Obituaries 08/28/2025
Geri Ann Mitchell Cardwell
TUNICA – Geri Ann Mitchell Cardwell, 80, of Tunica, died Sunday, August 24, 2025. She was born September 20, 1944, to William Gerry “Freck” Mitchell and Ann Mitchell. She was a loving sister to Clara Sue and Ralph.
As a teen, Geri was an accomplished majorette for the Water Valley High School Band. She was widely known for her outstanding talent, twirling fire batons and eventually earning the state title of Miss Mississippi Majorette.
After graduating from Water Valley High School, where she met her future husband, Ross Cardwell, Geri attended Northwest Mississippi Community College and later the University of Mississippi. After marrying in 1967, the couple moved to Clarksdale, where she worked as a secretary for the mayor. She and Ross owned and operated Haggard Drug Store and Delta Discount Drugs for several decades. While in Clarksdale, they also welcomed two daughters, Catherine Luann and Mary Ann.
Geri was a devoted member of Oakhurst Baptist Church, where she chaired numerous committees. Her love and talent for decorating found her frequently creating settings for parties, showers, and weddings. She also was a member of the Clarksdale Garden Club and later the Water Valley Town and Country Garden Club. Whether at the stadium or in her living room, her favorite Saturdays were when she could gather with family and cheer for the Ole Miss Rebels.
Geri’s resilient spirit was illustrated by her determination to complete her education. In her mid-forties, she earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Delta State University. After graduating, she began teaching kindergarten at Booker T. Washington Elementary School, a role she held for more than a decade. Her teaching career also extended to St. George’s Elementary School and St. Elizabeth’s Catholic School. Whether in the classroom or in the church nursery, where she spent much of her time, her genuine love for children and concern for their well-being touched all who were in her care. That same love extended to her passion for “Operation Christmas Child,” where she regularly packed boxes to support children around the world.
She is survived by her husband, Ross; two daughters, Cathy (Adam) Fullilove of Tunica and Mary Ann Parker (Brad) of Thaxton; three beloved grandchildren, Jon Charles McKinney of Tunica, Stephen Parker of Oxford, and Ava McKinney of Tunica; a sister-in-law, Norma “Sissy” (Mickey) Hall of Water Valley; and many beloved nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and siblings.
Visitation is planned for Wednesday, August 27, in the Gardiner Room at Seven Oaks Funeral Home in Water Valley from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. A service celebrating Geri’s life will begin at 1 p.m. in the Henry Chapel at Seven Oaks. Following the service, interment will be at Oak Hill Cemetery in Water Valley. Seven Oaks Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to Operation Christmas Child, c/o First Baptist Church of Tunica, P.O. Box 785, Tunica, MS 38676.
Kevin Shannon Dorris
OXFORD – Kevin Shannon Dorris, 58, died Sunday, August 17, 2025, at Baptist Memorial hospital North MS. Visitation was held Saturday, August 22, at Waller Funeral Home. A graveside service followed Tabernacle Cemetery in Water Valley at 1 p.m. with Rev. Fish Robinson officiating.
Kevin was a true born fisherman, which began on the banks of a childhood creek. He loved all things mechanical– whether watching a race on television or occasionally racing in his beloved Mustang. He enjoyed tinkering on anything, building model cars, and volunteered with Lafayette County and Desoto County Volunteer Fire Departments. Kevin was also a proud dog dad. Kevin was preceded in death by his brother, Donal Craig Dorris.
Survivors include his wife, Beth Kinney Dorris of Oxford; his parents, Billy Joe and Jimmie Gay Dorris of Oxford; his two daughters, Shanna Bankston (Joshua), and Mallorie Dorris both of Oxford; and his three sons, Daniel Craig (Jessica) Dorris of Water Valley, Gage Colten Dorris, and Clay (Celeste) McCoy both of Oxford; a sister, Jodie Dorris of Oxford; a brother, Damon Levi Dorris of Oxford; and 11 grandchildren.
Expressions of sympathy or memorial contributions in Kevin’s memory may be made to American Lung Association, 500 West International Airport Road, Anchorage, AK 99518 or Second Chance Animal Alliance, 11171 MS-315, Water Valley, MS 38965.
Ina Mae Stewart Steele French
WATER VALLEY – Ina Mae Stewart Steele French passed away on Monday, August 18, 2025, at the Yalobusha General Nursing Home in Water Valley.
Born February 21, 1929, in Pine Valley, she was the daughter of the late Alice Newman Stewart and Albert Mayford Stewart. Known for her nurturing nature, Ina Mae naturally took on the role of caretaker as the eldest sister. She dedicated many years to her work as a nurse aide in Memphis,, where she was employed by Baptist Hospital. Notably, she served as the nurse aide for Mrs. Gladys Presley during her final days.
Throughout her career, Ina Mae also worked at Kay Cookie Co. in the 1960s, Donruss Co. in the 1970s, and Armour Packing Co. In her spare time, she enjoyed quilting, gardening, and maintaining her yard. Ina Mae was a Christian and also a member of Drivers Flat Baptist Church.
Ina Mae is survived by her son, Boyd R (Sheron) Steele Sr.; a daughter, Patricia A. (James) Pratt; a brother, Homer Newel Stewart; a sister, Willie Raye (Clyde) Faulk; five grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.
Along with her parents, she was preceded in death by her beloved husband and father of her children, Russell Steele; and her cherished second husband Leon French; brothers, Everette Pryor, Albert Stewart, George Stewart, Earl Stewart, Harold Stewart, Elton Stewart, Troy Stewart; and sisters, Dorthy Cardwell and Mary Helen Swanson.
