Funeral services for Shirley Watts Labeth Callender, of Brookhaven, are Friday, Jan. 20, 2017, at 11 a.m. at Riverwood Family Funeral Service in Brookhaven.

Visitation will be today, Jan. 19, 2017, from 5 until 9 p.m. at the funeral home.

Mrs. Callender, 77, died Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017, at King’s Daughters Medical Center in Brookhaven following a brief illness. She was born Jan. 2, 1940, to Ezra and Mae Smith Watts. She was a 1958 graduate of Brookhaven High School. She then went on to work many years for the Brookhaven Public Schools as a secretary and receptionist at the central office before retiring in 1999. She also served as the Lincoln County Baptist Association church clerk from 1980 until the time of her death. Service and hospitality were her spiritual gifts and she used them to serve the Lord at both Central Baptist Church and Philidelphia Baptist Church, where she was a member. She married Richard Labeth in 1959, they were happily married for 44 years and raised two children together. They loved to travel and enjoy many activities together. Richard died in 2003 after a lengthy illness. She loved and cared for him until God called him home. The Lord saw fit for her not to be alone. In 2007, she married Edwin Callender. He was surely sent to her by the Lord and they were also happily married until her death. She was loved by many people. She touched many lives with her happy disposition and servant’s heart. She will be sorely missed.

Preceding her in death were her parents; first husband, Richard; and infant son, Christopher Watts Labeth.

Survivors are her husband, Edwin Callender, of Brookhaven; son, Greg Labeth and wife Amy, of Belle Chasse, Louisiana; daughter, Rebecca Labeth Crosby and husband Derek, of Brookhaven; two bonus daughters, Grace Richardson and husband Jamie, and  Dana Scroggs and husband Leroy, both of Brookhaven; 13 grandchildren,Moreton Labeth, Morgan Labeth, Myles Labeth, of Belle Chasse Louisiana, Tess Labeth Bleich and husband Cody, of Fayettevillee, Arkansas, Lacey Este, of Rogers, Arkansas, Logan Crosby and Bretton Crosby, of Clinton, Connor Crosby, Jacob Scroggs, Jennifer Foster, Jessica EI-Rai, Mark Richardson and Shelby Richardson, all of Brookhaven; eight great-grandchildren, Dylan Artley, Zayne Estep, Finnley Bleich, Laith EI-Rai, Elise EI-Rai, Kirsten Scroggs, Ranie Foster and Lyric Foster; three sisters, Eloyce Porter and husbad Pat, Dorothy Case, and Bonnie Smith and husband Harold and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.

To express your thoughts to the family, you may visit www.riverwoodfamilyservice.com  and click on her name.