Shirley Faye Arnold

On January 21,2025, Shirley Faye Arnold, at the age of 85, passed from this life into the arms of Jesus at her home following a lengthy illness. Visitation will be held at Hartman Jones Funeral Home on January 28, 2025 from 9am till 11am with services following.
Burial will be at Topisaw Baptist Church, in Ruth, MS with Dr. Larry LeBlanc officiating.
On August 22, 1939, God blessed Patrick Wallace Jr and Nellie M Hodges Wallace with a beautiful baby girl named Shirley Faye. Shirley grew up in the Bogue Chitto community where she attended church at Montgomery Baptist Church and school at Bogue Chitto Attendance Center. From an early age, Shirley showed her compassion and love for her family by tending to their needs. She often cooked and cleaned for her siblings as well as worked in the cotton fields with her family. Shirley often told the story how her Dad would pay her and her siblings a penny per pound of cotton that was picked. Shirley loved to play basketball at school and would often tell her kids stories about the mean girls from Ruth School who tried to play dirty. After graduation, Shirley married Joe, moved to New Orleans, LA and started their family. Shirley spent a lot of time doing outreach ministries with First Baptist Kenner. She also taught Sunday School, GAs, and VBS in the children's department. For those people that had the privilege to know her, they would be able to say that Shirley truly had a loving heart. Shirley's family were the ones that truly felt her loving heart. From the many meals she cooked, the stories she read, the snuggles with back rubs, card games played, fishing poles baited, bike rides around the block, to crocheting with good friends. Shirley's love for her people showed through. Her love for family was endless. After moving back to Mississippi, Shirley became a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church and the First Baptist Church Summit where she continued ministering to her "kids". Even though she was sad to leave her friends in New Orleans, Shirley was excited to be close to family again. She would often spend her days off from work having dinner with family or helping to plan the next family get together. Many memories of homemade ice cream, fried chicken, shampoo sets gone wild, sliding billy goats, wagon rides, love and laughter were shared with all the family. You would often find Shirley talking to people, giving hugs, and as her family would say, they couldn't go anywhere without Shirley finding at least one person she knows, even when they went out of town. Shirley was also a praying woman. She spent many hours praying over her family, friends, and even strangers she just met. Shirley was never afraid to tell about her faith and what Jesus had done in her life. It can be truly said that Shirley was loved by all that knew her and that she was a great example of a Proverbs 31 woman. She loved with her whole heart, gave freely, and provided for her family to the best of her ability.
Shirley is survived by her husband, Mel Arnold; her children, Lisa Moak, Donna Marley (Mark), Loretta Brown, Lora DiFilippo (John), Doreen Graham, Dennis Arnold (Kim), Tim Arnold (Margaret); her grandchildren, Kristopher Moak, Stephanie Everett (Benjamin), Cassandra Chapa (Gus), Kevin Marley, Brandon Marley (Brittany); her great grandchildren, Madison Moak, Samuel Everett, Isaac Everett, Selah Everett, Ella Franks, Colton Marley; and a host of nieces and nephews.
Shirley was preceded in death by her husband of 36 years, Joe Pomes, her infant daughter, Sandra Pomes, her parents Patrick Wallace Jr, Nellie Hodges Loving (Bill), brothers, Lamar Wallace (Audrey), Lewis Wallace (Jean), Jamie Loving, and sister Peggy May (James), and son Roger Arnold.
Honorary pallbearers will be Kristopher Moak, Patrick Wallace, Billy Wallace, Jimmy May, Ed May, and Mark Marley.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Baptist Children's Village in care of First Baptist Church Summit, or the Pike County Baptist Association, 1108 Weaver Rd, McComb, MS 39648.