Funeral services for Bessie Mae Lofton Garno of Brookhaven are 2 p.m. on Monday, March 18, at Fair River Baptist Church, with burial in the church cemetery. Riverwood Family Funeral Service is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation is Sunday from 5 until 8 p.m. at the funeral home and Monday from 1 until 2 p.m. at the church.

Mrs. Garno, 85, died March 16, 2013, at her home. She was born in Mississippi on Jan. 13, 1928, to Norris Edward Lofton Sr. and Edna Rae Hanley Lofton.

She was a graduate of Fair Oak Springs, where she was salutatorian of her class. She worked in assembly at Jacobsen Homelite and was a member of Fair River Baptist Church.

Preceding her in death were her parents; husbands, William Wesley Bearden Sr. and James Albert Garno; daughter, Deborah Jean Dodson; brother, Austin Lofton; and sisters, Lucille Watts, Eva Riggs, Ruth Hagee, Myrtie Magee and Allie Lofton.

Survivors are her sons, William Wesley Bearden Jr. and Kevin Ray Rhoads and wife, Amy; daughter, Barbara Sue Bradshaw, M.D.; brothers, Norris E. Lofton Jr., Lawrence Lofton and Aaron Lofton; sister, Ruby Cantrell; eight grandchildren, Tammy Geiken, Stacey Ray, Kristin Dodson, Clay Dodson, Judy Channell, Megyn Rhoads, Carly Rhoads and Kaitlyn Rhoads; seven great-grandchildren, Brandon Geiken, Kaci Geiken, Hayden Ray, Morgan Ray, Bradley Channell and Johnny Channell; and numerous nieces, nephews and other loving family members and friends.

Memorials may be made to the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society.

To express your thoughts to the family, you may visit riverwoodfamily.com and click on her name to leave a comment.