Henry Flautt

Henry Flautt was a man of many passions. He loved his large family and many friends, the arts, the natural surroundings of the Mississippi Delta and the rich hunting that the region offers. In his pursuit of those passions, he was known and admired for sharing them widely with a kind and generous spirit.

Henry died Sunday, July 2, 2023, at his residence in Greenwood. He was 89.

Throughout his life, Henry was blessed with a positive attitude that attracted legions of friends.

He was a people person who thrived on news about anyone he knew. He always focused on the best in people, and he seized on opportunities to connect people who shared interests.

Frank Henry Flautt was born Nov. 26, 1933, in Glendora. As the second of five children to Thomas Joseph Flautt and Alline Mitchener Flautt, Henry grew up on his family’s Ten Oaks farm on the outskirts of Greenwood. He was an Eagle Scout before graduating from Greenwood High School and Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, and then returned home to marry another Greenwood native, Polly Meek. The couple had two children, Dr. Henry Flautt Jr. (Mary Haley) of Greenwood and Frances Flautt Zook (Jim) of Oxford, before going their separate ways but remained lifelong friends. Henry farmed for a short time before working for nearly 30 years as an independent insurance agent serving the Delta.

Henry married Gayle Stribling Clements and became a beloved father figure to Gayle’s four children and seven grandchildren. The couple enjoyed a life marked by a love for travel and the arts. Through study and much practice, Henry developed an outstanding talent for ceramics. His bowls and Celtic crosses became popular gifts for family and friends who married or had a newborn. His talents and desire to teach others inspired many in the Delta to take up pottery.

When he wasn’t traveling, Henry gave much of his time and talent to the city of Greenwood. He was an instrumental figure behind the Arts for Success program, which gave loyal youth the opportunity to experience the joy of creating art. He planted thousands of trees in and around Greenwood, offering to plant trees up and down Grand Boulevard for any homeowner who wanted them. Diners at Giardina’s can still savor one of Henry’s many legacies with a serving of Uncle Henry’s Duck Gumbo.

The Museum of the Mississippi Delta honored Henry in 2017 for his many contributions to the local arts scene. He was also involved in the Greenwood-Leflore Chamber of Commerce, Greenwood Little Theatre, the Boy Scouts, and Habitat for Humanity. He was a longtime member and leader in the Episcopal Church of the Nativity.

In addition, Henry loved to share the natural beauty of the Delta with family and visitors through duck hunting. He cherished the chance to introduce the challenge of the hunt to his grandchildren, whom he rewarded for bagging a duck with a little hit of peach schnapps. He enjoyed nothing more than to climb in his pickup and cruise the back roads of the Delta while enjoying a leisurely visit with family or friends who rode along.

Henry is survived by his two children; four stepchildren, Cathy Clements Bailey (Clinton), Susan Clements Chick (Jim) and Ann Clements Carter (Bobby), all of Memphis, and H. Ganes Clements of Greenwood; two brothers, Tom Flautt of Cincinnati and Jimmy Flautt of Brandon; a sister, Joanne Flautt Branham of Greenwood; an uncle, Frank Mitchener of Sumner; five grandchildren, Mary Steele Flautt Mock of Savannah, Texas, Katherine Flautt Russell of Jackson, Suzanne Alline Flautt of Jackson, James Randolph “Jack” Zook III of Austin, Texas, and Henry McWillie Zook of Oxford; seven stepgrandchildren, Henry Clements Bailey, Clifton Clements Odom, Irene Annelle Bailey, Charles Stribling Odom, Andrew Clements Odom, Matthew Ganes Clements and William Stribling Clements; and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by Gayle and his brother, Pat Flautt of Dallas.

Services will be held this Saturday, July 8, at the Episcopal Church of the NATIVITY in Greenwood at 11 a.m. A visitation will precede the service in the church parlor starting at 9:30 a.m.

Memorials can be directed to Delta Wildlife or Boy Scout Troop 200 in Greenwood by contributing to @boyscoutstroop200 on Venmo.

Norma Rochie Whittington Lawes

Norma Rochie Whittington Lawes, Ph.D., 88, of Greenwood died on May 3, 2023, at St Dominic’s Hospital in Jackson. 

Dr. Lawes was born in Centreville and raised in Waxhaw. She graduated from Gunnison High School in 1951 at the age of 16. She graduated from Mississippi State College for Women with a Bachelor of Arts in 1955 and from Delta State University with a Master of Arts in 1978, and in 1984, at age 49, she graduated from The University of Mississippi with a Doctor of Philosophy degree. 

