Visitation for Mrs. Smithie is Thursday, February 21, 2019 from 5-9pm at Providence Baptist Church.
Funeral services will be Friday, February 22, 2019 at 11 am at Providence Baptist Church with burial at Ruth Cemetery.
Lela Joyce Brister Smithie was born on August 10th 1937, to Early Ray and Geneva Lois Brister.
She called Ruth her home for most of her life. Her faith in Jesus ensured her true home was in Heaven,
and Joyce was called to that eternal home on February 20th 2019.
She is preceded in death by her father and mother, one brother, Hugh Denver Brister,
one sister, Mildred Earline Walker, her husband Donald Smithie, and her son Ronny Smithie.
Survivors include her daughter Bonita Smithie Britt of Ruth, her sister Mary Edwards and husband Jimmy of Bush, Louisiana,
sister-in-law Barbara Randall and husband Gene of Jayess, sister-in-law Patsy Parkman and husband Lowry of Jayess
and two grandsons, Jonathan Britt of Ruth and Stuart Britt and wife Ashlee of Madison.
Joyce was blessed with three great grandchildren whom she loved dearly—Addi, Benna, and Judah.
The visitation for Michael Emmett Elkins, Sr. will be held on Thursday, February 21, 2019 from 9:00 a.m.
until the memorial service at 11:00 a.m. at Wesson Baptist Church.
Michael Emmett Elkins, Sr., age 52 and a resident of Hazlehurst, went to be with the Lord on February 18, 2019,
surrounded by his loving family. He was born on July 3, 1966 to Thomas Edward Elkins, Sr. and Kathy Teel Elkins Etheridge
in Long Beach, CA. Michael was an active member of Wesson Baptist Church and will be dearly missed by all of those who knew him.
He is preceded in death by his father.
Those left to cherish his memory are his mother; sons, Michael Elkins, Jr. and Matthew Elkins;
daughters, Kayla and Trista Elkins, and Caitlin Hughes; brothers, Tommy Elkins and Michel Smith;
and sister, Jo Ann Miller. He is also survived by a grandson, Cody Hughes, Jr.;
6 nephews; 1 niece; and a special family friend, Evon Glasper.
Services for Mrs. Agnes Lanell Burt Williams of Brookhaven are 11:00 am Thursday, February 21, 2019
at Riverwood Family Funeral Service with interment at New Sight Cemetery.
Visitation is from 5:00-7:00 pm on Wednesday, February 20 at Riverwood.
Mrs. Agnes Lanell Burt Williams, 91 went to be with her Lord on February 18, 2019 at St Dominic’s Hospital.
She was born on July 31, 1927 to the late Thomas Decatur Burt and Effie Inez McCaughlin Burt.
She was Bookkeeper and Co-Owner of Dickerson & Bowen and a member of First Baptist of Brookhaven,
Woodmen of the World, Alpha Lions Club, LLL at First Baptist.
Mrs. Williams enjoyed reading, gardening, games, golf, fishing, crocheting and knitting.
Preceding her in death are her parents; husband, Wayne B. Williams; son, Sidney Wayne Williams;
brothers, Hoover Burt & Julius Burt and sisters Inez Thornhill and Opal Burt.
Those left to cherish her memory are her son, Lester O. Williams and wife Deborah;
daughters, Beverly W. Wise and husband Reginald, Velma W. Estess and husband Cecil;
brother, Roffie Burt and wife Joyce; sisters, Sandra Ratcliff, Barbara McCracken and Hilda Penner.
She is also survived by 9 grandchildren, Melissa Wise Philley, Matthew E. Wise, Mitchell W. Wise, W. Clint Estess,
Justin R. Estess, Hannah Estess LaPorte, Caleb S. Williams, Courtney Williams Fetcko, Cassie Maude Williams;
and 15 great grandchildren and a host of nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers memorial can be made to the First Baptist Church Brookhaven Senior Ministry, P.O. Box 589 Brookhaven MS 39602 or your favorite charity.
Services for Mrs. Bobbie Nell Johnson of Crystal Springs are 2:00 pm Friday, February 22, 2019
at Bethesda Methodist Church with visitation from 12:00 until time of service and interment at the church cemetery.
Mrs. Bobbie Nell Johnson, 87, went to be with her Lord on February 19, 2019 at Copiah County Medical Center.
She was born on October 6, 1931 to the late Jake Tully Knight and Dovie Mae Sullivan Knight.
She was a homemaker and a member of Bethesda Methodist Church.
She was best known for her pepper jams & jellies, basket weaving, making teddy bears
and spending time in the “little house” with her husband.
Bobbie Nell started the Bethesda food pantry to help the community.
She loved cooking for everyone and everyone loved her food.
Preceding her in death are her parents; husband R.F. Johnson;
brothers, Spud Knight and Earl Knight.
Those left to cherish her memory are her are her sons, Ronnie Johnson, Gary Johnson, Dennis Johnson and David Johnson;
sisters, Joan Kennedy, Peggy Johnson, Carolyn Duboise, Sylvia Beach;
11 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren and 3 great-great grandchildren.
Graveside Services for Michael Stephan Brown, of Bogue Chitto are 11:00 am Monday, February 18, 2019 at Montgomery Baptist Church Cemetery.
Michael Stephan Brown, 65, went to be with the Lord on February 16, 2019. He was born on November 11, 1953.
