Obituaries 07/22/21

Cynthia Diane Hodges
HORN LAKE – Cynthia Diane Hodges, 60, of Horn Lake passed away Wednesday, July 14, 2021 at Baptist Memorial Hospital – Desoto in Southaven.  She was born December 8, 1960 in Grenada.  She was a homemaker.
A time of remembrance will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, July 24, at McKibben and Guinn Funeral Service.
Survivors include three daughters, April Sistrunk (Brent) of Oxford, Brandy Winters of Paris and Cindi Winters of Grenada; her father, L.D. Winters of Clarksdale; four sisters, Phoebe Green (John) of Grenada, Darla Trusty (Don) of Elliott, Tammy Perkins (James) of Water Valley and Vicky Winters of Clarksdale; two brothers, Earl Winters (Valerie) and Jimmy Winters, all of Grenada; four grandchildren, Eli Eldib, London Bowen, Mary Elise and Kiera; a special friend, Mac McCarley; and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her mother, Martha Mullins Oates; step-father, Marion “Bubba” Oates; and a brother, Ronnie Winters.

Joseph Davenport Lowe
WATER VALLEY –Joseph Davenport Lowe, age 86, of Water Valley died June 21, 2021 at home, surrounded by his beloved family and cherished hospice caregivers, Nell and Jackie. He was born June 14, 1935 to Alva Roy Lowe and Martha Estelle Davenport Lowe.  He was born, lived, died and (as he wished) was buried in Camp Ground.  Joe died a week after he and his wife, Sylvia (Fortenberry) celebrated their 65th anniversary.
Joe attended school at Camp Ground for 12 years.  Industrious from his tender youth, he worked for Water Valley’s Thompson Photography Studio and after graduation went to Northwest on a basketball scholarship.  He graduated from Ole Miss as an English major and had an assistantship in English. During this time he taught Dr. Francis Topp’s creative writing class for one semester, finishing his masters except for the dissertation
Though still in grad school at Ole Miss, Joe was intent that his wife and three children should eat every day – so he also worked as a switchman for the Illinois Central Railroad (until he got rolled between two trains), got his real estate license, played poker very well, shot very well, and sold life insurance for Met Life.
He also indulged his entrepreneurial impulse on a progressively larger scale.  In the 60s he started a headhunting business in Memphis and a drive-in restaurant in Water Valley.  Eventually he bought businesses, grew them, and sold them (if they didn’t burn down, as in the case of his Pottery in Taylor).  In the 70s it was apartment complexes in Oxford and the Oxford Flower Shop, which he moved to its current location.  In the 80s it was motels and radio stations (including Water Valley’s own WVLY, neither lost nor forgotten – it is now Q105).  And his industrious spirit never waned.  He continued to sell real estate into his 80s, and he was suggesting new business ideas for younger men very nearly until the day he died.
Joe loved to hunt and fish. And, as many who ate at his table can testify, he did not love in vain.
Up until the midpoint of his life Joe was largely unchurched. When he was 43, he pursued a prospective business client all the way into a charismatic Christian renewal conference in Memphis. But Joe went back the next day, and the next.  It was the first time he understood the Trinity, and all became radiant as he understood it was supernatural.  By the end of the week he surrendered his life into the hands of his Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Joe and his family became early members of the North Mississippi Covenant Church in Oxford.  They were active in Save A Life, a ministry for women in crisis.  Jesus stayed with him for the rest of his life, and they are together still.
Joe is survived by a strong, loving family that included his wife, Sylvia; three children, Martha Lowe, Lynn Vitart (Patrick) and Daven Lowe;  six grandchildren, Anna Williams, Matthew Toxey Vitart, Natasha Suzanne Abdean, Rachel Adams Host, Joseph Davenport Lowe, III, and Rowen Porter Lowe; eight grandchildren; his well-loved nephews and nieces including Bill (Bonnie) Lowe who was also like a brother, and sometimes like a son, Bill (Bonnie) Lowe, David (Jane) Lowe, Ricky (Shelia) and Paula Lowe Hill (Steve); and a multitude of Fortenberrys.
(P.S. – Obituary writer John Person shared that Sylvia would not let him share one of Joe and Baxter Jones’ business endeavors.)

