Ruby Lee Jackson Bass died today, Jan. 27, 2005, at River Region Medical Center. She was 93.

A homemaker, Mrs. Bass was a member of Mount Pilgrim M.B. Church at Freetown, where she had served on the Mother Board for more than 40 years.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Sylvester Bass Jr.; a son, Sylvester Bass III; a daughter, Annie Bass Amos; a granddaughter, Marsha Bass McKelphin; and her parents, Jessie and Martha Jackson.

She is survived by a son, George Bass of Vicksburg; three daughters, Martha Warrick of New Orleans and Evelyn Bass and Bobbie Bass, both of Vicksburg; eight grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

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

Lena Wood Bres

Lena Wood Bres died Saturday, Jan. 22, 2005, at her son’s home in Durham, N.C. She was 97.

Mrs. Bres was a lifelong resident of Vicksburg and had lived with her son for the past five years. She was the daughter of the late James E. and Minnie Green Wood.

She was a lifelong member of St. Paul Catholic Church and was a former member of the St. Aloysius Mother’s Club.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, James Ray Bres Sr.

She is survived by her son, James Ray Bres Jr. of Durham; a sister-in-law, Louise Wood of Vicksburg; and eight grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Paul Catholic Church with the Rev. Patrick Farrell, pastor, officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery under the direction of Fisher Funeral Home.

Visitation will be at the church from 10 a.m. Friday until the service.

Pallbearers will be grandsons: James Michael Bres, John Ray Bres, William Read Bres, James Ray Bres III, John Michael Bres, Jacob Bres and Matthew Faver Martin.

St. Paul Catholic Church, 713 Crawford St., Vicksburg, MS 39180.

J.B. Brown

J.B. Brown died Sunday, Jan. 23, 2005, at River Region Medical Center. He was 77.

Mr. Brown was a laborer and a Vicksburg resident.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Westhaven Memorial Funeral Home in Utica with the Rev. Kenneth Higgenbottom officiating. Burial will follow at Strawbridge Church Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 1 until 6 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

Bobbie Barber Chatham

Bobbie Barber Chatham died Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2005, at River Region Medical Center. She was 61.

Mrs. Chatham was the daughter of the late George Lee and Leila Myrtle Tannehill Boleware. She was born in Bogalusa, La., where she attended high school. She had been a Vicksburg resident for a number of years and was a member of Living Water Christian Fellowship.

She was preceded in death by six brothers and two sisters.

Survivors include her husband, Randy E. Chatham of Vicksburg; two daughters, Leisa Newman and Tammy Barber, both of Vicksburg; one son, Huette “Chip” Barber Jr. of Monroe, La.; two sisters, Faye Hall of Nacogdoches, Texas, and Leenell Boleware of Leland; a brother, Bill Boleware of Bogalusa; and seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Friday at Riles Funeral Home with the Rev. Doyle Moulder, pastor of Living Water Christian Fellowship, officiating. Burial will be at Green Acres Memorial Park, followed by a family gathering at Living Water Christian Fellowship.

Visitation will be from noon Friday until the service at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be Robert Carney, Jimmy Harrison, Doyle Purvis, Merritt Aden, Daniel Moulder and Jason Moulder.

Kevin Jay Sherrill

Kevin Jay Sherrill died Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2005, at River Region Medical Center. He was 42.

Mr. Sherrill was born in Dexter, Mo., to Beverlyn Cox and Jack L. Sherrill. He was a 1981 graduate of Sharkey Issaquena Academy, where he was a lineman for the football team.

He was a former member of Woodlawn Baptist Church and worked as a maintenance supervisor for five years at First Baptist Church, where he volunteered as a girls coach for Upward Basketball and was security director for Rock the River. He was named Parent of the Year 1999-2000 for Redwood Elementary School and was selected Vicksburg Warren School District Parent of the Year.

Survivors include his wife, Sandra Clark Sherrill; two sons, Justin Michael Sherrill of Mandeville, La., and Jason Cole Sherrill of Vicksburg; a stepson, James Christopher Hamlin of Rolling Fork; his mother and stepfather, Beverlyn C. and George H. Martin of Cary; his father and stepmother, Jack L. and Patricia Sherrill of Rolling Fork; two brothers, Shawn Aaron Sherrill of Cary and Shea Derek Sherrill of Eagle Lake; his grandparents, Dub and Irene Cox of Rolling Fork; and other relatives.

Services will be at 1 p.m. today at First Baptist Church with Dr. Matt Buckles, pastor, officiating. Burial will follow at Mound Cemetery in Rolling Fork.

Pallbearers will be Jacob Brister, Perry Brogden, Dennis Chipley, Jim Karel, Eric Kitchens, Gary Lynch, Brian Ricker and David Tyler.

Honorary pallbearers will be Dave Duncan, Dr. Dan Edney, Chris Gatlin, Todd Heigle and Jim Hay.

Memorials may be made to Gideons International.

James Burkett Steen

James Burkett Steen died Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2005, at his home. He was 87.

Born in Florence, Mr. Steen had lived in Vicksburg since 1949. He was a member of First Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon and Sunday school teacher. He graduated from Hinds Junior College and Mississippi State University.

A civil engineer, he was chief of the Construction Branch of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Vicksburg District. He retired in 1976 as chief of Construction/Operations, Mississippi River Commission Lower Mississippi Valley Division.

He served as a bombardier in the Army Air Corps in World War I. He was in the 783rd Bomb Squadron with the 465th Bombardment Group, flying 50 missions in the European Theater of Operations. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Mr. Steen was preceded in death by his parents, the Rev. J.W. and Maggie Burkett Steen; a brother, Richard W. Steen; three sisters, Ruth Young, Clyde Rutherford and Miriam Skardon; and an infant granddaughter, Katherine Van Egmond.

Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Dorothy Segrest Steen; three daughters, Virginia Miller of Clinton, Deborah Estes of Gulfport and Diana Jaeger of Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y.; a sister, Lois S. Jordan of Jackson; two brothers, John N. Steen of Baltimore, Md., and William C. Steen of Fayetteville, Ga.; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and nieces, nephews and other relatives.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Friday at First Baptist Church with Dr. John McCall and Dr. Matt Buckles officiating. Burial will follow at Shelton Cemetery in Copiah County.

Visitation will be from 5 until 7 tonight at Glenwood Funeral Home.

Pallbearers will be David Estes, Bill Jordan, Gary Steen, Thomas Beard, Jimmy O’Quinn, Danny Frew, Eric Kitchens and Dave Gent.

Honorary pallbearers will be the Rev. Toby Jenkins, Jack Steen, the Rev. Larry Steen, Jay Skardon, Danny O’Quinn, Mark O’Quinn, Pat O’Quinn, Bill O’Quinn, Mike Dent, Hayden Dent and members of the Boaz Sunday school class.

Memorials may be made to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation Inc., 710 West 168th St., New York, NY 10032; First Baptist Church of Vicksburg; or a favorite charity.