Harold D. Alexander

Services for Harold D. Alexander will be at 6:30 tonight at Fisher Funeral Home with the Rev. Terry White officiating. Visitation will be from 4:30 p.m. until the service at the funeral home.

Mr. Alexander died Tuesday, May 10, 2005, at his home in Vicksburg. He was 69.

Mr. Alexander was a native and lifelong resident of Vicksburg. He was a 1954 graduate of Redwood High School. He was self-employed with Alexander’s Appliance Service. He was a member of Bradley Chapel United Methodist Church.

He was preceded in death by his father, R.H. Alexander; and his brother, Kelly Leon Alexander.

Survivors include two sons, Kelly Alexander and Keith Alexander, both of Vicksburg; his mother, Zella Ruth Alexander of Vicksburg; one brother, Robert Clyde Alexander of Vicksburg; three sisters, Martha “Sister” Alexander and Margaret Griffith, both of Vicksburg, and Ann Windham of Monroe, La.; the mother of his children, Alice Jones of Vicksburg; three grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.

Memorials may be made to Patients Choice Hospice and Palliative Care, 1911 Mission 66, Suite A, Vicksburg, MS 39180.

Leonard Brown

CHICAGO – Leonard “Duffy” Brown, formerly of Utica, died Monday, April 25, 2005, at St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago. He was 79.

Mr. Brown was the son of Shilo Sr. and Sarah Brown of Utica. He served in the Navy in World War II. He was a resident of Chicago.

He was preceded in death by a sister, Mary Ann Brown; and three brothers, Shilo Brown Jr., the Rev. John L. Brown and C.P. “Cooper” Brown.

Survivors include a son, Carl Brown of Chicago; a daughter, Debra Brown of Chicago; four brothers, Elder Brown and the Rev. Jessie Brown, both of Utica, Simon Brown of Detroit and Hermel Brown of Chicago; three sisters, Elizabeth Butler of Berkeley, Calif., Easter Barber of Peoria, Ill., and Willye Mae Boyd of Chicago; and nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Memorial services were Friday at Georgia Vine Church in Chicago with the Rev. Aaron Royster, pastor, officiating.

Q.T. Cameron

LORMAN – Q.T. Cameron died Tuesday, May 10, 2005, at River Region Medical Center in Vicksburg. He was 72.

Survivors include his wife, Louise Cameron of Lorman; two daughters, Wanda Fleming of Lorman and Renee Kenny of Rex, Ga.; two sons, Roderick Cameron of Lorman and Terrance Cameron of Detroit; one brother, Andy Cameron of Detroit; seven grandchildren; nieces, nephews and other relatives, including Kevis Marshall of Lorman.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Mount Olive M.B. Church in Lorman with the Rev. Elijah Brown officiating. Burial will follow at Carbondale Cemetery. Visitation will be from 1 until 6 p.m. Friday at Thompson Funeral Home Chapel in Port Gibson and from noon until the hour of service at the church.

Arlene Roberson Chiles

Services for Arlene Roberson Chiles will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at St. Mark Freewill Baptist Church. Burial will follow at Green Acres Memorial Park.

Visitation will be from 1 until 6 p.m. Friday at Dillon-Chisley Funeral Home and Saturday at the church from 9:30 a.m. until the service.

Mrs. Chiles died Sunday, May 8, 2005, at Vicksburg Convalescent Home in Vicksburg. She was 87.

Mrs. Chiles was a native of Vicksburg. She was a member of St. Mark Freewill Baptist Church, where she was president of the usher’s board and depositor of the church building fund.

She was preceded in death by her husband, William Chiles; parents, Armean Roberson Sr. and Mattie Nichols; two brothers, Armean “Jake” Roberson Jr. and Oscar Roberson Sr.; three sisters, Josephine Raymond, Beatrice Macfield and Lena Mae Collins.

Survivors include one daughter, Honey Flemings of Houston; one grandson, Justin Sowell of Houston; her caregiver, Lena Mae Roberson of Vicksburg; and other relatives and friends including the Robinson family of Utica.

Nelson Coleman, Sr.

ROLLING FORK – Nelson Coleman, Sr. died Monday, May 9, 2005 at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Jackson. He was 84.

Mr. Coleman was employed with Deer Creek Compress until his retirement after 50 years of service.

Survivors include his wife, Norean Coleman of Rolling Fork; seven sons, Kenneth Coleman of Vicksburg, Nelson Coleman Jr. of Richmond, Va., Charles Coleman of Philadelphia, Pa., James Coleman of Hinesville, Ga., Stanley Coleman of Rolling Fork and Darrin Coleman and Eric Coleman, both of Jackson; two daughters, Annie Burkhead of Oxford and Jacqueline Coleman of Chicago; one sister, Eva M. Smith of Jackson; and 16 grandchildren.

