Mrs. Norma Jean Beard, 73, of Pope, MS, passed away on Friday, January 24, 2014 at Baptist Memorial Hospital - North MS in Oxford.

Mrs. Beard enjoyed fishing, cooking, taking care of her plants, gardening and traveling. She is survived by two daughters, Bobbie Dover Little of Sardis, MS and Barbara Joyce Beard of Temple, TX; four sons, Jerry L. Dover of Pope, MS, Thomas King, Jr. of Longtown, MS, Gerald Beard of Batesville, MS and Grady Beard, Jr. of Pope, MS; two sisters, Shirley Clark and Nona Weeks, both of Courtland, MS; two brothers, Edwin Bonner of Water Valley, MS and Joe Patton of Fieldale, VA; twelve grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband, The Late Grady Gerald Beard, her brother, The Late Larry Patton and her parents, The Late James Edwin Bonner and Nona Alleen Ware.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, January 27, 2014 at 2pm in the chapel of Dickins Funeral Home in Batesville, MS. Burial will follow in Forrest Memorial Cemetery. Visitation will be held in the funeral home on Sunday, January 26, 2014 from 4-7pm. The family requests that memorial contributions be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 73123-1718, www.cancer.org.

Dickins Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.