Funeral services were held at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 7, 2024, at the Maranatha Baptist Church in Mt. Olive for Geneva Batte Grayson, 84, formerly of Mt. Olive, who passed away peacefully on Monday, June 3, 2024, at her residence in Oxford, Mississippi.
Reverend Rudy Jackson and Mr. Clif Lusk officiated at the services with interment following in the Rock Hill Baptist Church Cemetery in Mt. Olive, Mississippi. Special music was provided by Mrs. Donna Bryant and Mrs. Jerrolyn Owens. Colonial Chapel Funeral Home in Mount Olive handled arrangements.
The family received guests from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 6, 2024, at the Colonial Chapel Funeral Home, 205 South 4th Street in Mount Olive and from 12 noon until service time on Friday, June 7, 2024, at the Maranatha Baptist Church, 5601 MS-35 in Mt. Olive.
Her pallbearers were Gerald Martin, Clif Lusk, Clay Johnston, Chris Batte, Tony Halcin, and Andrew Allen.
Mrs. Grayson was born on February 24,1940, to A. J. and Iva Belle Easterling Batte. She lived most of her life in Mt. Olive on Cooley Springs Road. She recently moved to Oxford, to be close to her son, David.
A graduate of Mt. Olive High School, Jones County Junior College, and Mississippi Southern College (now the University of Southern Mississippi), Mrs. Grayson was a lifelong educator, having taught at Moss Point High School, Mt. Olive High School and Simpson County Academy. Following her retirement from teaching, she worked at Colonial Chapel Funeral Home for many years, where she loved helping families in their times of grief. She also joked that working at the funeral home always made her the first one to know when someone died.
An active member of Maranatha Baptist Church, Mrs. Grayson continued watching services each Sunday online from Oxford, making David promise to make sure she was awake and had the live stream going. She listened to every word and believed in supporting her church and her preachers. Prior to joining Maranatha, she and her family attended Rock Hill Baptist Church and Cooley Springs Baptist Church. She was a longtime member of “Happiness Is” at First Baptist Church of Raleigh, where she and her lifelong friend Carolyn Hankins enjoyed weekly fellowship and travel. She often joked this was her “other” church.
She was a lifetime member of the Covington County Genealogical and Historical Society, and a lifetime member of the USM Alumni Association, as well as holding memberships in the Covington County Republican Women, the Retired Education Personnel of Mississippi, the Covington County Forestry Association.
In her later years, Mrs. Grayson enjoyed travelling and shopping, mostly at Dirt Cheap and Treasure Hunt, where she had a natural ability to find a deal. She enjoyed collecting jewelry and she was known as very giving and always wanted to help someone in need. She was fond of visiting Gulfport to visit her sister Nellie and niece Cindy for most holidays and immensely enjoyed attending services at First Baptist Gulfport and attending Easter Sunrise Service on the beach.
She was preceded in death by her parents, A.J. and Iva Belle Easterling Batte; her husband, James Albert Grayson; and two brothers, Tommy Batte, and Jack Batte.
Survivors include one son, David Grayson of Oxford; one sister, Nellie Batte Craft of Gulfport; one brother, Howard Batte, and his wife, Lillie of Mount Olive; three sisters-in-law, Sarah Batte of Mount Olive, Rynn Blakeney of Mize, and Betty Matthews of Star; and a host of nieces, nephews, and other family members.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Rock Hill Cemetery Trust Fund or Maranatha Baptist Church.
Family members and friends may sign an online guestbook at www.billymkingcolonialchapel.com
