JO ANNA BRUCE

Services for Jo Anna Bruce will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at First Baptist Church, 1511 1/2 Lane St., with the Rev. Robert L. Miller officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Mrs. Bruce died Saturday, May 4, 2002, at River Region Medical Center. She was 56.

Born in Crystal Springs, Mrs. Bruce attended Sharkey County Public Schools and graduated with honors from Henry Weather High School in Rolling Fork. She moved to Vicksburg in 1963 and attended nursing school at Kuhn Memorial Hospital. She moved to Detroit, where she worked for a number of years as a licensed practical nurse.

She was a member of Holly Grove M.B. Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Purvis Bruce Jr.; her father, Johnny B. Frazier; a son, Rodney Bruce; and her grandparents, the Rev. Collins Jahamm “C.J.” Frazier and Della Wilson.

Mrs. Bruce is survived by a son, Ray Bruce of River Rouge, Mich.; her mother, Letha Mae Thomas of Vicksburg; a brother, James Earl Frazier of River Rouge; three sisters, Clara D. Frazier of Vicksburg, Johnnie E. Frazier of Colonial Heights, Va., and Ella Mae McCoy Cannedy of Colorado Springs, Colo.; aunts; uncles; nieces; nephews; cousins and other relatives.

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

HARRISON R. GROSS

PARSONS, Kan. Services for Harrison R. Gross were Friday at the Watson Memorial Church of God in Christ with the Revs. Edward Scott, Charles Gross and Harold Gross officiating. Burial with military honors was at Oakwood Cemetery under the direction of Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home of Parsons, Kan.

Mr. Gross died Monday, April 29, 2002, at his home in Parsons, Kan. He was 78.

Born in Port Gibson, Mr. Gross served in the Army from 1943 until 1946. In 1950, he moved to Parsons and worked for Katy Railroad for seven years. He was also employed at ParKan Ladder Company and Kansas Army Ammunition Plant. He retired from Ruskin Manufacturing company after 17 years of service. He was a member and senior deacon of Macedonia M.B. Church where he sang with the gospel quartet. He was a member of the Masonic Blue Lodge in Coffeyville, Kan., and was past worshipful master.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Annie Mae Flood; a daughter, Bessie Mae Gross; five brothers, Eddie Gross, Harrison Allen Gross, George Gross, Charlie Gross and James “Boy” Gross; and a sister, Johnnie Burks.

He is survived his wife, Maggie Gross of Parsons; four sons, Harold Gross of Winfield, Kan., Charles Gross of Parsons, Alonzo Jones of Port Gibson and Manuel Gross of Wichita, Kan.; three daughters, Faley Weathersby of Hattiesburg, Bertha Dodd of Wichita and Eva Gross of Parsons; two sisters, Rosie Mae McKnight of Vicksburg and Charlie Ruth Robinson of Hammond, La.; grandchildren; and great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Watson Memorial Church of God in Christ with the Revs. Edward Scott and Charles Gross and Harold Gross officiating. Burial with military honors will follow at Oakwood Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 7 until 8 tonight at Forbes-Hoffman Funeral Home.

Memorials may be made to Macedonia M.B. Church building fund.

ERNEST W. HOVIOUS

Services for Ernest W. Hovious will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at First Christian Church with the Revs. Hancell Bankester and Steve A. Bryant officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 6 until 8 tonight at Fisher-Riles Funeral Home and from 10 a.m. Thursday until the service at the church.

Mr. Hovious died Monday, May 6, 2002, at River Region Medical Center. He was 89.

He was a member of First Christian Church where he was past elder, trustee and treasurer. He was a member of the state board of Christian Churches and treasurer. He was former secretary and treasurer of the Y Men’s Club, former president of the Lions Club, a member of the Vicksburg Country Club and a member of the Premier Gin Players.

He was preceded in death by a wife, Beatrice Barfield Hovious; two sisters, Louise Houchins and Audrey Sheffield; his brother, John A. “Junie” Hovious; his father, John A. Hovious; and his mother, Beadie West Hovious.

He is survived by his wife, Beth F. Hovious of Vicksburg; a niece, Nancy Houchins Williams of Memphis; and six nephews, Bill Hovious, of Hampton, Ga., Allen Hovious of Nashville, Tenn.; Brad Hovious of Houston, Texas, Bob Hovious of Oxford, Larry Houchins of Jackson and Alfred Barfield of Vicksburg.

Pallbearers will be Bill Hovious, Allen Hovious, Brad Hovious, Bob Hovious, Larry Houchins, Alfred Barfield, Robert Williams and Steve Burris.

Honorary pallbearers will be Ed Buckner, Harold Barker, Billy McGehee, Kayo Dottley, Dave Wylie, Randy Crumbley, Bob Odom, John “Bubba” Bowen, Sharp Banks, J.R. Boyd, Emmett Atwood, Judge Frank Vollor, Dr. Edwin Boleware, Dr. Daniel Edney, Dr. L.G. Horn, Larry Calloway, David Gillis and elders of the First Christian Church.

Memorials may be made to Vicksburg YMCA or to First Christian Church.