Obituaries 07/18/19
Mike Cosby
WATER VALLEY—Mike Cosby, age 59, passed away Friday, July 12, 2019, at his home in Water Valley.
The family will have a memorial service Saturday, July 20, in Pilgrims Rest Baptist Church at 10 a.m. Wells Funeral Home of Batesville has charge of arrangements.
Born March 22, 1960, in Panola County, Mike is a son of the late Myrtle Brewer Cosby and Shuford Cosby. During his lifetime he worked for MDOT in the road department and was a member of Pilgrims Rest Baptist Church. In his downtime he enjoyed hunting, fishing and riding four-wheelers. Mike enjoyed helping others any way that he could. He also adored his three precious grandchildren and spending time with them.
He leaves his wife, Jane Ford Cosby of Water Valley; three children, Danny Ford of Courtland, Michael Cosby and Tracy Cosby, both of Water Valley; one brother Larry Wayne Cosby of Water Valley; and three grandchildren, Maghen Ford, Amani Ford, and Brandon Cosby.
Francis Kenneth Denham
WATER VALLEY—Francis Kenneth Denham, age 50, of Water Valley passed away Thursday, July 11, 2019,in Baptist Memorial—North Mississippi Hospital in Oxford.
Born September 17, 1968, in Oxford, Francis was a son of the late Ralph Denham and Amy (Anderson) Brown. In his youth, he had been part of the DeMolay youth leadership organization. Later, Francis drove a school bus for Lafayette County Schools, where he loved interacting with the students. During this same time he became the founder and soul proprietor of Denham Painting in Water Valley. He had a huge heart for people and animals, which led him to be a “dog rescuer,” three of which were “his babies”- Sasha, Sandie, and Penelope. Francis also enjoyed western movies, especially those with Clint Eastwood and John Wayne.
He was a deacon and long-time member of Sand Hill Methodist Church.
Visitation was held Monday, July 15, in the Gardiner Room at Seven Oaks Funeral Home from 10 a.m. until noon. The funeral service followed at noon in the Henry Chapel of the funeral Home with Bro. Virgil Nelson officiating. Burial was in Pine Flat Cemetery in Lafayette County.
Francis is survived by his wife of 25 years, Paula Denham, of Water Valley; three brothers, Michael Johnson, Travis Denham, and Doug Denham; and two sisters, Trina Denham and Annette Reynolds.
Barbara Inez Fleming
LAFAYETTE CO.—Barbara Inez Fleming, age 61, died peacefully at her home in Lafayette County, with her husband, Larry, by her side.
Born October 11, 1958, in Water Valley, Barbara was a daughter of the late Edward Roy Bankston and Martha Mariah Vaughn Bankston. She was a member of North Main Methodist Church. Barbara enjoyed landscaping, tending to her yard and her garden, and feeding the wildlife around her home. She especially loved being a grandmother to her two grandsons, Liam and Gavin.
The funeral service is planned for Thursday, July 18, at 3 p.m. in the Henry Chapel of Seven Oaks Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 2 p.m. until service time, with Bro. Billy Childs officiating.
Barbara is survived by her husband, Larry Fleming; her daughter, Kayla Selans (Daniel) of Portland, Or.; and two grandsons, Liam Selans and Gavin Selans.
Mary L. Hall
MEMPHIS—Mary L. Hall, 85, of Memphis, passed away on Tuesday, July 9, 2019, in St Francis Hospital at Memphis.
Mrs. Hall, a homemaker and retired sales clerk, was a member of Ellison Baptist Church. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and sister, who will be deeply missed.
She leaves three sons, Thomas Dolea of Memphis, Marvin Hall of Olive Branch, and David Dolea of Memphis; one brother, Coy Carpenter of Oakland; two step-daughters, Barbara May Bass of Lincoln, Neb. and Janet Johnson of Olive Branch; one stepson, Richard Bass of Memphis; and six grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Sam Richard Hall; her son, Bruce Dolea; and her parents.