Hazel Pearline Crocker Pierce
BATESVILLE – Hazel Pearline Crocker Pierce, 81, of Batesville, passed away on Friday, July 16, 2021, at Senatobia Health Care and Rehab. Mrs. Pierce was born in Water Valley on October 13, 1939, to Julia Woodall and Raymond Rudolph Crocker.
Hazel was devoted to her family and was a loving mother and grandmother. She was known as an exceedingly kind, caring and hardworking person, who would help anyone in need. She loved life, had a good sense of humor, enjoyed telling a good joke and was a big Elvis fan. A nature lover, she enjoyed the outdoors, feeding wildlife such as deer and turkeys and growing beautiful flowers.
She is survived by her loving family which includes one daughter, Reba Carol West (Travis) of Longtown; two sons, David Lee Morris (Debbie) of Batesville and Jeffrey Scott Morris of Coles Point; two sisters, Lois Gore of Coffeeville and Dorothy Carroll of Monroe, La.; two brothers, Leon Crocker of Water Valley and Jessie Crocker of Oakland; 13 grandchildren; 42 great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Rayford David Morris; one son, Rayford Lamar Morris; three brothers, George Crocker, Raymond Crocker, and Poss Crocker; and her parents.
Funeral services were held on Tuesday, July 20 at 2 p.m. at Dickins Funeral Home in Batesville. Interment followed at Good Hope Cemetery.

Georgia Ann Roberts
SEARCY, Ark. – Georgia Ann (Tutor) Roberts of Searcy, Ark. passed from this life on Thursday, July 1, 2021. She was born in Water Valley to the late Ira Marvin Tutor and Era Maude Tutor.
A service of celebration of life was held at Saint Paul United Methodist Church on July 5 with Rev. Clefton S. Vaughan officiating. Interment followed at White County Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers were David Cranmer, Lawrence Dacus, Shirrell Harrison and Phillip Henson.
Georgia Ann was a homemaker and a member of Saint Paul United Methodist Church in Search, but her most prized role was being Mimi to her grandchildren. She also loved cooking and baking for her family and friends.
She is survived by one son, Jeffery Roberts (Kim) of Searcy; three grandchildren, Molly Roberts Dutton (Lucas) of Jonesboro, Cody Ray Roberts of Paragould and Maggie Roberts Cruise of Searcy; three great-grandchildren, Dakota Cruise and Carson Cruise, both of Searcy, and soon-to-come Teddy Dutton of Jonesboro; and two brothers, J.W. Tutor of Water Valley and Leslie Tutor of Southaven.
Georgia Ann was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Billy Ray Roberts; three brothers, Frank Tutor, Harvey Tutor and Hermon Tutor; and four sisters, Margie Weaver, Dorothy Dibble, Hazel Taylor and Betty Jane Moore.

Randall Scott Uncapher
WATER VALLEY – Randall Scott Uncapher of Water Valley died on July 13, 2021. He was 64.
Born January 18, 1957 in Daytona Beach, Fla., he met the love of his life, Deirdre Lamont O’Donoghue, in 1976. They married in 1979, moving to New England and having two children: Lauren Elizabeth in 1983 and Daniel Scott Chapman in 1989.
In 2003 the family moved to Water Valley. Known for his relentless generosity to both friends and strangers, he enjoyed cycling, reading, home restoration and the desert, and was always down for a chat or adventure. He never met a stranger.  According to his last wishes Randall will be cremated and his ashes spread by his survivors, including: his mother, Laura; and his father, Raymond; his brother, Kenneth; and his sister, Deborah; his wife of 42 years, Deirdre; and his children, Lauren Elizabeth, John Stokes, and Daniel Scott Chapman – all of whom he loved very much.