Services will be at noon Sunday at Mount Lula M.B. Church in Rolling Fork with the Rev. Elijah Eason officiating. Burial will follow at Green Chapel Cemetery.

Willie Mae Durrell

Services for Willie Mae Durrell will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Traveler’s Rest M.B. Church. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be all day today at Williams Funeral Service.

Mrs. Durrell died Thursday, May 5, 2005, at River Region Medical Center. She was 78.

She was a retired cook. She was a charter member of Traveler’s Rest and a former member of the adult choir.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Elmer Durrell St.; her parents, George Harris Sr. and Evelyn Harris; a brother, George Harris Jr.; a sister, Bertha Harris O’Neil; and a grandson, James Allen Williams.

Survivors, all of Vicksburg, include two sons, Elmer Durrell Jr. and George Durrell; two daughters, Evelyn Kay Jackson and Patricia Durrell Hunt; 11 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives and friends.

Williams Funeral Service has charge of arrangements.

Issac Ford Sr.

GRACE – Issac Ford, Sr. died Thursday, May 5, 2005, at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Jackson. He was 69.

Mr. Ford was a former funeral director and previous owner of Continental Funeral Home. He was employed with F&B Trucking Company. He worked as a farmer and auxiliary deputy officer with Issaquena County. He was a Mason and a deacon of Mount Tabor M.B. Church.

Survivors include his wife, Emma Lee Ford of Hopedale; three sons, Larry Ervin and George Grayson, both of Greenville, and Issac Ford Jr. of Hopedale; four daughters, Debra Coleman of Jackson, Brenda Collins of Chicago, Herstine Hampton of Greenville and Patricia Linley of Rolling Fork; one sister, Annie Bell Alexander of Greenville; 11 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Mount Tabor M.B. Church in Hopedale with the Rev. Bruce Dorsey officiating. Burial will follow at Mount Tabor Cemetery.

Sally Kemp

JOLIET, Ill. – Sally Kemp died Saturday, May 7, 2005, at Sunny Hill Nursing Home in Joliet, Ill. She was 86.

Ms. Kemp was a resident of Joliet, Ill.

Survivors include two sons, Otis Kemp of Chicago and David Kemp of Indianapolis, Ind.; five daughters, Emma Freeman and Ruby Britt, both of Chicago, Rutha Tucker and Alice Holmes, both of Joliet, and Cristine Sutton of Zion; two brothers, LuJean Broom of Las Vegas and Cleveland Broom of Chicago; three sisters, Velma Payton of Chicago, Elma King of Greenville and Altama Gaston of Milwaukee; 23 grandchildren; and 23 great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Mount Zion M.B. Church in Cary with the Rev. James Johnson officiating. Burial will follow at Cary Community Cemetery in Cary.

Evelyn Callery Luster

Services for Evelyn Callery Luster will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Mary’s Catholic Church with the Rev. Charles Boykins officiating. Burial will follow at the Luster Family Cemetery in Claiborne County.

Rosary and visitation will be from 6 until 7 p.m. Friday at W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home.

Mrs. Luster died Sunday, May 8, 2005, at Vicksburg Convalescent Home. She was 74.

A homemaker, Mrs. Luster was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Willie and Daisey Johnson Callery; one brother, Robert Callery; and four sisters, Willie Mae Richardson, Louise Freeman, Nancy Callery and Electra Callery.

She is survived by her husband, Walter L. Luster Jr. of Hermanville; three sisters, Naomi Callery O’Neal, Esther Thomas and Alma C. Hayes, all of Fort Worth, Texas; and nieces and nephews.

John Edward McGee Sr.

CARY – Ssgt. John Edward McGee Sr. died Monday, May 2, 2005 in Addiwaniyah, Iraq. He was 36.

Ssgt. McGee served in the U.S. Army for almost 20 years. He was a graduate of Henry Weather High School in Rolling Fork. He was a member of Clark Chapel United Methodist Church in Cary.

Survivors include his mother, Rebecca McGee of Cary; two sons, Devontac Caldwell of Hollandale and John Edward McGee Jr. of Columbus, Ga.; one daughter, Jordan McGee of Columbus, Ga.; four brothers, Howard McGee of Cary, Laurence McGee of Baltimore, Md., Michael McGee of Norfolk, Va., and Kenneth McGee of Columbus; four sisters, Sandra Luckett of Atlanta, Shelia Barfield, Sharon Barnes and Beverly Thomas, all of Vicksburg; his grandmother, Ethel Crayton of Mayersville.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at South Delta High School Auditorium in Rolling Fork with the Rev. Sammuel Lee officiating. Burial will follow at Cary Community Cemetery. Visitation will be from 7 until 8 p.m. Friday at Adele Walker Memorial Chapel-Walker Funeral Home in Rolling Fork and from 10 a.m. until the hour of service at the auditorium.

