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Obituaries

Billy Elliott

Billy Elliott, 74, of Ashland, died Friday, August 1, 2008 at North MS Medical Center in Tupelo. He was a member of Bluff Springs Baptist Church where he served as deacon and Sunday school superintendent. He was a retired supervisor for Southern Brick and Holly Springs Brick & Tile.

Services were held at 2 p.m. Sunday, August 3 at Bluff Springs Baptist Church with Bro. Ed McCafferty and Bro. Faron Ash officiating. Burial was in the church cemetery.

He leaves his wife, Bobbie Elliott of Ashland; three daughters, Sandra Towery, Shelia Farris, both of Ripley, Sharon Matlock of Hickory Flat; three sons Stanley Elliott of New Albany, Christopher Elliott of Ashland, Nickey Elliott of Ashland; two sisters, Alice West of Ashland, and Patsy Bolden of Holly Springs; two brothers, M.C. Elliott Jr. of Holly Springs, and Roger Elliott of Potts Camp; 13 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers were Shane Elliott, Heath Elliott, Tommy Towery, Mitch Farris, Cody Matlock and Austin Matlock. Honorary pallbearers were Dustin Matlock, Scott Mansel, Paul Gray and Harold Holman.

Ruby L. McGowan Davis

Ruby L. McGowan Davis, 83, of Holly Springs, died July 28, 2008 at her home in the Lake Center Community. She was the widow of James Franklin Davis; a longtime member of Calvin Chapel United Methodist Church, where she served as former president of the usher board and member of United Methodist Women; and a retired cook for the Holly Springs Separate School District.

Services were held at 11 a.m. on Aug. 2 at Anderson Chapel CME Church. Burial was in Charity Hill Cemetery, Lake Center Community. Rev. Edward Charles Moses officiated. J.F. Brittenum and Son Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

She leaves five daughters, Josephine Bisch of Decatur, Ill., Catherine Jefferson, Dorothy McGowan, Jacqueline Walker, Priscilla Jackson, all of Holly Springs; two sons, Burt L. Davis of Aurora, Ill., Turl Davis of Holly Springs; 22 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by three children, Frank Edward Davis, Ira Blane Davis, Jane Ella Boga.

Pallbearers were Frazier Davis, Lonnie Boga Jr., Alonzo Davis, Tyrone Rucker, Jermaine Walker and Burt Davis Jr. Honorary pallbearers were Burt Davis, Turl Davis, Jawan White, Curtis Jefferson Jr., Eddie Jefferson, Joe Dunlap and Lonnie Boga Sr.

Robin Hasbrouck

Robin (Rob) Hasbrouck, 58, of Holly Springs, died July 28, 2008. He was the widower of Bessie Higdon Hasbrouck and a mechanic with Marshall County Road Department.

Memorial services were held at 10 a.m. on Aug. 1 at Holly Springs Funeral Home Chapel. Interment was at Chewalla Cemetery.

He leaves two sons, Benjamin Hasbrouck of Council Bluffs, Iowa, John Higdon of Holly Springs; a daughter, Becky Hasbrouck of Council Bluffs, Iowa; a brother, Michael Hasbrouck of Council Buffs, Iowa; three sisters, Carmen Riegel of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Debra Holzapfel of Anderson, Ind., Diane Pendley of Plattsmouth, Neb.; and three grandchildren.

Ora Lee Johnson

Ora Lee Johnson, 73, of Byhalia, died Aug. 1, 2008 at her home. She was a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church.

Services were held at 2 p.m. on Aug. 4 at Brantley Funeral Home Chapel in Olive Branch. Burial was in New Garden Cemetery.

She leaves her husband of 56 years, Luke Johnson Jr.; daughters, Brenda Wildman of Byhalia, Linda Stacks of Potts Camp; sons, Kenneth and Jeffrey Johnson, both of Byhalia; sisters, Maxine Stone of Hamilton, Ala., Ilene Stone of Southaven, Mert Walton of Olive Branch; a brother, David Abbott of Red Bay, Ala.; eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Walter Woods

Walter (W.W. ) Woods, 56, of Holly Springs, died July 29, 2008 at Alliance HealthCare System. He was a member of Old Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Bolivar, Tenn., and a farmer.

Services were held at 11 a.m. on Aug. 2 at Hopewell No. 1 MB Church. Burial was in Bowens Cemetery. Rev. James Green officiated. J.F. Brittenum and Son Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

He leaves three daughters, Geneva Brown, Florene Brown, Annie Brown, all of Whiteville, Tenn.; two sons, Walter Woods Jr., Floyd Brown, both of Whiteville, Tenn.; three sisters, Corrine Woods, Letha McClellan, Callie Martin, all of Holly Springs; and a brother, John Woods of Holly Springs.

Pallbearers were William Jones, Nathaniel Martin, William Jones Jr., Danny Pool, Wayne Cornelious and Lance Martin. Honorary pallbearers were Anthony Woods, Deldrick McClellan, George McClellan, Gus Crittle Jr., John McClellan, Nathaniel Martin Jr., Sevestin Martin and Shante Woods.

