Mrs. G.A. English received a message Tuesday stating that her brother, Paul C. McCord. MM1/C, on the destroyer USS Arrow Ward has been killed in action.
The son of Mrs. Lee McCord, formerly of the Jumpertown community and now living with her daughter, Mrs. Jess Sloan of Tuscaloosa. Master Mechanic McCord has been in the Navy the past fourteen years. The last time he was home on leave was in January three years ago. He was thirty-five years old.

    Surviving are his mother, four brothers, Bernard McCord of Fort Scott, Kansas, Worth McCord, Clyde McCord, and Colley McCord all of Alcorn County, and three sisters, Mrs. Arthur Blackwell, of Biggersville, Mrs. Jess Sloan of Tuscaloosa, and Mrs. G.A. English of Booneville.
SOURCE:The Booneville Independent 29 April 1943

News that stunned the community and brought scores of expressions of deep regret from friends all over this part of the state was the telegram received by Mr. & Mrs. G.R. Mitchell from the War Department Saturday stating that their twenty-six year old son Lt. James R. Mitchell had died of acute leukemia while on a special mission of a military nature to India. Letters dated a few weeks previously told of his anticipated trip from his post in Samos, in the South Pacific to Delhi, India and subsequently related events of interest on his long journey, told of enjoying excellent health and related much about the places at which he stopped. By air even the distance was several thousand miles traversing the islands of the southwest Pacific where few months before he had fought and been wounded on Gudalcanal. In the Solomons, on the Dutch East Indies perhaps to Calcutta, thence over land to northern India to its capital.
a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, James had distinguished himself in the service as he had as a student in civilian life. He had taken the ROTC training at Mississippi State College and thus prepared himself for his commission when he entered the service in 1940. With something over & year's training he went with his company to the Southwest Pacific in April 1942, where he soon began to see active service. In January 1943 he was wounded on Guadalcanal and later awarded the Purple Heart for valor and having been wounded in the line of duty for his country. He had been returned to the Samons Islands for recovery and retreat. No clue is given as to his development of this dread disease of the blood, acute leukemia with which he had probably been stricken only a few days.
Lt. Mitchell grew up in Booneville and was graduated from Booneville High School with an excellent record. He then entered Mississippi State College where his scholastic prowess and popularity marked him one of the most outstanding students on the campus during his four-year career. He enjoyed many honors, both academic and fraternal. He was captain of the Scabbard and Blade, a member of the SAE social fraternity, the ODK, honorary fraternity, the Blue Key, scholarship group, and later another Greek letter fraternity in business. After graduating from Mississippi State in 1939 James was employed in the accounting department of the Tennessee Coal and Iron Railroad in Birmingham, Alabama, until his enlistment in the service the following year. He was a Mason and a loyal Presbyterian. His church and its work was dear to his heart and active identity with its endeavors held an important place in his personal program.
Such a fine young man to have been taken from the life of our community is a distinct loss that is greater because of the possibilities his future held.

Source: The Booneville Independent 10 February 1944
 
 

Last Saturday morning a telegram from Secretary of WAR Stimson stated that PFC Gayle Pharr, 20, had been killed in North Africa and expressed sympathy to his parents Mr. & Mrs. J.M.Pharr of Booneville. The message stated that PFC Pharr had on 21 May died as the result of a vehicle accident and that further details would follow in a letter '
PFC Pharr was in a division under General Patton and had been in the North, Africa area for several months. He entered the service two years ago last March, among the first to go from Prentiss County.
 Gayle attended Marietta High School.
Surviving are his parents, five brothers, Toy, Fred, Clyde, Vardaman, all of Marietta and PFC Ross Pharr of Camp SUTTON,NCand three sisters, Mrs.Leon Richie of Booneville, Mrs. Elton Newman and Mrs Roy Floyd.

SOURCE: The Booneville Independent 3 June 1943

    The fourth boy from Prentiss county to die in the present war was Lt. Dexter Pate, twenty-year-old son of Mr & Mrs M.B. Pate of Booneville who was reported missing in a bomber raid, over Breman, Germany, on 8 October. The report that he was killed id not come through until this last week.

