Mrs. Shirley Ann James Tolbert, age 79 of Sikes, Louisiana passed away on Thursday, September 9, 2021.

Born Monday, November 17, 1941 in Crowville, Louisiana, she was preceded in death by her parents, Roy Willard and Maudie Lee Mixon James.

Mrs. Tolbert attended Freindship Baptist Church where she was pianist. She worked for many years as a paraprofessional with the Winn Parish School Board and also for a number of years as a telephone operator. Mrs. Tolbert will be remembered as a strong Christian, loving wife, mother and grandmother who led her family by example. She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and sewing and sitting on her porch while drinking coffee.

Those left to cherish her memory include her husband of 57 years, Jerry Dale Tolbert; daughters, Robin Dale Whisonant (Kevin), Rebecca Lane Herring; grandchildren, Brooklyn Short (Nate), Katlyn Scott (Brandon), Megan Potts (Kyle), Caroline Herring (Christian), Amy Yerby (Christopher), Kyle Whisonant (Caitlin) and fourteen great-grandchildren; brother, Roy W. James, Jr. (Dorothy).

Funeral services will be held at 2:00 PM on Sunday, September 12, 2021 at Southern Funeral Home with Rev. Mike Howell and Rev. Lamar Carpenter officiating. Interment will follow in Friendship Cemetery in Sikes.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Saturday from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM and again on Sunday from 1:00 PM until time of services.

Serving the family as pallbearers will be Kevin James, Chad James, Mark Green, Adam Carpenter, Mason Green and Joey Pinder. Honorary pallbearers will be Mike Hearne, Eugene Gilbert, Billy "Butch" Bustin and Josh Gilbert.