Ms. Joyce Cotten Long, 69, passed away at her residence in Water Valley on Tuesday, June 5, 2018.  A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 8, 2018, at Cornerstone Full Gospel Church (606 Wise Street, Water Valley, MS 38965).  Bros. R. W. Moffett and Freddie Moorman will officiate.  Coleman Funeral Home of Oxford is in charge of arrangements.

Ms. Long was born in Tallahatchie County, Miss., in 1949.  She was an avid and lifelong reader. She loved life, and everyone in her life – be them family, extended family, friends, neighbors or someone she just met.  She never met a stranger and had the biggest heart anyone had ever seen.  Ms. Long was always accepting people into her life and helping them in any way she could – sometimes caring more about them than herself.

She was a member of Phi Theta Kappa and enjoyed sharing her knowledge with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchild.   Ms. Long took this knowledge into the law field where she worked as a paralegal until retirement.

She had a lot of faith and loved the Lord – something she shared with her family and friends throughout her life.

Ms. Long is survived by her daughters, Pamela Colclasure, Stephanie (Bruce) Smith, and Alta Lynn Hughes, all of Water Valley; son, Clay (Gail) Ferguson of Water Valley; sister, Cathy (Robert) Patton of Water Valley; brothers, Harold (Cherie) Cotten of Winona, Miss., Tommy (Connie) Latham of Water Valley, and Don Latham of Memphis; 11 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

Ms. Long was preceded in death by her loving husband, Philip Lyle Long; father, James Cotten, Sr.; mother, Loie Sandefer and brothers, James Cotten, Jr., and Carl Latham.

Donations and memorials in honor of Ms. Joyce Cotten Long may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (www.stjude.org).

Online condolences may be left on the Tribute Wall at www.colemanfuneralhome.com.