Erma B. Newell

Erma Brooks Newell went to her heavenly home to be with her Lord and Savior on Thursday, March 13, 2025. Mrs. Newell was born on November 19, 1932, in Lee County, the first daughter after six sons, to Norman Leonard and Fannie Myrtle Dillard Brooks. She attended school at Endville and Algoma and graduated from Sherman High School where she played basketball. After graduation, Erma moved with a friend to Zion, Illinois where she worked for Abbot Laboratories. She married Billie Dean Shaffer with whom she had four children.

Erma returned to Mississippi in 1960 and later worked at Rich’s Toy Plant for a number of years. There she met and married William (O.T.) Newell. She was later employed by the Home Extension Service until she changed career paths to become a paid domestic engineer until her retirement.

Mrs. Newell, known as Mammaw, dearly loved spending time with her grand children and great-grandchildren as well as keeping her home as clean as possible. Some of her other enjoyable activities included eating with and spending time with her friends, and volunteering at the Sanctuary Village Shoppe. She was a faithful member first of Emmanuel Baptist Church and then of West Jackson Street Baptist Church having accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior at the age of 21. She especially enjoyed her Sunday School Class and hearing the Gospel preached.

Erma is survived by her daughters, Pam Bowman (Jim), Cindy Berryhill (Lucas),all of Tupelo and Vicky Porter of Belden; her sister, Margurette Robison of Tupelo; three grandsons, Michael Bowman of Gainesville, Florida, Matt Lavender of Tupelo, and Adam Bowman of Knoxville, Tennessee; four great-grandchildren, Kiara and Lyric Lavender, and Hudson and Leighton Shaffer.

She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, William; her son, Eddie Dean Shaffer; six brothers, Laver, Homer, Havis, Travis, Roy and Wayne Brooks; and a grandson, Colter Shaffer.

Visitation will be 9 until 11 a.m. Saturday, March 15, 2025 at Pegues, Tupelo

Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Jefferson Street Chapel of Pegues with Rev. Bert Harper and Dr. Keith Cochran officiating. Burial will be in Tupelo Memorial Park.

Pallbearers will be Jim Bowman, Lucas Berryhill, Michael Bowman, Adam Bowman, and Matt Lavender.

Honorary pallbearers will be Sherry Smith, Vanita Billingsley, Shirley Harwood, and Cathy Grammar.

Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital at 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis TN 38105.

Expressions of sympathy may be shared at PeguesFuneralHome.com.