Preceding him in death are his parents, George and Shiela Brown.
Those left to cherish his memory are his son, James Michael Brown and wife Jessica;
daughter, Kimberly Pointer and husband Shaun; sister, Cheryl Ezell and husband Eddie;
and three grandchildren, Taylor Brown, Finn Brown, and Declan Pointer.
Graveside Services for Mr. John Willie Whatley will be held on Sunday, February 17, 2019, at 2:00pm, at Sylvarena Baptist Church Cemetery.
John Willie Whatley, 90, of Philadelphia, passed from this life on February 15, 2019, in Meridian, Mississippi. He was born on March 8, 1928, to Willie O. Whatley and Oma Whatley.
Mr. Whatley proudly served his country in the United States Navy during World War II and Korean War. After his service, He was a self-employed Farmer. Mr. Whatley also was a member of the Church of Christ of Philadelphia.
Preceding him in death were his parents; three sisters; and two sons, Ken Whatley and John Gilbert Whatley.
Those left to cherish his memory is his loving wife of 73 years, Ruby Garner Whatley; sons, Bernard Whatley and Phillip Whatley; seven grandchildren, Virginia Peden, Sharon Waltman, Bill Whatley, David Whatley, John Richard Whatley, Ashli Whatley and Skylar Whatley along with five great-grandchildren.
Audrey Rebecca Cummins, 95, of Brookhaven passed away on February 15, 2019 at her home.
She was born on May 3, 1923 to the late Albert Fuller and Susie Sanders Fuller.
She was a member of Homeseekers Bible Church and a loving mother and grandmother that
will be missed by all that loved and knew her.
Preceding her in death are her parents and her husband, James H. “Dick” Cummins.
Those left to cherish her memory are her son, Jim Cummings and wife, Joyce: daughter, Dot McClendon;
4 grandchildren, Chris Cummings, Tamicia Cummings, Pam Parsons Ellis and Wanda Parsons Gharibian.
She is also survived by 6 great grandchildren and 2 great- great grandchildren.
Services for Bruce Bryant Dow, of Brookhaven are 3:00 pm Sunday, February 17, 2019
at Nola Baptist Church with visitation from 1:30 pm until time of service and burial at Nola Baptist Church Cemetery.
Nola Baptist Church Cemetery, 183 Sontag Nola Road Sontag, MS
39665
Bruce Bryant Dow, 64, went to be with the Lord on February 12, 2019. He was born on January 14, 1955.
Preceding him in death are his father, Shelton Dow, Jr.
He worked as a carpenter; and was a member of Nola Baptist Church.
Those left to cherish his memory are his mother, June Dow of Baton Rouge;
sons, Shane Dow, Jeffrey Dow and Johnny Dow; sister, Lisa Posey;
9 grandchildren, Tarra, Julie, Wyatt, Abbi, Allie, Ian, Maddie, Barrett and Bryson.
Gwendolyn O. Moreton, a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, who spent much of her life in southeastern Mississippi and Virginia,
died of natural causes on June 13, 2018. She was eighty-six years old.
Ms. Moreton was the daughter of Eugenia Brazil and Marion Delbasty, and the adopted daughter of Alfred E. Moreton, Jr.,
former Mayor of Brookhaven, Mississippi, and Jessie Oliver Moreton. She was educated at St. Mary of the Pines Academy in Chatawa, Mississippi,
then moved with her mother to the Washington, D.C. area soon after the end of the Second World War. There, she met and, eventually,
married Forrest G. Ramsey, Jr., then a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
Together they raised seven children. She enjoyed cooking, knitting, crocheting, needlework, sewing, painting, carving,
and was a devoted gardener, serving as the President of her garden club in northern Virginia.
Later in life she returned to live in Natchez, Mississippi, and she spent her final years in the Charlotte, North Carolina area.
A private interment will be held at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Brookhaven on Saturday February 16.
A memorial service for Mr. Ralph Kern is to be held February 23, 2019, at Riverwood Family Funeral Service at 11:00am with visitation starting from 9:00am prior to the service
with a burial service in Riverwood Memorial Park. Rev. Mike Grenn and Dr. P. A. Michel will conduct the services.
Mr. Kern was born October 25, 1936 to J. Hayward and Doris Allmand Kern in Canton, MS.
His family moved to Brookhaven when he was six years of age. Ralph graduated from BHS in 1955 and attended MS State
before joining the U.S. Air Force. After duty, he returned to Brookhaven, where he met his wife of 58 years.
He joined his parents in the restaurant business for the next 20 years before going into the oil exploration business for the next ten years, with much success.
After moving to Florida in 1987, he was co-owner with his son, Wyndell, building two Honda Motorcycle dealerships and purchasing world-renowned Gatorback Cycle Park.
Ralph was of the Baptist faith. He was preceded in death by his father, mother and one son Christopher.
He is survived by his wife, Margaret Ann Grenn Kern;
sister, Dolores Hoff; two sons, Kyle Barry (Judy), Wyndell Todd (Kim); daughter-in-law (Elizabeth); one granddaughter (Kalie),
four grandsons (Christopher, Matthew, Justin & Keegan); one step-grandson, Justin Nelson (Andrea) and three step great-grandchildren.
Ralph will be greatly missed by all that loved and knew him.