WILLIAM SCOTT HAYS

OAK GROVE, La. William Scott “Bill” Hays died Monday, April 15, 2002, at his home in Oak Grove. He was 68.

Mr. Hays was preceded in death by his father, William Austin Hays; his mother, Mattie Margurite Hays; and his brother, Jimmy Hays.

He is survived by his wife, Florence Hays of Oak Grove; his daughter, Mary Gayle McCain of Naples, Italy; his brother, Joe Hays of Oak Grove; three sisters, Jeanette Hatten, Mary Maslin and Katherine Hays, all of Oak Grove; one granddaughter, Audrey Brianne McCain of Naples; and other relatives, including Kenneth McCain of Naples and Bessie Rouse of Oak Grove.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Cox Funeral Home with Archie Haley officiating. Burial will follow at Kilbourne Cemetery in Kilbourne, La.

Pallbearers will be Jessie Davis, L.C. Brown, Lavelle Brown, Cecil Parmentier, Larry Williams and Billy Don Cecil.

FLOY BRIDGES LEWIS

OAK GROVE, La. Floy Bridges Lewis died Saturday, April 13, 2002, at West Carroll Memorial Hospital in Oak Grove. She was 76.

Born in Hattiesburg, Mrs. Lewis lived in Oak Grove.

She was preceded in death by two sons, Larry Bridges and Roger Bridges; a daughter, Lucille Deere; her father, Mark Ernest Evans; and her sister, Elizabeth Evans.

She is survived by four sons, Arthur Bridges and Mark Bridges, both of Vicksburg, Carl Bridges of Grenada and Curtis Bridges of Oak Grove; six daughters, Linda Deere, Kate Montgomery, Iris Hogg and Toni Easterling, all of Vicksburg, and Peggy Hill and Hilda Anderson, both of Oak Grove; 23 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild

Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Cox Funeral Home in Oak Grove with the Rev. Mark Elliott officiating. Burial will follow at Kilbourne Cemetery in Kilbourne, La.

LENARD OWENS

FAYETTE Lenard Owens died Friday, April 12, 2002, at Jefferson County Hospital in Fayette. He was 48.

Mr. Owens was born in Jefferson County to Carrine Dunbar Owens and the late Tom Owens.

He is survived by two daughters, Katrundra Patrice Owens of Port Gibson and Jocelynn Latrice Herrington of Stampley; one son, Barry Glass of Port Gibson; three brothers, Thomas Owens and Aaron Bergman, both of New Orleans, and Terry Hill of Fayette; three sisters, Corine Stanley-Johnson and Catherine U. Wagdoe, both of Fayette, and Nancy Butler of Vicksburg; and nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, other relatives and friends.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Pine Grove United Methodist Church in Harriston with the Rev. F.L. Pendleton officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery under the direction of Spencer Funeral Home of Fayette.

Visitation will be from 1 p.m. Wednesday until the service at the church.

Pallbearers will be Danie Fountain, Henry L. Griffin, Russell Hatchett, Eddie Loyde Matthews, Abraham O’Neal and Johnnie Rankins.

Honorary pallbearers will be Aaron Bergman, Terry Hill, Barry Glass, Edward Johnson, Thomas Owens and Patrick Stanley.

ELLA LEE PHELPS

HERMANVILLE Ella Lee Phelps died Friday, April 12, 2002, at River Region Medical Center West Campus. She was 93.

Mrs. Phelps was a member of First Baptist Church in Hermanville where she was president of the mother’s board, secretary of the church, past president and a member of the usher board, a member of the beautification club, Baptist Aid, Christian Aid and assistant superintendent of the Sunday school. She was a member of the Silver Star chapter No. 34 Order of Eastern star, Heroine of Jericho, Benevolent Society and a member of the Retired Teacher’s Association.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Lemon Phelps; her parents, Wess Ellis Sr. and Mary Brown-Ellis; six brothers, Robert Collier, Wess Ellis Jr., Amos Ellis, James Ellis, Frank Ellis and Charles Ellis; and two sisters, Katherine Gray and Mable Lee Jackson.

She is survived by four sons, Sharper Phelps and Frank L. Phelps, both of Vicksburg; Orlando Phelps of Baker, La., and Lemon Ray Phelps of Holly Springs; three daughters, Bernice Dobbins and Dora Phelps, both of Port Gibson, and Lee Sarah Amos of Petal; her stepson, Robert Phelps of Vicksburg; her stepdaughter, Georgia B. Phelps of Port Gibson; 21 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and other relatives, including Josephine Peakes of South Bend, Ind.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at First Baptist Church in Hermanville with the Rev. Johnny Hughes officiating. Burial will follow at Hermanville Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 1 until 6 p.m. today at Thompson Funeral Home and from 10 a.m. Wednesday until the service at the church.

ELIZABETH KEIM RHEW

Elizabeth Keim Rhew died Friday, April 12, 2002, at River Region Medical Center. She was 85.

Born in Tallulah, Mrs. Rhew was reared in Vicksburg. She attended Carr Central High and graduated from All Saints’ Episcopal College. She was a member of the Vicksburg Little Theatre before moving to New York. She enlisted in the U.S. Army Corps during World War II and served in the Pacific Theatre in New Guinea in 1943. She was employed with the Social Security Administration in New York and Vicksburg before retiring in Vicksburg in the 1970s.

She was a member of the VFW and a charter member of the Mercy Hospital Auxiliary. She was a member of St. Stephen Anglican Catholic Church where she served on the Altar Guild and other committees.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Meldon J. Rhew; her parents, Will and Rosalee Lavecchia Keim; and her sister, Eugenia Keim Boult.

She is survived by a number of cousins, including Shirley Roesch and Delores Salmon, both of Vicksburg, and Jon Crowther of New Orleans.

Services were today at Fisher-Riles Funeral Home with the Rev. Dr. Eugene E. Rosenkranz officiating. Burial was at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Pallbearers were George Roesch Sr., Donald Roesch, Charles Roesch, Jerome Booth, Nick Lavecchia, Sam Lusco, Sidney Tucker, Danny Fordice and Kearney Waites.

SHERENA MINICE TARVIN

TALLULAH Sherena Minice Tarvin died Monday, April 15, 2002, at River Region Medical Center. She was 22.

A resident of Tallulah, she was a 1998 graduate of McCall Senior High School. She was a member of the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness.

She was a minister and certified nurse’s assistant.

She is survived by her parents, W.D. Tarvin and Shellie Blakely Tarvin, both of Tallulah; one brother, Jonathan Douglas Tarvin of New York, N.Y.; one sister, Edina E.J. Tarvin of Tallulah; and uncles, aunts and cousins.

W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.