The funeral service was held Tuesday, July 16 at 4 p.m. in the chapel of Dickins Funeral Home in Batesville with Bro. Hal Johnson Officiating. Interment will be in Oak Hill Cemetery at Water Valley at a later date.
Mildred Harwell
OXFORD—Mildred “Snooks” Mabyline Bland Harwell, age 98, died Saturday, July 13, 2019, in Oxford Health and Rehab at Oxford.
The funeral service will be held in the Chapel of Waller Funeral Home at Oxford Wednesday, July 17, at 2 p.m., with Rev. Johnny Steward officiating. Burial will follow in Old Union Cemetery. Visitation will be held prior to the service at the funeral home from noon until service time.
Born April 13, 1921, in Lafayette County, Mrs. Harwell was a daughter of the late Lucius Curt and Florence Lillian Harrison. She was a member of Springhill Methodist Church. Mildred was one of 11 children and her family farmed land on Race Creek in Lafayette County. Her family lived through many hard times and had to rely on what was grown in the garden to survive. In 1944, she married Cleatus Harwell and had one son, Danny, and one daughter, Bylinda. During her earlier years, she and Cleatus farmed. Later Cleatus became a carpenter and furniture maker and she worked for Kellwood Sewing Factory, still later she worked for Chambers which became Whirlpool Stove Factory. After retirement she enjoyed cooking, quilting, sewing and gardening. She loved watching the hummingbirds from her front window. She took care of her mother-in-law, Mrs. Sleet Harwell, and Cleatus until their deaths. She loved to cook and had a spread on the table for Sunday, always making sure family and friends had plenty to eat. She made sure the grandchildren were always taken care of. Her family and friends always felt welcome in her home.
Survivors include her daughter, Bylinda Pugh (Steve) of Oxford; a son, Danny Harwell (Jeanie) of Paris; a sister, Lamoin Cain of Meridian; brothers, Byron Bland of Horn Lake and Billy Ray Bland of Coker, Ala.; seven grandchildren, Ronnie Harwell, Julie King, Jeff Harwell, Macie Humphries, Chasity Champion, Christina Pugh, and April Rogge; 16 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Dorothy Florence Emerick
WATER VALLEY—Dorothy Florence Emerick, age 80, of Water Valley passed away Thursday, July 11, 2019, in Baptist Memorial Hospital—North Mississippi at Oxford.
Born January 14, 1939, in Memphis, Dorothy was a daughter of the late Edward and Eura Mae (Hardy) Wilson. She worked in the secretarial field for the majority of her career, with many of those years at Motts, Inc. Her joys were many, which included bingo, NASCAR, gardening, fishing, and working in her flower garden. She was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary and a volunteer for the local VFW.
Visitation was held Sunday, July 14, in the Gardiner Room of Seven Oaks Funeral Home from 2-4 p.m. Funeral services followed at 4 p.m. in the Henry Chapel of the funeral home with Bro. Bill Forsyth officiating. Burial was in Elam Cemetery in Coffeeville with Brent Combs, Andy Emerick, Jamey Allen, Dillion Stribling, Cody Downs and Mark Ragon as pallbearers.
Survivors include two sons, Dwayne Combs (Sherry) of Water Valley and Ken Combs (Leah) of Dallas,Texas; two daughters, Theresa Starey (Tracy) of Colony, Texas and Samantha Clark (Dwayne) of Oxford; one brother, Buddy Wilson of Water Valley; two sisters, Sue Hill of Water Valley and ”Tootie” Shollie of Memphis; 11 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
Along with her parents, Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband of 35 years, Gerald Emerick; one brother, Johnny Wilson; and three sisters, Joan Downs, Barbara Organ and Brenda Henderson; and one grandson, Tyler Emerick.
