The Vicksburg Post prints obituaries in news form for area residents, their family members and for former residents at no charge. Families wishing to publish additional information or to use specific wording have the option of a paid obituary.

Grace Martin Bates

Grace Martin Bates, age 86, of Vicksburg, passed away Sunday, Dec. 11, 2005, in Hartsville, Tenn.

Ms. Bates was a longtime member of Crawford Street United Methodist Church in Vicksburg and Saraland United Methodist Church in Saraland, Ala.

She was preceded in death by her parents, A.J. Martin Sr. and Grace Lawrence Martin; her brother, A.J. Martin Jr. of Jackson; and her sister, Mildred Martin Morris of Vicksburg.

Survivors include her sister, Nona (Dutch) Martin of Monroe, La.; her sons, Chris M. Bates of Crane Hill, Ala., and William H. (Buddy) Bates of Hartsville, Tenn.; four granddaughters; and seven great-grandchildren.

The graveside memorial service will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005, at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Vicksburg with the Rev. Hancell Bankester officiating and the Frank J. Fisher Funeral Home directing. Family and friends are invited to gather at Cedar Grove Inn for departure for the memorial service at 1 p.m. A gathering of family and friends will follow at Cedar Grove Inn in the ballroom.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Haven House Family Shelter, P.O. Box 57, Vicksburg, MS, 39181.

Willard Y. Culberson

Willard Y. Culberson died Sunday, Dec. 25, 2005, at Covenant Health & Rehab of Vicksburg. He was 66.

A native of Philadelphia, Miss., Mr. Culberson had lived in Vicksburg for a number of years. He retired as an operator and supervisor from Vicksburg Chemical Company after 30 years of service.

He served in the Marine Corps and was a member of Highland Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Willie H. and Earsel D. Culberson, and a sister, Gail Rutledge.

Survivors include a cousin, Danny Daniels of Vicksburg; his niece, Heather Lambert of Mountain Home, Ark.; an uncle, Billy Daniels of Pearl; and an aunt, Myrtle DeWeese of Philadelphia.

Services were at 10 a.m. today at Glenwood Funeral Home with the Rev. Billy Brumfield officiating. Burial was at 12:30 p.m. at Glenwood Cemetery in Yazoo City.

Pallbearers were Danny Daniels, Bill Daniels, Dan Fulton, Barry Nash, Henry Wells and Mike Craft.

Honorary pallbearers were Mark Daniels, Rudolph Fulton, Larry Daniels, Ken Breland and David Jobe.

Claude Cayce Duncan

Claude Cayce Duncan, 91, died of leukemia Christmas Eve at Peachtree Village Assisted Living Center in Brandon, Miss. He was born in Hamilton, Ala., and was a longtime resident of Vicksburg.

After serving in the Quartermaster Corps of the U.S. Army during World War II, he moved to Vicksburg in 1945 to learn the trade of watch repair with A. Graves and Stewart Jewelers. In 1956, Mr. Duncan and his wife bought the business and established Duncan’s Jewelers. They operated the business until 1971. After a short retirement, he started a new career as assistant terminal manager for Southland Oil Company.

He was a Primitive Baptist and an ordained minister. He was a pastor in several churches in central and east central Mississippi. Mr. Duncan was a leader in several civic and community organizations. After his second retirement in 1979, he enjoyed carving ducks and gardening.

He wife, Roy Kathryn Kilbourn Duncan, preceded him in death. They were married for 50 years. He was also preceded in death by two brothers, Charles Duncan of Melrose, Fla., and Bill Duncan of Amory, Miss.

Mr. Duncan is survived by one son and his wife, Greg and Debbie Duncan of Brandon, Miss. Other survivors include a brother, Calvin Duncan of Jacksonville, Fla.; sisters, Ruby Adair of Memphis, Tenn., and Rosa Dykes of Gilbertown, Ala.; and a sister-in-law, Nixola Duncan of Amory. He also had numerous nieces and nephews.

Services will be Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005, at Fisher Funeral Home in Vicksburg with the Rev. Rod Borders officiating. Visitation will be from noon until 2 p.m. with chapel services at 2. Burial will be at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting that memorial gifts be made to the Kathryn Duncan Scholarship Fund at Hinds Community College, P.O. Box 1100, Raymond, MS 39154-1100.

