Stella ‘Marlene’ Varnell, 82, died peacefully Saturday, August 13, 2016,
at the North Mississippi Medical Center. She was born July 27, 1934, in McComb,
Mississippi to the Late E.J. and Retha Etheridge. Marlene resided in Ocean
Springs, Mississippi for many years before moving to Tupelo, Mississippi. She had
resided at the Coen House in Traceway Villas. She was a faithful and loving wife
for 52 years until her husband passed in 2003. Marlene, who was known to many as
simply, Nana, was a special and caring person. She loved life and always was the
life of the party! Nana never met a stranger and loved everyone that she met.
Her door was always open to her granddaughters, great-grandchildren, and family.
She always took care of her family, whether it was cooking her gumbo, entertaining
friends or family, and always had a listening ear with a shoulder to cry on. Nana
will be greatly missed by all who knew her
Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. with the service following at 11:00 a.m.,
Tuesday, August 16, 2016, at Lee Memorial Funeral Home in Verona, Mississippi.
Brother Tim Green and Dr. Roy McHenry will be officiating the service. Burial will
be in Lee Memorial Park next to her beloved husband, Marvin Eugene Varnell.
Survivors include her two precious daughters, Beverly Hamilton of Tupelo,
Mississippi and Ginger Fountain and her husband, Arlen, of Biloxi, Mississippi; four
grandchildren, Amber McHenry and her husband, Michael, of Saltillo, Mississippi,
Jodi Pittenger and her husband, Bobby, of Charlotte, North Carolina, Raini
Smith and her husband, Justin, of Brookhaven, Mississippi and Shannon Martin and her husband Jeff of Goleta, CA; ten great-grandchildren, Autumn McHenry, Connor McHenry, Saxton McHenry, Piper McHenry of Saltillo, Mississippi, Rupert Pittenger, David Pittenger, Joshua Pittenger, Warren Pittenger, Leah Pittenger, and a precious baby on the way of Charlotte, North Carolina, and her precious newest great grandson, Slade Smith of Brookhaven, Mississippi; a niece, Judy Dillon of McComb, Mississippi; a great-nephew, Jason Dillon; two cousins Kathleen Alexander and Sherry Kay Purvis. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Marvin Eugene Varnell, and two brothers.
