Geraldine Lawencia Rowe Bonham

HOMESTEAD, Fla. Geraldine Lawencia “Gerry” “Nana” Rowe Bonham died Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2004, at Palm City Nursing and Rehab Center in Palm City, Fla. She was 89.

Mrs. Bonham was born in Screven, Ga., and had lived most of her adult life in Dade County, Fla. She attended First Baptist Church of Homestead, Fla.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Henry Bonham Sr.; a son, Robert Henry Bonham Jr.; a granddaughter, Ginger Elaine Bonham Klerks; her parents, Willey Isaiah Rowe and Martha Ellen Jernigan Rowe; and four brothers and three sisters.

She is survived by a son, Richard Lawrence Bonham of Stuart, Fla.; a daughter, Linda Bonham Christian of Vicksburg; six grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.

A memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Ridgeway Baptist Church of Vicksburg.

Palms Woodlawn Funeral Home and Cemetery in Homestead has charge of arrangements.

Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church of Homestead, P.O. Box 900428, Homestead, FL 33090 or to Friends of the Wilderness Battlefield, P.O. Box 576, Locust Grove, VA 22508.

Polly Watts Caro

Polly Watts Caro died Wednesday, Dec. 29, 2004, at River Region Medical Center. She was 84.

Mrs. Caro was a member of Clover Valley M.B. Church and a past treasurer and member of St. Mary’s Chapter No. 1 Order of Eastern Star. She retired from the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service after 20 years.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Rubin Caro; four sisters, Elizabeth Marshall, Lubertha “Bill” Watts Smith, Ida “Tack” Watts Alexander and Emma Watts Wallace; and one brother, Albert Watts.

She is survived by her daughter, Yvonne L. Nelson of Vicksburg; a son, Harry J. Ferguson Sr. of Vicksburg; one brother, Woodrow Austin of Kansas City, Mo; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and nieces, nephews and other relatives, including members of the Williams, Erves and Ross families.

Dillon-Chisley Funeral Home has charge of the arrangements.

Anna Faith Hubbard

CARPENTER Anna Faith Hubbard, infant daughter of Joel and Michelle Hubbard of Carpenter, died Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2004, at Women’s Hospital in Flowood.

In addition to her parents, she is survived by her maternal grandparents, Jimmy and Ellen Strong of Carpenter; her paternal grandparents, Tony and Karen Hubbard of Edwards; her maternal great-grandfather, Cloyd “Buddy” Strong of Carpenter; and her paternal great-grandparents, Dean and Berta Shepard of Akron, Colo., and May O’Connor of Edwards.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Utica Baptist Church with the Rev. Ben James officiating. Burial will follow at Carpenter Cemetery.

Visitation will be at the church from 10 a.m. Friday until the service.

Memorials may be made to the Utica Baptist Church Building Fund, 220 Main St., Utica, MS 39175.

Howard W. Kelsey Jr.

Services for Howard W. Kelsey Jr. will be at 2 p.m. today at Fisher Funeral Home with the Rev. Billy Brumfield, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Mr. Kelsey died Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2004, at River Region Medical Center. He was 76.

Mr. Kelsey was a native of Norwich, Conn. He lived in Chaplin, Conn., for 23 years and had been a Vicksburg resident since 1991.

He was supervisor for Eastern Connecticut State College for 11 years and retired from the Coast Guard as a senior chief petty officer after 20 years of service. He was a member of the Kelsey Kindard Organization. He was of the Baptist faith.

He was preceded in death by a wife, Margaret Muirhead Kelsey, and his parents, Howard W. Sr. and Theresa Bergman Kelsey.

Survivors include his wife, Norma Butts Kelsey of Vicksburg; two daughters, Linda A. Marceau of Deltona, Fla., and Robin A. DeMarchi of Murray, Ky.; two stepdaughters, Charlene Senn of Carlton and Karen Burrell of Yazoo City; 12 grandchildren; 22 great-grandchildren; and other relatives, including Graham Kelsey of Fairbanks, Alaska.

Pallbearers will be Ben Burrell, Don Senn, Archie Cain, Ray Burrell, Chris Steed and Dee Steed.

Honorary pallbearers will be Dr. Martin M. Newcomb, Dr. David A. Wahl and the staff of The Cancer Clinic.

Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.

Dennis Howard McPhate

NATCHEZ Dennis Howard McPhate died Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2004. He was 87.

Mr. McPhate was born in Jefferson County to C. Vaughn and Arie Darsey McPhate. He lived most of his life in Natchez. He worked for a number of years as shop foreman of Natchez Equipment Co. and drove a tour bus for Hotard before retiring to Vicksburg.

He was a member of Bovina Baptist Church. He was ordained in 1954 as a deacon of Immanuel Baptist Church, and later attended Southern Hills and Cliff Temple Baptist churches in Natchez.

Mr. McPhate was a veteran of World War II.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a wife of 61 years, Winnie Lazarus McPhate, and two sisters.

He is survived by his wife, Virginia Van Cleave McPhate; two daughters, Katherine Oldenburg of Lake Bruin and Dora Blaney of Vidalia, La.; three sons, Dennis L. McPhate of Natchez, Bob Van Cleave of Hattiesburg and Charles Van Cleave of Memphis; two sisters, Dorothy Thomae and Charlene Miller; 12 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

Services were at 11 a.m. today at Greenlawn Cemetery in Natchez with Dr. Chip Starnes, pastor of Bovina Baptist Church, officiating. Burial followed under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.

Visitation will be this afternoon at the home of Charles and Dora Blaney, 1200 Moose Lodge Road, in Vidalia.

Memorials may be made to Bovina Baptist Church Building Fund or to a favorite charity.

Lucious Thomas

ROLLING FORK Lucious Thomas died Thursday, Dec. 23, 2004, at Sharkey-Issaquena Hospital in Rolling Fork. He was 57.

Mr. Thomas was a resident of Rolling Fork.

He is survived by a son, Lucious Spark of Vicksburg; three daughters, Veronica Jeffries of Vicksburg, Mary Spark of Greenville and Cassandra Williams of Memphis; seven brothers, Larry Smith and Eric Smith, both of Vicksburg, Clearance Alexander and George Thomas Jr., both of Gary, Ind., Roosevelt Thomas of Chicago, Percy Lee Chocolate of Fitler and William Thomas of Rolling Fork; three sisters, Willie Mae Macon, Bertha Thomas and Virginia Thomas, all of Rolling Fork; and six grandchildren.

Services will be at noon Friday at Green Chapel M.B. Church in Rolling Fork with Pastor Carlton Earl officiating. Burial will follow at Green Chapel Cemetery under the direction of Walker Funeral Home in Rolling Fork.