About Us

Jim is the son of the late Reed and Vadell Calvary and is married to Shelia Walls Calvary. They have one son Jason and two granddaughters, Jadyn and Jena. He serves as a Deacon and a Sunday School teacher at Oakland Baptist Church. He retired in 2016 as Agency Manager of Prentiss County Farm Bureau Insurance Company, having been employed there since 1986 and is one of the original founders of Magnolia Funeral Home.

Shelia is the daughter of the late Richard and Mary Walls and is married to Jimmy Calvary. They have one son, Jason and two granddaughters, Jadyn and Jena. She retired in 2013 as Chief Nursing Officer at Magnolia Regional Health Center having been employed there for 28 years. Shelia now serves as Office Manager of Magnolia Funeral Home.

Charlie is the son of the late E.O. and Sally Browning. He is married to Brenda Bowen Browning and they have two children, Jeffery and Stephanie. He is a member of Oakland Baptist Church. He was employed at ITT/ Cortleco as the manager of Credit and Collectons for 28 years. He is State Board Certified as a licensed Funeral Director and has been with Magnolia Funeral Home Since 1993.

Buddy is the son of the late Charles and Rethia Kemp and is married to Lil Kemp. He has a son, Jessie Kemp and has served with Magnolia Funeral Home since October 2000.  He is State Board Certified as a licensed Funeral Director since 2021 and is a Certified Crematory Operator.

He is State Board Certified as a licensed Funeral Director and a licensed Insurance Agent since 1976. He has been with Magnolia Funeral Home since 2013.

Greg is the son of Joe and the late Shirley Woodruff and is married to Whitney Woodruff. He has four children, Kristen, Colton, Shiloh and Maisie and four grandchildren, Fletcher, Lucy, Finley, and Lottie. He is State Board Certified as a licensed Funeral Director since 1997, and is a Certified Crematory Operator. He has been with Magnolia Funeral Home since 2014. Greg currently serves as President of Mississippi Funeral Directors Association and is a member of the National Funeral Directors Association.

Rhonda is the daughter of the late Bobby Wayne & Faye Wilbanks. She has a degree in Cosmetology and Nail Technology, Makeup Artistry and Accounting Specialist. She is State Board Certified as a licensed Funeral Director and has been with Magnolia Funeral Home since 2006.

Hilda is the daughter of the late L.V. Elam and Beatrice Elam and is married to Bill Floyd. They have a daughter, Christy and a fur baby, Josie. Hilda has worked for several local businesses over the years including Wurlitzer and CB&S Bank. She has been employed with Magnolia Funeral Home since 2013.

Katie is the daughter of Kenny and Donna Miles and is married to James Cooper. She serves as Office Clerk and is responsible for our Aftercare Program. Katie has been employed with Magnolia Funeral Home since January 2018.

Janet Holley serves as our new cemetery operations manager at all three of our cemetery locations. Janet will manage the customer service portion of the cemetery, handle grave site requests, design and sell bronze monuments and markers and coordinate grave site preparation. Janet will be responsible for our Cemetery Flower Placement Program, coordinating with workers to maintain the landscaping, and repair cemetery markers or mausoleums when needed. Janet is the daughter of Dan and Peggy Walls and is married to Bobby Holley. They have three children, Hannah, Samuel, and Luke. She is a member of Oakland Baptist Church and is recently retired from the Alcorn School System after 28 years of teaching.

Wayne is the son of the late James H. and Pauline Moore and is married to Maylene Moore. He has three children, Kellie Carter, Shellie Duncan, and Dustin Moore. Wayne has served as a Funeral Associate with Magnolia Funeral Home since September 2012.

Cecil is the son of the late Charlie and Lottie Jacobs and is married to Jewel Jacobs. They have two sons, Brian and Daniel. Cecil has served as a Funeral Associate with Magnolia Funeral Home since 2013.

Rick is married to his wife, Squeaky Essary.  He has been with Magnolia Funeral Home since November of 2021.

Diane is married to her husband, Steve Simon. She attends Oakland Baptist Church and was employed at ITT/ Cortleco for 21 years and Tecumseh for nearly 10 years. She has been with Magnolia Funeral Home since May of 2021.

Daniel is the son of Laura and the late Johnny Derrick. He currently is an Agriculture Teacher/FFA Advisor at Alcorn Career & Technology Center. Daniel has served as a Funeral Associate with Magnolia Funeral Home since May of 2022.

Rick is the son of the late Joy & Estelle Skelton. He has a son, Lee and a daughter, Tiffany and is a member of Antioch Baptist Church.  Rick has served as a Funeral Associate for Magnolia Funeral Home since March of 2024.

