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Obituaries

Mary Ellen Brown Baeske

Mary Ellen Brown Baeske, 82, of Madison, Ala., died Oct. 4, 2011, at Huntsville Hospital. She was a native of Holly Springs and longtime resident of Madison County, Ala. She was a graduate of Mississippi University for Women and completed a dietetic internship at the Kennedy V.A. Hospital, becoming a registered dietitian. She taught nutrition and diet therapy to student nurses at the Baptist Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. After attending the University of Alabama at Huntsville, she received her Alabama teaching license and retired from the Huntsville City School system after 25 years of teaching. She was a member of the Chewalla Baptist Church in Higdon, founded by her great-grandfather, Dr. John M. Higdon.

Graveside services were held at 11 a.m. on Oct. 6 at Valhalla Memory Gardens in Huntsville. Valhalla Funeral Home and Memory Gardens in Huntsville was in charge of arrangements.

She leaves her husband, Bernard L. Baeske; two sons, James D. Baeske of Knoxville, Tenn., Glenn W. Baeske of Huntsville; and three grandchildren.

Ray Franklin Bone

Ray Franklin Bone, 56, of Holiday, Fla., died Oct. 2, 2011, at Sunset Nursing Home.

He leaves his wife, Peggy Bone; a daughter, Rachel Bone; three sisters, Dollie Skelton of Waterford, Janice Sexton of Hot Springs, Ark., Linda Mangrum of Hernando; and a brother, William “Bill” Bone of Waterford.

James Edward Briggs

James Edward Briggs, 59, died Sept. 29, 2011.

Services were held at 1 p.m. on Oct. 8 at TOMB Association Building in Oxford. Burial was in Yocona Cemetery in Taylor. Rev. William Woods officiated. Serenity-Martin Funeral Home in Oxford was in charge of arrangements.

He leaves his wife, Anita Briggs of Oxford; two sons, James H. Briggs of Ky., Arlester (Sharon) Martin of Oxford; three daughters, Tanya Martin (Robert) Edwards of Okinawa, Japan, Jamylia Briggs of Atlanta, Ga., Karen Tornes of Baton Rouge, La.; his mother, Cora Lee Henderson Briggs; grandmother, Ruth Briggs of Slayden; four brothers, Theodore (Deborah) Briggs Jr. of Smyrna, Tenn., Henry (Bettye) Briggs of Memphis, Tenn., Ted (Carolyn) Briggs of Bartlett, Tenn., Victor (Connie) Briggs of Lamar; four sisters, Anita Wyatt, Brenda Briggs of Byhalia, Corine (Vinson Sr.) McGowan of Southaven, Marilyn Rankin (William) Polk of Memphis, Tenn.; and 16 grandchildren.

John “Junior” Byard

John “Junior” Byard, 76, of Holly Springs, died Oct. 10, 2011 at Baptist DeSoto Hospital in Southaven. Owner of American Heating & Air since 1971, he was a Mason, Shriner and member of Ducks Unlimited, Olive Branch Motor Corp., and an Army veteran of the Korean War.

Services will be held at 2 p.m. on Oct. 13 at First Baptist Church in Holly Springs, where he was a member. Burial will be in Hill Crest Cemetery. Dr. Curtis Ferrell will officiate. Holly Springs Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

He leaves his wife, Trudie Green Byard; three sons, Eddie Byard (Donna), Joey C. Byard (Patti), Chris L. Byard (Dana), all of Holly Springs; four brothers, Joe Byard of Hernando, Kenneth Byard of Memphis, Tenn., Jerry Byard of Looxahoma, Charlie Byard of Memphis; and grandchildren Sarah, Elizabeth, Emilee, Connor and Alexis.

For online condolences visit www.hsfuneralhome.com

Velma Lee Chandler

Velma Lee Chandler, 84, of Byhalia, formerly of Southaven, died Oct. 7, 2011, at her home. The widow of M.J. Chandler, she was retired from Ramada Inn on Brooks Road in Memphis, Tenn. and was a member of Meadowbrook Baptist Church.

Services were held at 11 a.m., Oct. 10 at Forest Hill South with burial in the Forest Hill South Cemetery.

She leaves a daughter, Charlene Walker (Walter); and sons, James Sisk, Melvin Sisk (Kathy), Gene Sisk (Jan), all of Byhalia; a brother Earl B. Norman of Independence, Mo.; nine grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by a brother, Holman Norman.

Elton Graham Sr.

Elton Graham Sr., 53, died Sept. 27, 2011, at Baptist Hospital in Oxford. He was a member of West Oak Grove COC. He served in the Marine Corps for 19 years. He joined in with the GEO Group in Holly Springs, where he worked for six years. He also worked at the DeSoto County Sheriff’s Department in Hernando for the past four years.

Services were held at 11 a.m. on Oct. 3 at West Oak Grove Church of Christ in Hernando. Minister Terry Wallace, pastor, officiated. Burial was in State Veterans Cemetery in Memphis. Serenity-Martin Funeral Home in Oxford was in charge of arrangements.

He leaves his wife Latasha Graham; eight children, Keiona Graham of Washington, D.C., LaWanda Graham of Memphis, Tenn., Kristine Graham of Washington state, Emyian Williams, T’ihhya Williams, Emmanuel Gatewood, Elijah Gatewood, Elton Graham Jr., all of Oxford; four sisters, Diane Graham, Barbara Graham, Darlene Graham, all of Washington, D.C., Shirley Graham of Cincinnati, Ohio; two brothers, Leon Scott, John Graham of Washington, D.C.; and two grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by three brothers.

