Annie J. Glisson Mrs. Annie Jo Glisson, age 91, passed away at Azalea Gardens in Oxford, MS on Saturday, April 21, 2012. A funeral service was held on Monday, April 30, 2012 at 12:00 noon at First Baptist Church in Mendenhall, MS officiated by Rev. Rodney Anderson. Burial was in Mendenhall Cemetery in Mendenhall, MS.
Born in Sylva Rena, MS, Mrs. Glisson received a Bachelor of Arts degree in commerce, with a minor in math, from Blue Mountain College as a member of the Class of 1943; she was a faithful alumna of the College, active in the Alumni Association and in supporting the College. After graduation she worked for the National Farm Loan Service for 7 years as an Asst. Sec./Treas., then taught math at Mendenhall High School for 10 years, and later worked for the Mississippi State Employment Service for 18 years and was an Office Manager. She was truly dedicated to her family, caring for her husband through a long illness, and serving as a constant source of inspiration to her son and his family. She enjoyed travelling, needlepoint, thread count, and crochet. She was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Mendenhall before moving to Oxford in 2003, where she joined the First Baptist Church of Oxford. Survivors include her son, Allen W. Glisson, Jr., of Oxford, one granddaughter, Courtenay Locke Glisson, of Nashville, TN, one grandson, C. Bryant Glisson and his wife Hannah, of Louisville, KY, and one brother, John B. Tillson and his wife, Marion of Raleigh, MS. She was preceded in death by her husband, Allen W. Glisson, Sr.; her parents Lauren N. Tillson and Alma Chloe Ezell Tillson; and two brothers, L. N. Tillson, Jr., and Joseph L. Tillson. Memorial contributions in Mrs. Glisson's memory may be may be made to the First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 366, Mendenhall, MS, 39114-0366 or the First Baptist Church, 800 Van Buren, Oxford, MS 38655.
Annie Tillson Glisson, BMC 1943
| Leogene Wingo Shannon – BMC 1939-42Leogene “Jean” Wingo Shannon, age 90, of Marietta GA, died at Kennestone Hospital, Saturday April 14, 2012. A native of Ripley, MS, she attended Blue Mountain College from 1939 – 1942. She was preceded in death by her father Hugh and mother Nora Wingo, brother James Wingo and her 1st husband W.G. (Bill) Shannon after 56 years of marriage. She is survived by her second husband Capt. Dares Wirt, USNR Retired; daughter Lynn Shannon Reaves and her husband Tommy; son William Craig Shannon; granddaughter Emily Greene Carlile and her Husband Chris; great-grandson Collin Carlile; sister Udave Wingo Luna; and sister-in-law Betty Shannon Daniels. Her extended family includes nieces, nephews, cousins and step-children. Jean was a loving wife, mother and occasionally worked as a substitute teacher in the Cobb County School System. She loved to garden, travel, dance and dine with her supper club. She was a member of Eastside Baptist Church. A memorial service was held at H.M. Patterson Funeral Home, Canton Hill Chapel on Wednesday, April 18, 2012 at 2:00pm. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service. A private graveside service will be held at Arlington Memorial Park in Sandy Springs.
| Bobby Jean Wall – BMC 1945-47Bobby Jean Wall, 84, of Belmont MS, died Saturday, April 21, 2012, at Magnolia Regional Hospital in Corinth. She was born Feb. 12, 1928, in Philadelphia. Her family moved to Noxapater in June of that same year. After graduating from high school in Noxapater, she attended Blue Mountain College and Mississippi College before her marriage to James S. Wall on Dec. 21, 1947. They lived for several years in Midland, Texas before returning to Noxapater. She was secretary to W.A. Taylor of Taylor Machine Works in Louisville prior to going to work at the Bank of Louisville (now Regions). She worked there until her husband accepted the position as head of a bank in Belmont in 1969. For several years, she worked at Kaydee Metal and L.P. Allen and Sons in Belmont. She and her family were active in local affairs and the First Baptist Church in Belmont where she was a member of the choir, WMU and a Sunday school teacher for many years.
Services were at First Baptist Church in Belmont with Bro. Jack Maroon, Bro. Ray Burks and Jerry McAnally officiating, with burial in Belmont City Cemetery.