    A memorial service was held with the family in their home last Thursday evening with Bro. J.D. Thompson conducting the rites.
The sincere sympathy of friends all over this section goes out to the family in their loss.

Source: The Booneville Independent 13 January 1944

SOURCE: The Booneville Independent 27 June 1930
Submitted by:  Ruby Rorie

H. B. Pitts died at his home eight miles east of Booneville on the 20th following a short illness. His health had been fail-ing for a few months, but serious illness did not develop until a few days before his death.
He was born on 20 January 1844 and died 20 February 1935 being 91 years and 1 month old. He lived on the same premises where he was born , thereby establishing a record for contin-ous residence. He joined the Confederate Army in 1862, at the age of 18 and served through the war and came home without a wound of any kind. It is said that he rode the same horse home that he rode away. He served his country faithfully in times of war and just as faithful as a good citizen. He took a keen interest in things that were happening up to his death. The writer remembers having talked with him a few minutes on the streets only a few weeks ago and you could hardly realize his extreme age. He was active and his mind clear.
He joined the New Hope Primitive Baptist Church in 1887 and was baptized by Elder J.T. Blanchard, deceased. He was first married in 1871 to Marlon Helen Carter and to this union 4 children were born, three of whom survive. His wife died in 1918 and later he married Miss Martha Howell, who only lived a few years and he was married again to Mrs. Samantha Hart, who died 11 December 1934.
Funeral services were held at Mount Pleasant Cemetery and were conducted by his pastor Elder E.W. Shackelford after which the remains were tenderly laid to rest.
The pallbearers were Clinton Walden, Vester Horn, Guy Hare and Luther Bonds. Honorary pallbearers were his grandsons Allan Hare, Hartwell Smith, Hubert Hare, Robert Pitts and Cecil Smith.
He is survived by one son, Thomas Pitts and two daughters Mrs. Hattie Hare and Mrs. Allen Smith, all of whom live near Booneville.

SOURCE: The Booneville Independent 1 March 1935

News that stunned the community and brought scores of expressions of deep regret from friends all over this part of the state was the telegram received by Mr. & Mrs. G.R. Mitchell from the War Department Saturday stating that their twenty-six year old son Lt. James R. Mitchell had died of acute leukemia while on a special mission of a military nature to India. Letters dated a few weeks previously told of his anticipated trip from his post in Samos, in the South Pacific to Delhi, India and subsequently related events of interest on his long journey, told of enjoying excellent health and related much about the places at which he stopped. By air even the distance was several thousand miles traversing the islands of the southwest Pacific where few months before he had fought and been wounded on Gudalcanal. In the Solomons, on the Dutch East Indies perhaps to Calcutta, thence over land to northern India to its capital.
a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army, James had distinguished himself in the service as he had as a student in civilian life. He had taken the ROTC training at Mississippi State College and thus prepared himself for his commission when he entered the service in 1940. With something over & year's training he went with his company to the Southwest Pacific in April 1942, where he soon began to see active service. In January 1943 he was wounded on Guadalcanal and later awarded the Purple Heart for valor and having been wounded in the line of duty for his country. He had been returned to the Samons Islands for recovery and retreat. No clue is given as to his development of this dread disease of the blood, acute leukemia with which he had probably been stricken only a few days.
Lt. Mitchell grew up in Booneville and was graduated from Booneville High School with an excellent record. He then entered Mississippi State College where his scholastic prowess and popularity marked him one of the most outstanding students on the campus during his four-year career. He enjoyed many honors, both academic and fraternal. He was captain of the Scabbard and Blade, a member of the SAE social fraternity, the ODK, honorary fraternity, the Blue Key, scholarship group, and later another Greek letter fraternity in business. After graduating from Mississippi State in 1939 James was employed in the accounting department of the Tennessee Coal and Iron Railroad in Birmingham, Alabama, until his enlistment in the service the following year. He was a Mason and a loyal Presbyterian. His church and its work was dear to his heart and active identity with its endeavors held an important place in his personal program.
Such a fine young man to have been taken from the life of our community is a distinct loss that is greater because of the possibilities his future held.

Source: The Booneville Independent 10 February 1944