Brenda Pannell

Brenda Kay Holcomb Pannell, 74, peacefully went home to be with her Lord and Savior at her residence in Nettleton on Monday, September 28, 2026.

Brenda was born in Tupelo on February 8, 1952, to the late Elmer and Opal Louise Carnathan Holcomb. She attended Shannon School and, in 1968, married the love of her life, Ronald Pannell. What began as a young marriage grew into a beautiful 57-year love story, until Ronald’s passing in 2025. For 45 of those years, Brenda faithfully stood beside Bro. Ronald as his devoted wife and ministry partner. She quietly supported him, loved the people he served, and gave herself wholeheartedly to the calling God had placed on their lives.

Brenda was a faithful member of Union Baptist Church, where her faith was not simply something she professed—it was something she lived. Her love for the Lord could be seen in the way she cared for her family, served others, and carried herself each day. She was a woman of quiet strength whose life reflected the grace, humility, and steadfast love of her Savior.

Brenda worked for several years at Peoplelounger in Nettleton, but her greatest work was the life she poured into her family. She was a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother who seemed to find her greatest happiness in making life better for someone else. Brenda was the epitome of selflessness. She put the needs of others before her own, gave without expecting anything in return, and loved her family with a depth that words can hardly describe.

She was a caretaker by nature. If someone needed something, Brenda was there. If someone was hurting, she cared. If someone needed a helping hand, she gave it. She did not seek recognition for the things she did; she simply did them because that was who she was.

Brenda also loved being outdoors and took great pride in her home and yard. She meticulously cared for her yard and kept it “to a T.” In one of the many details that so perfectly captured her independent and hardworking spirit, Brenda was still mowing her own yard right up until her death. She lived by the words her mother taught her: “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” She carried those words with her throughout her life, taking care of her home, her family, and everything entrusted to her.

The Bible speaks in Proverbs 31:10-31 of a virtuous woman—a woman who is faithful, hardworking, compassionate, devoted to her family, and worthy of honor. Brenda was that kind of woman. She did not need to tell people what she believed; she showed them through the way she lived.

Her greatest earthly treasures were her family. Brenda loved being a mother and grandmother, and there was no greater joy for her than seeing her family together. Her love will live on in the lessons she taught, the traditions she passed down, the prayers she prayed, and the countless little things she did that her family may not have fully appreciated until they were no longer possible.

Brenda is survived by her sons, Ronnie Pannell (Erica) of Plantersville and Jason Pannell (Amanda) of Nettleton; sisters, Kathy Roberts (Jason) of Tupelo and Eleanor Smith of Tupelo; brother, Gerald Holcomb of Shannon; grandchildren, Garrett Westbrook (Kerri), Luke Pannell (Halee), Kalyn Cates (Brock), Anna Claire Graham (Jay), Paxton Pannell, Ella Jane Pannell, Maddie Grace Peek (Jeffery), Marlie Hester (Brady), and Mason Pannell (Teryn); great-grandchildren, Preslee Pannell, Andee Kate Pannell, Maylee Pannell, Sunee Pannell, Neely Westbrook, Bellami Cates, Navy Drew Graham, and baby Vivian Ruth Peek, expected to arrive in 2027; and a host of nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents, Elmer and Opal Holcomb, Brenda was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 57 years, Bro. Ronald Pannell, and her brothers, Sonny and Danny Holcomb.

For those who loved Brenda, there will be an empty place that no one else can fill. There will be the sound of her voice that they will wish they could hear one more time, the familiar sight of her working in her yard, and countless memories that will become even more precious with time. But there is also comfort in knowing that Brenda’s race has been run and her earthly work is finished.

After a lifetime of loving her family, serving others, tending to her home, supporting her husband, and faithfully walking with her Lord, Brenda has finally received the reward of her faith. And perhaps the sweetest thought of all is that she is once again beside the man she loved for 57 years, reunited with Bro. Ronald in the presence of the Savior they both served.

Her family will miss her more than words can express. But the love she gave them will not end with her passing. It will live on in her children, in her grandchildren, in the great-grandchildren who will grow up hearing her name, and in every life she touched along the way. Brenda’s greatest legacy was not something she owned or accomplished—it was the love she gave and the people she left better because she had been part of their lives.

Funeral services will be held at 4:00 PM on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at Cleveland Moffett Funeral Home in Amory. Burial will follow in the Pannell Family Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Garrett Westbrook, Luke Pannell, Paxton Pannell, Mason Pannell, Jay Graham, Brock Cates, Brady Hester, and Jeffery Peek.

Visitation will be held prior to the service on Wednesday from 2:00 PM until 4:00 PM.