March 1, 2007

Braymon John Edwards
  WATER VALLEY: Braymon John Edwards, 84, died February 25, 2007, in Baptist Memorial Hospital—North Mississippi at Oxford.
  Funeral services were held Tuesday, February 27, 2007, at two o’clock in the afternoon in the Chapel of Latham Funeral Home in Water Valley with Bro. Jimmy Dale Sartain officiating. Burial was in Pinecrest Memorial Gardens, south of Water Valley, with Jeremy Flippin, Joseph Flippin, Josh Fielder, Chris Fielder, Jonas Edwards, and Danny Childress as pallbearers.
  Mr. Edwards was a mechanic for Greyhound Bus Company. He was a Baptist and was married for 59 years to Jewel Schmitz Edwards, who survives him. He was a U.S. Army Veterans of World War II.
  Survivors include: his wife, Jewel Schmitz Edwards of Water Valley; two daughters, Shelia Flippin of Water Valley and Patricia Edwards of Hernando; two sons, Michael Leon Edwards of Collierville, Tennessee and Richard Earl Edwards of Destin, Florida; two sisters, Bertha Moore of Memphis and Beatrice Hicks of Tullahoma, Tennessee; one brother, Byron Edwards of Mt. Juliet, Tennessee; 10 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

John Presley Person
SOUTHAVEN: John Presley Person, 67, supervisor for Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, died Friday, February 23, 2007, at his son’s home in Southaven.
  Mr. Person was born November 29, 1939, in Water Valley to the late Stewart and Nell Person. He was an Army Veteran and a member, and former deacon, of First Baptist Church in Southaven.
  Services were held Tuesday, February 27, 2007, at eleven o’clock in the morning in First Baptist Church at Southaven. Graveside services were held at two o’clock in the afternoon in Bethlehem Cemetery at Water Valley. Twin Oaks Memorial Gardens and Funeral Home of Southaven had charge of arrangements.
  He leaves: his wife of 43 years, Pam Person of Southaven; one son, John Person, Jr. of Southaven; two daughters, Natalie Person Spencer of Germantown, Tennessee and Stephanie Person of Southaven; one brother, James Person of Water Valley; three sisters, Patricia Hawkins of LaJolla, California, Nancy Edmundson of Memphis, and Joy Windham of Mobile, Alabama; and two grandchildren.
  The family requests that memorials be made to the Ronald McDonald House, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Mable Edna “Big Mama”
Phillips-Holmes
  WATER VALLEY: Funeral services for Mrs. Mable Edna “Big Mama” Phillips-Holmes were held Saturday, February 24, 2007, at two o’clock in the afternoon in Bayson Chapel M.B. Church, with Rev. Amos Sims officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery with Gary Bolden, Quincy Holmes, Willie McNeal, Dennis Tatum, Richard Tatum, and Kevin Wise as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers were Chester Holmes, James Willie Holmes, John Holmes, Lee E. Polk, Russell Polk, and James Jenkins. Jackson Memorial Funeral Service, Jackson, Mississippi had charge of arrangements.
  Mrs. Phillips-Holmes died February 17, 2007 in Yalobusha General Hospital at Water Valley.
  Born July 2, 1924, Mrs. Phillips-Holmes was a daughter of the late Dan and Mary Pearl Phillips. She was married to Joe Willie Holmes for sixty-three years. To this union was born eleven children: James Willie (Lillion) Holmes; Sadie (Maurice) White; Christine Bolden; Mary Brassell; Betty (David) Holmes of Batesville; Mable Horton; Rosie Holmes; Chester Holmes; John (Rocilla) Holmes; Annie (John) Key of Oxford; and Lorene (Charles) Cox. One brother, James Phillips, preceded her in death. Three sisters, Minie Neal, Ella Mae Taliaferro, and Sadie Jenkins, also preceded her in death. She is survived by one sister, Sudie Mae Polk; 40 grandchildren; and 47 great-grandchildren.
  She accepted Christ at an early age and was a faithful member of Bayson Chapel M.B. Church until illness prevented her from attending.