James Thomas Rainer Jr.

YAZOO CITY – James Thomas Rainer Jr. died Wednesday, May 11, 2005, at his home in Yazoo City. He was 80.

Mr. Rainer attended Yazoo City High School, Marion Military Academy and the University of Mississippi. He served in the Army Air Corps and was a veteran of World War II. He worked as a procurement inspector with the Department of Defense for more than 40 years. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and the First United Methodist Church.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Aileen Gooch Rainer; his parents, Dr. James Thomas Rainer and Louise Reid; and one sister, Tish Boyles.

Survivors include two daughters, Mary L. Rainer of Jacksonville, Fla. and Aileen Elizabeth Stricklin of Yazoo City; two sons, James T. “Bubba” Rainer III of Vicksburg and Reid Rainer of Germantown, Tenn.; one sister, Sarah Rainer Hines of Yazoo City; and six grandchildren.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Stricklin-King Funeral Home Chapel in Yazoo City with the Revs. Brad Stewart and Jerry Horton officiating. Burial will follow at Glenwood Cemetery in Yazoo City. Visitation will be from 12:30 until 2 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be Rob Hines, Bill Simmons, Phillip Swayze, Henry Barbour, Thomas Hines, Bryan Jones, Eddie Sory and Harris McGraw.

Honorary pallbearers will be Jerry Barrier, Harold Kelly, Norman Mott, Bill Stills, Ed McDonald, George Montgomery and Jack Richardson.

William Thomas Stallings

BATON ROUGE – William Thomas “Tom” Stallings, formerly of Vicksburg, died Tuesday, May 10, 2005, at his home in Baton Rouge. He was 74.

Mr. Stallings was a native of Cumberland, Miss. He served in the Army in the Korean War and was retired from A&P/Super Fresh after 39 years. He was a member of Woodlawn Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, where he was a deacon for 10 years. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge in Meridian.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Lem Sr. and Mary Snyder Stallings.

Survivors include his wife, Dorothy Steen “Dede” Stallings of Baton Rouge; one daughter, Connie Stallings Fournet of Baton Rouge; two sons, William Bryan Stallings and Thomas Ray Stallings, both of New Orleans; one sister, Margaret “Corine” Hardwick of Ackerman; one brother, Lem Stallings Jr. of Webster County; 10 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Services were at 11 a.m. today at Woodlawn Baptist Church with the Revs. Tommy Middleton and Jeff Haley officiating. Burial followed at Resthaven Gardens of Memory under the direction of Rabenhorst Funeral Home.

Pallbearers were Jimmy Boseman, Billy Tynes, Bo McManus, Noel Wasson, Don Byrd, Jerry May, John Browning, Roland Spano and Joe Barberosse.

Honorary pallbearers were Carl Spears, Howard Betz and David Stevens.

Memorials may be made to Alzheimer’s Services of Capitol Area or to Woodlawn Baptist Church, Jones Creek Road, in Baton Rouge.

Hence L. Steed Jr.

Hence L. Steed Jr. died today, May 12, 2005, at his home. He was 84.

Mr. Steed was retired from the U.S. Postal Service. He served in the Army in World War II. He was a member of Pleasant Green M.B. Church, where he was a former trustee and Sunday school teacher.

He was also a member of Mount Nebo Lodge AF&AM, IBPOE Fidelity Lodge No. 507 and American Legion Tyner-Ford Post 213.

He was preceded in death by a son, Lawrence Steed Sr.; his parents, Hence L. Sr. and Sarah Ann Steed; three brothers, Willie Steed, Robert Steed and Abraham Steed; and three sisters, Roberta Martin, Thelma Cartwright and Sarah Watson.

Survivors include his wife, Berta Steed of Vicksburg; one daughter, Hazel Stewart of Biloxi; a sister, Bertha Dennis of Joliet, Ill.; a grandson he reared, Lawrence Steed Jr. of Tallahassee, Fla.; and other relatives.

Dillon-Chisley Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.

Melissa Thomas

BERKELEY, Calif. – Melissa Thomas died Saturday, May 7, 2005, at her home in Berkeley, Calif. She was 90.

