Obituaries 07/15/21

Mary Ester Burgess
WATER VALLEY – Mary Ester Burgess, age 80, of Water Valley was unexpectedly welcomed into the arms of Jesus Wednesday, July 7, 2021, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford. Mary was born June 26, 1941 in Yalobusha County as one of 11 children to the late Ellis and Louida (Polk) Caldwell.
Mary is described as having a blessed spirit and a loving heart. Having a close relationship with the Lord, she never complained about anything and allowed her faith to guide her throughout her life. She had worked at Big Yank for 27 years, but lived the last years of her life as a caregiver. As a dedicated mother and grandmother, family was always her focus.
Mary was also a very dedicated and integral part of Bayson Chapel M.B. Church where she served as a church Mother, a Sunday School teacher as well as on the kitchen committee. When she wasn’t serving her church or her family, she loved to spend time studying her Bible, working word puzzles, spending time with her flowers, especially roses. She always made time to watch “Days of Our Lives” and “Wheel of Fortune.” A time, that was said, was not to be disturbed.
A wake is planned for Friday, July 16 in the Gardiner Room at Seven Oaks Funeral Home from 2 until 3 p.m. Services will follow at 3 p.m. in the Henry Chapel of Seven Oaks with Pastor Amos Sims officiating. Burial will be in Bayson Chapel Cemetery on Saturday, July 17 at 10 a.m. Due to Covid concerns, there will not be a repast afterwards.
Mary leaves behind to cherish her memory: two sons, Dwight Burgess (Valerie) of Water Valley and Hubbard Fitzgerald Burgess (Charlotte) of Southaven; four daughters, Dr. Linda Parker (Johnny) of Tulsa, Okla., Anita Nicholson of Coffeeville, Cynthia Johnson of Santa Ana, Calif. and Latonia Burgess-Smith (Lamar) of Water Valley; one sister, Lottie Pearl Brown of Chicago, Ill.; 13 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Along with her parents, Mary was preceded in death by four brothers, Columbus Caldwell, Willie B. Caldwell, J.D. Caldwell and Ellis Caldwell Jr; and five sisters, Annie Caldwell, Louise Buford, Erma Hanner, Adell Byers, and Allie Bertha Caldwell.

Thomas Marvin Hudson
WATER VALLEY – Thomas “Tommy” Marvin Hudson of Water Valley went to be with his Lord, Jesus Christ, on July 9, 2021.
Tommy is survived by his daughter, Victoria Brooke Andrews, and his son in law, Eric Andrews; his grandsons, Cooper Andrews of Benton, Ark. and Weston Thomas Hudson of Springdale, Ark. He is preceded in death by his wife, Vikki Ransom Hudson; his son, Thomas Taylor Hudson; and his granddaughter, Sophia Presley Hudson.
Tommy was born on February 16, 1947 in Water Valley. Bill and Wilma Hudson were proud parents of an avid athlete, a brilliant student, and most importantly a kind spirit. He loved looking out for his little sisters and enjoyed growing up in the country life of Mississippi’s rolling hills. His baseball talents took him to Ole Miss where he had much success both on and off the baseball field. There, he met the love of his life, Vikki Ransom, and they married on June 5, 1971. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering, and then the couple started pursuing their love of travel which took them all over the world, ranging from Alaska to Saudi Arabia.
The family finally settled in Greenwood in 1980, where Vikki became a State Farm agent. This would eventually move the family to Rogers, Ark. and finally to Harrison, Ark. where they lived for 24 years. He had a passion for making a piece of property beautiful. The Hudsons’ backyards were ‘famous’ for giving the feeling of being at a resort, being surrounded by beautiful plants, water features and wildlife.
‘Hudson’ as Vikki referred to him, was also known for some of the most unbelievable card tricks you’ve ever seen. Oftentimes, he would be surrounded by small groups of friends, full of laughter and disbelief at his talents. He also had a love for gardening and had a vegetable garden larger than a football field that he tended. He would tell everyone in the neighborhood that they could pick what they wanted, then he would donate the rest to the food kitchen. He was no doubt a kind soul. However, his greatest passion was for hunting and fishing. He could catch more crappie on a Saturday morning than most could catch in a month. This is a love that he shared with his son, Taylor, and has passed on to his grandsons, Tommy and Cooper.
A private, graveside service was held Tuesday, July 13, at Pinecrest Funeral Home. A public Celebration of Life followed the service at the Pinecrest Funeral Home and Memorial Park Pallbearers were Cooper Andrews, Eric Andrews, Jake Gray, Jason Brown, Jerad Brothers, Jeremiah Oltmans, Vernon Tappana and Weston “Tommy” Hudson.

