Rev. Lavon Boatner

Funeral Services for Rev. Lavon Boatner will be held on Saturday, January 31, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. from McClain-Hays Chapel with Bro. Scotty Boatner, Mickey Breedlove and Bro. Dwight Fleming officiating. Interment will follow in the Mars Hill Cemetery, Winston County. Visitation will be held on Friday, January 30, 2026 starting at 5:00 p.m. from McClain-Hays Funeral Service.

Rev. Boatner, 85, of Philadelphia passed away on Thursday, January 29, 2026 at Neshoba County Nursing Home.

Lavon was born and raised in Winston County to George Ethel and Alma Manning Boatner. He attended school at Arlington Schools and was a long time truck driver for Merchants Truck Line. In 1974 he was ordained as a deacon at Plattsburg Baptist Church and 2 years later he was ordained as a minister. He pastored at Singleton Baptist Church, New Pearl Valley Baptist Church and West Philadelphia Baptist Church. He has traveled all over South Eastern United States, the Eastern Seaboard and the Midwest preaching revivals and camp meetings. He loved to hunt and fish, "just a country boy" and was loved by one and all. Rev. Boatner was a member of Unity Baptist Church.

Survivors include son, Scotty Boatner; grandchildren, Matthew Boatner (Allison), Micah Boatner (Jodi), Jessi Palmer (Shaun) and Jake Boatner (Brianna); great- grandchildren, William Boatner, Jon Scott Boatner, Joseph Boatner, Hannah Boatner, Lucy Palmer, Lucas Boatner and Colton Boatner; nieces and nephews, Jim Estes, Debra Boatner Counce, Mark Breedlove, Mickey Breedlove and Debra Breedlove Branning.

Rev. Boatner was preceded in death by his wife, Bonnie Breedlove Boatner; son, Chris Boatner; parents, George Ethel and Alma Manning Boatner; daughter-in-law, Kari Boatner; sisters, Joann Morris and Waudene Estes; brothers, Kimble and Huland Boatner.

Pallbearers will be Matthew Boatner, Micah Boatner, Jake Boatner, Jim Estes, Mark Breedlove, and William Boatner.

Honorary Pallbearers will be Dwight Fleming, Larry Morris, Terry Manning, Orborn Lovern, Shaun Palmer and Scott Breazeale.