Samuel Oree Corley Sr.

Published 12:13 am Sunday, September 24, 2017

NATCHEZ — Services for Samuel Oree Corley Sr., 91, of Natchez, who died Thursday, Sept. 21, 2017, at Merit Health Natchez, will be 10 a.m. Monday at Calvary Baptist Church in Natchez with the Rev. Timmy Cloy and the Rev. Mark Whitney officiating.

Graveside services and burial will be 2 p.m. Monday at Pine Grove Baptist Church in Magee with the Rev. Herb Nettleton officiating.

Arrangements are under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today at and from 9 a.m. until service time Monday, both at Calvary Baptist Church.

Mr. Corley was born Dec. 31, 1925, in Hot Coffee, the son of John Oree Corley and Rosa Ellen Sullivan Corley.

He was a U.S. Navy World War II veteran, having served from Feb. 24, 1944 to April 2, 1946, as a seaman first class. He received the American Theatre Medal, the European-African, Middle East Medal and the Victory Medal. He was a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association (NRA.) He was a Christian and loved his family.

Mr. Corley was preceded in death by his parents; one son, Benny Corley; four brothers, Earl Dalton Corley, James Corley, Cliff L. Corley and John Edward “Boog” Corley; an infant sister; and one great-grandson, Henry Jack Daniel Floyd.

Survivors include his wife of 64 years, Merle Grace Corley; two sons, Sammy Corley Jr. of Hot Coffee, and Terry Corley of Diggins, Mo.; two daughters, Delilah Longmire and husband, Kevin, of Crosby, and Ramona Fenn and husband, Paul, of Natchez; two special young ladies, Cindy Corley and Debrah Green; four sisters, Mary Ellen Richardson and Etta Merle Paulson, both of Mize, Myrtle Sanford of Ellisville, and Rose Sellars and husband, Haskell, of Hot Coffee; eight grandchildren, Jamie Corley, Derek Corley and wife, Jazmine, Lee Corley and wife, Tiffany, Brandy Thompson and husband, Jason, Haley Gault and husband, Jason, Corley Longmire, Paula Fenn and Chance Fenn; 13 great-grandchildren, Jessica Salmon and husband, Tarek, John “Benny” Benjamin, Leeah Corley, Drake Corley, Jaxon Corley, Kaden Thompson, Karsen Thompson, Abigail Gault, Leeland Floyd, Taylor Grace Floyd, Baylee Floyd, Dallas Floyd and an unborn baby boy Corley; three great-great-grandchildren, Dillon Kelley, Triston Kelley and Adam Salmon; and a number of nieces, nephews, friends and church members of Calvary Baptist Church.

Pallbearers will be Lee Corley, Derek Corley, Chance Fenn, Johnny Corley, Cory Gibbons and Jason Thompson.

Honorary pallbearers will be Mark Whitney, Eddie Freeman, Pete Burlison, Eddie Ellis, James Gibbons, D.D. Smith, James Green, Ivy Ray Thornton, Dr. Barry Tillman and the men of Calvary Baptist Church in Natchez.

Special appreciation to special caregivers, Susan Givens, Gail Jenkins, Katie Fish, Tracy Perry and Deaconess Home Care, especially Erin Whitaker, Mattie Smith and Scott. Special thanks to the nursing staff of the emergency room and telemetry unit at Merit Health Natchez. Also, special thanks to the staff at Natchez Veterans Clinic, Dr. Barry Tillman and his staff, Dr. Jeffrey Anderson, Dr. Vikram Dulam, Dr. Rick Ricaldi and Brenda Brown, FNP. The family also wishes to thank the nursing staff, respiratory department and the PT/OT rehab department at Field Health Systems in Centreville.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society Relay for Life or to Calvary Baptist Church.

Online condolences may be sent to lairdfh.com.