Obituaries

Birda Bowden

BATESVILLE––Birda Bowden, 85, died Tuesday, December 13, 2016, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Desoto.
Services will be held Saturday at 3 p.m. at New Greater Life Church in Sardis. Visitation will be held today 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. at Henderson Funeral Home, who has charge of arrangements. Interment will be held at Rose Hill Cemetery in Sardis.
Bown was born July 12, 1931, in Panola, to the late Hulett Lamar and Mary Bensey Lamar.

Wesley Albert McIngvale

BATESVILLE – Wesley Albert Mclngva1e, 83, died Tuesday, December 13, 2016, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi, of congestive heart failure. The heart that comforted us all through trying times in our lives began its eternal rest today.
Funeral services will be held 11 a.m., Saturday, December 17, 2016 at First United Methodist Church in Batesville, with interment following at Magnolia Cemetery. Visitation will be from 9:30-11 a.m. at the church.
He was born on March 19, 1933, in Memphis to Herbert Albert McIngvale and C1ara Thomas McIngvale.  Wesley attended Sacred Heart School and Christian Brothers High School in Memphis, before graduating from Hernando High School in 1951. His grandfather owned and operated a grocery store in Hernando for many years; and his father, a nationally-known antique clock collector and restorer, later had a clock museum and workshop in the old grocery store building. He completed three semesters at Northwest MS Junior College, before volunteering for the Army in 1953, during the Korean Conflict.
Wesley married Letrice in September 1953, and upon his discharge from the Army in April, 1955, he came to Batesville permanently from Ft. Benning, Ga., where he had been stationed for 18 months. He continued his service in the MS National Guard, including the conflict surrounding the enrollment of James Meredith at Ole Miss in 1962.
In May 1955, he began work at Radio Station WBLE-AM in Batesville. He went to work at the Western Auto Store in 1965, and later oversaw the expansion of the store to include a Radio Shack franchise. He was a member of the Batesville Lions Club and the Batesville Junior Chamber of Commerce, serving as President of the Jaycees. He was chosen Outstanding Young Man of the Year in 1964. He served as President of the Batesville Chamber of Commerce in 1970-71.
In 1973, he was elected to the position of Alderman of Ward 1. Then, in 1975, he was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives, where he served until 1993. Throughout his career in local and state government, Wes was a champion of issues involving preventing child abuse, education, and of maintaining sound infrastructure in his district and statewide in support of economic development and job growth.
Since his retirement, he has taken great joy in helping his friends and neighbors solve their computer problems. A thoughtful public servant, he was greatly loved and respected, and will be sorely missed, by all with whom he came in contact in business and in community service.
Wes was known for growing beautiful roses and tomatoes. He loved God and cherished his wife, son, and granddaughter, and daughter-in-law. He loved all things computer-related, watching South Panola football, and bream fishing in his one-man boat with his custom-made fly rod.
He is survived by one married son, and his hunting and fishing partner, James Wesley McIngvale (Nancy), of Pascagoula, and one granddaughter, Elizabeth Brooke McIngvale, of Arlington, VA, as well as by his sister, Ginger “Sister” Gartrell (AL) of Walls, and many nieces and nephews. He also leaves behind his loving second wife, Lynne Masters McIngvale.
He is preceded in death by his wife of more than 60 years, Letrice Virginia Aston McIngvale, his parents, Herbert Albert McIngvale and C1ara Thomas McIngvale, his step-mother, Virginia Crawford McIngvale, his brother, George Sidney McIngvale, and two sisters, Patricia Bishop Benson and Judith Ann Bishop.
Memorial contributions may be made to First United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 797, Batesville, MS 38606 or St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, 112 S. 9th St., Oxford, MS  38665.
Dickins Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.