Pallbearers were MCCF CERT Team. Honorary pallbearers were Willie Folsom, Steve Graham, Timothy Green, Dennis Jones, William Lee and James Rawles.

John Howard Greer

John Howard “Ricky” Greer, 53, of Holly Springs, died Oct. 6, 2011, at his home. He was a disabled laborer with Memphis Hardwood Flooring.

Services were held at 11 a.m. on Oct. 12 at Powell Chapel MB Church in Holly Springs, where he was a member. Burial was in the church cemetery. Rev. Eddie Walker officiated. J.F. Brittenum and Son Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

He leaves two children, Dederick Daugherty of Starkville, Sharnese Mayfield of Holly Springs; three sisters, Gearlena Glover, Bessie L. Greer, both of Holly Springs, Lela Greer Tutor of Memphis, Tenn.; and four brothers, Clarence Glover, Willie Greer, both of Rochester, N.Y., Eddie Greer of Oswego, Ill., Leroy Greer Jr. of Holly Springs.

He was preceded in death by two siblings, James Glover and Dorothy Greer.

Lucy Humphrey

Lucy Humphrey, 84, of Memphis, Tenn., died Oct. 9, 2011, at Methodist North in Memphis. She was the widow of Guyton E. Humphrey and a Baptist.

Services were held at 2 p.m. on Oct. 11 at Holly Springs Funeral Home Chapel. Burial was in Mt. Hope Cemetery. Pastor Dennis Kirk officiated.

She leaves three sons, Ernest Humphrey, Donald Humphrey, James Humphrey, all of Memphis; five daughters, Marie Arendale of Memphis, Barbara Sarr of Lenoir City, Tenn., Martha Scott of Clarksville, Tenn., Pamela Humphrey of Memphis, Judy Davis of Millington, Tenn.; a sister, Marie Vandergriff of Henning, Tenn.; 24 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by three sons, Earl Thomas Jr., Butch Thomas, Billy Humphrey.

Pallbearers were Carlos Humphrey, James Davis, Shoun Webb, J.W. Maxwell, Jesse Maxwell, Frankie Fisher, Jason Humphrey and Jacob Maxwell.

For online condolences visit www.hsfuneralhome.com.

Ricky Lesure

Ricky Lesure, 47, of Potts Camp, died Oct. 5, 2011 at the Regional Medical Center in Memphis, Tenn. The mayor of Potts Camp, he was a member of Powell Chapel MB Church, a church deacon, usher and member of the choir, a member of Masonic Lodge #107 in Blue Mountain, vice president of North MS Community Care, a graduate of Potts Camp High School, where he was on the baseball team and in the Ag Club and a truck driver for Carolina National.

Visitation will be at the funeral home on Oct. 12 from 2:30-7 p.m. and at the church on Oct. 13 from 1-1:55 p.m.

Services will be held at the First Baptist Church in Potts Camp at 2 p.m. on Oct. 13 with burial in Powell Chapel MB Church Cemetery. Rev. Eddie Walker will officiate. J.F. Brittenum and Son Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

He leaves his wife, Dorothy Wilson Lesure; a son, Reginald (Kissie) Lesure of San Diego, Ca.; two stepdaughters, LaQuandra Thompson of Potts Camp, Samantha Tables of Holly Springs; his mother, Ellar Reynolds Lesure of Potts Camp; five sisters, Mildred (Terry) Burgess, Dorothy (Wesley) Pearson, of Holly Springs, Ella (Walter) Brown, Trevecca V. Lesure of Portland, Ore., Pearlie Hickman of Batesville; three brothers, James Lesure of Des Moines, Io., Willie Lesure, Johnny Porter, both of Potts Camp; a granddaughter, Azaria Lesure of San Diego; a special stepgranddaughter, Alissa Lewis of Holly Springs; and a goddaughter, Kimberly Lesure of Holly Springs.

Yvonnie McKinney Walker

Yvonnie McKinney Walker, 56, of Holly Springs, died Oct. 8, 2011 at Baptist DeSoto Hospital in Southaven. She was a member of the Women’s Improvement Society and a former employee of Brentwood Pillow Factory.

Visitation will be Oct. 14, 2-6 p.m. at the funeral home and Oct. 15 at the church from 11-11:55 a.m.

Services will be held at 12 noon on Oct. 15 at Smith Grove MB Church, where she was a member. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Pastor Darel Petties will officiate. J.F. Brittenum and Son Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

She leaves two daughters, Shernita Wright, Sherry Walker, both of Holly Springs; two sons, Lee Walker Jr. of Memphis, Tenn., Dartavious Jones of Holly Springs; two sisters, Patricia McClarty of Ft. Wayne, Ind., Velma McKinney of Aurora, Ill.; three brothers, Amos McKinney, Booker T. McKinney, both of Aurora, Sylvester McKinney of Chicago; nine grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Marie Martin Walls

Marie Martin Walls, 72, of Byhalia, died Oct. 4, 2011 at Baptist DeSoto Hospital in Southaven. She was a member of the mother board.

Services were held at 2 p.m. on Oct. 9 at Mt. Zion Taska MB Church in Cayce, where she was a member. Burial was in the church cemetery. Rev. Alexander Hines officiated. J.F. Brittenum and Son Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

She leaves her husband, Lire Walls; four children, Edna Walls, Larry Walls, Robert Walls, all of Cayce, Herbert Walls of Memphis, Tenn.; seven sisters; three brothers; eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by a son, James Walls.

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