Obituaries
Preston Eugene Jackson
The funeral service for Preston Eugene Jackson will be 10 a.m., Tuesday, August 6, at Riverwood Family with burial in Riverwood Memorial Park. Visitation is from 9 a.m. until the time of the service.
Mr. Jackson, 89, of Brookhaven, died August 1, 2024, at his residence. He was born in Rockford, AL, January 11, 1935, to Almon Dale Jackson and Carrie Giles Jackson.
Mr. Jackson served his country in the United States Navy during the close of the Korean War. After returning home he became a Civil Engineer and worked with the Highway Department until retirement. He was a member of First Baptist Church Brookhaven.
Among Mr. Jackson’s favorite things to do was line dancing. He also enjoyed being outdoors, hunting or gardening. He will be greatly missed by his family as well as the faith family at First Baptist.
He is preceded in death by his parents and his five brothers, Billie Jackson, Dale Jackson, Charles Jackson, Reuben Jackson, and Julian Jackson.
He is survived by his wife of eight years, Mattie Lea Jackson; children, Donald Jackson (Melissa), David Jackson (Becky), Dalina Jackson Kelley (Randall); seven grandchildren, Amber Johnson, Matthew McCain, Mandy Jackson, Adam Jackson, Brittney Boone, Jamie Boone, and Price Jackson. He is also survived by many great grandchildren and a host of other loving family members and friends.
Angela Caye Spencer
Angela Caye Spencer, 68, of Brookhaven, left her earthly home on July 31, 2024, surrounded by her family. She was born December 15, 1955, to Proby and Peggy Castilaw. Angie enjoyed her family and the friends that she made throughout her life. She was a devoted wife of 49 years, a loving mother, a sister, a cousin, and also a friend but she was happiest being “Nana”. The people who brought her the most joy and were the best part of life, according to her, were her 10 grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her parents; her sisters, Carolyn Logan and Laurie Burnett; mother and father-in-law, Perry C. and Loretta Spencer; sister-in-law, Sue Errington; and her brother-in-law, Doyle Waldrop.
She is survived by her husband, Bruce Spencer; children, Casey Waldrop (Brad), Grant Spencer (Gayla), and Jessi Claire Stringer; grandchildren, Tanner (Carly), Emma and Payne Waldrop, Cole and Kyndal Spencer, Charli Jane, Kirtland, Abigail, Hank and Ada Perry Stringer; and sister, Iris Waldrop.
Friends and family are invited to gather and celebrate Angie’s life on August 3rd, 2024, at Riverwood Family Funeral Service in Brookhaven MS. Visitation will begin at 9:00 AM with memorial service at 11:00 AM, and graveside services at Heuck’s Retreat Baptist Church to follow immediately after.
David Louis Scott
A memorial service will be held for David Louis Scott, 3 p.m., Saturday, August 3, at Shiloh Baptist Church. Visitation is from 1-3 p.m.
Mr. Scott, 68, of Brookhaven, died July 11, 2024, at Silver Cross Nursing Home. He was born December 31, 1955, to Dan and Ruby Lee Byrd. David enjoyed being outdoors, hunting and fishing. He especially enjoyed spending time with his family and friends. He will be greatly missed by all who loved him.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Florence Scott; his parents; sister, Frances Johnson; and his grandfather, G.C. Scott.
He is survived by his sister, Sheila Ann Delaughter and a host of nieces, nephews and other loving family members and friends.
Robert Everett Haas
Mr. Robert Everett Haas, 75, of Bogue Chitto, died July 30, 2024, at his residence. He was born in Dayton, OH, May 4, 1949, to Robert Oliver Haas and Wilma Jean Adkins Haas. He served his country in the United States Marines during the Vietnam War. After returning home from the war, Mr. Haas became an electrician and worked for many years in that industry.
He is preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Larry A. Haas and Edward G. Haas.
Those left to cherish his memory are his wife of 49 ½ years, Nancy Hoover Haas; children, Amy Courtwright (Tony), Heath E. Haas, Josh A. Haas, Rebecca Moll (Roy), and Chase A. Haas; sisters, Cindy Buckmaster (Tom) and Debbie Rieselman; 15 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to Deaconess Hospice and Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center, nurses and staff, for their care and compassion for Mr. Haas during his illness.
Brenda Carol Lofton Tasselli
A memorial service will take place at Riverwood Funeral Service in Brookhaven, MS on Saturday August 24th, 2024. Visitation will be held at 2 pm and Memorial Service at 3 pm. Brenda wants you to wear bright colors!! Pastor Lonnie Case will officiate, and burial will take place at Ramah Baptist Church cemetery in McCall's Creek afterwards.
Brenda Carol Lofton Tasselli was born October 30, 1943, in Brookhaven MS and passed away on July 24, 2024, in Brookhaven MS. She was the daughter of Zack and Hazy Moak Lofton and the youngest of 10 children. Their home was in the McCall Creek area of West Lincoln County. Ramah Baptist Church is and was central to their community where many family members and ancestors are buried.
