The Vicksburg Post prints obituaries for residents, former residents and residents’ immediate family members who resided elsewhere when notified by a family member or a funeral home. There is no charge for printing an obituary, but all are edited to meet the newspaper’s requirements.

Johnnie Merbel Enterkin Ferguson

OAK GROVE Johnnie Merbel Enterkin Ferguson died Tuesday, May 27, 2003, at her home in Oak Grove. She was 74.

A resident of Oak Grove since 1953, Mrs. Ferguson received a degree in nursing in 1950 from Mather School of Nursing at Southern Baptist Hospital in New Orleans. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Oak Grove.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Mary Ruby Alexander Enterkin.

Survivors include her husband, S.C. Ferguson Jr. of Oak Grove; her father, John W. Enterkin of Ferriday, La.; two daughters, Jenny Norred of Oak Grove and Patsy Corley of Trout, La.; a son, Samuel Todd Ferguson of Richmond, Va.; two brothers, Charles Enterkin and Warren Enterkin; five grandchildren; nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives and friends.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church in Oak Grove with Drs. James Parker and Jeff Jinks officiating. Burial will be at 4 p.m. Thursday at Alexander Family Cemetery in Rhinehart, La., under the direction of Cox Funeral Home in Oak Grove.

Visitation will be from 6-8 tonight at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be Kenny Nix, Hoye Terrell, Charles McLemore, Jimmy Melton, Josh Corley and Jake Corley.

Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, the Baptist Children’s Home in Monroe, La., or First Baptist Church in Oak Grove.

Rev. John Willard Leggett III

GULF SHORES, Ala. The Rev. John Willard Leggett III died Monday, May 26, 2003, at Ochsner Hospital in New Orleans. He was 68.

Born in McComb to J.W. Leggett Jr. and Louise Finch, Rev. Leggett was a resident of Gulf Shores, Ala. He was a graduate of Meridian High School. He received a bachelor of arts degree from Millsaps College in 1956 and a master of divinity degree from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in 1959.

Rev. Leggett served as associate pastor of Glen Haven Methodist Church in Decatur, Ga., while a student at Emory. In 1958, he was appointed minister of the Pelahatchie-Gulde circuit in Pelahatchie, Miss. He organized Christ Methodist Church in Jackson in 1961, where he served for nine years. In 1967, he was chosen as one of the 10 outstanding young men of Jackson by the Jackson Junior Chamber of Commerce.

He also served at Crawford Street United Methodist Church in Vicksburg, Central Church in Meridian, Main Street Church in Hattiesburg, Crossgates Church in Brandon and First Church in Picayune, and he served as district superintendent of the Seashore District.

He was on the board of the United Methodist Church’s Mississippi Conference and was an officer of the Rotary and Kiwanis clubs. He was on the board of directors of the Y.M.C.A. and participated in local P.T.A. organizations.

Rev. Leggett retired in June of 1997 and moved to Gulf Shores. He served in 2000 as captain of the Super Senior Tennis Team of Gulf Shores.

Survivors include his wife, Carol Leggett of Gulf Shores; a son, John C. Leggett of Conyers, Ga.; a daughter, Laura Raines of Columbus, Ga.; and three granddaughters.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Thursday at Christ United Methodist Church in Jackson. Burial will follow at Lakewood Memorial Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5 until 7 tonight at Wright & Ferguson Funeral Home in Jackson and from 11 a.m. until noon Thursday at the church.

Memorials may be made to the J.W. Leggett Jr. Scholarship Fund at Millsaps College, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, or the Willard and Louise Leggett Scholarship Fund of the Mississippi Methodist Foundation.

Lewis Marvin Meeks

LEXINGTON Lewis Marvin Meeks died Monday, May 26, 2003, at Mississippi Baptist Medical Center in Jackson. He was 77.

Mr. Meeks was born in Holmes County and was the son of Jessie Meeks and Mary Lee Waits. A retired mechanic, he was a veteran of World War II and served in the Asiatic Pacific Theater. He served as tail gunner on the B-29 Lady “Bee” Good with the 314 Bomb Wing. He was of the Baptist faith.

He is survived by his wife, Margie D. Meeks of Lexington; a son, Curry Meeks of Vicksburg; a daughter, Jeannine Warren of Conroe, Texas; his brother, Archie Meeks of Tupelo; one sister, Evelyn McBride of San Francisco, Calif.; six grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and nieces and nephews.

Services were at 10 a.m. today at Southern Funeral Home in Lexington with the Rev. Joe Hill officiating. Burial followed at Odd Fellows Cemetery.

Pallbearers were Joe Martin, Ricky Griffith, Buddy Irby, David Kennedy, Jim Michael and Eli Saxton.

Honorary pallbearers were Billy Zeigler, Tommy Sykes, Tom Sherman, Gerald Caldwell, Bob Novy, Al Wilson, Hap Morrison, Walter Martin and Ernest Harper.