Pallbearers are Stan Sullivan, Joe Loviza, Tony Franco, Don Drane, J.A. Hall and Mark Chaney.

Honorary pallbearers are Joe Mac Hudspeth Jr., Kearney Waites Jr., Steve White, Allen B. Thompson, Jim Van Trese Jr., A.C. Solomon, Lyman Watson, George Cain, Dr. Charles Marascalco, Kent Fultz, George Kerr, Raymond Wilson, Charles Crowther, Roy Nelson and Paul Geer.

Segie Nicole Jones

Segie Nicole Jones died today, Dec. 27, 2005, at River Region Medical Center. She was 21.

She was a clerk at Chevron on Clay Street and a 2002 graduate of Vicksburg High School. She was of the Baptist faith.

Miss Jones was preceded in death by her maternal grandmother, Clara Jones; and a cousin, John Cox Jr.

Survivors include her mother, Amanda Jones Winstead of Aurora, Ill.; her father, Charles Ford of North Carolina; her stepfather, Efrem Winters of Chicago; a brother, Jamal Winters of Aurora; her maternal grandparents, Johnny and Pat Jones of Vicksburg; five aunts; five uncles; cousins; and other relatives and friends.

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

Mildred C. Kirkland

Mildred C. Kirkland died Sunday, Dec. 25, 2005, at the Olive Branch Nursing Home in Tallulah, La.

Mrs. Kirkland was a lifelong resident of Vicksburg. She was 82.

She was the daughter of the late John William and Alice Sophie Wright Carlisle. She served in the Army Nurse Corps for four years, served 16 years as a draftsman and retired from the U.S. Government.

Mrs. Kirkland was owner and operator of Tomil Manor. She had been president of Kirkland Enterprise since 1974.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Tom Kirkland; a sister, Evelyn W. Grier; and two brothers, Thomas Edward Carlisle and John Cecil Carlisle.

Survivors include a daughter, Gene Crowley-Peoples and husband, Willie Peoples Sr., of Vicksburg; a grandson, Michael T. Crowley of Clinton; a great-grandson, Caine G. Crowley of Independence, Ky.; two brothers, William C. Carlisle of Vicksburg and Michael Louis Carlisle of Clinton; and several nieces and nephews.

Graveside services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005, at Green Acres Memorial Park with Mr. John A. Thomason III, Mr. Willie Scott and Mr. Willie Peoples Sr. officiating. Burial will follow at the cemetery.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. Wednesday at Frank J. Fisher Funeral Home.

Pallbearers will be Willie E. Peoples Sr., Willie E. Peoples Jr., David Blackledge, Thomas Carlisle, Steven E. Carlisle and Edward Peoples.

Honorary pallbearers will be Dr. Thomas E. Sligh and Dr. Leonard Neumann.

Harriet Dedwylder Lessem

Harriet Dedwylder Lessem died suddenly at her home on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2005. She was 69.

She was born in Cleveland, Miss., the daughter of Dr. Rosier Davis Dedwylder and Ruby Tyrone Dedwylder. She graduated from Jordan College of Music at Butler University in Indianapolis, Ind., where she studied classical dance and ballet. She studied for several years in New York City. She taught dance for several years at Gulf Park College in Long Beach, Miss., before coming to Vicksburg where she established and directed Ballet Arts Studio through which she touched the lives of many young people in the community.

She served as choreographer for many productions of the Vicksburg Theater Guild, most recently for this year’s production of &#8220My Fair Lady.”

She is survived by her husband, Allan Lessem; her son, Jonathan Lessem of Baltimore, Md.; her daughter, Rebekah Larson of Franklin, Tenn.; two grandchildren, Hannah and Nathan Lessem of Baltimore; and her brother, Rozier Dedwylder of Columbus, Ga.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Riles Funeral Home with Dr. Matt Buckles, pastor of First Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will be at Green Acres Memorial Park.

Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. Wednesday until the hour of the service.

Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church, 1607 Cherry St., Vicksburg, MS 39180.

Willie Lee McClure

Willie Lee McClure died Friday, Dec. 23, 2005, at Covenant Health & Rehab of Vicksburg. He was 90.

