Funeral service will be held for Grace Elaine Smith, 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 30, 2021, at Riverwood Family Funeral Service in Brookhaven, MS, with visitation beginning at 1:00 p.m. at Riverwood. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Church of Christ Cemetery.

On Tuesday December 28, 2021, Grace Elaine Smith, loving wife and mother, passed away at the age of 86. Elaine was born on August 9, 1935, in the Midway community, Copiah County, MS to Ernest and Mildred (Smith) Montgomery. She graduated from Brookhaven High School in 1953 before attending Copiah Lincoln Jr. College. On October 8, 1954, she married Claude Bennett Smith, Jr. They raised two sons, Scott and Steve.

Elaine enjoyed nothing better than caring for her family and loved ones. One of the many ways she showed her love was through her gift of cooking. She was a faithful member of Hillcrest Church of Christ where her beautiful alto voice could be heard singing regularly. She was a Proverbs 31 woman.

Elaine was preceded in death by her father, Ernest, and her mother, Mildred, and an infant son. She is survived by her husband, Claude Bennett Smith, Jr; two sons Scott (Renee) Smith of Clinton, MS and Steve (Jana) Smith of Edmond, OK; one grandson, Riley (Katie) Smith of Houston, TX; one granddaughter, Laura (Caleb) Baze of Waco, TX; two great-grandchildren, Cora and Alan Baze; special friends, Collins and Micah Allen.

The family would like to express sincere appreciation to Hospice Compassus and the staff at Trend Healthcare and Rehabilitation.

Services for Mr. Fred Barrett Shelton, Jr. are 11:00 am, Tuesday, December 28, 2021,

at Riverwood with visitation from 10:00 am until the time of the service.

Burial will be at Shelton Cemetery in Pattison, MS.

Mr. Fred Barrett Shelton, Jr. 43, passed away on December 22, 2021. He was born on October 3, 1978, in Brookhaven, Ms.

Mr. Shelton spent his youth growing up on the family farm in rural Jefferson County, where he enjoyed fishing the creeks, ponds and hunting on the powerline with his cousins.

He was a graduate of Franklin County High School, attended Co-Lin, and was currently a valued worker for Wallace Comfort Zone.

He spent his leisure time fishing and hunting with his best friend Logan, and bragging on his beautiful daughters, Makayla and Lucy. Mr. Barrett was a 

lifelong member of Blue Hill United Methodist Church, where he was loved and cherished dearly.

Preceding him in death were his grandparents, Charles and Lucille Shelton and brother-in-law, J.P Upton.

Those left to cherish his memory are his father, Freddie Shelton (Katie); mother, Mitzi Price;

son, Barrett Logan Shelton (Sierrah Stabler); daughters, Makayla Brooke Shelton and Lucy Rivers Shelton;

sister, Amanda Upton Bergeron and husband Jake; special nephews, Gavin and Trajan Upton; and grandparents,

George and Chris Price and Paula Walker. He is also survived by many family members and friends who loved him dearly.

We will always miss his smile, big hugs, and his love for everyone he met. We love you dearly, our dad, friend, son, best brother, and uncle. Merry Christmas, we all love you BIG! BIG! Until we see you again “B”.

Passed away December 23, 2021 at KDMC

Services are incomplete

Funeral service for Kathleen Gillis Holmes, of Brookhaven, will be 11 a.m., Wednesday, December 22, 2021, at Riverwood Family, with burial in Union Hall Baptist Church Cemetery. Visitation is from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, December 21, at Riverwood, and will resume at 10 a.m. Wednesday until the time of service.

Kathleen passed peacefully from her earthly home into heaven on December 18, 2021. She was born on July 17, 1926, in Sturgis, MS, to Chapman Gillis and Dorothy Jones Gillis. She was the third of eleven children born into her family. Although their lives, growing up in a rural setting in Oktibbeha County, proved to be economically challenging at times, there was never a lack of love, faith, and courage. She formed a lifelong bond of love and support with them that lasted her entire life. These same values became an intrinsic part of her character that she in turn passed on to her children and grandchildren.

She was a 1943 graduate of Sturgis High School where she was elected Valedictorian and was blessed to receive an academic scholarship that provided the necessary funding for her to attend Mississippi State University. After graduating with a B.S. degree in 1947, Kathleen soon learned what her passion for life would be, and that was teaching. Her career spanned over 40 years and included teaching positions at Johnston Station in Summit, MS, North Pike High School, Hammond, Louisiana, Brookhaven Academy, as well as two separate times at Enterprise Attendance Center in Lincoln County.

Upon retiring, Kathleen continued teaching in the Tylertown School System as a substitute teacher. She also enjoyed reading, playing bridge, traveling, and putting together crossword puzzles. She also enjoyed watching sports on TV, her favorite teams being the MSU Bulldogs and the Atlanta Braves.

Following a permanent move to Brookhaven in the mid 1990’s, Kathleen became an active member of Jackson Street United Methodist Church, where she made many close friends. She especially enjoyed being a part of the United Methodist Women’s Circle. She dearly loved her church family and the cards, visits, and prayers they provided on her behalf meant so much.

Second only to her love for her Lord and Savior, was the love she had for her two sons and their families. She always expressed thanks and appreciation to “her boys”, as she often referred to them when speaking to others, for the time and attention to her needs that they always provided.

She also loved her grandchildren and great grandchildren and opened her heart to them, providing anything to them that she felt they needed, especially her wisdom and advice.

In addition to her parents, Kathleen was preceded in death by her daughter-in-law, Denise Bessonette Holmes; granddaughter, Stacey Crane Burns; sisters, Margaret Jeffries (Johnnie), Irene Chandler (Edwin), Helen Stemmer (Joe); brothers, Gerald Gillis (Nancy), Jimmy Gillis; and sister-in-law, Sudie Gillis.

Those remaining to cherish her memory are two sons, Steven Holmes (Janice), and Mike Holmes (Denise, in spirit), both of Brookhaven; five grandchildren, Bradley Holmes (Misty), Lacey Holmes Laird (Justin), both of Brookhaven, Lindsey Holmes Porter (Jared), of Hurley, MS, and Steven Burns of AR. She is also survived by nine great grandchildren, Tate Holmes, Patrick and Piper Laird, of Brookhaven, Emory and Meritt Porter of Hurley, MS and Austin (Lyndsey), Alex, Alyssa, and Anna Burns of AR; sister, Sally McRorie (Jim) of Charlotte, NC; brothers, Algen Gillis (Christine), Alton Gillis (Betty), and Rodger Gillis (Erma Jean) all of Sturgis, MS; and Marion Gillis of Mathison, MS.

Also, special friends and neighbors, Ann and Columbus Goza and special friends and caregivers, Joyce Wright and Vickie Martin.