MariAna Pemble Davis

Mari Ana Pemble Davis passed away at her home in Cleveland on Saturday, June 16, 2018.  She was 96 years old.  Visitation will be held at 10:00 am on Tuesday, June 19 at the First Presbyterian Church with a Celebration of Life service to follow at 11:00 am.  Burial will be at the New Cleveland Cemetery.   Reverend Michael McLaughlin will officiate the services. 
Mari Ana was born on March 25, 1922, at Birch Plantation on the Sunflower River east of Merigold, Mississippi, to Thomas Edward and Lexie Calhoun Pemble.  She was a graduate of Merigold High School and Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri.  While in Columbia, she met her future husband, James Thomas Davis.  They were married on January 17, 1941. 
Shortly after their marriage, Mari Ana and J.T. traveled the country fulfilling his tenure with the United States Air Force.  They settled in Mari Ana's hometown of Merigold where J.T. worked with her father at T.E. Pemble Farms.  Mari Ana and J.T. had three sons, Pemble, Burtch and Lex, and moved to Cleveland in 1967 where she resided until her death.
Mari Ana was a member of First Presbyterian Church, Cleveland, and also, in her latter years, was a regular attendee at Merigold Methodist Church.  She was a member of the Delta Home and Garden Club and served as President in 1972.   Mari Ana was a proud supporter of Delta State University and often traveled with the Lady Statesmen and Renaissance Choral Group.  In 1997, Mari Ana was honored for her contributions to the University as a recipient of the Gladys Castle Friend of Delta State Service Award and in 2000 she received the President's Award for Outstanding Service to the Bologna Performing Arts Center.   She was selected as a special initiate of the Phi Mu Fraternity in 1966.  In recognition of her service to Delta State and Cleveland, Mari Ana was crowned Queen of the 1998 Junior Auxiliary Charity Ball.
Mari Ana was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, James T. Davis.  She is survived by her sons, Pemble Davis (Peggy), Lex Davis (Beth), all of Merigold and Burtch Davis of Little Rock, Arkansas; her grandchildren, Peyton Davis Warrington (Todd) of Oxford, Justin Davis (Christen) of Cleveland and Ana Parker Davis of Merigold; and great grandchildren, James Davis Warrington, Brantly Mitchell Davis  and Braden Reeves Davis.
Pallbearers will be Dr. Jon Meyer, John Booth, Pat Denton, Andrew Walton, Gwin Smith and George Fioranelli.
The family would like to thank those who cared for Mari Ana during her final years:  Dr. Paul Warrington, Carolyn Walker, Rosie Johnson, Myra Harper, Mae Jean Jackson, Gloria Booker and Cherry Horton.
Memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church, Cleveland, or to the Delta State University Foundation.
To view and sign the online guestbook, please visit rayfuneralhome.net.

Visitation

10:00 am - 11:00 am Tuesday, June 19, 2018
First Presbyterian Church Hwy 8 Cleveland, Mississippi, United States

Celebration of Life Service

11:00 am - 12:00 pm Tuesday, June 19, 2018
First Presbyterian Church Hwy 8 Cleveland, Mississippi, United States

Interment

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm Tuesday, June 19, 2018
New Cleveland Cemetery. N Bayou Cleveland, Mississippi, United States