Visitation was held Friday, August 22, in the Gardiner Room at Seven Oaks Funeral Home. Services followed at 1 p.m. in the Henry Chapel of Seven Oaks with Rev. R.W. Moffett officiating. Burial was at Providence Cemetery in Banner.
Clotee Love
CHICAGO –With hearts both heavy and full, we celebrate the extraordinary life of Clotee Love, a centenarian queen whose presence was as enduring as the Mississippi magnolias under which she first dreamed. On July 31, at the blessed age of 100, she took her final earthly breath and was lifted into eternal rest—wrapped in grace, dignity, and the love of generations.
Born in Yalobusha County in 1925 to Lottie Lee Love and Willie Bryson Love, she came into the world during a time of hardship, yet carried within her a light that defied every shadow. She was a daughter of the soil—rooted in faith, strength, and tradition. Her early years were marked by resilience, nurtured by the rhythms of Southern life: sun-warmed porches, Sunday hymns, and the scent of biscuits rising with the dawn.
She confessed a hope in Christ at Springhill North Missionary Baptist Church in Water Valley, where she served as an usher and remained a faithful member until she moved to Chicago in 2007. There, she became an honorary member of Greater Mount Eagle Baptist Church, where she remained until her passing.
Clotee Love was the embodiment of dedication and quiet strength. Her hands knew the labor of the cotton fields of Mississippi, the care of domestic service. She later brought her unwavering work ethic to Holley Carburetor, where she worked with pride until retirement.
Even after retiring, Clotee continued to give—serving as a beloved foster grandparent at the Regional Center in Oxford for many years. In every role she held, she led with integrity, humility, and a steadfast commitment to doing things the right way. Her work was never just about the task—it was an act of love, and a reflection of her faith.
A mother of eight beloved children, she raised each one with unwavering love, gentle wisdom, and a strength that spoke volumes even in silence. Her home was a sanctuary of stories, laughter, prayers, and the kind of nourishment that fed both the body and the soul. She was the first to rise and the last to rest—always watching, always caring, always present.
Clotee was preceded in death by her parents, Lottie Lee Love Wright and Willie Bryson Love; her stepfather, Benson (Kit) Wright; sisters Maggie Caldwell, Lucille Robinson, and Martha Woodard; brothers R.B. Love, Bennie Willie Love, and J.W. Love; and one cherished daughter, Alvie Lewis. She is survived by one sister, Mary E. Barton, Crown Point, Ind.
To know her was to know grace in motion. She moved through life with quiet authority—a regal bearing forged not of crowns, but of character. Her hands—weathered by time, softened by kindness—held babies, broke bread, sowed gardens, and wiped tears. Her voice, firm and steady, became a lullaby across five generations.
She lived through a century of change but never lost her anchor. She bore witness to history, from the Great Depression to the election of the first Black president and a visit to the White House. In her own way, she made history—by loving, by leading, by enduring. To her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren she was living history and living hope.
Clotee leaves behind a legacy not measured in wealth or titles, but in lives touched, values instilled, and love eternal. She is survived by her seven children, C.W. (Kay) Love, James Love, both of Chicago, Thomas (Verma) Love of Jefferson, Ga., Hilton Love, Lenora Monigan, both of Chicago, Libbie Love of Washington, D.C., and Mary Love of Chicago, Ill.; and one son-in-law, William Lewis, also of Chicago. She also leaves behind numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, and a legacy that spans time itself.
She was laid to rest near her beloved daughter Alvie Lewis, among the trees and sky she so loved—reunited with her ancestors and embraced by God’s unending peace.
William Alvah Lowe
MEAD, Colo. – William (Bill) Alvah Lowe, 79, passed away on July 23, 2025, at Northern Colorado Medical Center in Greeley, Colorado. He was born to Harold Alvah Lowe and Velva (Pat) Hazel Taplin on October 21, 1945, at St. Mary’s of the Ozarks hospital in Ironton, Missouri.
William grew up in Water Valley with his grandparents, Alvah and Martha Estelle Lowe, and aunt and uncle, Joe and Sylvia Lowe. He graduated from Water Valley High School in 1964. He attended Northwest Mississippi College. Bill married Bonnie May Kral on October 9, 1982. Bill and Bonnie lived in Lakewood, Colorado. In 1989 they moved to Mead, Colorado. They had a son, Jason William Lowe, on October 15, 1989.
Bill worked for the Department of Agriculture as a USDA fruit and vegetable inspector for 38 years. He also had various jobs prior to working for the USDA including bailing hay, and picking cotton on various farms, made picture proofs at-the family photography studio, inspecting peanuts and was a tow truck driver. Upon retiring from the USDA service Bill enjoyed fishing, golfing and spending time with his family. He loved to watch his son, Jason, play the many sports he was involved in growing up including T-Ball, basketball, soccer and golf.
Bill liked going to church and loved Jesus very much. He enjoyed singing and listening to the awesome messages from the pastors at Greeley and Longmont Churches of the Nazarene.
Bill is survived by his son Jason Lowe; daughters, Melissa and Paige Lowe; an aunt, Sylvia Lowe; his brothers, Gary Lowe, Dude and Danny Harrison; sisters, Pam Skinner and Deranda Lowe; and several nieces, nephews, in-laws and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Bonnie; his father Harold Lowe; his mother Velva (Pat) Harrison; uncles, Gerald and Joseph Lowe; his sister, Gerry Lowe; and aunt Dorothy (Dot) Lowe.
A memorial service was Saturday, August 23, 2025, at The Longmont Church of the Nazarene, 2111 Mountain View Ave., Longmont, Colorado at 2 p.m. and is open family and friends. Donations may be made to the Longmont Church of the Nazarene. (Obituary written by Jason Lowe)