James Earnest Stallings, 95, a resident of Calhoun City for 46 years, died Sunday, July 20, 2014 at Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo. He lived in Tupelo for the past 16 years at Traceway Retirement Community. He was born February 16, 1919 in Webster County and grew up on the family farm in Cumberland. He was the son of the late Lonnie Lee Stallings and Mary Earnest Stallings. He graduated from Cumberland High School, Wood Junior College and Mississippi State University. He was an Army Veteran of World War II. For 33 years, he was employed by Farmers Home Administration as County Supervisor in Calhoun County from 1952 until 1969 and as a District Director from 1969 until 1979. After retiring, he founded Stallings Real Estate in Calhoun City and managed it for 12 years.
During the years, he lived in Calhoun City, he was an active member of Lewis Memorial United Methodist Church, where he served on the administrative board. He was a past president of Calhoun City Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow. He also enjoyed serving as an associate director of Union Planters Bank of Calhoun City for many years. He was an avid Mississippi State sports fan and long-time member of the MSU Bulldog Club. He was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church in Tupelo.
A service in celebration of his life will be Wednesday, July 23, at 11 a.m. at Pryor Funeral Home in Calhoun City with Bro. Jimmy Vance and Bro. Jon Doler officiating. Burial will be at Marvin Hill Methodist Church Cemetery in Cumberland following the service. The family will receive friends at Pryor Funeral Home from 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, July 22. Pallbearers are Nash Stallings, Parker England, Phillip Herring, Randy Perkins, Tommy Perkins, Jerry Fox and Robert Doolittle.
He is survived by his daughter, Phyllis Stallings (Richard) Herring, Charlotte, NC; his two sons, Don (Sissy) Stallings, Leland; and Lon Stallings, Oxford; granddaughter, Frankie Stallings (Parker) England, Greenville; grandsons, Nash (Arielle) Stallings, Greenville; Henry Herring, Sydney, Australia, and Phillip Herring, Charlotte, NC; four great-grandchildren, Mary Wright, Miller England, Gaines Stallings, McNeill Stallings, all of Greenville; sister, Catherine Stallings Gardner, Cumberland; nephews, Randy Perand Tommy Perkins and their families.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, Josephine Bell Wright Stallings, and a brother-in-law, Dan Gardner.
Online condolences can be left at pryorfuneralhome.com