Obituaries 02/08/2018
Louise Hall
WATER VALLEY- Mrs. Louise Hall, 85, passed away on Friday, January 26, 2018 at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford. Born on July 29, 1932 she was a daughter of the late Mr. Lucus Hatten and Ms. Izella Hatten. She was a proud and faithful member of the Water Valley Church of Christ until her health began to fail her.
Services were held on Tuesday, January 30, at Springhill North M.B. Church in Water Valley. Burial followed at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Water Valley. Serenity-Daniels Funeral Home of Water Valley was in charge of the arrangements.
She is survived by seven daughters, Izella White, Lena Willingham, Nancy Hall, Patsy Hall all of Water Valley, Essie Joiner, Dorothy Bishop both of Batesville, and Shirley Hammond of Richmond, Ca; a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.
T.J. FLowers
POPE – T.J. Flowers met his Lord and Savior before sunrise on the morning of January 31, 2018 at the age of 91. T.J. was born in Pope on October 3, 1926 to Tillman Breckinridge Flowers (T.B.) and Minnie Mae Baker Flowers. He was a proud World War II Veteran, having served his country in Japan.
His life was celebrated Friday, February 2, at Dickens Funeral Home in Batesville. Interment was in Oak Hill Cemetery in Panola County.
T.J. was respected and loved by all who knew him. He was a man of genuine integrity and treated everyone with dignity. He had a work ethic beyond compare and delighted in doing well at whatever he was doing. T.J. made his family a priority and became the natural and loving patriarch of them all. He was the baby of his four siblings and they affectionately called him “baby brother”. His mother, Miss Minnie Flowers, called him her “baby boy” until she met the Lord at age 100. T.J. understood the richness of the love of family. He truly believed he had the best family in the world. He was a master at making his family feel loved and gave them a safe and loving home all the days of his life. T.J. Flowers was a man of his word; he was kind; he was giving; he was a wonderful story-teller; and his quick and charming wit always brought a smile. He had a simple and genuine faith in God. He accepted Christ as his Savior at a young age, and lived a life of faithfulness knowing that his true home was eternal.
T.J. and Inez owned and ran a store and bait shop on Hwy. 51 near Enid Lake for many years. T.J. spent time as a Yalobusha County sheriff’s deputy and later owned and operated Batesville Livestock Commission Company in Batesville. He was a business man and a cattle farmer and loved every minute of the freedom that he had. He was a lifetime member of Chapel Hill United Methodist Church in Pope. He was also a VFW lifetime member.
T.J. is survived by his loving companion, Donna Irby and his children Mike Flowers (Gail) of Oakland; Mary Anne Churchill (Doyle) of Hot Springs, Ark.; Joyce Holmes (Danny) of Little Rock, Ark.; Rosa Knichel (Bo) of Hernando; and Judy Brown (Brian) of Jackson, Tenn. He is also survived by 10 grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, and close friends.
T.J. was preceded in death by his loving wife of 56 years, Inez McCullar Flowers. They were both preceded in death by two of their children, Ronnie “Bud” Flowers, and Debra Kay Flowers. T.J. was preceded in death by his grandson, Joshua Ryan Churchill, and his siblings Beatrice (Bea) Tippit, Frank Flowers, Earlene Roberson, and Della Bell.
Memorial contributions may be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association, MS Chapter, 1900 Dunbarton Dr., Suite H, Jackson, MS 39216; American Heart Association, 4830 McWillie Circle, Jackson, MS 39206 or the VFW.
Jeffie Bolden Reeves
GRENADA—Funeral services for Jeffie Bolden Reeves were held Saturday, January 20, 2018, in Pine Grove East Missionary Baptist Church at Water Valley. Interment followed in the church cemetery.
