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.

Georgia Mae Benard.

Georgia Mae Benard died Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2006, at River Region Medical Center. She was 86.

Ms. Benard was a retired cook who had worked for 30 years at Shady Lawn Nursing Home. She was a member of Pleasant Hill M.B. Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Nancy Gray-Benard and Roosevelt Benard; two daughters, Georgia Ann Hall and Bessie Mae Whitaker; two sons, Kalvin Benard and Redale Benard; a sister, Mattile Benard; a brother, Charlie Benard; and a grandson, Jessie Benard Jr.

She is survived by six daughters, Leaverne Brent, Rebecca Tribble, Nancy Austin and Lillie Wardley, all of Vicksburg, Eliza Bentivengo of Wisconsin and Lenora Pendleton of Aurora, Ill.; nine sons, Jessie Benard Sr., Alonzo Austin, Mose Benard, Carl Benard, Andrew Benard, Aaron Benard and George Benard, all of Vicksburg, Joseph Benard of San Antonio, Texas, and Roosevelt Benard of Dallas; five sisters, Katherine Austin, Bertha Bernard and Roberta Sanders, all of Vicksburg, Rebecca Benard and Lenora Watts, both of Michigan; five brothers, Willie Bernard and John Benard, both of Vicksburg, Mose Benard and James Benard, both of California, Roosevelt Benard Jr. of Chicago; and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren and other relatives and friends.

Williams Funeral Service has charge of arrangements.

Lela Brookens.

NATCHEZ – Lela &#8220L.E.” Brookens died Sunday, Oct. 1, 2006, at Covenant Health and Rehab of Vicksburg. She was 93.

She was born in Brandywine, Miss., and lived in Natchez.

She was employed for 25 years by the R.B. Sharp family of Natchez, where she was special to the late Richard B. Sharp Jr., Susan A. Sharp, Mary Ann Sharp, Eliza Sharp Plauche, Gina Martin O’Brien, Sherry Martin Hanson, the late John T. Stevens and Mickey Stevens.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Stanley and Classie Scott Turner of Brandywine; her daughter, Rosie Mary Hubbard; her brothers, David Turner, Stanley Turner Jr. and Willie Otis; and her sisters, Mozella Richardson, Ruth M. Turner and Rosie Davis.

She is survived by her grandchildren, Alma (Frankie) Hamberlin, Roosevelt (Vera) Robertson, Dorothy Robertson and Alease (Marvin) Johnson, all of Vicksburg; 12 great-grandchildren; 15 great-great-grandchildren; her devoted goddaughter, Mary Dixon of Natchez; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Special thanks to Dr. Jerry Isles and his staff at The Family Medical Clinic of Natchez for their longtime loving care, and also to Covenant Health and Rehab and Generations in Vicksburg.

Visitation will be from 5 until 9 p.m. Friday at Curtis Funeral Home in Natchez.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Macedonia Baptist Church, located on Minor Street in Natchez. Burial will follow at Pine Hills Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Caesar Davis, Dewitt Davis, Frankie Hamberlin, Roosevelt Robertson and Marvin Johnson.