Rochie dedicated her life to teaching. While still a student, she taught patients at the TB sanitarium. After college, she taught programming for IBM for several years. Later in life, she taught English in the Cleveland Public Schools and also served as an adjunct instructor in the English department at Mississippi Delta Community College. Following her retirement, Dr. Lawes taught mathematics as an adjunct instructor for Mississippi Delta Community College.

She is survived by son Philip Lawes and his wife, Kimberly Lawes, of Greenwood; daughters Carole Lawes Sawada and her husband, George Sawada, of Birmingham, Alabama, and  Sally Lawes of San Diego; grandchildren Jackson Garrett of Birmingham and  Jacob Lawes of Greenwood; and sisters Betty Whittington Mullens of Nashville, Tennessee, and Nona Whittington Tindall of Atlanta. 

Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Episcopal Church of the NATIVITY in Greenwood. Fr. Don Chancellor will officiate. Interment will follow in  Shelby Cemetery in Shelby. Visitation will be from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Episcopal Church of the NATIVITY.

Pallbearers will be Jacob Lawes, Jackson Garrett, George Sawada, Seth Wheatley, Lee Tindall, Whit Tindall and Bobby VanDevender.

Memorials may be made to the Shelby Cemetery Association, The Episcopal Church of The NATIVITY or a charity of the donor’s choice.

Greenwood Delta Funeral Home (www.greenwooddeltafh.com) is in charge of arrangements.

Robert Morgan Darden

A memorial service for Robert Morgan Darden of Cruger is planned for 1:15 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, at the Cruger Baptist Church in Cruger, with the Rev. Al Different officiating. Earlier in the day, Mr. Darden’s ashes will be interred in the columbarium at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity in Greenwood in a private family service. 

Bob passed away at his home of complications from non-alcoholic cirrhosis on Oct. 11, 2022, while under hospice care. He was 63.

Born on June 7, 1959, in Washington, D.C., to Frances Estes and Elwyn Jones Darden of Arlington, he graduated from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, with a Bachelor of Science degree in police science.

During summers as a child and teen, Bob spent as much summer vacation time as he could visiting his maternal grandparents, Etoile and Marion Estes, on their farm, Elmwood Plantation, in Cruger. After his father and his mother had passed, Bob felt an increasingly strong pull by both the farm and the small town where he had done his summertime growing up and all the neighbors felt like family. In 1992, his grandmother died, leaving Elmwood to Bob and his brother and sister, and in 1994, Bob decided to move into his grandmother’s home in Cruger, which she left to him, and maintain the family farm. 

In 2000, to supplement his farm income, Bob started as a staff writer for The Greenwood Commonwealth, where he worked for more than 17 years, making lasting friendships with co-workers and newsmakers alike. He was hired by Life Help as a peer support specialist in 2020, a job he held until his passing.

Bob met his wife, Jo Alice Hughes, in 2004, when she joined the Commonwealth as lifestyles editor. The couple was married in 2007. 

On Sept. 11, 2022, Bob officially joined the Cruger Baptist Church, whose founding members included his Estes grandparents.

Bob was preceded in death by his parents and his Estes grandparents, as well as his paternal grandparents, Josie Jones and George Leslie Darden of Hernando. 

He is survived by his wife; his sister, Marion Darden Reed, of Arlington; his brother, Elwyn LaBauve Darden of Woodbridge, Virginia; nephews Jonathan Darden Reed and Michael Andrew Reed, both of Arlington; niece Rachel Margret Reed (Matt Baggette) of Alexandria, Virginia; niece Christine Darden Wayenberg (James) of Fort Belvoir, Virginia; niece Natalie Darden of North Hollywood, California; sister-in-law Mary Johnson Hawkins of Greenwood; and nieces Cary Hawkins New (Noah) and Keely Hawkins Harrison (Trent), all of Greenwood.

Also included as Bob’s survivors are members of his “chosen family”: lifelong friend Chris Purcell of Warrenton, Virginia, and his wife, Teresa; “Mama” Nell Snyder of Calhoun, Georgia; “sisters” Laine Flemming Hutton of Tchula and Sarah Flemming Upchurch of Greenwood; “cousin” Marilyn D’Isepo of Clinton; Brother Al Different of Cruger and his wife, Kim; Jonathan Grantham and his team at Life Help; Dorothy Robertson of Life Help; Tim Kalich of the Commonwealth and his wife, Betty Gail; Susie Davis of Cruger; Henry “Brother” Gordon of Kosciusko, formerly of Cruger; and farmer Jim Thomas of Egypt and Jackson and his wife, Martha.

