Obituaries 12/26/19

Richard Earl Allen

OXFORD – Mr. Richard Earl Allen, 77, died Saturday, December 21, 2019, at the Mississippi State Veterans Home in Oxford.  

A celebration of Mr. Richard’s life was held on Monday, December 23, 2019, beginning at 2 p.m. in the Chapel of Waller Funeral Home. Reverend Charles Lipe officiated. Burial was in Clear Creek Cemetery.  Waller Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Richard was born February 5, 1942, in Water Valley, the son of the late Lloyd and Mary Audra Ponder Allen.  He was a United States Army Veteran, having served during the Vietnam War.  He was a loyal and faithful member of Clear Creek Baptist Church where he served as a deacon.  Mr. Richard was the retired owner of Allen’s Farm Supply.  In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Mrs. Emma Harmon.

Mr. Richard is survived by his wife, Martha Harrison Allen; a daughter, Stephanie Parke; a son, John Allen and his wife Penny; one granddaughter, Anna Grace Allen all of Oxford; one sister, Faye Bateman of Water Valley; and one brother, Charles Allen of Pope.

Memorial contributions in Mr. Richard’s memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Way, Memphis, TN 38105 or Clear Creek Cemetery Fund, c/o Don Waller, 136 CR 313, Oxford, MS 38655.

 

Methel Wilma Bell

FLORA – Methel Wilma Bell, formerly of Water Valley, died Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019 at her residence. She was a homemaker.

Methel was born Sept. 27, 1934 in Arkansas. She was preceded in death by her husband, William Russell Bell; her parents; and eight siblings. She is survived by two daughters, Peggy Luther of Arkansas and Judy (Terry) Bowen of Mize; four grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and four great-great grandchildren.

Graveside services were held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 21, at Oak Hill Cemetery in Water Valley. Mortimer-National Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

 

Wendell V. Johnson

OLIVE BRANCH – Surrounded by friends and family, Wendell V. Johnson passed away in his home on Dec. 8, 2019, after a long battle with SCA.

Wendell was born Sept. 11, 1949, in Paris, Miss. to Verlin and Dorothy Louise Johnson. He graduated from Water Valley High School in 1967 and later moved to Memphis where he met his wife and went on to graduate from Methodist Hospital School of Nursing. He worked in the Methodist Healthcare system for over 25 years as an ICU nurse and nursing home supervisor.

Wendell was a true outdoorsman who loved to hunt, fish and spend time with his children. He is survived by his loving wife of 41 years, Duyen Thi; their two daughters, Kristina Porter (Willis) of Memphis and Jennifer Johnson of Olive Branch; two sisters, Anita Martin Hesler (Melvin) of Water Valley and Reba Bedoya (Ed) of Shalimar, Fla.; and a brother-in-law, My-Kim Nguyen (Oanh) of Collierville, Tenn. He also leaves behind three grandchildren, Damen Pullen, Elle Porter and Owen Porter; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Visitation was held on Dec. 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Memorial Park Funeral Home in Memphis. Services were held the following day, Dec. 14, at 10 a.m. with Bro. Melvin Hesler, Sr. officiating. Pallbearers were Willis Porter, Damen Pullen, David Peppel, Tony Nguyen, Trusty Martin and Thi Nguyen.

 

Nancy Johnson Loyed

OXFORD – Mrs. Nancy Johnson Loyed, 74, died Saturday, December 21, 2019, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.  A celebration of Mrs. Nancy’s life will be held on Saturday, December 28, 2019, beginning at 11 a.m. in the Chapel of Waller Funeral Home with Brother Malcolm Pinion and Brother Blaine Davis officiating. Burial will follow in Delay Cemetery. Visitation will be Friday, December 27, from 4 until 6 p.m. and again prior to the service beginning at 10 a.m.

Mrs. Nancy was born in the Delay Community of Lafayette County on November 12, 1945, to the late Wade and Leslie Neal Johnson. After graduating from Yocona School in 1963, Nancy held various jobs in Oxford, beginning at Gathright-Reed Drugstore in 1965 and retiring in May of 2015 from Johnson’s Furniture in Oxford.  Mrs. Loyed was a member of Delay Baptist Church.  She was also a life member of the VFW Auxiliary of Mississippi. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Nancy was preceded in death by her sister, Anita Johnson Simmons.

Mrs. Nancy was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend.  She is survived by her husband, Randal Earl Loyed; two daughters, Kimberly Morgan and Lesley Phillips and her husband, John, all of Oxford; and a son, Andrew L. Byrd of Springhill, TN; She is also survived by six grandchildren, Lauren and Jon Jon Morgan, Kaytlyn and Alex Byrd of Sacramento, Cal., Makayla and John Thomas Phillips of Oxford; one bonus grandchild, Mason Powell; one great granddaughter, Olivia; her sister, Jo Ann Pinion of Oxford; and a brother, William Johnson and his wife Pat of Jackson, Tenn.

Memorial contributions in Mrs. Loyed’s memory may be made to the DeLay Cemetery Fund, 9 CR 4008, Oxford, MS 38655.