Clarence Rufus Owens January 26, 1930 - December 13, 2019

Clarence Owens, of Hazen, died Friday evening at his home in Hazen, at the age of 89. He was born in Marianna to Andrew Rufus Owens and Josephine Nelson-Owens. He was one of seven children born to this union.

Clarence was raised in Marianna and attended the Marianna Public Schools. He was a 1949 graduate of Moton High School. While being raised in Marianna, Clarence and his family attended the Eagle Nest Baptist Church. After moving to the Hazen community, he joined the Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church in DeValls Bluff in 1953. During his time at Mount Olive, he was proud and dutiful in serving in several capacities: Deacon Board (50 plus years); Sunday School Teacher and a member of the church choir.

Clarence enjoyed singing praises to God and studying his holy word. He enjoyed singing and attending Gospel Quartet Musicals. He was one of the original founding members of the Spiritual Aires of Hazen. He later went on to sing and perform with Zion Gospel Singers for several years. He then went on to sing and perform with the New Gospelettes, until he retired from quartet singing.
In 1984, Clarence realized his dream of owning his own auto body repair shop and opened Owens Body Shop in Carlisle. He owned and operated his shop from 1984 until 2013 when he decided to retire after more than 62 years in the business of auto repair.

His parents and three brothers: John Brown, Sam Brown and Eddie Brown all preceded Clarence in death. Survivors are: his wife of 67 years Dorothy Taylor-Owens, of Hazen; two sons: Clarence Lavell Owens, of New York, NY and James Carnell Owens of Carlisle; one granddaughter Tamara Owens, of Biscoe; a great-granddaughter Paislee Dunlap, of Biscoe; two brothers: Stanford Owens and Cornelius Owens, both of Chicago, Ill; a sister Alice Mae Miller, of East St. Louis, Ill; his brother in law Willie (Leanna) Taylor, of Hazen; four sisters in law: Willette Carter and Annette Brown, both of Jackson, MS; Edna Jean Brown, of Detroit, MI and Lee Brown, of Flint, MI; two special nieces he helped raise: Tymeshia Harrison and ReDeria Johnson, both of Jackson, MS; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Funeral services were held Saturday, December 21 at Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church in DeValls Bluff, with Reverend Joe Pumphrey officiating. Interment took place at Oakland Cemetery in DeValls Bluff by Branscumb Johnson & Gilchrest Funeral Home of Brinkley. Pallbearers were: Lincoln Dunlap, Kevin Lewis, Jerry Surratt, S.T. Watson, Bill Brockman and Gregory Metcalf.