Eric Samuel Guthrie
BATESVILLE—Eric Samuel Guthrie, age 37, passed away Thursday, July 4, 2019, in Baptist Memorial Hospital—North Mississippi at Oxford.
The funeral service was held at 3 p.m. Sunday, July 7, in the Martin Willingham Memorial Chapel of Wells Funeral Home in Batesville, with the family receiving friends at 1 p.m. prior to the service. Interment followed in Forrest Memorial Park.
Eric was born June 27, 1982 in Oxford to David Samuel Guthrie, Jr. and Debbie Gwen Wood Guthrie. He was a graduate of North Delta School in Batesville and received his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Memphis. Eric was currently an Associate Application Analyst R.N. with Baptist One Care Corporate. He was a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Batesville.
When he wasn’t working, Eric enjoyed spending time with friends, going to movies, road trips and cruises. His eye for detail could be seen in his decorating. Eric had a keen sense of keeping up with technology, but among his favorite things to do was spending time with his family, especially at Christmas. His other hobbies included playing games and dancing
Survivors include his mother, Debbie Guthrie of Batesville;. his father and step-mother, David Samuels Guthrie, Jr. (Patsy) of Oakland; a sister, Ashley Guthrie Roebuck (Bryan) of Batesville; a step-sister, Megan Wallace Lawrence (Hunter) of Batesville; a half-brother, Jeremy Gedding Guthrie of Greenville, S.C.; grandmother, Mary Ledbetter of Batesville; grandfather, Sykes Wood of Grenada; three nephews, William Tyler Egbert, Owen and Baren Roebuck, all of Batesville.
Cynthia Darnell Knight
WATER VALLEY—Cynthia Darnell Knight, age 64, of Water Valley, died peacefully Wednesday, July 10, 2019, in Yalobusha County Nursing Home.
Born February 27, 1955, in Greenwood, Cynthia was the daughter of the late William (Bill) and Jimmie (Bryan) Darnell. After receiving her bachelors degree in social work, she made it her life’s purpose to help others. She enjoyed substitute teaching when she had the opportunity, but her passion was her grandchildren.
Visitation was held Saturday, July 13, in the Gardiner Room at Seven Oaks Funeral Home, from three until four o’clock in the afternoon. A memorial service followed at four in the Henry Chapel of the funeral home with Bro. Freddy Moorman and Bro. Shane Crawford officiating.
Survivors include a son, Bill Pullen; and one daughter, Lauren Eubanks (Bubba), all of Water Valley; seven grandchildren, Beau Pullen, Caden Link, Seth Pullen, Tate Pullen, Will Eubanks, Megan Tooney, Millie Grace Eubanks; and one great-grandchild, Stella Marie Tooney.
Along with her parents, Cynthia was preceded in death by her husband, Bill Knight.
Judy Suzette Martin
LOUISVILLE, KY. — Judy Suzette Martin, age 64, of Louisville, Ky. passed away peacefully June 27, 2019 at Signature Healthcare of East Louisville, Ky.
She was born May 12, 1955 to the late S. F. Martin and Juanita Ray Martin. Judy received her high school diploma from Water Valley High School in 1973 in her hometown of Water Valley. Judy received her Bachelor of Business Administration and Masters of Accountancy degrees from the University of Mississippi and later earned her Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and Certified Internal Controls Auditor (CICA) certifications. Judy worked as an Auditor at the University of Louisville in Louisville, KY.
The Louisville Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors will be renaming their scholarship to University of Louisville students as the Judy Martin Memorial Scholarship. Judy would have been so proud of that honor.
Judy loved her family, friends, dancing, reading, and writing her sagas. Judy loved life. The primary joy in her life was her nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. Judy loved to spend time with them and talk about them to her friends. Judy also loved her dog, Annabelle, and often posted pictures of them together, with her famous greeting “Hello from Kentucky!”
