Obituaries – Nov. 28, 2013

Deborah Joy Crow Babb

FT. SMITH, ARK.—Deborah (Debby) Joy Crow Babb, 66, of Ft. Smith, Arkansas died at 11 p.m. Tuesday, November 19, 2013, in Mercy Hospital surrounded by her family.
  Born September 4, 1948, in Helena, Ark., she was a daughter of the late John Crow, Sr. and Joy Crow. She graduated from Water Valley High School in 1966. After high school, she worked for Southern Bell in Grenada as a telephone operator, and she was a homemaker.  Debby studied computers and nursing and she worked in the home health field. She lived in many states until she settled in Ft. Smith. Debby enjoyed restoring antiques, music, cooking, reading, and movies.
  She is survived by her two daughters and sons-in-law, Shannon and Kenny Banks of Whitesboro, Texas and Joy and Stacey Johnson of Denton, Texas; her four grandchildren; and siblings, John Crow, Jr. and Janice Crow Joyner.
  Her ashes were spread over her beloved Ozarks.
  Her daughters ask that any memorial donations be sent in her memory to: The Next Step Day Room, 123 North 6th St., Suite 200, Ft. Smith, Ark. 72901, or Mercy Health Foundation, 2700 74th St., Ft. Smith, Ark. 72917.

Veda Willis Brown

WATER VALLEY—Mrs. Veda Willis Brown, age 54, died November 22, 2013, in Yalobusha County Nursing Home at Water Valley.
  Born December 3, 1958, in Calhoun County, Mrs. Brown was a daughter of Frank and Annie Mae Willis. She was adopted at the age of 11 by Jimmy and Josie Miller. Mrs. Brown was a member of the Church of God at Coffeeville. Veda married her friend of many years, Roy Gene Brown, July 16, 1977, and to this union two children were born.
  Visitation will be held Friday, November 29, from 9:30-11 a.m. in Mt. Grove M.B. Church, Coffeeville. The funeral service will be held immediately following visitation at 11 a.m. in the church, with Bro. John Clement officiating. Burial will be in the Church of God Cemetery at Coffeeville. Serenity-Martin Funeral Home of Oxford has charge of arrangements.
  Survivors include her husband, Roy Gene Brown of Coffeeville; one daughter, Tiffany Brown of Oxford; a son, Chris Brown of Jackson; her father, Jimmy Miller of Grenada; one grandson, Royeshun Brown of Oxford; a sister, Dorothy Westbrooke of Pontotoc; two brothers, Johnny Willis of Memphis, and Timothy Willis of Jackson.
  Mrs. Brown was preceded in death by her mother, Josie Miller, two sisters, Jennette Watson and Annette Silas.

Deborah Diane Dickey

WATER VALLEY—Deborah Diane Dickey, age 55, died November 22, 2013, at her home in Water Valley, surrounding by her family.
  Born in Memphis, she was a daughter of Gladys Long House and the late Charles D. Long. She attended Florida State University and served in the U.S. Army in Germany. Deborah enjoyed fishing at the lake, feeding deer, painting Christian figurines, and family time. She was involved with pet rescue and loved her many dogs. She was a Pentecostal by faith and attended a variety of churches through the years.
  Services are scheduled for Wednesday, November 27, at 12 noon, in Seven Oaks Funeral Home, with Bro. Wall officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to service time. Burial will follow in Mt. Liberty Cemetery in Calhoun County, with Jeffery Archer, James Archer, Steve Archer, Rob Archer, Tina Archer, and Brad Surrette as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Dencil House and Larry House.
  She was preceded in death by  her husband, Jimmy Ray Dickey, and her father, Charles Long.
  She is survived by three daughters, Tina Archer, Pam Dickey, and Kim Dickey, all of Water Valley; three sons, Jeffery Archer and James Archer, both of Water Valley, and Rob Archer of Olive Branch; her mother, Gladys House of Water Valley; her step-father, Dencil House of Water Valley; and four grandchildren.