Geneva Allen

MADISON––Geneva Allen, 83, passed away Wednesday night, December 13, 2016, at St. Dominic’s Hospital in Jackson.
A memorial service will be held Sunday, January 8, 2017, at St. Catherine’s Village in Madison in the Activity Room. Family and friends are invited to attend.
Born on Nov. 19, 1933, to the late Bura and Nettie Clark in Collins, Geneva proudly dedicated her life to her marriage and to raising her two children. She, along with her late husband, Murray, served as lay missionaries in small Baptist churches in Arizona, New York and Ohio. An excellent musician, Geneva could be seen playing both the piano and organ on Sundays as she and Murray, an ordained minister after retirement, led a church in Barnesville, Ohio.
Since moving to St. Catherine’s Village in 2000, she has beautified the halls of the Village with flower arrangements, and on Sundays accompanied on the piano for the worship service in the Activity Room at St. Catherine’s. Her loving and giving spirit touched many lives and she will be missed by the residents and staff at St. Catherine’s.
Those left behind to cherish her memory include: her daughter, Patty Higgs (Billy) of Batesville; a brother, James Clark (Linda) of Anderson, S.C.; two grandchildren, Christopher Dennis (Leigh Ann) and Katie Boyd (Erin), both of Jackson; two step-grandchildren, Shannon McCullough and Logan Willis (Dan), both of Pope; two great-granddaughters and four step-great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Murray, one son, and one brother.
Due to Geneva’s request for her body to be donated to science through the University Medical Center, her memorial service will be a time of celebration of her life and her devotion to her family, friends, and most of all to her Lord and Savior. With many tears being shed, we say goodbye to our Mom and Mammaw. Praise God, we will be reunited one day-that is our promise and comfort.

Lucious Osborn Jr.

TUPELO––Lucious Osborn Jr., 62, died Saturday, December 10, 2016, at North Mississippi Medical Center.
Services will be held Saturday at noon at Henderson Funeral Home in Sardis. Visitation will be held today 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. at Henderson Funeral Home, who has charge of arrangements. Interment will be held at Cistern Hill Cemtery.
Osborn was born Sept. 5, 1954, to the late Lucious Osborn and Lille Mae Johnson.

Tommy Lee Strong

BATESVILLE––Tommy Lee Strong, 43, died Monday, December 12, 2016, at Merit Health Hospital in Clarksdale.
Strong, born March 19, 1973, in Panola, to the late Lawrence Strong and Faye Strong, graduated from South Panola High School. He was a member of New Bethlehem M.B. Church.
Along with his parents, he was preceded in death by his brother, Lawrence Strong Jr.
Survivors include: his wife, Lisa Strong of Batesville; two daughters, Tiara Strong Benson and Tierney Miller, both of Batesville; three sons, Te’Mario Strong, Le’Darius Strong and Joseph (Javon) Norris, all of Batesville; two brothers, Eddie Strong and Edward Poole of Batesville; and seven sisters, Martha Poole, Cherry Goodson and Ollie Hall, all of Batesville, Brenda Strong of Senatobia, Carmera Wilbourn of Sardis, Diana Strong of Southaven and Calandra Collins of Ohio.

Ruby Corinne Rose

Ruby Rose, age 103, passed away at Tallahatchie General Hospital Extended Care on December 15, 2016. She was the widow of C.B. Rose.
Services for Mrs. Rose will be held Saturday, December 17, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. in the Martin Willingham Memorial Chapel of Wells Funeral Home in Batesville, MS with visitation beginning at 1:00 prior to the service. Interment will follow at Magnolia Cemetery.
Ruby was born June 29, 1913 to the late Walter H. Cannon and Era M. King in Batesville, MS. She was a factory worker during her lifetime and a member of the Courtland United Methodist Church.
Survivors include 2 daughters; Sandra Hendrix of Berlin, Germany, Sara McCullough of Batesville, 4 sons; Van Rose, Robert Rose, and George Rose, all of Batesville, and Arbie Hendrix of Chicago, IL., numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews

Lamar Clayton Rutledge

Lamar Clayton Rutledge died December 11, 2016 at his home in Meridian.
Graveside services were held yesterday at Bethel Methodist Cemetery in Enid. Stephens Funeral Home had charge.
He was predeceased by his wife of 49 years, Marie Howard Rutledge. He is survived by his son Lamar (Lisa) Rutledge of Clinton; daughters Betty (Alton) Mosely and Anita Rutledge, both of Meridian; grandchildren Deanne Mosley, Dr. Jennifer Mosley, Brian Rutledge, John Rutledge and Kevin Rutledge; great-grandchildren Cole and Jenna Rutledge; brothers Gene Rutledge and Jimmy Rutledge and sister Charlotte Clinard.
Mr. Rutledge was born in Tate County to Andrew Clayton and Jessie Nelson Rutledge, the third of nine children. He attended school in Hernando and served in the U.S. Navy during WWII as a Gunners Mate, seeing action during the Sicily and D Day invasion of Normandy. He survived the sinking of his ship in the English Channel on Christmas Eve, 1944. He was employed by Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. retiring as a Senior Technician after 37 years of service.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Bethel Methodist Cemetery Fund in Enid, MS