She graduated from West Lincoln High School in 1961. She kept up with some of her classmates from 63 years ago.
Brenda made her home in many places across the country during her life. She lived in Hickory, North Carolina, Dallas, Texas, Phoenix Arizona, Huntington Beach, CA and Loveland, Colorado before returning to Lincoln County in her last years.
Brenda was known for her spunk and quick wit. She loved to laugh and appreciated a good story. Her holiday decorations were always on target, and she celebrated every holiday with flourish. "Anything worth doing was worth over doing"
Her favorite sports teams were the Dallas Cowboys, second only to The Denver Broncos.
When asked what she enjoyed most in her life, she said that it was spending time with her family and friends. Her last years were spent at Diversicare in Brookhaven where she created yet another community of nurses and caregivers and other residents.
She is preceded in death by her parents: Zach and Hazy Lofton; Her Brothers and Sisters: Irene Lofton Brister (M.L. Brister), Joseph Thomas (J.T.) Lofton (Ruby Smith), James Allen Lofton (Gladys Smith), Shirley Lofton Whittington (W.A. Whittington), Agnes Marie Lofton (J.R. Moak, Doug Foreman Amolene Lofton, Mike Lofton (Patsy Cross), Peggy Omega Lofton (Ashford Impson); and her Children: J. Kevin Wilkinson, Susan Wilkinson Denison.
She is survived by her brother, Rev Pat Lofton (Annie Katherine Arnold); her daughter: Carolyn Wilkinson Sloan of Portland, OR; her Son in Law: Jeff Denison of Rapid City, SD; her grandchildren; Tyler Wilkinson of Boone NC, Logan Wilkinson of Port Washington WI ,Brody Wilkinson of Port Washington WI, Matthew Sloan (Taylor Reynolds) of Portland Oregon, Jordan Sloan of Portland Oregon; Kate Denison Lee (Ben Lee) Rapid City, SD
She loved her numerous nieces and nephews, and they loved her.
She had some significant friends that were a part of her life in her early years and in her later years. Sue Laird, Barto Laird, Deborah Allred, Chris Smith, and Ashley Newell, to name a few. The family wishes to thank them for their loving care.
In lieu of flowers, contributions to the perpetual upkeep of Ramah Baptist Church Cemetery Fund are requested. Checks can be sent to Ramah Baptist Church, 1455 Ramah Road, McCall's Creek, MS 39647 (Denote "Cemetery Fund " on the check).
Jack Stanley Smith, Jr.
Jack Stanley Smith, Jr., 87, of Bogue Chitto, died July 29, 2024, at his residence. He was born February 24, 1937, to Jack Stanley Smith and Ethel Terry Smith.
He is survived by his wife, Mary Lee Bowman Smith.
Sheila Mary Price Graves
Sheila Mary Price Graves, aged 77, passed away peacefully on July 10th, 2024, in Bossier City, Louisiana. Born with a heart full of kindness, Sheila dedicated her life to serving others, embodying the virtues of selflessness and generosity. She was a devout individual, always putting the needs of others before her own.
A loving family survives Sheila: her husband, John Graves: sons, John III (Amber) and Matthew (Tisa); Sheila was a cherished grandmother to Cody, Kyler, Kaden, Jack, River, Taylor and Madison and great-grandmother to James, Eren and Sage. Sheila's legacy also lives on through brother, Jerry (Cindy) and sisters, Bethany, Melanie, and Amy... and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and great nieces and great nephews, both here in the USA and abroad in England.
She is preceded in death by her parents Jack and Irene Price, brothers Robert Price and Bruce Price, sister Jenna Boyles and her beloved daughter, Emily Wicker.
Sheila had a vibrant passion for life, evident in her hobbies which included reading, painting, cooking, pottery, golf, beach trips and cruises, attending family events, caring for her much loved dogs Luka, Maggie, and grandpuppy Rocky. Each activity was a testament to her creativity and love for beauty in all its forms.
Friends and family are invited to gather and celebrate Sheila’s life on August the 3rd, 2024 at Riverwood Memorial in Brookhaven MS. Visitation will be held from 12:00 to 2:00 PM, with memorial service to follow immediately after.
In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in memory of Sheila Mary Price Graves. Donations can be made online at www.stjude.org/donate or by mail to 501 St Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105
Franklin Alfred Howington
A Celebration of Life for Mr. Franklin Alfred Howington, Jr. will be Sunday, July 28, 2024, at Kingsborough Community Center from 12:00 – 2:00 pm. 502 Silver Cross Dr. in Brookhaven.
Mr. Howington, 44, passed away on July 22, 2024, at his home in Summit. He was born on February 21, 1980, in Iola MS, and grew up in Brookhaven, MS. Franklin graduated from Enterprise High School. He worked various jobs and was an avid fisherman. He loved to have fun and joke around.
