William Howard

HOUSTON- Mr. William Howard, 102, died Sunday, August 9, 2009 at his home in Houston, MS of natural causes. He was born March 29, 1907 in Calhoun County. He worked on the railroad, as a sawmill operator and as a cook at the Holiday Terrace in Houston. He was retired.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Maybelle, with whom he fathered eight children and raised several more.

Services were held Saturday, August 15, 2009 at Second Baptist Church in Houston. Burial followed at Houston City Cemetery.

David Gean, Jr.

OXFORD - Mr. David "Buster" Martin Gean, Jr., 94, retired clerk with Lafayette County Co-Op, died Thursday, August 13, 2009 at his residence in Oxford. The funeral service was held Saturday, August 15, 2009. in the Chapel of Waller Funeral Home with Rev. James Richardson officiating. Burial followed in Hopewell Cemetery.

Mr. Gean was born in Okolona, MS. A member of Midway Methodist Church in Oxford, he served in the 677th Bomb Squadron of the Army Air Force during WWII, was an airplane mechanic on "The Liberator" Bomber and achieved the rank of Staff Sergeant. A lifelong farmer, he was a Master Mason and member of the O.D. Smith Masonic Lodge for 62 years. Mr. Gean enjoyed woodworking, making gifts for his family, was an avid reader, and loved to sing old gospel music.

Survivors include his wife Ruby Cromwell Gean of Oxford, MS; two daughters, Ruth Ann Locke, her husband Don, of Houston, MS, and Marie Gean Mills, her husband David, of Batesville, MS; 6 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.

The family has requested that expressions of sympathy in Mr. Gean's memory be made to: Hopewell Cemetery Fund, c/o Marie Sartor, 22 CR 407, Oxford, MS 38655 or to Midway Methodist Church Building Fund, c/o Tracey Mooneyham, 47 CR 417, Oxford, MS 38655.

In honor of Mr. Gean's service to his country the flag of the U.S. Army is being flown at Waller Funeral Home.



Donald Colbert Sr.

FORREST - Donald E. Colbert Sr., 80, died Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009, at Woodland Court in Newton. He was a graduate of Egypt High School and the University of Mississippi, where he received a BBA degree in 1952. He was a veteran of the Korean War, serving in Army intelligence. After serving his country, he returned home and was employed by Southern Bell Telephone Company in Tupelo. He remained with Southern Bell as manager of the Tupelo office until 1965. He then entered into private enterprise. He retired as owner and operator of Fred's Dollar Store in Morton in 1987. He loved the Lord and he will always be remembered for his passion in sharing the love of Christ with others.

Services were held Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009 at Temple Baptist Church in Forest with the Rev. Chris Dupree officiating. A private interment followed at Verona Cemetery in Verona. Ott & Lee Funeral Home of Forest was in charge of the arrangements.

Survivors are his wife of 56 years, Kathryn "Kitty" Colbert of Forest; two sons, Dr. Donald E. Colbert Jr. and wife, Mary, of Orlando, Fla., and Dan Michael Colbert of Jackson; one daughter, Kitzi Colbert Norman and husband, Gil, of Meridian; three grandchildren, Nick and Kennedy Norman of Meridian, and Kyle Colbert and wife, Meredith, of Orlando; one great-grandson, Braden Colbert of Orlando; his siblings, Neal Colbert of Buena Vista, Thomas Colbert of Flowood, Jean Miller of Tupelo and Ruby Lee Lancaster of Houston.

He was preceded in death by by his parents, Carl Lee and Marie Colbert; and a brother, Robert Colbert.

Sammie Sanders

OKOLONA – Minister Sammie L. Sanders died May 14, 2009. He was born Jan. 26, 1936.

Services were Thursday, May 21, 2009 at Mount Hermon Missionary Baptist Church in Peru, Ind. The Rev. E.J. Lacy officiated. Williams Memorial of Okolona was in charge of local arrangements.

Survivors include a special friend, Mary Sanders, and an aunt, Pinkie Adams.

Pallbearers were Donnie Isham, Marvin Ryder, James Shewmake, Richard Stevenson and Jessie Webb. Honorary pallbearers were the Mount Hermon Missionary Baptist Church Brotherhood.

Lemmie Kilgore

WOODLAND - Lemmie L. Kilgore, 88, died Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009, at the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. She was born Dec. 31, 1920, in Webster County to Ezekiel Langston and Candace Young Langston. She was a member of Amity Baptist Church and Amity Homemakers Club. She was a retired nurse for Floy Dyer Manor.

Services were held Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009 at Amity Baptist Church in Woodland with Bro. Walter Butler, Bro. Joe Stallings and Bro. Scott Griffin officiating. Burial was in Amity Baptist Church Cemetery. Memorial Funeral Home of Houston was in charge of the arrangements.

