Etta Elvie Barber Gates, 90

January 9, 1935 – June 1, 2025

After a full and fruitful 90 years marked by resilience, love, and a steadfast faith in the Lord, Mrs. Etta Elvie Gates—affectionately known to all as “Elvie”—peacefully laid her well-worn hands to rest and entered her eternal home on Sunday afternoon, June 1, 2025, at Magnolia Hospital in Corinth, Mississippi.

Funeral services honoring the life and legacy of Mrs. Elvie will be held at 1 PM on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, in the Heritage Chapel of Ripley Funeral Home, with her dear friend Bro. Doc Shelton officiating. Visitation will take place from 5 PM until 8 PM on Tuesday evening, June 3, 2025, at Ripley Funeral Home and will continue Wednesday from 9 AM until the time of service. Burial will follow at Little Hope Cemetery.

Born February 9, 1935, at home in Tippah County, Mrs. Elvie was the daughter of the late George Dalton and Etta Elvie Beavers Barber. She attended Falkner High School until she selflessly left her studies to work in the fields, doing whatever was necessary to help her family survive and thrive. Though she worked outside the home at times, including in a factory, her most cherished and meaningful titles were those of faithful wife to her beloved Ules, devoted mother to Danny and Brenda, and tireless homemaker whose home was a sanctuary of care, comfort, and godly love.

A proud Christian and lifelong Southern Baptist, Mrs. Elvie was a woman of quiet strength and unwavering devotion to her faith. She didn’t just speak of the Lord—she lived His love in every quilt she sewed, every meal she prepared, every hug she gave, and every seed she planted in her beloved garden. Her hands may have been calloused from hard work, but her heart was tender and full of grace.

She was fiercely protective of her family—especially her grandchildren. She kept a watchful eye on them all, quick to lovingly caution, “No running” or “Get down from there before you get hurt.” Her care was more than instinct—it was a calling. She gave without expectation, loved without condition, and served without complaint.

Mrs. Elvie found beauty in the simple things: the warmth of sunshine on her face, the hum of a sewing machine, stitching beautiful quilts, cutting a rug to Charlie Prides greatest classics, the laughter of children, and the joy of gathering around a table with those she loved most. She taught her family not just how to work, but how to love—deeply, honestly, and always anchored in Christ.

Her legacy lives on in the lives she touched, the family she raised, and the faith she held dear. She has fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith—and now, she rests in the arms of the Savior she loved so deeply.

Those left to cherish her memories include one son, Danny Gates, one daughter, Brenda Nelms, one sister, Hilda Marie Mardis, five grandchildren, Tiffany Murphy (Cody), Justin Moffit (Cindy), Kimberly Gates, William “Buddy” Gates, and Caitlyn Reeves (Hunter), five great grandchildren, Alyna, Braxton, Korbin, Holdyn, and Nathanielle, and one special grandpup, Benjie.

In addition to her parents and husband, she is preceded in death by one sister, Francis Sides, and four brothers, Dewy, Junior, Ed, and Jesse Barber.

Ripley Funeral Home invites you to share memories with Mrs. Elvie’s family.

Please follow the funeral home link above for further information, or to send online condolences or memorial gifts.

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