baker passed away July 3, 2019. A service celebrating her life was held at Holly Springs First United Methodist Church with Rev. Ed Woodall of Batesville and Rev. Jeff Tollison of Holly Spring officiating. Internment was at Midway Cemetery in Abbeville.

She enrolled at Principia School in St. Louis, Missouri, in her late teens and graduated in 1953. She went on to further her education at the University of Mississippi, earning a B.S. in Physical Education, a Master of Education, and specialist certification in Special Education. While an undergraduate at Ole Miss, she joined Kappa Delta Sorority.

Mrs. Baker’s work as an educator spanned over forty years. She began her career in a one-room schoolhouse in Philadelphia, Mississippi, and later taught elementary school in the Marshall County School System.

After completing additional education, Mrs. Baker served as special education director for Marshall County Schools, elementary principal at Marshall Academy, and completed her career as a homebound and special needs instructor for Benton County Schools.

She was an active member of the Holly Springs First United Methodist Church, serving on multiple committees and boards. After moving to Batesville,  in recent years, she began worshipping at the Batesville First United Methodist Church, where she was a member of the Trinity Sunday School Class. She was an avid reader and always enjoyed genealogical research.

Survivors include daughters Joyce Baker Phillips of Holly Springs and Lane Baker Westfaul of Sardis; son, Duncan Baker of Holly Springs; and a brother, Jeff Sayers of Austin, Texas. She is also survived by four grandchildren: Michelle Wells Hutchens, Duncan Lamar Baker, Elane Sayers Westfaul, and Jayme Cathryn Westfaul, as well as two great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband of forty-nine years, Victor Lamar Baker, Sr., her son, Victor Lamar Baker, Jr., and her infant daughter, Janis Louise Baker.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Holly Springs First United Methodist Church, Batesville First United Methodist Church, or the American Lung Association.

 

Bonnie Brooks, 86, died Monday, July 8, 2019, at Providence Assisted Living in Batesville.

Funeral arrangements were incomplete Monday and will be posted by Wells Funeral Home when finalized.

 

Eric Samuel Guthrie, 37, died Thursday, July 4, 2019, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford.

Funeral services were Sunday, July 7, in the Martin Willingham Memorial Chapel of Wells Funeral Burial was at Forrest Memorial Park.

He was born June 27, 1982, in Oxford, to David Samuel Guthrie, Jr. and Debbie Gwen Wood Guthrie. He was an Associate Application Analyst R.N. with Baptist One Care Corporate, and a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Batesville.

 

Mrs. Lamerle Jeter Koonce, 81, passed away on Wednesday, July 3, 2019, at her home in Sardis.

Lamerle was born on May 7, 1938, in Rapides, La., to the late Vera Burns Jeter and Ellison Marion Jeter. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Sardis where she loved her church family.

In her spare time, she enjoyed genealogical research and while she spent time as a florist, she was a true homemaker as she devoted her life to her family as a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. Lamerle will be deeply missed by those who knew and loved her.

Left behind to cherish her memory are her sons, Charles A. Koonce (Cindy) of Springfield, Ill., and Leslie B. Koonce (Shirley) of Spotsylvania, Va.; her daughter-in-law, Nancy Woods (Rick) of Fulton; three grandchildren, Shane (Gina) of Lake Forest, Ill., Jennifer of Springfield, Ill., and Jamie (Natalie) of Colorado Springs, Co; and six great-grandchildren, Jessica, James, Emma, Allison, Giselle, and Gage.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, James Ray “Jim” Koonce; her son, Steven R. Koonce; her brother, Wallace Jeter; and her parents.

Funeral services were held Monday, July 8,  in the Sardis Chapel of Ray-Nowell Funeral Home with Rev. Jim Scruggs officiating.

Visitation was in the funeral home on Monday from 2 – 4 p.m. Interment will be at a later date in the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Newton.

Ray-Nowell Funeral Home had charge of arrangements.

 

Kenneth McGregor, 82, died Sunday, July 7, 2019, at his home in Batesville.

Wells Funeral Home will post details of funeral arrangements when finalized by his family.

 

Robert Lee Tamboli, 57, died Sunday, July 7, 2019, at his home near Pope.

Funeral arrangements were incomplete Monday morning and will be posted by Wells Funeral Home when finalized.