April 3, 1952 – Feb. 17, 2012

NATCHEZ — Services for Roosevelt Owens Jr., 59, of Natchez, who died Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, at his residence, will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Parkway Baptist Church with the Rev. Jeff Brewer officiating.

Burial will follow at the Natchez National Cemetery under the direction of Marshall Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday and from 9 a.m. until service time Thursday, both at the church.

Mr. Owens was born April 3, 1952, in Natchez, the son of Roosevelt Sr. and Rebecca Minor Owens.

Roosevelt grew up in the Natchez- Adams County public school system and participated in local marches during the Civil Rights movement. In 1968, before the school system integrated, he chose to attend South Natchez High School, an all white public school. He said his three years at South Natchez taught him “to not only endure tough situations, but also to overcome them.” In 1970, he graduated from South Natchez receiving his high school diploma.

As a teenager, he acquired electrician skills working as an apprentice for licensed contractors, Yankee Bird and Herman Beamer. He used those skills to assist his family and friends with electrical needs. Roosevelt was always ready to assist family and friends, whom he loved, day or night. He had a warm, outgoing personality and he “never met a stranger.”

In July 1971, Roosevelt joined the U.S. Armed Forces, Department of Army. He received his basic training at Fort Polk, La., and was later transferred to Fort Sill, Okla., where he remained until his honorable discharge in July 1973. During his Army career he worked as a power plant engineer.

In December 1971, his first child, Demetrick Katrell, was born. In February 1974, he married Beatrice Cage and to this union, two children were born, Carlos Dewayne and Kendrick Demond.

In 1974, Roosevelt attended Natchez Junior College and in 1976, he received an associate degree in elementary education. He furthered his education at the University of Southern Mississippi, Natchez campus, where he completed courses of study towards a bachelor of science degree in elementary education.

Roosevelt began his career with the City of Natchez in 1974, as an employee for the sanitation department. During his career, he exemplified the values taught him from youth to adulthood. In March 1980, he transferred to the Natchez Police Department where he acquired the street name “Bro. Owens.” The Natchez community and his peers honored him as Outstanding Young Law Enforcement Officer for 1983-84. In 1991, the mayor of Natchez and chief of police honored him as an Outstanding Officer.

In February 1983, he was promoted to special agent in the Division of Narcotics Enforcement and worked in this capacity until November 1994. Roosevelt excelled in this position, joining forces with Mississippi Metro Narcotics Division working to combat drug crime throughout the state of Mississippi. In December 1994, he was promoted to the position of detective with the Criminal Investigation Division at NPD. During his employment with NPD, he completed a number of trainings and workshops and had a number of certificates and awards. This chapter of this life came to an end in January 2004, when he retired from his work with the Natchez Police Department but he continued to have a love for his community and humankind.

Roosevelt received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and is now “absent from the body and present with the Lord.” (2 Cor. 5:8) He was preceded in death by his parents; maternal grandparents, Collie Minor and Bessie Dennis Minor; paternal grandparents, Clinton Dean and Nellie Owens; one grandson, Demetrick Katrell Jones Jr.; one nephew, Kenny Ray Carter; two sisters, Ann Elizabeth Owens and Classie Mae Owens Palmer; five aunts, Annie Dean, Gertrude Cooks Young, Rosalie Lee Cooks Ross, Janie Cooks Dickey and Rosie Lee Owens Williams; father and mother-in-law, Roosevelt Cage Sr. and Estelle Stewart Cage; five brothers-in-law, Lamar Drew, Arthur White Sr., Roosevelt Cage Jr., Charles Cage and Christopher Cage.

Roosevelt will be sorely missed by his wife, Beatrice Cage Owens; three sons, Demetrick Katrell Jones and wife, Naomi, and Kendrick Demond Owens, all of Natchez and Carlos Dewayne Owens and wife, Kim, of Fresno, Texas; two sisters, Bertha Owens Drew and Vera Owens White, both of Natchez; six brothers, Clinton Owens, Jerry Owens, Robert Earl Owens and wife, Cartina, Ernest Owens and wife, Delores, Patrick Owens and Johnathan Owens, all of Natchez; 11 grandchildren, Ciera Shakiese Harris, DeVaunta Rajshaud Jones, Yasmine Demetria Jones, Derrick Tyrese Rawson Owens, Aysia Charlise Simone Owens, Makayla Dinisia Owens, Aniya Ivionne Jones, Ahmaud Ileke Jones, Trinidy N’Cole Jones, Caiden Dewayne Owens and McKenzie A’Leah Owens.

In addition, memories of him will be cherished by his maternal grandmother, Laura Minor; seven aunts, Rosie Lee Stewart, Anna Laura Minor Tillage and husband, Kelvin, Mary A. Minor Griffin, Lucille Minor, Marilyn Minor Barge, Auguree Minor and Georgia Minor, all of Natchez; and three uncles, Theodore Minor Jr., Issac Minor and George Minor and wife, Sharon, all of Natchez.

His 15 nieces will miss him dearly, Gaarmel Palmer Funches and husband, Andre Sr., Etonne Bradford and husband, Donnie, and Carlitha Palmer, all of Jackson; Nancy Renee Palmer Wallace and husband, Christopher, of Atlanta, and Yolanda Washington Williams of Dallas, Carmelita Nychelle Washington, Rebecca Owens, Gwendolyn Owens, Shameka Owens, Jerilyn Owens, La’Quana O’Neal, Krystal Owens, Shonda Townsend, Tyanisha Swazy and Karlie Owens, all of Natchez.

Ten nephews will cherish their memories, Edward Lee Owens, Roosevelt Owens and wife, Jackie, Arthur White Jr. and wife, Lisa, Steven White, Sammy White, Arthur Kewuin Owens, Jeremy Johnson, all of Natchez, Carl Palmer III and wife, Cassandra, Christopher Palmer and wife, Cathy, of Jackson and Ernest Owens Jr. of Dallas.

Memories of Roosevelt will be cherished by his extended family, four sisters-in-law, Elmora Clark of Baton Rouge, Alberta Cage Looney of Sylmar, Calif., Audrey Mae Cage Washington of Mineapolis, Minn., and Evelyn Cage Clark and husband, Babe, of Coppell, Texas; three brothers-in-law, Carol Palmer Jr. and wife, Deborah, of Marks, Curtis Cage and wife, Mary, of Santa Clara, Calif., and Sylvester Cage of Minneapolis; and a number of other relatives and friends.

Pallbearers will be Edward Lee Owens, Roosevelt Owens, Arthur White Jr., Christopher Palmer, Ernest Owens Jr. and Arthur Kewuin Owens.