Mr. McClure was a retired florist and baker and was a veteran of World War II. He was a member of Mount Heroden Baptist Church, where he was chairman of the Deacon Board. He was a senior member of the Esquire Club and a member of Sunshine Lodge No. 99 and American Legion Tyner-Ford Post 213.

He was preceded in death by his father, Louis McClure; his mother, Elnora Nundine; his wife, Nancy McClure; and a brother, John McClure.

He is survived by a stepdaughter, Loretta Anderson of Chicago; a granddaughter; and nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends, including Lula B. Buck of Port Gibson.

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

Viola Moffett

EDWARDS – Viola Moffett died Friday, Dec. 23, 2005, at Central Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. She was 91.

Mrs. Moffett was preceded in death by her husband, Eugene Moffett.

Survivors include five daughters, Hattie Teague of Chicago, Mentha Tucker and Mary Moffett, both of Edwards, Margaret Hodge of Jackson and Alice Moffett of Indianapolis, Ind.; three sons, the Rev. Lue Moffett of Learned, Willie Johnson of Indianapolis and Clarence Johnson of Edwards; a granddaughter whom she reared, Paralean Johnson of Edwards; and other relatives and friends.

Lakeview Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.

Louis Nevels Jr.

Louis &#8220Snooks” Nevels died Sunday, Dec. 25, 2005, at his home. He was 67.

Mr. Nevels was lifelong resident of Vicksburg. A former millwright, he was a member of the Apostolic church.

He is survived by his wife, Annie Pearl Nevels; two sons, Tim Nevels of Vicksburg and Daniel Nevels of Ruston, La.; two daughters, Sandra Beasley of Vicksburg and Deborah Hayes of Tampa, Fla.; two brothers, Tommy Nevels and C.L. Nevels, both of Vicksburg; four sisters, Janie Uzzle and Mildred Banks, both of Vicksburg, Mary Ann Trahan of Crowley, La., and Patsy McDowell of Little Rock, Ark.; and 16 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 3 p.m. today at Glenwood Funeral Home with John Parks officiating. Burial will follow at Green Acres Memorial Park.

Visitation will be from 1 p.m. today until the service at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be Daniel Nevels, Chase Nevels, Tim Nevels, Brad Nevels, Tommy Nevels and C.L. Nevels.

Honorary pallbearers will be Donald Brewer and Ken Sharp.

Bobby J. Sullivan

TALLULAH – Services for Bobby J. Sullivan will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Crothers-Glenwood Funeral Home in Tallulah with the Rev. John Magnuson officiating. Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery in Tallulah. Visitation will be from 5 until 8 tonight at the funeral home.

Mr. Sullivan died Sunday, Dec. 25, 2005, at his home. He was 67.

He was born in Doddsville, Miss., and had lived in Madison Parish for most of his life. He was a retired service technician for LA Gas Company. He was a member of Willow Baptist Church and of Tallulah Masonic Lodge No. 308. He served in the Air Force from 1956 until 1960 and had been stationed at Panama.

Mr. Sullivan was preceded in death by his parents, Bilbo and Inez Sullivan; and his first wife, Norma J. Sullivan; and a brother, Bill Sullivan.

He is survived by his wife, Joan Fisher Sullivan of Tallulah; a son, Jeff Sullivan of Houston; a daughter, Tammy Sisk of Hammond; a sister, Merl Morman of Columbia, La.; a brother, Dwight Sullivan of Pinehurst, Texas; three stepsons, Jerry Harris and Jordan Harris, both of Tallulah, and Allen Harris of Rogers, Ark.; and 11 grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be John Hopkins, Charles Fondren, Rusty Hicks, Granville Harris, Gene Cox and Bubba Panquin.

Honorary pallbearers will be Mike Ellis, Matt Gregory and Raymond Pryor.

Robert Vaughn Jr.

Robert &#8220Bob” Vaughn Jr. died Sunday, Dec. 25, 2005, at his home. He was 92.

Mr. Vaughn was retired from the Mississippi River Commission. He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the Army. He was a member of Bethel A.M.E. Church, where he was on the Trustee Board.

He was a 1935 graduate of Magnolia Avenue High School and a graduate of Southern Christian Institute in Edwards.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Rebecca Joseph Vaughn; and his parents, Robert Sr. and Pauline Vaughn.

He is survived by an adopted daughter, Judith Hall Henderson of Chula Vista, Calif.

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