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.

Alfred R. Bourquard

Alfred R. Bourquard died Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2002, at Heritage House Nursing Home. He was 94.

A native of Vicksburg, Mr. Bourquard worked for the Corps of Engineers for 34 1/2 years as a soil engineer. He served in the Navy for four years during World War II. He was a member of Crawford Street United Methodist Church and the Lions Club.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Helen Sullivan Bourquard; his parents, Joseph A. and Dora Meek Bourquard; and two brothers.

Survivors include two sons, William “Bill” Bourquard of Boise, Idaho, and Richard “Rick” Bourquard of Birmingham, Ala.; a brother, Everette Bourquard of Wildwood, Fla.; and four grandchildren.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Fisher Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Geoffrey Joyner, pastor of Crawford Street United Methodist Church, officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until the service Saturday at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be Bobby Fleming, George Hunt, Milton Myers, David Wylie, Hugh Green and Ed Jackson.

Percy Gary

Services for Percy Gary will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Williams Funeral Service Chapel. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5 until 7 tonight at the funeral home.

Mr. Gary died Thursday, Dec. 26, 2002, at Veterans Administration Medical Center in Jackson. He was 72.

A resident of Vicksburg, Mr. Gary was a retired machine operator for Union Compress. He was a member of Christian Home No. 2 Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Bessie Gary and Percy Gary Sr.; a son, Derrick Tair; and a daughter, Percil Pope.

Survivors include his wife, Essie Gary of Vicksburg; a son, William Wardell Gary of Nantucket, Mass.; 10 daughters, Derrekia Gary, Cheryl Tair and Claudette Tair, all of Vicksburg, Linda Starks and Helen Michell Gary, both of Rosedale, Miss., and Monia Brown of Greenville, Rose Evelyn Gary and Grace Evelyn Gary, both of Chicago, Brenda Gary of Dayton, Ohio, and Lettie Pearl Gary of Beulah; a sister, Janie Styles of Memphis; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews.

Betty Lou Graves

OAK GROVE Betty Lou Graves died Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2003, at Morehouse General Hospital in Bastrop, La. She was 62.

Born in Mayflower, Ark., Mrs. Graves lived in Oak Grove.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John Ardie Graves Sr.; her parents, Wilburn M. and Cathleen Irby; and a brother, Billy Irby.

Survivors include seven daughters, Nelda Graves Hughes, Barbara Graves Boyte, Linda Graves Wolf, Rebecca Graves Bezzard, Teresa Graves, Pamela Graves Pardon and Catherine Graves; two sons, John Graves Jr. and Robby Graves; two sisters, Sandra Irby and Ann Irby Cole; a brother, Bobby Irby; 24 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Cox Funeral Home Chapel in Oak Grove with the Rev. Gayle Riles officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery.

Visitation will be until the service today at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be Christopher Frasier, Rowland Moore, Caleb Faircloth, Craig Frasier, Mark Gathins and Tommy Higginbotham.