Please note that this post contains affiliate links and any sales made through such links will reward MageeNews.com a small commission – at no extra cost to you.
Mary Malone Shelnutt Bishop, 81, of Mendenhall, MS went to be with the Lord on July 30, 2026. She was born on November 17, 1944.
A Visitation will be held on Saturday, August 1, 2026, from 11:00 am until the Service at 1:00 pm at Colonial Chapel Funeral Home in Magee, MS. A Burial service will follow in Goodwater Cemetery in Magee, MS. Bro. Tim Reed will officiate. Colonial Chapel of Magee is in charge of the arrangements.
Mary was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2009. She never let the disease define her. Though the battle was long and often heartbreaking, she fought with courage and grace. Today, we rest in the promise that she is exactly where God wanted her to be, surrounded by the loved ones who went before her. Mary was a woman whose life was defined by her unwavering faith, her love for her family, and her love for her Jesus. Her belief was not just something she said – it was something she lived. In every season, she pointed those around her back to God’s goodness and care. She had a special place in her heart for others. Mary was the kind of person who showed up, who listened, and who made people feel welcome. She cheered for her family in every endeavor, celebrated their victories, and stood by them through every challenge. Her love was steady, her encouragement constant.
Her greatest joy was her family. She loved her children, her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren with a deep and abiding love. To them, she was more than a mother or grandmother – she was a source of wisdom, comfort, and unconditional love. Her legacy lives on in every life she touched and in every heart she shaped.
Though we grieve her absence, we do not grieve without hope. We celebrate the life she lived, the faith she held, and the love she gave so freely.
She was preceded in death by her husband Billy Olen Bishop; parents, CB Malone and Allie Sullivan Hollie; children, Kenneth Shelnutt (Bonnie), and Jane Wilkerson; and grandchild, Kimberly Shelnutt.
She is survived by her children, Karan Stomps (John), Kina Lockhart (Terry), Cyndi Middelton (Brian), Christ Braxton; grandchildren, Joey Shelnutt, Hannah Shelnutt, Morgan Benefield (Steven), Chris Stomps (Meghan), Jerrica Stallings (Will), Lauren Wilkinson, Tiffani Copeland (Willie), Gary Wilkinson Jr., Hollie Thomas (Baqui), Haley Mayes, Hayden Braxton, and Reagan Braxton; sisters, Ollie Johnson, and Patsy Bynum (Jerry); as well as a host of great grandbabies, nieces, and nephews.
Pallbearers will be Jerry Bynum, Keith Thomas, Brian Middelton, Hayden Braxton, John Stomps, and Bart Hughes.
Terry Lockhart will serve as an Honorary Pallbearer.
In lieu of flowers the family ask that donations be made to Pine Grove Baptist Church, 124 Gather Johnson Rd. Magee, MS 39111.
An online guestbook may be signed at colonialchapelmageemendenhall.com
MageeNews.com is the online news source for Simpson and surrounding counties as well as the State of Mississippi