Special thanks for the weeks of loving care and unflagging support go to the angels on Bob’s AccentCare Hospice team: Chris Accardy RN, Alissa Brown RN, Courtney Pate CNA, social worker Jackie Box and Chaplain Brother Howard Beam.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Cruger Baptist Church, 14538 Main St., Cruger, MS 38924.

Ronald Edward Rodgers

Memorial services for Ronald Edward Rodgers of Memphis, formerly of Greenwood, will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity.

Mr. Rodgers, who was born on Dec. 10, 1953, and spent most of his life in Greenwood, died in hospice care in Memphis on Aug. 10, 2022. He moved to the city several years ago in part to be near its musical opportunities, including performances of Opera Memphis.

In Greenwood, he was a fixture for decades at the Leflore County Courthouse. As a telephone operator, Mr. Rodgers was seated in the courthouse’s central hallway, where he was available to direct visitors to various offices.

Mr. Rodgers’ friends called him “Ronnie.” He served as a member of the choir at the Church of the Nativity, and he also sang with the Greenwood Chorale. He was well-known for his devotion to cats.

The Rev. Don Chancellor, rector of the church, will officiate at the services.

Memorials may be made to the  church, the Leflore County Humane Society and Opera Memphis, P.O. Box 40999, Memphis, TN 38174.

Dr. George V. Smith

Dr. George V. Smith, 89, passed away Dec. 18, 2021, at his home in Greenwood.  Memorial services will be  at 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, 2022, at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity with Father Don Chancellor officiating. The committal service will follow at the church columbarium with American Legion Post 29 providing military honors.

He leaves behind his loving wife of 35 years, Mrs. Annie Smith; daughters Suzanne Smith Weed (Jody), of St. Augustine, Florida, and Kimberly Elizabeth Logan (Jason) of Brandon;  son George Paul Russell Smith of St. Augustine; grandson Joseph Dunning Weed III of Kentucky; Maya Topping Weed of New York City and Emily Grace and Ann Elise Logan of Brandon.

The family will receive visitors one hour prior to the service in the Rose Room. After the service there will be a celebration of life in the Parrish Hall as requested by Dr. Smith.

Greenwood Delta Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Lynn Billingham Horton

Private funeral services for Lynn Billingham Horton will be held Monday at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity in Greenwood, with the Rev. Don Chancellor officiating. Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. at the church.

Lynn Billingham Horton passed away Jan. 3, 2022, at the age of 68 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. She was preceded in death by her parents, Roland and Molly Billingham. 

Born Oct. 21, 1953, in Gateshead, England, Lynn was the oldest of four children. She completed her training in nursing at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Newcastle, England, where she went on to the neurosurgery theatre in York as a nurse.

Lynn later completed her Midwifery training in Hull, England, before pursuing her career in the United States, dedicating 30 years in the labor and delivery unit, mostly at St. John’s Hospital outside of Houston, Texas, where she took great pride in her work.

Above all, she was a loving mother who found her purpose in raising and nurturing her children, whom she tirelessly gave her energy and time to. She loved watching her children play sports, rarely missing a game, practice or recital, and was always enthusiastically heard from the stands. She also found great joy in her role as a grandmother, and she loved her grandkids wholeheartedly.

She enjoyed music, never missed a chance to get on a dance floor and attended many concerts with her friends while living in the Houston area. She was kind, loving, playful, thoughtful, hard-working and tenacious and had an optimistic outlook on life. She leaves a legacy of “big much” love to her family and friends.

She is survived by her children, Phil Horton of Madison  and Katie (Chris) Jones of Greenwood; her grandchildren, Lucas Horton and Olivia Horton of Madison and Reese Jones of Greenwood; her brothers, Barry (Sue) Billingham of Newcastle, England, Roland (Margaret) Billingham of Gateshead, England, and Michael (Christine) Billingham of Sandbach, England; and her nieces and nephews, Andrew Billingham, Jessica Arthur, Michael Billingham,  Ross Billingham, Kirsty Billingham and Connor Mims, all of Northeast England.

Wilson and Knight Funeral Home is in charge. An online guest book may be signed at www.wilsonandknight.com.

