Obituaries
Mitchell Purvis Smith
Memorial service for Mitchell Purvis Smith will be 11 a.m., Tuesday, May 24, at Riverwood Family with visitation
from 10 a.m. until the time of the service.
Mr. Mitchell Purvis Smith, 72, of Wesson, passed away May 19, 2022, at his residence. He was born in Brookhaven, MS,
November 14, 1949, to the late Horace Hoyt Smith and Dorothy Jean Britt Smith. He was retired from the oil industry,
where he worked offshore as a driller. He spent the latter years as a truck driver. He was a devoted father and made loving
his children and grandchildren first priority. Mr. Smith was a world traveler, but also enjoyed taking the time to go hunting with his grandchildren.
He is preceded in death by his parents and his son, Brandon Pervis Smith.
He is survived by his son, Mitchell Hoyt Smith; daughters, Stacy Case, Barbara Clark, and Brandi Michiels; brother, Wayne Smith;
uncle, Dewey Smith; nine grandchildren, Molly Allen, Hunter Bland, Ashlyn Bland, Blair Different, Zeke Clark, Olivia Ann Clark,
Maley Smith, Dylan Smith, and Charlie Joe Smith; and one great granddaughter, Natalie Rayne Luke. He is also survived by other
loving family members and friends.
Jesse James Butler
Funeral service for Mr. Jesse James Butler will be 11 a.m., Friday, May 20, at Riverwood Family, with
interment in the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Cemetery, Highway 84 West, Brookhaven. Visitation is from 9 a.m. until the time of service.
Mr. Butler, 72, of Olive Branch, MS, passed from this life May 15, 2022. He was born in Brookhaven, January 15, 1950, to
Louis Butler and Lillian Roberts Butler. Mr. Butler worked as a Lineman and Licensed Electrician. He was a member of
Grace Church of the Nazarene. He will be greatly missed by his family and all who knew and loved him.
He is preceded in death by his parents; his son, Michael Joseph “Jody” Butler; and his brother, Larry L. Butler.
Those who remain to cherish his memory are his daughter, Manndi Butler Pugh; five grandchildren, Gage Butler, Gladen Butler,
Jesielyn Butler, Xander Pugh, and Jason Pugh. He is also survived by nephews, Chance Butler and Lane Butler; his faith family at
Grace Church of the Nazarene, his friends at Brookhaven Church of the Nazarene, and a host of other loving family members and friends.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to ALS Clinic of the Midsouth Wesley Neurology Clinic 1365 South Germantown Road, Germantown, TN 38138,
or St Jude Children’s Hospital, PO Box 1000 Dept 142, Memphis, TN 38148-0142.
Rev. Bobby Q. Boyd
Funeral service for Rev. Bobby Q. Boyd will be 2 p.m., Thursday, May 19, at McComb Gospel Assembly, with interment
in the Pike Memorial Cemetery. Visitation is from 5-9 p.m., Wednesday, May 18, at McComb Gospel Assembly and will
resume on Thursday, from 1 p.m. until the time of the service.
Rev. Boyd, 72, of McComb, passed from this life and entered eternity May 14, 2022. He was born September 10, 1949, in Jayess, MS.
He surrendered into the gospel ministry and served the Lord as Pastor of McComb Gospel Assembly, for 35 years. He also
had a 25-year career with the Fred’s Corporation, where he achieved the status of North Mississippi District Manager.
He maintained the number two ranking store in Brookhaven, MS, as store manager, for numerous years. He was an accomplished
carpenter, with precise skill. His motto was “once the task has begun, never stop until it’s done. Be the task great or small, do it well or not at all.”
He is preceded in death by his parents, Von and Bernice Boyd; paternal grandparents, Victor and Johnnie Boyd; maternal grandparents,
Press and Hazel Oquin; stepmother, Rachel Boyd; son, Brian Chadwick; and sister-in-law, Nola Boyd.
Those who remain to cherish his memory are his wife of 54 years, Penny Boyd; son, Keith Boyd (Julie); daughter, Karen Boyd (Kevin); brothers,
Billy Boyd and Tommy Boyd (Ann); sister, Hazel Deskin (Mike); five grandchildren, Kayla England (Andrew), Zachary Boyd (Payton),
Karli Riggs (Brandon), Justin Boyd, Kalli Boyd; and three great grandchildren, Toby Riggs, Loxleigh England, and Avelynn England.
He is also survived by other loving family members and friends, as well as his faith family at Gospel Assembly.
Gerald Lawain Williams
Services for Gerald Lawain Williams of Wesson are 11:00 am, Wednesday, May 18, 2022,
at Riverwood Family with visitation from 10:00 until the time of service.
Mr. Gerald Lawain Williams, 58, passed away on May 16, 2022, at his home in Wesson.
He was born on March 13, 1964, to the late Clifford lee Williams and Loraine Clark.
