Sarah McAtee Bizzell

Sarah Juliet (Judy) McAtee-Bizzell, 79, of Cleveland, Mississippi, passed away peacefully on December 4, 2025, at Bolivar  Medical Center. Born on February 27, 1946, in Drew, Mississippi, Judy grew up on her family’s farm, where she learned the value of hard work in the cotton fields and embraced the simple joys of country life. As the youngest of six, she proudly reminded everyone of her status—spoiled rotten and loved by all.

A celebration of life service honoring the life of Judy will be Sunday, December 7, 2025, at 3:00 pm at Cleveland Funeral Home in Cleveland, Mississippi. A visitation will be held from 2:00 pm till service time. Rev. Chris Gentry will officiate the services. 

Judy attended the Webb schools before marrying the love of her life, Frank Marion Bizzell III. Together, they built a warm and loving family. Judy devoted many years to being a stay-at-home mother to their three children—Missy, Beth, and Frank—creating a home filled with laughter, food, competition, and unwavering love.

In 1977, she began a career in medical distribution with Nuclear Medicine Laboratories in Dallas, Texas. After returning to the Mississippi Delta in 1986, she continued her work at Info Lab in Clarksdale until her retirement in 1999, following a traumatic car accident that left her disabled. Even through hardship, Judy’s strength, wit, and spirit never wavered.

Judy lived a vibrant, creative, and determined life. She loved to dance, cook, and pass down treasured family recipes to her children and grandchildren. She was an incredibly talented pottery artist—made all the more special by her “precious winky hand.” She adored her loyal dog, Jax, whose companionship she cherished dearly.

Her faith was an anchor throughout her life. Judy loved the Lord deeply and carried a quiet but strong trust in Him through every season—joy, heartbreak, and everything in between. She never hesitated to remind her family that God would carry them, and she faced life’s challenges with the confidence of someone who leaned fully on her Savior. Those who knew her best take comfort in knowing she is now at peace and at home with Him.

Her greatest joy came from her role as Nona. She treasured every moment with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, cheering them on, spoiling them as only she could, and being the voice on the other end of the phone who would talk you through a long road trip or a hard day. Judy was fiercely competitive—whether it was board games, checkers, cards, or dominoes—and she did not like to lose. She was also a proud Dallas Cowboys fan, no matter the season.

A true matriarch, Judy loved deeply and protected fiercely. Her family lovingly knew her as “Buela,” a name earned through her strong personality, quick wit, and unmistakable attitude when crossed. She spent countless hours tending her vegetable and flower gardens, nurturing them with the same care she gave the people she loved. Judy also enjoyed countless Hallmark movies, her favorite soap operas, and—more recently—her obsession with Virgin River, where she openly swooned over the fictional Jack Sheridan to anyone who would listen.

Judy is preceded in death by her parents, Knapp Sidney McAtee and Nellie Malonize Gibson McAtee; and her siblings, Charles McAtee, Ethel Estess, Betty Lou Williams, Bucky McAtee, and Mary Jo Moody.

She is survived by her three children: Carla Melissa (Missy) Bizzell of Cleveland, MS; Mary Elizabeth (Beth) Bizzell of Mineola, TX; and Frank Marion Bizzell IV and his wife Pam Garrison of Cleveland, MS.

She leaves behind her beloved grandchildren: Kimberly Baxter of Missouri; Sara Adams and husband Andrew Adams of Royse City, TX; and Brock Collins and wife Taylor Collins of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.

She is also survived by her four great-grandchildren: Aubrey Baxter, Alorlie Baxter, Myles Adams, and Evie Adams.

Honorary pallbearers will be Brock Collins, Andrew Adams, Wade Springer, Joseph (Brother) Springer, Patrick Weeks, Jackie Moody, and David Pope.

Judy’s legacy is one of love, humor, strength, stubbornness, generosity, faith, and an unmatched ability to make you feel cared for. She was the person you wanted in your corner and the one who would stay on the phone for hours just to keep you company. Her absence will be felt deeply, but her love—and her faith—will live on in the hearts of all who were blessed to know her.