Extracted from The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, MS)
Saturday, August 18, 2001

Willie Leon Watkins

Carthage

Willie Leon Watkins, 80, a retired business owner, died Thursday, August 16, 2001, at Leake Memorial Hospital. Services are 2 p.m. today at Pleasant Hill Church of God with burial in the church cemetery. Wilcox Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
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Source: http://www.genealogybuff.com/ms/state/webbbs_config.pl/noframes/read/182

Willie Leon Watkins

Willie Leon Watkins, 80, a retired Carthage businessman and former member of the Leake County Board of Supervisors, died last Thursday of cancer at Leake Memorial Hospital.

Services were at 2 p.m. Saturday at Pleasant Hill Church of God, with Rev. Boyd Beach, Rev. Edward Shoemaker, Rev/ Darrell Blankenship, Rev. Jim Riley, Rev. Kenneth Hagglar, Rev. M.L. Green , and Rev. Daniel Blaylock officiating. Burial was in Old Pleasant Hill Cemetery. Wilcox Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

A native of Leake County, Mr. Watkins represented District 4 on the County Board of Supervisors in earlier years and was on the board for the Leake County Co-op. He was also on the Governor’s Council for four years during Bill Waller and Cliff Finch administrations. He was an Army veteran of World War II and a DAV member. He was a member of Pleasant Hill Church of God.

Survivors include his wife, Mildred Watkins, Carthage; a son, Jerry Watkins, Carthage; a daughter, Judy Gill, Carthage; seven brothers, J.T. “Buddy” Watkins, Rev. W.J. Watkins, Bennie Watkins, Talmadge Watkins, Ray Watkins, Kirby Watkins, and Kenneth Watkins, all of Carthage; a sister, Ruby Turner, Mize; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers were Lane Kelly, Jamie Shepard, Jimmy Sanders, Mike Watkins, Glen Watkins and Steven Watkins.