FERRIDAY — Services for Shirley Tipton Amelunke, 73, of Ferriday, who died Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009, at Natchez Regional Medical Center, will be 2 p.m. today at Young’s Funeral Home with the Rev. Gene Lee and the Rev. Wayne Gray officiating.

Burial will follow at Woodland Cemetery, in Jena, La., under the direction of Young’s Funeral Home in Ferriday.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today and from 1 p.m. until service time Sunday, both at the funeral home.

Mrs. Amelunke was born Aug. 19, 1935, in Catahoula Parish, the daughter of Joseph Calvin Chapman and Bessie Alice Purvis Chapman. She was a member of Ferriday First Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husbands, James Arnell Tipton Sr. and Hubert Norman Amelunke; her parents; four brothers, Herbert, J.C. Jr., Ezra and Albert Chapman; one sister, Helen Andrews; and one great-grandson, Gavin Reid Butler.

Survivors include her fiancé, J.D. Lipsey of Monterey; one son, James “Jimmy” Tipton and wife, Ariane, both of Dalton, Ga.; four daughters, Donna Tipton Morace of Ferriday and fiancé, Patrick Grayson of Clayton, Lori Tipton of Monterey, Misty Tipton Rush and fiancé Carl Olds of Waterproof and Mindy Grayson and husband, Daniel, all of Vidalia; four brothers, Frank, Clifton, Byran and Barry Chapman; one sister, Lea Palmer; special sister-in-law, Ruth Tipton; 13 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Jackie Johnston, Lande Johnson, Jordan Johnson, Donny Chapman, Joey Chapman, Josh Falcon and Randy Temple.

Honorary pallbearers will be Porky Smith, Cody Beard, Jason Butler, Andrew Clem and Mike Chapman.

To leave an online condolence for the family, visit www.youngsfh.com.