Survivors are two children, James Sidney Wall Jr. and Jeannie Taylor (Larry Don), both of Belmont; two grandchildren, Blake Taylor and Carrie Ann Vincent (Drew); great-grandson, Branston Glavin Vincent; and sister, Juanita Hight.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Jim Wall; brother, Dr. J.K. McCown; sister, Claudine Stevens; and two grandsons, Bran Taylor and baby boy Taylor.
The family requests that memorials be made to First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 855, Belmont, MS 38827.
| Merna Jean Hocum – BMC Class of 1949Merna Jean Hocum, 84, of Memphis TN passed from this world to be with her Lord Saturday, March 24th, 2012, after a brief illness. She was born April 26, 1927, in Ft. Dodge, Iowa, to Haquin Z. Hocum and Ruth Canade Daly. As a very young girl Merna Jean felt called to become a missionary, thus devoting her life's efforts towards spreading God's grace to all she encountered. As the oldest of three children she spent her early years between her father's family in Iowa and her mother's in North Alabama, settling in the Barron Heights neighborhood in Memphis, Tennessee. She graduated from Messick High School, received a BA from Blue Mountain College, and Master's in Religious Education from Woman's Missionary Union Training School in Louisville, Kentucky, and Social Work from the University of Tennessee. Receiving an appointment from the Baptist Foreign Mission Board, Merna Jean spent over twenty years ministering to God's children, from the coal mining communities of Virginia to those in Brazil and Guyana. She continued her service through her social work in New Orleans at the Sellers Home for Unwed Mothers, completing her career within the New Orleans school system. She retired in 1991 to Memphis to be close to her nephew, Greg Wright, and was also a favorite aunt to other nieces and nephews -- Kathy Yarbrough Brazelton and Janet Yarbrough Kirk of Muscle Shoals, Alabama; Roy, Don, and Bob Lovett, and Leigh Ann Lovett Lawrence, of Texas and California. She is preceded in death by her siblings, Elton Daly Hocum and Sarah Hocum Lovett, and her nephew, Dave Lovett. She is survived by cousins Mabeth Doss Jones, Ruth Burgess Hester, and Evelyn Burgess Borden. Merna Jean will forever be remembered for her kindness and compassion, as well as her uniqueness and spirit. There was never another like her, nor will there ever be. Her body was entombed at Memphis Memory Gardens Mausoleum.
| Ruby Wilbanks Mercer PowellRuby Wilbanks Mercer Powell, 92, dietitian for Blue Mountain College for 42 years, and beloved member of the BMC Family, died in January 2012. She was mourned by the community as well as the College and is remembered so fondly as one who wanted to serve and nurture all those around her. Services were conducted by long-time friend Dr. Jack Bennett. Burial was in Corinth National Cemetery. She is survived by one son, James C. Mercer and his wife Vina of Blue Mountain; two grandsons, James F. Mercer of Cordova, Tenn., and Roy A. Mercer of Largo, Fla.; two sisters, Lila G. Murphy of Memphis and Gail W. Rogers (Eddie) of New Albany; and one brother, Dale Wilbanks of Hamilton. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Roy D. Mercer; second husband, Harvey Eugene Powell; and her parents.
| Geoy Graves Sowell Cox – BMC Class of 1939
Geoy Graves Sowell Cox passed away at Methodist Hospice Residence on Thursday, February 23, 2012, at age 93. Geoy was born in 1918 in Memphis to J. Kirk Graves and Georgia Latting Graves. Her maternal family had resided in Memphis since 1847. Geoy graduated from Central High School, attended Randolph-Macon College and graduated from Blue Mountain College in 1939. She was a faithful to her alma mater. She was retired from the Memphis City Schools, having taught at Cummings, Avon and Westside elementary schools. Geoy was a member of Union Avenue Baptist Church and charter member of the Beta Gamma chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma Teachers Society; and an active member of the Blue Mountain College Alumni Association. The family will received friends from 10:30 a.m. with the service at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, February 25 at Memorial Park Funeral Home. Burial followed in Memorial Park Cemetery. Geoy was predeceased by her husband of 30 years, Jesse Sowell and her husband of 23 years, Noah Cox. She is survived by her children, John Sowell (Linda) and Georgia Davis (William); and Noah’s son, Frank L. Cox (Nancy); six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Union Avenue Baptist Church, Blue Mountain College, the Church Health Center or Methodist Hospice Residence.
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