Doris Elizabeth Oakes

A funeral mass for Doris Elizabeth Oakes, age 83, of Greenville will be held at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, January 20 at St. Joseph Catholic Church. She died Wednesday, January 17 at Delta Health – The Medical Center.  Burial will follow in Lakeview Memorial Gardens.  Services are under the direction of Boone Funeral Home, Greenville.

Doris was born in Grenada, Mississippi where she received her education. She married Luther B. Oakes, Jr. in 1954, and they made their home in Indianola.  They moved to Greenville in 1977 and Metcalfe in 1985.  She was a communicant of St. Joseph Catholic Church.

Mrs. Oakes was preceded in death by her parents, George H. and Doris J. Taylor; her husband, Luther B. Oakes, Jr.; a daughter, Lisa Oakes; a granddaughter, Mary Elizabeth Oakes, and a great-granddaughter, Ava Grace Oakes.

Survivors include a daughter, Pamela Oakes Millwood (Ray); 2 sons, George B. Oakes (Patsy) and Luther H. Oakes (Tammy); a brother, George W. Taylor (Belinda); 6 grandchildren, Dr. Luther B. Oakes (Anna Bell), Joshua A. Oakes (Lauren), Bryan Oakes, Jr. (Amy), Steve Millwood, Heath Millwood, and Ricky Meyers (Rachel); 16 great-grandchildren, Landon Nevels, Trace Oakes, Mason Oakes, Ella Millwood, Anna Millwood, Oakes Millwood, Emma Millwood, Isabelle Millwood, Cole Meyers, Bella Meyers, Katelyn Meyers, Chloe Grace Oakes, Ann Marie Oakes, Lily Elizabeth Oakes, Maria Bella Oakes, and Mari Allen Oakes; and 2 nieces, Donna Taylor (Tina), Dana Smith (Jim) and Jennifer Holly (Rusty).

A visitation will be held one hour before services at the church.

When Tomorrow Starts Without Me

When tomorrow starts without me, and I’m not there to see if the sun should rise, and find your eyes all filled with tears for me. I wish so much you wouldn’t cry the way you did today while thinking of the many things we didn’t get to say.

I know how much you love me, as much as I love you, and each time you think of me, I know you’ll miss me too. But when tomorrow starts without me, please try to understand that an angel came and called my name and took me by the hand. And said my place was ready in heaven far above, and I’d have to leave behind all those I dearly love.

But as I turned to walk away a tear fell from my eye. For all my life I’d always thought, I didn’t want to die. I had so much to live for, so much yet to do. It seemed almost impossible that I was leaving you. I thought of all the yesterdays, the good ones and the bad. I thought of all the love we shared and all the fun we had. If I could relive yesterday, even for a while, I’d say goodbye and kiss you and maybe see you smile.

When I walked through heaven’s gates, I felt so much at home. When God looked down and smiled at me from his golden throne, He said, “This is eternity and all I’ve promised you. Today your life on earth is past but here it starts anew.

So when tomorrow starts without me, don’t think we’re far apart. For every time you think of me, I’m right here in your heart.