Gerald was a truck driver for 34 years, carpenter, and loved talking to everyone he met. He never met a stranger.
Preceding him in death were his parents; and step-father, Charlie Clark.
Those left to cherish his memory are his wife of 35 years, Jan Williams; daughters, Amber Williams Hamilton (Joey),
and Katie Williams (Tiffany); brothers, Leon and David Williams, Mitchell, James and Kevin Clark (Stephanie);
sisters Reda Williams Avent “Sissy” Lanita Darling (Ricky); and grandson, Levi Grant Hamilton “Monkey Britches”.
He will be missed by all that loved him.
A special thank you to Deaconess Hospice for the love and compassion shown Gerald during his 8 months of care.
The family would like to give special thanks to Darlene Holcomb and Jasmine King.
Donations can be made to your favorite charity.
Janet Carol Fuller Allen
Graveside service for Mrs. Janet Carol Fuller Allen will be 10 a.m., Monday, May 16,
at Pleasant Grove Church Cemetery, in Monticello.
Mrs. Allen, 57, of Bogue Chitto, passed away May 10, 2022, at her residence in Bogue Chitto.
She was born in Tylertown, MS, February 18, 1965, to Hilda Leon Fuller and Wanda June Carr Fuller.
She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. She will be greatly missed by her family and all those who loved her.
She is preceded in death by her husband, David Raiford Allen; her parents; one daughter Wanda Leann; and her grandson, Mason Ray.
She is survived by her son, Donovan R. Allen; daughters, Samantha Perry and Katie Torrez; brother, Ronnie Fuller;
sisters, Sue Sullivan, Mariland Beeson, Patricia Rollins, and Ann Beeson; three grandchildren, and one great grandchild.
She is also survived by a host of nieces, nephews, and other loving family members and friends.
Randal Louis Pennington
Funeral service for Mr. Randal Louis Pennington will be 11 a.m., Friday, May 13, at Bethel Baptist Church in Monticello, with
interment in Wanilla Baptist Church Cemetery. Visitation is from 5-8 p.m., Thursday evening at Bethel and will resume at 9 a.m. on Friday before the service.
Randal Louis Pennington was born January 8th, 1960, to the late Mr. and Mrs. Robert Leroy Pennington. He was born at the
Columbus Air Force Base in Columbus, Ms. Over the years, he grew up a military child, alongside his siblings Charlotte Young, Ronald Pennington,
and the late Roger Pennington. He grew up living in Mississippi, North Dakota, and Guam before relocating to Sontag, Ms. where he spent the
rest of his years. Randy attended school at Monticello High School where he graduated in 1979. After high school, he began working offshore in the
gas and oil industry where he dedicated 40 years to various oil companies, including Pool, Transocean, and Shell Oil Company. During this time,
he met the love of his life of 37 years, Kim Smith Pennington. After 12 years, they welcomed their only daughter and Randy's "pumpkin" Victoria Jayde Russell.
In 2018, Randy gained the son he never had when his daughter married Daniel Russell, who shared a love of hunting with Randy. Over the years,
Randy was an avid hunter. Randy was a member of Triple R hunting club for 37 years and dedicated many years of his life of learning to hunt and
teaching his nephews to hunt. Randy loved watching his daughter play softball and spent many years dedicating time to her teaching her the game.
Most importantly, Randy was a Christian. Randy was a member of Bethel Baptist Church where he sang in the choir as well. Randy never met a stranger
and loved everyone. Most importantly, he loved his wife and daughter with all his heart. Randy peacefully passed away with his wife and sister by his
side May 9th, 2022, at Select Specialty Hospital in Jackson, Ms. Although his family and friends are saddened by his passing, they know that to be
absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
He is preceded in death by his parents; grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Pennington, Sr. and Mr. and Mrs. Louis Pennington;
father and mother-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Donald Roger Smith; brother, Roger Warren Pennington; brother-in-law, Kevin Young; and nephews,
Elton Lee Maxwell and Hunter Lee Maxwell.
Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Kim Smith Pennington; daughter, Victoria Jayde Russell (Daniel); brother, Ronald Wayne Pennington (Jennifer);
sister, Charlotte Hope Young; sisters-in-law, Samantha Parria and Amber Smith; brother-in-law, Lionel Parria; nephews, Shawn Wesley Maxwell (Crystal),
Phillip Edward Maxwell, and Michael Pennington, as well as a host of other nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends.
William Meredith Newell
Funeral service for Mr. William Meredith Newell will be 11 a.m. Friday, May 13, 2022, at Riverwood Family,
with interment at Mt Zion Baptist Church Cemetery. Visitation is from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service.
Mr. Newell, 94, of Wesson, passed from this life May 7, 2022. He was born in Brookhaven, MS July 26, 1927.