Roy Dean Prestage
MADISON, Wis. – Roy Dean Prestage, age 81, passed away on July 7, 2021 at Agrace Hospice in Fitchburg, Wisc. after a long battle with Parkinson’s and Lewy Body Dementia.
Roy was born on January 14, 1940 to Lela Dicky Prestage and Jonathan Mack Prestage in Water Valley. Roy graduated valedictorian of his high school class and attended the University of Mississippi on a National Honor Society scholarship. Roy graduated with a degree in Business Administration and received his MBA from Northwestern University in Chicago, Ill. After graduation from college Roy went to work for EI DuPont de Nemours as an industrial engineer. This led to many jobs and many relocations throughout the years. Roy and Rosalind loved traveling and meeting new people. The only state in the U.S. that they never lived or visited was Alaska.
During Roy’s long career he also worked for Ram Tool in Water Valley, National Rejectors in Hot Springs, Ark. and Gearmaster in McHenry, Ill. Roy finally found his dream job with Fiskars in Wausau and Madison, Wisc. Roy was general manager and vice president for two of Fiskars’ five product divisions. After retiring from Fiskars, Roy started his own international consulting business working mostly in China. Roy loved the people he worked with in China. He even learned to speak some Mandarin. Roy and Rosalind loved traveling the world and experiencing different cultures. The most important thing to Roy was his family.
Roy is survived by his wife, Rosalind; his sons, Stephen Lane Prestage (Joan) of Sugar Grove, Ill. and Scott Dean Prestage of Madison, Wisc.; granddaughters, Drew Morgan Weir (Chris) of Peoria, Ill. and Tess A. Knepp (Pat) of Burlington, VT; a grandson, Chase A. Prestage (Mallory) of Chicago, Ill. and great grandsons, Corran Weir and Caspian Weir.
Roy was preceded in death by his parents and his sisters; Lavelle Potts and Odell Milan, and one brother,Troy Gene Prestage. Per his wishes, he will be cremate and his ashes spread over the farm he grew up on in Mississippi.

Leon Steen
OMAHA, Neb. – Mr. Leon Steen, 76, died June 16, 2021. He was born February 24, 1945 in Water Valley, one of 15 children of Haydee and Leonard Steen. Leon united with the Chapel Hill Missionary Baptist Church at an early age.
The funeral service was held Friday, June 25, at St. Mark Baptist Church in Omaha. Interment was at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Pastor Jarrod S. Parker officiated.
Leon moved to Omaha in 1962 and worked at Wonder Bread Baker and later at Old Home Bread for 27 years. He was known around the city as the “breadman.” He was extremely reliable and rarely missed a day of work. He had to retire early due to medical reasons.
Leon met the love of his life and life partner Betty Wimington in high school. They joined in marriage on March 6, 1963, and were married for 58 years. During they union they had a son, Dennis, and a daughter, Sheila. During the past 17 years he enjoyed spending time with his granddaughter, Tianna. In addition to his wife, son, daughter and granddaughter, he is survived by four sisters and two brothers.
Leon joined St. Mark Baptist Church many years ago and was a member of the usher board. He loved interacting with the congregation. He ushered until his health began to fail. Afterwards you could find him in his familiar chair on the west side wall of the church.
Leon was an avid sports fan and supported the Huskers, Lakes, Rams and Steelers. As a young athlete Leon played varsity basketball at Davidson High School in Water Valley. He spent many Saturday and Sundays supporting his favorite teams. He also enjoyed attending his son’s basketball games at Omaha North High School and Nebraska Wesleyan University. He enjoyed attend his granddaughter’s basketball games as well. When he was able, his hobbies were hunting and working on his vehicles with his friends while embellishing stories.
Leon was well liked, and he was friendly to everyone he met delivering bread or to those who knocked on the door to sell something (too friendly at times). He could talk with anyone and make them feel better about themselves. He really loved people and people loved him.
Leon was most known for his “fighting spirit” and being able to handle with grace the many health challenges that were thrust upon him. He never gave up – never! He never complained in spite of his challenges. It was always “I can” versus “I cannot.” During a recent visit by a physical therapist, Leon showed her how he got in and out of bed every night without his prosthetics on. She was amazed with the fluidness he was able to do so. She said she needed to use him as an example to others.

Wade Williams
WATER VALLEY – Wade Williams, age 62, of Water Valley went to his heavenly home Friday, July 9, 2021, at his home surrounded by family and friends. He was born to S.T. and Bettie (Woodard) Williams on July 21, 1958, in the Velma Community of Yalobusha County. Wade was brought up in the word of God and surrendered his life at an early age at Rocky Mountain M.B. Church, where he was baptized.
He was a lifelong resident of Yalobusha County, and after graduating from high school began a 36 year career working with the County on its road crew. Wade was not only dedicated to his career, he was also a dedicated husband, father and “papa.” Years before marrying Sandi, a spark was ignited as they met in a ditch in front of Sandi’s grandmother house when she was going for a visit. Approximately 21 years later they began their life-long relationship. When Wade made time for himself, he loved to play dominoes, checkers, ride four-wheelers and working on old cars. But nothing meant any more to him than his family, especially his grandchildren.
A wake is planned for Wednesday, July 14, in the Gardiner Room at Seven Oaks Funeral Home from 5 until 7 p.m. A service to honor his life will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, July, 15, at Everdale Missionary Baptist Church with Pastors Phillip Brackett and Kevin Lee officiating. Burial will follow in Rocky Mountain M.B. Church Cemetery with Perry Hervey, Chris Caldwell, George O. Woodard, Melvin Woodard, Dale Woodard and Ronnie Person serving as pallbearers.
Wade is survived his wife of 27 years, Sandi Williams; one son, Jonathan Nevol of Utica; one daughter, Kaitlynn Gerhart of Water Valley; three brothers, Johnny Woodard, Steve Woodard and Keith Woodard; four sisters, Barbara Person, Hazel Alexander, Joyce Woodard and Stephanie Alford; and two precious grandchildren, Grayson and Quincey.
Wade was preceded in death by both of his parents.