Mrs. Reeves, 76, of Grenada, formerly of Water Valley, died Monday, January 15, at her residence. She was born in the Pine Grove Community on April 19, 1941, a daughter of the late Sallie Morgan Bolden and William McKinley Bolden, Sr. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, John L. Reeves; two brothers, Joe L. Morgan and William Bolden, Jr.; and three sisters, Annie M. Starks, Ona Bolden Crawford, and Edna Bolden Ellis.
She confessed a hope in Christ at the age of 13 in Pine Grove East Baptist Church under Rev. Ezra Mead and remained a member there until her death. However, when she lived in Grenada and was unable to attend Pine Grove she attended other churches in the Grenada area.
Jeffie grew up in Water Valley and completed all of her pre-college education there. She continued her education by attending two higher institutions of learning, Prentiss Jr. College in Prentiss and Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, where she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education. She worked for the Tallahatchie County School system, Grenada County School system and the Yalobusha County School system for over 20 years and was also a pre-school teacher for a number of years.
Jeffie moved to Grenada after her marriage to the late John L. Reeves, spending the remainder of her life there. She has no children, but raised a beloved nephew. She departed this life on the afternoon of January 15, 2018.
Survivors include her nephew (raised as a son) Orlando S. Bolden; (friend, Catherine Snow) of West; a great-niece (granddaughter), Ambra S. Bolden of Grenada; two brothers, Herron Bolden (friend, Bertha Towns) and Ned Bolden, both of Water Valley; three sisters, Erma K. Hall of Bruce, Lillion Holmes of Water Valley, and Helon Spencer (Gordon) of Wichita, Kansas; two step-daughters, Dorothy J. Powell of Chicago, and Johnnie Williams (Jerry) of Grenada; a special friend, Cartresha Bolden; a God-daughter, Gayle Daniels of Saint Louis, Mo.; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Clark-Williams Funeral Home of Grenada was in charge of arrangements.
Ann Keel Vance
BRUCE—Ann Keel Vance, 70, passed this earthly life and heaven’s gates on Sunday, January 28, 2018, at her home.
Born January 21, 1948, in Water Valley, Ann was a daughter of the late Noel Franklin Keel, Sr. and Clara Mae Parker Keel. She was also preceded in death by a brother, Charles Keel.
Ann was a devoted active member of Mt. Comfort Baptist Church in Bruce. She was active with the senior adults at her church and also with Calhoun Baptist Association Senior Adults. She was honored to be a part of the Operation Christmas Child, helping others less fortunate. She lived and represented the fulfillment of a life lived in wisdom with her church, community, and family. Ann provided for her family in her earlier years, working at Big Yank of Water Valley, Glenn Slacks of Bruce and at the Plant Materials Center in Tillatoba.
Survivors include a daughter, Cynthia Ann Vance Poteete (Joey) of Bruce; two sons, Larry Eugene Vance (Heidi) of Gautier and William Franklin Vance of Ocean Springs; three brothers, Troy Keel (Pearl) of Coldwater, Nolen Keel (Becky) of Foley, Ala. and Kenneth Keel (Karen) of Water Valley; eight sisters, Janie Russell of Southaven, Minnie Dickey of Water Valley, Frances Davis of Oxford, Linda Heath (Charles) of Water Valley, Carolyn Higgins (Joe) of Murfreesboro, Tenn, Brenda Bain of Water Valley, Joan Berryhill of Water Valley, and Joyce Schmitz (Calvin) of Water Valley; four grandchildren, Melanie Lee (Jacob), Kenneth Vance, Joeileigh Poteete, Jake Poteete; two step grandchildren, Spencer Salas, and Mattie Ross; and two great-grandchildren.
The funeral was held Tuesday, January 30, at 11 a.m. in Parker Memorial Funeral Home Chapel, with burial following in Mt. Comfort Cemetery. Dr. J. R. Eaton and Bro. Dan Dickerson officiated the service. Pallbearers were Nathan Keel, Kevin Kimzey, Ronnie Poteete, Spencer Salas, Grant Thompson, and Ricky Tramel.