He served his country in the United States Army. Mr. Newell was a hardworking man, retiring from the oilfield
after 42 years of service. He took pleasure in vacationing in Branson, MO and listening to Blue Grass Music.
After retiring, he began to raise Beef Master Cattle. He was also a master gardener, plowing his field with his mule.
He kept busy making all the necessary repairs to his farm equipment as well. Mr. Newell will be greatly missed by his
family and his friends at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, where he was a member for many years.
He is preceded in death by his wives, Bennie Jean Cooley Newell and Marie Newell; his parents Clarence Newell and
Maude Britt Newell; two sisters, Loretta Allen (Emmitt) and Yvonne Sisco (Walter); brother, John Newell (Jeanette);
brother-in-law, Howard Smith; and his great grandson, Cooper James Newell.
He is survived by his sons, Gene Newell, Stacey Newell and wife, Wendy and daughter, Gail Hudson and husband,
Marcelle; sister, Maudell Smith; nine grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren. He is also survived by a “bonus family”,
Scott Williams (Susie), and multiple Williams’ grandchildren and great grandchildren, as well as other loving family members and friends.
We would like to thank Haven Hall Nursing Facility, Encompass Hospice, for their gracious, loving work and care during our loved one’s stay with them.
We are eternally grateful.
Joby Rutledge
Funeral service for Joby Rutledge will be 2 p.m., Tuesday, May 10, at Holly Springs Baptist Church with interment
in the church cemetery. Visitation is from noon until the time of service.
Mr. Rutledge, 63, of Bogue Chitto, passed away May 5, 2022, at his residence in Kelso, TN. He was born in San Francisco, CA,
May 15, 1958, to James Glynn Rutledge, Sr. and Barbara Anita Rutledge.
He is preceded in death by his parents and sisters, Grace Rutledge-Foster and Sandy Rutledge.
He is survived by his sons, Justin Rutledge (Mercedes), and Matthew Rutledge; daughters, Jessica Rutledge-Schmidt (Daven),
Kelly Huff-Watts (Joseph), Caitlyn Huff-Mendez (Freddy); brother, Freddie Rutledge; sisters, Deborah Rutledge-Jackson (Mark),
and Crissy Rutledge-Tikirolu (Burcin); 12 grandchildren, Isabel Flores, Christian Robertson, Gabby Anding, Kailey Barras,
Madden Coleman, Madison Pierce, Karter Barras, Kylie Watts, Mya Black, Tristen Huff, Oliver John, and Tristan Cordell; his best friends,
Teddie Joe McCaffrey and Jimmy King; as well as his faithful companion, Jack, and other loving family members and friends.
Charles Robert Cupit
Graveside service for Mr. Charles Robert Cupit will be 11 a.m., Monday, May 9, at Damascus Baptist Church Cemetery.
Mr. Cupit, 45, of McCall Creek, passed away May 6, 2022, at his residence. He was born in Brookhaven, MS, June 12, 1976, to
Billy Pat Cupit and Linda Faye Case Cupit. He was a member of Damascus Baptist Church.
Mr. Cupit is preceded in death by his brother, Stephen Patrick Cupit; and by his grandparents, Charles and Jewell Case and Earl and Lela Cupit.
He is survived by his daughter, Ada Grace Case; his parents; sister-in-law, Leslie Thompson (Justin), and his niece,
Libby Grace Cupit Thompson, as well as other loving family members and friends. He will be greatly missed by those who loved him.
Jerry Glenn Lofton, Jr.
Funeral service for Mr. Jerry Glenn Lofton, Jr. will be 2 p.m., Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at Ramah Baptist Church
with interment in the church cemetery. Visitation is from 5-7 p.m., Tuesday, May 10, at Ramah and will resume
from 1 p.m. until the time of service on Wednesday.
Mr. Lofton, 60, of McCall Creek, passed away May 5, 2022, at his residence. He was born in Enigma, GA,
August 21, 1961, to Jerry Glenn Lofton, Sr. and Hazel Louise Kimble Lofton. He was a 1979 Franklin County
graduate and then went on to graduate from Mississippi State with a bachelor’s degree. He was retired from
Walmart Distribution Center. Mr. Lofton was a member of Ramah Baptist Church where he served as a deacon.
He loved his faith family as well as his immediate family. He enjoyed traveling and trying out different restaurants.
He was a tremendous fan of gospel and country music. He will be greatly missed by his friends and family.
He is preceded in death by his parents and an infant brother, James Lofton.
He is survived by his uncle, Vernon Kimble; aunts, Barbara Kimble, Shirley Oliver, Marie Hilton, Eva Allen,
and Geraldine Lofton. Even though Glenn had no children of his own, he leaves behind his nephews and niece, Patrick, Aaron, and Sarah,
whom he loved as his own, as well as a host of other family members, cousins and friends.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Ramah Baptist Church as a memorial to Mr. Lofton.
