William "W.E." Norris

William “W.E.” Norris age 85 of Batesville died Friday, November 8, 2013 at a Batesville hospital. He was born December 4, 1927 at Poughkeepsie, Arkansas to Otho and Mildred Norris. He was a U.S. Army Veteran having served from June 14, 1945 until January 1947. He was a retired Baptist minister and a member of the Pleasant Valley Missionary Baptist Church in Batesville. He was baptized by L.D. Foreman into the Little Springs Missionary Baptist Church at Poughkeepsie on September 17, 1939 and surrendered to the ministry on April 26, 1953 at Little Springs Missionary Baptist Church. He graduated from Poughkeepsie High School in 1945 and graduated from Arkansas State College (now ASU) in May 1949 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He received his Graduate of Bible Languages and Master of Bible Languages from Missionary Baptist Seminary in Little Rock in 1958. He received his Doctorate of Theology degree from Eastern Baptist Institute in Hamilton, Ohio on May 24, 1968. His pastorates include; Maple Springs Baptist Church, Oil Trough, Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, Batesville, Mt.View Baptist Church, Cave City, Clayton Ave. Baptist Church, Sikeston, Missouri, Landmark Baptist Church, Searcy, Sulphur Springs Baptist Church, Hot Springs, First Landmark Baptist Church, Kokomo, Indiana, First Baptist Church Sullivan, Missouri and Little Springs Baptist Church, Poughkeepsie. He retired from Little Springs Baptist Church on August 30, 2009. He also taught at the Eastern Baptist Institute in Franklin, Ohio for 3 years; served as one of the clerks of the ABA for 17 years; served as one of the ABA Vice Presidents for 2 years and preached the annual message at the ABA meeting in Washington D.C. in 1986. He also worked for the Jonesboro Sun for seven years, four of those as circulation manager before surrendering to preach. He was preceded in death by his parents. Survivors include his wife, Nannie Norris of the home; one son, William Edward Norris Jr. of Monticello, Kentucky; one daughter, Deborah Reeder of Batesville; six grandchildren, Elisabeth Gross of Magness, Jeremy Edward Norris of Monticello, Kentucky, Danielle Sage of Lexington, Kentucky, Patricia Jo Reed of Social Hill, Rebecca Isom of Hot Springs and Brittany Norris of Monticello, Kentucky; seven great grandchildren and a host of other relatives and friends. Funeral services will begin Monday, November 11, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. at the Pleasant Valley Missionary Baptist Church in Batesville with Bro. Mike Hoggard, Bro. Ron Canard and Bro. Donis Smead officiating. Burial will follow in the Mt. Zion Cemetery located at Batesville with arrangements by Qualls Batesville Funeral Service of Batesville. Visitation will be Sunday, November 10, 2013 from 2:00 until 4:00 p.m. Pallbearers will be Ron Bell, James Hanson, Otto Graham, Terry Hash, Mark Scott, Howard West, Dean Parsley and Phil Goodwin. Honorary pallbearers are All ABA Ministers.