The family will host a Celebration of Life for Judy with a graveside service at 4 p.m., Saturday, July 20, at Pine Flat Cemetery in Oxford, followed by food and fellowship at 5:30 p.m. at Colonel’s Landing in Water Valley. Family and friends of Judy are invited to attend.
Judy is survived by her two sisters, Jeani Martin Black (Joe Black) of Water Valley and Sandy Martin Hessler (the late Richard Hessler) of Jekyll Island, Ga.; six nieces, Leigh Ann Black, Kelly Yopp (Stephen), Alison Black, Margaret Rollins (John Michael), Kirsten Hessler, Ursula Hessler; two nephews, Roth Hessler, Winston Hessler; two great-nieces, Lana Yopp, Adeline Rollins; and two great-nephews, Liam Yopp, Walker Rollins.
Along with her parents, Judy was preceded in death by her sister, Cindy Martin Taylor (Bob Taylor) of Duck Hill.
In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy may be sent to the American Cancer Society (P.O. Box 22478 – Oklahoma City, OK 73123) or online at www.cancer.org.
Jennifer Sprouse
BRANDON—Jennifer Deanna Louise Manteufel Sprouse, 31, of Brandon, formerly of Grenada , passed away Friday, July 12, 2019, in Baptist Memorial Hospital at Memphis.
She was born May 18, 1988, in Mt. Vernon, Ill. Jennifer worked for a number of years at Freeman’s Little People’s Place in Grenada and also worked in the nursery at the Grenada Church of God. She attended Faith Fellowship Church.
The funeral service was held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 16, in McKibben and Guinn Funeral Service with Bro Bennie Vance and Bro. Rickey Harris officiating. Interment followed in the Wayside Cemetery at Scobey with Erin Brewer, Marcel Hall, Kenny Manteufel, Brett McCrory, Bobby Rush, and Heath Self as pallbearers. The family received friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday evening and one hour prior to the service on Tuesday, all in the funeral home.
Survivors include her husband, Stephen Lynn Sprouse; her mother, Pamela Jean Manteufel; sisters, Tina Holloway (Brian) of Grenada, Allie Skobel, Victoria Skobel and Colleen Skobel, all of Mt. Vernon, Ill.; two brothers, Kenny Manteufel of Mt. Vernon, Ill. and Frankie Skobel of Enid, Okla.; in-laws, Vickie Spouse Camp (Ricky) of Scobey and William Sprouse of Marion, Ark.; grandparents, Dee and Everett Bourland of Mt. Vernon, Ill. and Joyce Courtney of Scobey; sister-in-law, Tiffany Bardo (Garrett) of Coffeeville; brother-in-law, James Nix of Grenada; and four nephews.
She was preceded in death by two siblings, Crystal Manteufel and Danny Manteufel.
Deborah Lynn Krupchak Wilfong
GORE SPRINGS—Deborah Lynn Krupchak Wilfong, 63, of Gore Springs, passed away Friday, July 12, 2019, at her residence.
Born July 21, 1955, in Hutchinson, Kan., Deborah was a daughter of Charles and Bettye Blaine Moelder Krupchak. She had worked for a number of years as a district manager for Shoe Show.
A service to celebrate her life will be held Wednesday, July 17, in McKibben and Guinn Funeral Service with Rev. Jimmy Hood officiating. Family and friends will gather one hour prior to the service Wednesday at the funeral home.
Survivors include her husband, Hank Wilfong; one daughter, Shannon Markle (Jim) of Valparaiso, Ind.; two sons, Creighton Wilfong (Amy) of Gore Springs and Joshua Wilfong of Gore Springs; her mother, Bettye Krupchak of Oakland; three sisters, Jacque Romeo of Arizona, Becky Manfred of Chicago, and Patsy Guthrie (David) of Oakland; and six grandchildren, Drake Turner (Vicki), Jordyn Turner, Grace Markle, Mackenzie Kirk, Kolby Kirk, and Kaylee Miller. She was preceded in death by her father, Charles Krupchak.