Survivors include one daughter, Judy Hill (Jan) of Woodland; three sons, Langston Kilgore (Becky) and Larry Kilgore (Barbara), both of Houston, and Tommy Kilgore (Patsy) of Woodland; nine grandchildren, Todd Kilgore, Tracey Campbell, Mike Kilgore, Brian Kilgore, Terri Whitlock, Kelly McManus, Theresa Winter, Doug Kilgore and Jason Hill; 11 great-grandchildren; two sisters, Delores Dorroh (Stanley) of Mathiston and Betty McCain of Brandon.

She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband Robert Landrum Kilgore; and three sisters.

Pallbearers were her grandsons and grandsons-in-law.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Amity Baptist Church Cemetery Fund c/o Jimmy Brand.

Brenda Washington

MANTEE - Brenda Kaye Washington, 51, died Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009, at her home.

Services were held Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009 at Kyles Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Vardaman. Burial was in Midway Cemetery in Vardaman. Carter's Mortuary Service of West Point was in charge of the arrangements.

Georgeanna Whitfield

ABERDEEN - Georgeanna Whitfield, 92, died Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009, at the Aberdeen Care Center. She was born in Monroe County to Johnny Watson and Katherine Johnson. She was a resident of the Prairie community until 1963, when she moved to Omaha, Neb.. She returned to Mississippi in 1999. She was a homemaker.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Second Baptist M.B. Church in Prairie, with the Rev. John Smith officiating. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Williams Memorial Funeral Home in Okolona is in charge of the arrangements.

Survivors include two daughters, Catherine O'Donnell (Martin) of Omaha, Neb., and Flora Mae Randle (James) of Prairie; three sons, Willie C. Whitfield of Omaha, Willie B. Whitfield of Detroit, Mich., and Johnny Whitfield (Linda) of Omaha; 12 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins.

Herston Carl Rowell

ABERDEEN - Herston Carl Rowell, 81, died Friday, Aug. 14, 2009, at his residence in Aberdeen. He was born Nov. 26, 1927, to John Thomas Rowell and Pearl Noe Rowell in Mississippi.

Services were held Monday, Aug. 17, 2009 in the Tisdale-Lann Memorial Chapel in Aberdeen with Bro. James Hutcherson and Bro. Jackie Laney officiating. Burial was in New Hope Cemetery.

Survivors include his wife, Geraldine Smith Rowell of Aberdeen; two daughters, Brenda Carol Mixon of Hamilton, Miss., and Rhonda Machelle Mask and her husband, Ricky, of Amory; three sons, Phillip Carl Rowell and his wife, Katie, of Aberdeen, Michael Wayne Mixon and his wife, Donna, of Woodstock, Ala., and Billy Ray Rowell and his wife, Buddie Rose, of Aberdeen; two sisters, Eva Lee Jackson and Betty Lindsey of Aberdeen; one brother, Lacey Rowell and his wife, Rachel, of Houston; 16 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Morine Sheppard Rowell; and two brothers, Don Rowell and Alvin Rowell.

Sign the registry or send online condolences at www.tisdalelannmemorial.com.

Glenda Hughes

HOUSTON - Glenda Marie Gregory Hughes, 34, died Sunday, Aug. 16. She was born February 23, 1975 in Chickasaw County. She was a housewife and a member of Amity Baptist Church.

Services were held Tuesday, Aug. 18 at Amity Baptist Church with Bro. Scott Griffin officiating. Interment followed in the church cemetery. Southern Funeral Chapel was in charge of arrangements.

Survivors include her husband, John G. Hughes; her mother, Wanda Atkinson (Scott) of Sparta; three sisters, Brenda Ferguson (Scott), of Pontotoc, Michelle Reynolds (Mitch), of Woodland, and Teresa Gregory (B.J. McCowan), of Sparta; one brother, Calvin Gregory of Sparta; her step-grandparents, Gerry and Jo Atkinson; her parents-in-law, Gus and Mary Hughes of Sparta; her brother-in-law, Linn Hughes (Darlene), of Sparta; sister-in-law, Ellen Allen (Johnny), of Houston; a host of nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her father, Johnny Gregory; her grandparents, Rex and Bertha Brassfield and Cecil and Helen Gregory.

Pallbearers were her nephews, Dewayne Brassfield, Jonathan Hughes, Brandon Hughes, Mitchell Gregory, Justin Cross, Jeremy Murphree.

Honorary pallbearers were Andy Hughes, Malachi Hughes, Bubba Allen, Christopher Reynolds, Darin Ferguson, Colorado Ferguson, Randy Gregory, Chase McCowan, Damien Paul Williams, John Michael Gregory.

Memorials may be made to Amity Baptist Church, 2468 Hwy. 389, Woodland, MS 39776 to assist with funeral expenses.

Access the online guest book at www.southernfuneralchapel.webs.com.