Memphis (DeSoto County, MS)

Notable Births & Deaths for Memphis ...

Below is our list of notable people who were born, died or were buried in the area surrounding Memphis. Please note that while we are collecting data on an ongoing basis, it's a big task and it's unlikely that our list will ever be more than a sample.

J. Blackfoot (Musician, singer)
- Born: John Colbert, Jr.
- Find-A-Grave Memorial for J. Blackfoot<1>
- He was born in Greenville (MS) on November 20, 1946 (a Wednesday) and died in Germantown (TN) on November 30, 2011 (a Wednesday).
- Greenville is located in Washington County, Mississippi.
- Germantown is located in Shelby County and is 25 miles [40.2 km] to the northeast of Memphis (which is located in DeSoto County).
- At the time of his death, he was 65.
- He is buried at Memorial Park Cemetery, located 23 miles [37 km] to the northeast of Memphis. The cemetery is located in Shelby County, Tennessee.
- The Find-A-Grave entry for Memorial Park Cemetery<1>
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Memorial Park Cemetery (Patience, this may take a moment).
- From Memphis to Memorial Park Cemetery
Dorris Bowdon (Actress)
- Full name: Dorris Estelle Bowdon
- Find-A-Grave Memorial for Dorris Bowdon<1>
- She was born in Coldwater (MS) on December 27, 1914 (a Sunday) and died in Los Angeles (CA) on August 9, 2005 (a Tuesday).
- Coldwater is located in Tate County and is 19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast of Memphis (which is located in DeSoto County).
- Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles County, California.
- At the time of her death, she was 90.
- She is buried at Westwood Memorial Park, which is located in Los Angeles County, California.
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Westwood Memorial Park (Patience, this may take a moment).
- From Memphis to Westwood Memorial Park
Stanley David Griggs (Astronaut)
- Find-A-Grave Memorial for Stanley David Griggs<1>
- He was born in Portland (OR) on September 7, 1939 (a Thursday) and died in Earle (AR) on June 17, 1989 (a Saturday).
- Portland is located in Multnomah County, Oregon.
- Earle is located in Crittenden County and is 29 miles [46.7 km] to the northwest of Memphis (which is located in DeSoto County).
- At the time of his death, he was 49.
- He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, which is located in Arlington County, Virginia.
- The Find-A-Grave entry for Arlington National Cemetery<1>
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Arlington National Cemetery (Patience, this may take a moment).
- From Memphis to Arlington National Cemetery
Walter 'Shakey' Horton (Musician)
- Find-A-Grave Memorial for Walter 'Shakey' Horton<1>
- He was born in Horn Lake (MS) on April 6, 1921 (a Wednesday) and died in Chicago (IL) on December 8, 1981 (a Tuesday).
- Horn Lake is located 10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast of Memphis. Both communities are located in DeSoto County.
- Chicago is located in Cook County, Illinois.
- At the time of his death, he was 60.
- He is buried at Restvale Cemetery, which is located in Cook County, Illinois.
- The Find-A-Grave entry for Restvale Cemetery<1>
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Restvale Cemetery (Patience, this may take a moment).
- From Memphis to Restvale Cemetery
James Earl Jones (Actor)
- Find-A-Grave Memorial for James Earl Jones<1>
- He was born in Arkabutla (MS) on January 17, 1931 (a Saturday) and died in Pawling (NY) on September 9, 2024 (a Monday).
- Arkabutla is located in Tate County and is 14 miles [22.5 km] to the south of Memphis (which is located in DeSoto County).
- Pawling is located in Dutchess County, New York.
- At the time of his death, he was 93.
- The body was cremated.
Rufus 'Rafiq' Mayes (Professional football)
- Find-A-Grave Memorial for Rufus 'Rafiq' Mayes<1>
- He was born in Clarkedale (AR) on December 5, 1947 (a Friday) and died in Bellevue (WA) on January 9, 1990 (a Tuesday).
- Clarkedale is located in Crittenden County and is 28 miles [45.1 km] to the north of Memphis (which is located in DeSoto County).
- Bellevue is located in King County, Washington.
- At the time of his death, he was 42.
- He is buried at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, which is located in King County, Washington.
- The Find-A-Grave entry for Mt. Pleasant Cemetery<1>
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Mt. Pleasant Cemetery (Patience, this may take a moment).
- From Memphis to Mt. Pleasant Cemetery
Sarah 'Big Time Sarah' Streeter (Singer)
- Find-A-Grave Memorial for Sarah 'Big Time Sarah' Streeter<1>
- She was born in Coldwater (MS) on January 31, 1953 (a Saturday) and died in Chicago (IL) on June 13, 2015 (a Saturday).
- Coldwater is located in Tate County and is 19 miles [30.6 km] to the southeast of Memphis (which is located in DeSoto County).
- Chicago is located in Cook County, Illinois.
- At the time of her death, she was 62.
- She is buried at Burr Oak Cemetery, which is located in Cook County, Illinois.
- The Find-A-Grave entry for Burr Oak Cemetery<1>
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Burr Oak Cemetery (Patience, this may take a moment).
- From Memphis to Burr Oak Cemetery
John 'Big John' Tate (Professional boxer)
- Find-A-Grave Memorial for John 'Big John' Tate<1>
- He was born in Marion (AR) on January 29, 1955 (a Saturday) and died in Knoxville (TN) on April 9, 1998 (a Thursday).
- Marion is located in Crittenden County and is 21 miles [33.8 km] to the north of Memphis (which is located in DeSoto County).
- Knoxville is located in Knox County, Tennessee.
- At the time of his death, he was 43.
- He is buried at Edmondson Cemetery, located 14 miles [22.5 km] to the north northwest of Memphis. The cemetery is located in Crittenden County, Arkansas.
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Edmondson Cemetery (Patience, this may take a moment).
- From Memphis to Edmondson Cemetery
Johnnie Taylor (Singer)
- Full name: Johnnie Harrison Taylor
- Find-A-Grave Memorial for Johnnie Taylor<1>
- He was born in Crawfordsville (AR) on May 5, 1934 (a Saturday) and died in Duncanville (TX) on May 31, 2000 (a Wednesday).
- Crawfordsville is located in Crittenden County and is 23 miles [37 km] to the north of Memphis (which is located in DeSoto County).
- Duncanville is located in Dallas County, Texas.
- At the time of his death, he was 66.
- He is buried at Forest Hill & Calvary Cemetery, which is located in Jackson County, Missouri.
- The Find-A-Grave entry for Forest Hill & Calvary Cemetery<1>
- Google driving directions:
- From your current location to Forest Hill & Calvary Cemetery (Patience, this may take a moment).
- From Memphis to Forest Hill & Calvary Cemetery

Footnotes ...

<1>	The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.