Magnolia Gardens and Oaklawn Cemetery is proud to introduce Bill Droke as our new cemetery pre-planning counselor. Bill is available to help people make decisions regarding grave spaces, caskets, vaults, markers, urns, crematory expenses and burial expenses, whether for themselves or for family members. Whatever your wishes are, Bill will be able to help you personalize a service that will help bring both closure and peace to your family and friends. Bill is the son of the late Joe and Christine Droke and is married to Deanne Arnold Droke formerly of Booneville.  Bill has a son, John along with Deanne’s children, Jeremy, Justin, and Katherine and  is a graduate of Corinth High School, Northeast MS Junior College, University of North Alabama, as well as Mississippi State University. He is a member of First Methodist Church of Corinth and worked for Liberty National Life for 21 years before becoming an independent agent. 

Jackie is married to his wife, Patty. He is a member of Glendale Baptist Church. He has been with Magnolia Funeral Home since 

John Pence

Jason is the son of Leroy and Betty Moore and has one son, Gavin. He is State Board Certified as a licensed Mortician and has been with Magnolia Funeral Home since 1995.

Our hearts are heavy as we grieve the loss of our dear friend and co-worker, Leroy Brown, who departed this life into eternity on Sunday, April 20, 2023. 

Mr. Brown was born March 6, 1944 in Tishomingo, MS to Codie L. Brown and Carlie Mae McDuffy Brown.  He retired as a supervisor from ITT and Cortelco after 38 years of service.  For 21 years he was a co-owner of Magnolia Funeral Home, where he also served as a Funeral Director.  He was of the Church of Christ faith and a member of Burnsville Lodge #233 where he was a 32nd Degree Mason.  He was a member of Magnolia Antique Car Club and enjoyed working on old cars and going to antique car shows.  Leroy is survived by his wife, Hilda Brown of Corinth, MS; his son, Brian Brown of Glen, MS; his step-sons, Paul Gilliland and wife Ashley of Moulton, AL and Mark Gilliland and wife Mikki of Saltillo, MS; 3 grandchildren, Tiffany Brown and husband Arthur, Chelsea Brown Mathis and husband Trevor and Delanie Brown; step-grandchildren, Ellie, Brice, Avery and Kade Gilliland; brother, Arvolle Brown and wife Hazel of Corinth, MS; sisters, Norma Sullivan and husband Jerry of Florence, AL and Elaine Watson of Corinth, MS; numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and a host of friends.  He was preceded in death by his father, Codie L. Brown; his mother, Carlie Mae McDuffy Brown; his brother, Carlton Brown; his sister, Dorothy Smith and the mother of his son, Linda Smith Brown.  Pallbearers will be Kevin Skinner, Brian Brown, Greg Woodruff, Buddy Kemp and Jimmy Calvary.  Honorary pallbearers will be great grandgrandchildren, Easton, Maxwell and Kimber. 

Our hearts are heavy as we grieve the loss of our dear friend and co-worker, Nathan Dixon, who departed this life into eternity on Sunday, June 18, 2017. 

There are no words to describe how badly he will be missed. Nathan had the calmest demeanor and the ability to defuse any problem that he faced. His knowledge and insight were invaluable, not only to the families he served but also to those of us who had the privilege to serve along with him. His calling was his life, and every action he took was in service to it. 

Whether behind the pulpit, directing a funeral, comforting the grieving, or playing with his children, Nathan’s conviction was the bedrock upon which his life was built. His faith was never forced into conversation because it was an undeniable undertone to everything he did. Nathan’s hands and feet preached the gospel louder than most preachers manage to shout it from pulpits, and his kindness touched more hearts than any lifetime of sermons. 

A true evangelist, everywhere he went he inspired and encouraged. Though Nathan was known as a gentle giant because of his stature, it is not his shoe size that anyone truly remembers; it is the size of his heart. With a booming laugh that preceded him into a room and a calm, steady voice that could soothe the most volatile of situations, Nathan’s presence never went unnoticed. 

In Isaiah 55, the Lord speaks of the word from Heaven, which cannot return empty. Nathan’s life exemplified this verse. Though he is no longer with us, his influence stretches before us like his shadow, and we will live the remainder of our lives being covered by it. Nathan’s exuberant love centered on his family, and if his children were his world, his wife Michelle was the axis on which it turned. His soul swelled larger than life, touching everyone around him, until the earth could no longer hold him. Perhaps heaven is big enough for the man earth could not contain.

May God bless the memory of our dear brother and friend.