Preceding him in death are his father, Alfred Howington, Sr., and mother, Margaret “Nanny” Howington.
Those left to cherish his memory are his mother, Joyce Yelm; siblings, Stevie Veltman and husband, Mike, Marie Alesich, Tammy Wilson and Nikki Pace and husband, Aric; his Aunt, Mary Gandy, Aunt Jackie Cheney, Aunt Margie Treadway, Aunt Tracy Wilder; his Uncle Alva Klucker and Uncle Mitchell Vowell; one nephew, six nieces, and numerous great nieces, nephews, and cousins.
The family would like to thank the Accent Care Home Heath of Brookhaven and Sheena Barnes, NP.
Patsy Jean Wallace
A Graveside Service for Ms. Patsy Jean Wallace of Bogue Chitto is at 10:00 am Saturday, July 27, 2024, at Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery.
Visitation 5:00-7:00 pm, Friday, July 26, at Riverwood Family.
Patsy Jean Wallace, 89, passed away on July 25, 2024, at Kings Daughters Medical Center. She was born on February 6, 1935, to the late Edward Eugene Wallace and Ruby Mae McFadden Wallace.
Preceding her in death are her parents; sisters, Nellie Sasser and Ann Brown; brothers, J.B. Wallace, Maxie Wallace, and Carroll Wallace; nephew, Tommy Sasser (Annette) and great nephew, Gary Paul Sasser.
Those left to cherish her memory are her nephew, Steve Sasser (Gail), niece, Nancy Sasser Fenwick (Billy), great nephews, Stan Sasser (Tara), Will Fenwick (Jaime), Scott Sasser (Kristin) and great nieces, Kelly Fenwick and Heather Gault (Luke) along with a host of great-great nieces and nephews.
The family would like to thank the staff at KDMC and Trend and Heather Roberts, Home Health Nurse.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to BARL.
William Ray Jones
The funeral service for William Ray Jones will be Noon, Friday, July 26, at Monticello Baptist Church with burial in the church cemetery. Visitation is from 10 a.m. until the time of service.
On July 23, 2024, William Ray Jones (Billy Ray), the loving husband of 71 years and father of two children, passed away at the age of 95. Billy Ray was born November 11, 1928, to Elige Jones and Glovie Harger Jones of Piave, Mississippi. He graduated from Century High School in Century, FL in June, 1947. He then volunteered for 18 months of active duty in the United States Army. After separation from the military, Billy Ray went to work for St. Regis Paper Company in Cantonment, FL and then continued his education in accounting by attending night classes at Pensacola Junior College.
Billy Ray’s work was interrupted by the Korean War and he was recalled to active duty in September 1950, and was assigned to the 101st Signal Battalion at Fort Gordon, GA. He departed Fort Gordon for Korea in January, 1951 with a temporary stop in Japan for training in the latest communications changes needed for Korean operations. Billy Ray then served in Korea starting in April 1951 until November of that same year. He was awarded three medals for his service in Korea; the Korean Service W/2 Battle Star, Japan Occupation, and the United Nations Korean Service Medal.
In 1952, Billy Ray married Marjorie Pierce and later that year both of them made the greatest decision of their life by accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
After returning to his job with St. Regis Paper Company, he received several promotions before transferring to the new Ferguson Mill being built at Monticello, MS in June, 1967 to help establish instructions and procedures for new employees. A few years later Billy Ray was promoted to Accounting Assistant Plant Controller, a job he held until retirement in June 1988. He was credited with 40 years of total service with the company.
Billy Ray was involved with many other activities during his working years and retirement. He always wanted to do things to help other people. Beginning with his church work, he was a Sunday School teacher for ages one through high school. He served as deacon at First Baptist Church in Cantonment, FL and at Monticello Baptist in Monticello, MS. He was a church treasurer and also served on many other special committees including the new church building and later the annex building at Monticello. After retirement he participated with a local group that built six Habitat for Humanity houses in Lawrence County. One of Billy Ray’s treasured activities was his dedicated work in Scouting. He earned his Eagle Award (Scouting’s highest rank) in 1945 and worked very closely with Scout troops in Cantonment and at Monticello. He was Scoutmaster for the Monticello Troop for several years, taking time for summer camps, canoe trips and camporees with the local troop. Several Scouts under Billy Ray’s guidance earned their Eagle awards during his time as Scoutmaster. Billy Ray also enjoyed spending time working with the Historical Society in his home town of Century, FL building a model replica of the town for the local museum.
Survivors are his daughter, Nancy Christian and son Tim Jones. He was the proud grandfather of Jennifer Crosby (Randy), Drew Jones (Rina), Reed Jones (Kaitlin), and Rachel Jones; and great grandfather of LynnLee Crosby and Maya and Mirela Jones.
Billy Ray is preceded in death by his wife, Marjorie; his parents; sisters, Voncylle Ritchie and Margaret Lambeth; and brothers, Ken Jones and Elige Jones.