Born in Vicksburg, Mrs. Thomas was a longtime resident of Berkeley. She retired from the Claremont Hotel after more than 30 years of service.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Henrietta Washington Johnson and Alf Washington Sr.; her daughter, Bertha Mae Thomas; a grandson, Timothy Thomas; one sister, Susie Washington Caldwell; and two brothers, Taft Washington and Alf Washington Jr.

Her brother George Washington died on May 8.

Survivors include a sister, Mary Washington of Berkeley; five brothers, Elijah Washington, William Washington and Joseph Washington, all of Vicksburg, David Washington of Oakland, Calif., and Burrell Washington Richmond, Calif.; one granddaughter; three great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and nieces, nephews and other relatives.

Lakeview Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.

Earl Wilson Sr.

Services for Earl Wilson Sr. will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Mount Alban Baptist Church with the Rev. Jason D. Cooper officiating. Burial will follow at Mount Alban Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Friday at Robbins Funeral Home and Saturday at the church from 1 p.m. until the service.

Mr. Wilson died Friday May 6, 2005, at River Region Medical Center. He was 73.

Born in Warren County, Mr. Wilson lived most of his life in Bovina and was a member of of Mount Alban Baptist Church, where he was a member of the usher board for a number of years.

He retired in 1985 from Westinghouse.

Mr. Wilson was preceded in death by his parents, Anderson Parker Sr. and Annie B. Wilson; one sister, Willie B. Price; and two brothers, Anderson Parker Jr. and Ernest Parker.

He is survived by his wife, Annie Mae Wilson of Vicksburg; two sons, Earl Wilson Jr. of Atlanta and Jerry L. Wilson of Miramar, Fla.; three daughters, Lubertha Jenkins and Sandra D. Smith, both of Vicksburg, and Audrey A. Williams of Gainesville, Fla.; a stepdaughter, Shylinda A. McDonald of Quitman; two sisters, Rosetta London of Vicksburg and Jennie B. Hill of Buffalo, N.Y.; nine grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives and friends.

Earnestine Howard Wilson

EDWARDS – Earnestine Howard Wilson, formerly of Edwards, died Tuesday, May 10, 2005, at Hospice Ministries in Ridgeland. She was 59.

Mrs. Wilson was preceded in death by her husband, Claytus Wilson Jr.; a son, Claytus Wilson III; her father, Ernest Howard; three sisters, Ruby Pearl Howard, Bernice Howard and Lelar Mae Howard Mosley; and two brothers, Jessie Griffin and Robert Howard.

She is survived by a daughter, Monesa Wilson of Jackson; her mother, Thelma Howard of Edwards; 11 sisters, Katherine Morrison, Diane Mixon, Jean White and Lillian Lee, all of Edwards, Katie Howard and Liz Howard, both of Los Angeles, Rosie Canada of Memphis, Jessie Lee Howard of Biloxi, Retter Conway of Greenville, Rachel Carthan of Jackson and Marie Baker of Urbana, Ill.; five brothers, James Howard and Willie D. Shelby, both of Champaign, Ill., Johnny Howard of Chicago, Roy Howard of Los Angeles and Kenneth Howard of Jackson; and nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends, including Robert Mason and members of the Miller, Willis, Shaw, Laws, Ivory, Martin, Gray, Taylor, Lloyd, Griffin, Kelly and Jones families.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Friendship M.B. Church in Edwards with the Rev. Bobby Burks officiating. Burial will follow at Greenhill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 1 until 8 p.m. Friday at Lakeover Memorial Funeral Home in Jackson with family hour at 7.

William Henry Young Sr.

Services for William Henry “Babe Brother” Young Sr. will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Robbins Funeral Home with the Rev. L.A. Hall officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Friday at the funeral home and from 10 a.m. Saturday until the service.

Mr. Young died Thursday, May 5, 2005, in Vicksburg. He was 55.

Mr. Young was a self-employed carpenter and a member of Mount Heroden M.B. Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Albert Young Sr. and Hilda Walker Young; and two sisters, Mamie Sue Young and Willie Bell Young Adams.

Survivors include his wife, Ruth Holmes Young; two sons, William H. Young Jr. of Greenwood and David Robinson of Vicksburg; a stepson, Jesse Robert Warfield of Vicksburg; a stepdaughter, Carla Latham of Vicksburg; four sisters, Lois Young Anderson, Hilda Young White and Ann Young Hebron, all of Vicksburg, and Katherine Young McReynolds of Pensacola, Fla.; four brothers, Albert Young Jr., Harvey Young, Ernest Young and Halvern Young, all of Vicksburg; four grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, other relatives including Iris Frazier of Vicksburg and the Stewart, Taylor, Carson, Murphy, Young and Moody families.