T.M. Stone

Thomas Mitchell “Coach” Stone, former basketball coach, teacher, legislator, church and civic leader, died Thursday, July 31, 2008, at his home. He was born January 24, 1915 in the Bethany community of Benton County, the son of Thomas Calvin Stone and Lily Caviness Stone. He was a 1936 graduate of Potts Camp High School and of Sunflower Junior College (now Delta Community College) and the University of Alabama, both of which he attended on basketball scholarships.

A strong supporter of public education, he was involved in the school system for 35 years including teaching and coaching at Hurricane High School, Pinedale High School and Potts Camp High School. His basketball teams were legendary throughout Mississippi and his Potts Camp boys’ team won the overall state championship in 1961.

He was a member of the Potts Camp United Methodist Church, serving as a Sunday School teacher for many years and as chairman of the board and lay leader. A member of the Mississippi House of Representatives for eight years, he was a veteran of the United States Navy and held memberships in the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars. A charter member of the Potts Camp Lions Club, he also was a member of the Delta Community College Alumni Association and Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Alabama “A” Club. He was the organizer of the Potts Camp Park Boosters and worked diligently to establish and continually improve the town park.

He was an avid quail hunter, trained bird dogs and enjoyed gardening and sharing his tomato crop with friends and family. He loved his family dearly and was a much-loved father, grandfather and great-grandfather. He was a patriarch to not only his own family, but to many of the students and ballplayers whose lives he touched.

Funeral services were held on Sunday, August 3 at 2 p.m. at the Potts Camp High School gymnasium with the Rev. James Lee Spencer officiating and Bro. Don Newton assisting. Burial was in the Potts Camp Cemetery. Holly Springs Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Annie Ruth Holley Stone to whom he was married on August 21, 1940; four children: Tommye Ann Stone Goode and husband, Gale, of Greenwood; Thomas Mitchell “Mitch” Stone, Jr. and wife, Jeanette Gurley Stone, of Potts Camp; Cherrie Stone Shaw and husband, Tim, of Waterford; and Merri “Pebble” Stone Gadd and husband, Jack, of Hickory Flat; ten grandchildren, Patrick Goode, Stone Goode and wife Shellie, Mark Shaw, Holley Stone Muraco (Mike), Emily Stone, April Shaw Stacks, Hayley Shaw, Cody Gadd, Jeanie Anne Gadd and Jacob Gadd; and nine great-grandchildren, Seth Milliorn, Austin Goode, Sawyer Goode, Dylan Goode, Gary Michael Stacks, Madison Grace Stacks, Thomas Brayen Turner, Jordan Muraco and Colton Muraco.

Preceding him in death were his parents; three brothers, Joe, Malvin and Prentiss Stone; and one sister, Vidal Mae Stone Whaley.

Pallbearers were Jimmy Bennett, Myron Cupp, Ganus Gadd, Jimmy Gurley, Jimmy Kimery, Robert Phillips, Donald Randolph, Jerry Rhea, Jimmy Siddall and Sonny Stroud.

Honorary pallbearers will be the 1961 State Championship team and all former players and students.

Terry Sawyer

Terry Eugene Sawyer, 57, died July 29, 2008 at Baptist Memorial Hospital, Memphis, Tenn., after a short illness.

During his life, he served as a member of Byhalia United Methodist Church where he was a teacher of the “Upper Room” Sunday School class for 22 years. He was a past chairman of the administrative board and present chairman of the staff/pastor parish committee. Terry was the keyboardist and a vocalist with the Byhalia United Methodist worship band “Prayznmor.”

Terry was serving as an alderman for the Town of Byhalia and was an active member of the Byhalia Area Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of the Byhalia Lions Club and had been club treasurer for the last 14 years. Terry also served on the board of directors at Marshall Academy in Holly Springs. He was a supporter of school sports including the Byhalia Sports Association. He was a corporate trainer with Mercedes-Benz USA, Montvale, NJ, and a graduate of the University of Alabama. He was a partner with Historic Investments, LLC. During the 1970s Terry played keyboard for several Memphis garage bands including “Target” and “The Shortcuts.”

He leaves his beloved wife, Sarah Fay Crain Sawyer and two sons, Scott Paul Sawyer and Anderson Callahan Sawyer of Byhalia. He also leaves his siblings, Deborah Strickland and husband Roger, of Drummonds, Tenn., Chris Sawyer and wife Barb of Brentwood, Tenn., Tom Sawyer of Newport Coast, Calif., and five nieces and seven nephews. Terry was the son of the late Fred (Buz) Sawyer and Maxine Trainor Sawyer of Olive Branch.

Terry was a donor to the Mid-South Transplant Foundation. A celebration of his life, Christian faith and his music ministry was held on Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 3 p.m. at The Flame at Byhalia United Methodist Church with Dr. Jim Biedenharn officiating. Holly Springs Funeral Home was in charge of the service. A reception was held at The Flame following the celebration. Honorary pallbearers were the members of the Byhalia Lions Club.

Memorials may be sent to “The Flame” Byhalia United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 6, Byhalia, MS 38611; Wings Cancer Foundation, 100 North Humphreys Blvd., Memphis, TN 38120 or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 (donors@stjude.org).

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