Robert Taylor Hardeman

Robert Taylor Hardeman of Greenwood died Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021, peacefully at his home. Mr. Hardeman, a retired farmer who remained active in community affairs, was 95 years old. 

The son of Cecil Tolbert Hardeman and Katharine Elizabeth Taylor, he was a native of McAlester, Oklahoma. He attended New Mexico Military Institute for two years and graduated as valedictorian in 1945 and also from the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, on June 3, 1949. While there he renewed his friendship with Eleanor Steele Thomas, whom he married on June 11, 1949.

He received a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps and went through flight training in Pensacola, Florida. He was aircraft carrier qualified as a jet-fighter pilot and served in Korea. He loved flying and was proud of his service in the Marine Corps. 

He was actively engaged in farming for 40 years, first with his brother-in-law, the late J.T. Thomas III, and his father-in-law, the late J.T. Thomas  Jr., farming next on his own and finally in partnership with his manager, his close and good friend of many years, Buck Harris.

Mr. Hardeman was a communicant of the Church of Nativity, was on the vestry many years and served one term as junior warden and two terms as senior warden. He loved his church and served for many years as stewardship chairman.

He served as secretary of the Mississippi District Committee of Kairos, a prison ministry, and as warden of the Delta Episcopal Prison Ministries Board. He served on many Kairos prison teams in an effort to bring Christ to the prisoners in Parchman.

He was one of the founders of Pillow Academy and served as president of its board of directors from 1968 to 1975. He was a founding member of the Pillow Academy Endowment Foundation for Educational Excellence and served as its co-chairman for many years. He felt that Pillow Academy was a real, greatly needed asset in this community and he enjoyed helping to raise the funds necessary to insure its survival.

He loved his adopted community and was involved in many activities in this area. He served as president of the board of directors of Pelucia Drainage District, president of the Mississippi Private School Association and chairman of the Leflore County Republican Party. He served on the board of directors of Holmes Gin, Inc., and on the Deposit Guaranty Bank Advisory Board of Directors in Greenwood. He was a member of Mississippi Farm Bureau, Mississippi Soybean Association, Greenwood Country Club, and a founding member of the Delta Wildlife Foundation. He was instrumental in helping build the indoor heated exercise pool at Twin Rivers Recreational Center in honor of his beloved wife, Steele. 

He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Eleanor Steele Hardeman, whom he dearly loved; two children, Eleanor Hardeman Acosta of Greenwood and Robert Taylor Hardeman Jr. of Grenada; three grandchildren, Eleanor Acosta Aldridge (Brad), Joseph Robert Acosta Jr. (Mary Kathryn) and Katharine Elizabeth Taylor Acosta; and three great- grandchildren, Lawson Smith, Mariella Steele Acosta, and Everleigh Sawyer Acosta. 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be a private family service at a later date. 

In lieu of flowers the family respectfully requests that contributions be made to the Episcopal Church of the Nativity, Pillow Academy or the donors’ favorite charity. 

Wilson & Knight Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. An online guestbook may be signed at www.wilsonandknight.com.

Frances McDonald Lavelle

On July 15, 2021, Frances McDonald Lavelle (Tance) left this life. She was born in Jackson to Edward James Lavelle and Frances Ball Lavelle. She graduated from Millsaps College as an English major and excelled in the theater department managing props, costumes and stage backgrounds.

Frances was known as an intelligent, thoughtful, generous and humorous individual who gave her life in service for others. She spent her working career with the U.S. Social Security Administration in Columbus and Tupelo; Dalton, Georgia; Baltimore; and Greenwood. She led her team to provide compassionate service to the public. After retiring, she continued to act as a Social Security consultant and was always available to assist friends with questions regarding Social Security. 

While in Greenwood, Frances was a faithful communicant at The Episcopal Church of the Nativity, where she served on the vestry, as a Sunday School leader, and as a staff member on numerous Episcopal Cursillos. Additionally, her faith drew her to completing Millsaps’ Journey Partners Program in Spiritual Direction. She was a member of a group from Journey Partners, which met quarterly for six years to foster a strong spiritual life.

In 2016, Frances moved to Fairhope, Alabama, where she became a member of the arts community. She spent time with her book club and pottery class and took up painting. She was a poet, story teller in the true Southern form, and essayist.  Always a lifelong student, she was an avid reader. Her generosity was shown not only to her family and friends but to all living things. She left two Westies, who were much loved, named Wendy and Finny.