Darlene Renee “Nae” Hollowell Gandy

LAFAYETTE COUNTY—Darlene Renee “Nae” Hollowell Gandy died November 11, 2013, in Memphis.
  Born November 7, 1952, she was the daughter of Donna Rae Deckard and Calvin Miles Hollowell. She attended school in Water Valley. Renee was a RN and an artist. She was the wife of James “Tim” Garland Gandy and mother of Leafy Rivers, Jesse Dylan, and Savannah Rae Gandy.
  A memorial service was held Saturday, November 16. Her ashes were buried between grandparents, Mary Florene Hodge and James Joseph Hollowell at Mount Liberty Cemetery in Banner.
  Nae leaves three grandchildren, Cody Christopher Garrett Caney, Gabrielle Ophelia Chaney, and Maddox McPherson. Nae had one brother, Rodney Kim Hollowell (Diane) and one niece, Stacey Ann Hollis.

Betty Riley Hall

WATER VALLEY—Betty Riley Hall, 63, died Thursday, November 21, 2013, at her home in Water Valley.
  Born in Yalobusha County, January 9, 1950, Mrs. Hall was a daughter of the late Willie A. and Jessie Gooch Riley. Betty worked for years in the deli at Piggly Wiggly in Water Valley and was a member of Pine Grove Missionary Baptist Church. She was an excellent cook, enjoyed singing and was very active in her church. She loved her children, grandchildren, family and friends.
  Visitation was held Monday, November 25, from 5 to 7 p.m. in Seven Oaks Funeral Home at Water Valley. The funeral service was held at one o’clock in the afternoon Tuesday, November 26, in the Henry Chapel of the funeral home, with Pastor Johnny Roland, Pastor Alexander, Pastor Person, and Pastor Steen officiating. Burial was in the  Pine Grove Church Cemetery. The repast was held in the Sanders Chapel Gymnasium at Water Valley.
  Survivors include her husband of 44 years, Ezra Hall of Water Valley; a son, Eric Riley (Earlene) of Water Valley; two sisters, Mildred Haywood (Charles) of University Park, Ill. and Georgia Hall of St. Louis, Missouri; two brothers, James Riley (Mary) and Robert Riley, all of Water Valley; seven grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
  In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her son, Tony Riley.

Wilburn Jay Solbrack

OAKLAND—Wilburn Jay Solbrack, 75, died November 9, 2013, in Yalobusha County.
  Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Mr. Solbrack had moved to the Oakland area from Greenville, Mississippi, in 1992. He was a retired hydraulic mechanic, with Entergy, and a veteran of the U.S. Navy. Mr. Solbrack was a hunter and sportsman. Traditional archery and collecting long bows were also of special interest to him.
  A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Coleman Funeral Home of Oxford was in charge of local arrangements.

Samuel Andrew Spraberry

OXFORD—Samuel Andrew Spra-berry, 24, died Friday, November 22, 2013, in Lafayette County.
  Born in Memphis, Mr. Spraberry grew up in Southaven, where he was a 2007 graduate of DeSoto Central High School. After serving four years as an avionics mechanic in the United States Marine Corps, he moved to the Oxford area where he had lived for the past year. Currently, Mr. Spraberry was attending Tennessee Tech where he was completing requirements for an FAA license to be an aircraft mechanic. He planned to return to the University of Mississippi to complete a degree in civil engineering in order to have  both degrees. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed water skiing, hunting and fishing. A member of the Presbyterian Church of America, Mr. Spraberry attended First Presbyterian Church in Water Valley.
  Visitation was held Tuesday, November 26, from 10 a.m. until noon, in First Presbyterian Church at Water Valley. Funeral services followed at noon in the church. Rev. John P. Sartelle officiated. Interment was in the College Hill Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Oxford. Coleman Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.
  Survivors include his parents, Harold and Carolyn Spraberry of Water Valley and one sister, Sarah Spraberry of Jackson.
  Memorials may be made to the First Presbyterian Church, P. O. Box 590, Water Valley, MS 38965.