Earnesteen Nickoles Ellis Butler, 86, of Columbus, MS passed away Sunday, December 25, 2016, at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle, Columbus, MS.

Visitation will be Wednesday, December 28, 2016, from 1:00-2:00 PM at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, Columbus, MS. A funeral service will follow at 2:00 PM at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church with Rev. Frank Ward and Dr. Bill Hurt officiating. Interment will be in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Columbus, MS with Lowndes Funeral Home directing.

Mrs. Butler was born April 21, 1930, to the late Levi and Velma Lee Sullivan Nickoles in Lowndes County and lived here most of her life. She was retired from United Technologies where she worked for 23 years. She was a member of Pleasant Hill Baptist Church and the Senior Adult Ladies Sunday School Class. Mrs. Butler loved people and never met a stranger. She was a social butterfly, she loved to cook, sew and play BINGO. Mrs. Butler loved her family, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. In addition to her parents, Mrs. Butler was preceded in death by her late husband-Calvin Butler; daughter-Diane Skinner; 3 sisters and 6 brothers.

Mrs. Butler is survived by her daughters-Carol (Dewayne) Upton, Columbus, MS and Cherri Shaw, Columbus, MS; son-Wayne (Mott) Ellis, Columbus, MS; son-in-law, John Skinner, Covington, GA; sister-Brazy Potaracke; brother-Johnny Ray (Lunette) Nickoles; 5 grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Eddie Shaw, Ellis Clark, Carey Upton, Larry Melton, Brett Burkhalter, Frasier Clifton, and Kyle Burkhalter. Honorary pallbearers will be John Dale, Charles Aldridge, Buddy Henry, Buddy Slayton, Jimmy Forrester, Warren Conner, Rob Malone, Barney Conn, Pleasant Hill Senior Adult Ladies Sunday School Class, Staff and Residents of Windsor Place and Baptist Memorial Hospice Care.

Memorials may be made to the charity of the donor's choice