She is preceded in death by her parents. She leaves her brother, Eddie Lavelle of Greenwood, and numerous cousins.

A memorial service will be held in Jackson on Oct. 6 at 11 a.m. at St Andrews Episcopal Cathedral with visitation at 10 a.m. Masks and social distancing are requested.

For memorials, please donate to the Episcopal Relief Fund or to an animal shelter of your choice. 

Ann Dyer McLemore Carothers

Ann Dyer McLemore Carothers, 80, of Greenwood died Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. Graveside services will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Odd Fellows Cemetery. The Rev. Peter Gray will officiate. Wilson & Knight Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Ann was born March 17, 1939, to A.G. McLemore and Nan Dyer McLemore in Greenwood. After graduation from high school, she attended the University of Mississippi. She was a member of the Episcopal Church of the Nativity. She worked for many years as a retail salesperson at Fincher’s and Stein’s Jewelry. She was preceded in death by her brother, Geren McLemore, and her parents.

She is survived by her daughter, Laura Dyer Carothers of Memphis.

Memorials may be made to the Leflore County Humane Society, 601 Ione St., Greenwood, MS 38930.

An online guestbook may be signed at www.wilsonandknight.com.

Riley C. Cole

Riley C. Cole, 90, passed away Friday, Jan. 3, 2020, at Greenwood Leflore Hospital.  Funeral services will be Wednesday at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity with interment in McNutt Cemetery.  The Rev. Peter Gray will officiate.  Visitation will be from 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday prior to the service.

Mabel Riley Cole was born Jan. 8, 1929, in Greenwood to Mabel Jones and James Pierce Cole.  Her maternal great-grandfather, Benjamin Lafayette Jones, was a pioneer settler of Leflore County.  She graduated from Greenwood High School and attended Randolph-Macon Woman’s College, where she was a member of the Kappa Delta Sorority, and the University of Mississippi.  She received her Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Education and Master of Education degree from Delta State University, and her post-graduate work was at the University of Mississippi.  She taught sixth- through eighth-grade math at W.C. Williams and then taught in the EGGSTRA program of the Greenwood Public Schools.  Following her retirement from the Greenwood Public Schools, Mrs. Cole remained actively involved in the education of the children of Greenwood.  She was a member of the Greenwood Mentoring Group, an after-school tutoring program.  She was also an active member of Mission Mississippi.  In 2019, Mrs. Cole was presented with a key to the city in recognition of her many years of service to her community and her devotion to and interest in the education of Greenwood’s children.  

Mrs. Cole was a charter member of the Town and Country Garden Club and the Mississippi Council of Teachers of Mathematics.  She was a member of  Greenwood Junior Auxiliary, Greenwood Little Theatre, the Museum of the Mississippi Delta and the Early Families Club.  Riley was also a member and past president of the Greenwood Garden Club and was a former nationally accredited flower show judge.  She was a member of the Church of the Nativity, where she served on the Altar Guild. She continued to play competitive bridge until the last few months, thus obtaining the “Sapphire Status.”  

Mrs. Cole was preceded in death by her parents; her sister,  Elizabeth Ellen “Betsy” Cole; and her brother, James Pierce “Jimmie” Cole Jr.

She is survived by her son, Jeffrey Lee Cole III of Atlanta; three daughters, Lynn Cole Berman of Greenwood, Elisabeth “Libba”  Cole Shrader of Columbia, South Carolina, and Clay Cole Laposata (Sam) of Portsmouth, Virginia;  five grandchildren, Taylor Cole Berman, Collin Michael Cole, Elizabeth “Betsy” Cole Shrader Watts (Matt), William Matthew Shrader and Satchel Riley Laposata; a great-grandchild, Lyon Raymond Watts; a niece,  Katherine Ann Cole; nephews James P. Cole III and Robert Sewell Cole; and several great-nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be made to the Altar Guild of the Church of the Nativity, 400 Howard St., Greenwood, MS  38930; The Greenwood Mentoring Group, 200 Ave. G, Greenwood, MS 38930; or to the charity of donor’s choice.     

Pallbearers will be Robert Cole, Jim Cole, Wade Evans, Jim Thomas, Sanford Thomas and Duncan Fraiser.  Honorary pallbearers will be Bubba Frasier and James Howard Evans.

The family would like to offer a special work of thanks to Riley’s caregivers, Atlean Brewer and Earline McGee, for their compassion and care.

An online guestbook may be signed at www.greenwooddeltafh.com.  Greenwood Delta Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.