Terry Headlight News

On Tuesday morning, news of the death of Nell Taylor Eley was made known. She was a Monticello native who lived in three different houses in Terry on Raymond Street, Cunningham Avenue, and Utica Street. She was a two-time widow who was the mother of Brenda Taylor Leshe and Phil Taylor and a grandmother who was a long-time member of the Baptist church on Raymond Street.

Elsie Nell Smith Eley (1927-2023)

Elsie Nell Smith Eley, 96, died Tuesday, November 7, 2023, at her home in Terry, surrounded by her family. A funeral service was celebrated at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, November 11, 2023, at First Baptist Church in Terry, with burial following in the Terry Cemetery. Visitation began at 10:00 a.m.

Mrs. Eley was born on June 2, 1927, in Lawrence County. She was the daughter of the late James Elbert and Elsie Smith.

She worked as a bookkeeper for over 40 years with Homestead Savings and Loan

Mrs. Eley loved to work in her yard and garden. She was a faithful member of the First Baptist Church of Terry. Mrs. Nell was known for her generosity and kindness. She was always wanting to help others. Most of all, she cherished spending time with her family.

Mrs. Eley is survived by her children, Brenda Leshe and husband Tommy of Brandon; Phillip Taylor of Terry; David Michael Eley and wife Peggy of Pascagoula; James Howard Eley and wife Leigh of Jackson; grandchildren, Lori Shows and husband Russell of Richland; Michael Leshe and wife Maria of Conroe, Texas; Ashley Cannady and husband Norman of Ridgeland; Genevieve Eley of Jackson; John Eley and wife Dargan of Nashville; and Caroline Eley Creson and husband Beau of Nashville; great-grandchildren: Bryce and Braxton Shows; Sean and Christine Leshe; Eley and Emmerson Cannady; Cooper and Anna Creson; and Clyde Eley. She is also survived by a brother, Ralph Smith and wife Betty; and a sister Sarah Jones of Pensacola, Florida.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, Dewey Taylor, and her late husband, John Eley, brother Jerry Smith, sister Kate Riley, and grandson Brian Eley.

And then, on Sunday night, former Terry resident Benny Duncan announced the death of his mother, Betty Duncan. Mrs. Duncan moved here over fifty years ago with her family.

Betty Duncan (1930 - 2023)

Betty M. Duncan passed away November 12, 2023 at her residence in Byram, with her loving family. She was 93. Betty was born February 10, 1930 in Wichita Falls, Texas to the late Alvin C. and Virgie Stewart Gober. She was a child of the Great Depression and encountered many trials as a youth. Betty grew up in the panhandle of Texas and graduated High School in Wichita Falls. She is a veteran of the United States Air Force and of the Korean War; the division she served was in Cryptology. Betty was always working, running the household and devoting herself to her family. She lived in many places including overseas. The joy of her life was to love her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She was a mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother who will be missed.

Betty is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Henry C. Duncan and a daughter, Sarah Ann Duncan McCormick.

She is survived by her two sons, Benjamin “Benny” Carter Duncan of Byram, and James Henry Duncan of Terry; a brother, Tommy Grober of Tyler, Texas; a sister, Ann Roten of Tyler, Texas; seven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

Services will be held at Chancellor Funeral Home in the Byram area on Thursday, November 16, 2023 with the visitation beginning at 1:00 p. m. until 2:00 p. m. with graveside services immediately following at Terry Cemetery.

Please remember the Taylor-Eley family and the Duncan family in your prayers.

On Monday, October 23 at the regular meeting of the Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department, an appreciation dinner was hosted by Mrs. Beverly Bridgers Rodriguez, National Defense Committee, Copiah Chapter of the Mississippi Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution and her husband, Joseph Michael Rodriguez, retired Crossroads E. M. T. and firefighter. The dinner was in honor of National First Responders Day on Saturday, October 28, 2023. Ther firefighters were served buffet-style lasagna, bread sticks, green salad, brownies and ice cream.

A brief history of the National First Responders Day, taken from an excerpt from the October 5, 2023 blog by Sandy Raynor, National Chair, National Defense Committee of the National Society of the Daughter of the American Revolution reads, “Congress designated October 28th as National First Responders Day in 2017. The Homeland Security Act 2002 defines first responders as individuals who protect life, evidence, property or the environment during the early stages of an emergency. They are responsible for going immediately to the scene of an accident or emergency to provide aid. This day honors the paramedics, emergency medical technicians, firefighters, police officers and 911 operators who answer the call when a crisis arises, often putting their lives on the line. Serving as a Nation Day of Gratitude for their service, to honor the fallen and to call for action to support first responders. An estimated 4.6 million people serve as career and volunteer firefighters, police, EMTs and paramedics in the United States.”

Sunday, Nov. 19 will be the twenty-fifth Sunday following Pentecost. Scripture for the weekend include Judges 4:1-7 (Deborah and Barak), Psalm 90:1-8, (9-11), 12 (eternal God and mortal man), Psalm 123 (looking for God’s favor), Zephaniah 1:7, 12-18 (the great day of the Lord), 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 (the day of the Lord) and Matthew 25:14-30 (Christ’s parable of the talents).

November 19 is also the day for the Thanksgiving dinner-on-the-ground and the youth cake/dessert auction at the First Baptist Church on Raymond Street. The church has also planned a work/clean-up day for Saturday morning, November 18.

Although the Terry High School classes will not be meeting next week (November 20th - 24th), there will be athletic activities. On November 21, the girls basketball team will be competing in the Clinton shootout. On November 24th, the boys basketball team will be traveling to Calhoun City, Alabama. On the following day, the boys team will compete in the Basketball Hoops Challenge at Tougaloo College. On the 27th, the ninth-grade basketball team will play Pearl High School (Rankin County).

The Terry Board of Alders held its November meeting on Thursday, Nov. 9th. The Thursday-evening meeting was necessitated by the General Election on Nov. 7th.

Congratulations to the three District Five elected officials who were elected for another four years: Supervisor Bobby “Bobcat” McGowan, Justice Court Judge Pearlie Brown Owens and Constable Beverly Wade Green! Our state senator and representative (David Blount of Jackson and Gregory Holloway of Hazlehurst) were also re-elected to four-year terms.

Recently celebrated birthdays include: Nov. 14- Al McCoy; Nov. 16- Linda Owens; Nov. 18- Greta Kemp Martin.

This Thanksgiving hymn is a Shaker hymn published in New Hampshire in 1906. It quotes Psalm 113. “O give thanks, give thanks unto the Lord, For He is good, And His mercy endureth forever. To Him which led His people Through the wilderness, For He is good, And His mercy endureth forever. He turnèd the wilderness Into a standing water, And dry ground into water springs. Strengthen ye the weak hands And confirm the feeble knees, Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not, Behold your God will come With a recompense. Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened And the ears of the deaf, Of the deaf unstopped. And a highway shall be there, And it shall be called the way, The way of holiness, The unclean shall not pass over it, The unclean shall not pass over it, But the redeemed of the Lord Shall walk therein; And the ransomed of the Lord Shall return and come to Zion, To Zion with songs End everlasting joy upon their heads, They shall obtain joy and gladness, And sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

You have read this weekly column in the weekly Hinds County Gazette, which has served Hinds County since 1845. Your readership is important, and so are your comments about anything printed and your submissions. News about birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, baptisms, illnesses, and deaths is appreciated. Please contact me at the telephone number above or (preferably) at terryj1@bellsouth.net.