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.

Oren D. Bailess Jr.

Oren D. &#8220Butch” Bailess Jr., completed his earthly journey on Feb. 17, 2007, from his home in Madisonville, La., leaving with the promise of entering his eternal heavenly home.

Butch was born on Oct. 9, 1950, as the first of six children of Oren D. and Betty Ann Dement Bailess.

He was also the first grandchild of Russel F. and Doris Kaiser Dement and Robert O. and Ruby Whitshire Bailess, (all of whom doted over him and spoiled him rotten).

Butch was reared in Vicksburg, Miss., where he graduated from high school in 1968 and attended Tulane University on a football scholarship, earning his civil engineering degree in 1972.

Active in his church and in the communities in which he lived, Butch was an excellent gourmet cook, an accomplished actor, vocalist and an avid sportsman.

He excelled in his employment, where he held the position of president of Gulf Concrete LLC. He had just accepted the promotion to vice president of Dunn Investments at Dunn Investments’ home office in Birmingham, Ala., prior to his illness.

He leaves behind a multitude of those he was proud to call his friends.

Butch is survived by his wife, Sheila Maddox Bailess of Madisonville; his three sons, Jason S. Bailess and his wife, Kelda, of Vicksburg, Oren D. &#8220Bucky” Bailess III of Madisonville, and Brett A. Bailess of Oxford; his grandchildren, Chloe L. Bailess and Wesley O. Bailess of Vicksburg; his parents, Oren D. and Betty Ann Bailess of Vicksburg, his paternal grandmother, Mrs. Ruby W. Bailess of Vicksburg; his brother, Robert R. &#8220Bobby” Bailess and his wife, Natalie, of Vicksburg; four sisters, Catherine B. Newton and her husband, John, Judy B. Nasif and her husband, George, Susan B. Mims and her husband, Johnny, all of Vicksburg and Ginger B. Richardson of Vero Beach, Fla.; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life service was today, Feb. 19, at 11 a.m. from the sanctuary of Hawkins United Methodist Church with the Rev. Tommy Miller and Dr. Bob Ford officiating.

Visitation was in the Abundant Life Center of Hawkins United Methodist Church from 10 a.m. until the hour of the service.

There will be an additional memorial service in Madisonville on Sunday, March 4, that will include a musical tribute to his life.

Memorials may be made to Hawkins United Methodist Church, 3736 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS 39180 or to the American Cancer Society, 1380 Livingston Lane, Jackson, MS 39213. Butch founded a program for Concrete Industrial Management (CIM) at Middle Tennessee State University. Memorials can be made to MTSU CIM Building Fund, c/o Dr. H. Brown, P.O. Box 19, Murfreesboro, TN 37132.

Services are under the direction of Riles Funeral Home.

Eugene Cessna

UTICA – Eugene Cessna died Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007, at Veterans Hospital in Jackson. He was 83.

Mr. Cessna was a lifelong resident of Utica and veteran of the U.S. Army during World War II. He was a retired mechanic for Hubbard Chevrolet in Utica. He was a member of Utica Baptist Church, where he was a member of the men’s Bible class.

He is survived by his wife, Edna M. Cessna of Utica; four sons, Arthur Eugene Cessna of Stafford, Va., Bill Cessna of Raymond and Fred Cessna and Roy E. Cessna, both of Utica; a daughter, Dela Leach of Utica; a brother, Francis Cessna of Utica; 12 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and two step grandchildren.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Utica Baptist Church with the Rev. Ben James officiating. Burial will follow at Salem Cemetery in Learned under the direction of Glenwood Funeral Home in Utica. Visitation will be from 5 until 8 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be grandsons.

Memorials may be made to Utica Baptist Church or Salem Cemetery.

Alice Davis Coleman

Alice Davis Coleman died Sunday, Feb. 18, 2007, at River Region Medical Center in Vicksburg. She was 86.

A homemaker, Mrs. Coleman was a member of Bypass Church of Christ.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Henry Coleman Sr.; her parents, William Davis and Mary Elizabeth Patterson Davis; a son, Thomas &#8220T.J.” Jackson Coleman; and a daughter, Mary Sue Boozer.

She is survived by five sons, Henry Coleman Jr., Bracy Coleman, William Coleman, Leon Coleman and Charles Coleman, all of Vicksburg; three daughters, Willie Mae Jackson, Carol Woods and Savannah Coleman-Dixon, all of Vicksburg; and grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

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

Cecil Nevels

Services for Cecil Nevels will be at 2 today at First United Pentecostal Church with Brother D.W. Tipton officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from noon today until the service at the church.

Cecil Nevels died Saturday, Feb. 17, 2007, at his home in Vicksburg. He was 81.

Mr. Nevels was a native of Louisiana and had lived most of his life in Vicksburg. He was the son of the late Lloyd D. and Kattie Spain Nevels. He was a carpenter for the Magnolia Trailor Company for 30 years. He was a member of the First United Pentecostal Church.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his three brothers, J.B. Nevels, Munch Nevels and Julio Nevels, and a sister, Mammie Nevels.

He is survived by his wife, Wardean Nevels of Vicksburg; a daughter, Patricia Moore of Mobile; three grandchildren; four brothers, Leon Nevels, Velton Nevels, Warren Little Son Nevels and J.W. Nevels, all of Vicksburg; and a sister, Maggie Bobb of Vicksburg.

Pallbearers will be Andrew Edwards, Tommy Nevels, Millard Parks, Cody Parks, Raymond Edwards and Glynn Parks.

Thomas Martin Hogan

Services for Thomas Martin Hogan will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Glenwood Funeral Home with the Rev. Chip Starnes officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5 until 8 tonight at the funeral home.

Mr. Hogan died Friday, Feb. 16, 2007. He was 26.

Mr. Hogan was a graduate of St. Aloysius High School and a student at Hinds Community College. He was in the Navy and served aboard the USS Enterprise. He was baptized at Bovina Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Lloyd Obanion Hogan; his maternal grandmother, Hilda Dungan Newton; and his paternal grandfather, Thomas Joseph Hogan.

He is survived by his father, Martin Edward Hogan; his mother and stepfather; Theresa Bounds Ainsworth and Don Ainsworth; two brothers, Richard Allen Berryman and Stephen Grant Berryman, both of Vicksburg; two sisters, Angela Hogan and Olivia Hogan, both of Vicksburg; his maternal grandfather, Steve Bounds Sr. of Vicksburg; his paternal grandmother, Mary Ethel Hogan of Vicksburg; his girlfriend, Larissa Stinson of Vicksburg; and uncles, aunts and cousins.

Pallbearers will be Red Hambright, Clyde B. Stinson, Jerome Hogan, John Ryan Hogan, Dennis Hogan, Phillip Hogan, Thomas Hogan and Michael Hogan.

Honorary pallbearers will be Marty McCain, Hoyt Hogan, Wayne Hambright and Mike Walker.

Memorials may be made to Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital, 2500 N. State St., Jackson, MS 39216 or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105-1942.

Hudson Stafford Smith

Hudson Stafford Smith, infant son of David Stafford and Ashley Hudson Smith, died Saturday, Feb. 17, 2007.

He was preceded in death by his paternal grandmother, Corean Pinkston Smith.

In addition to his parents, he is survived by his maternal grandparents, Monty and Kim Hudson of Dexter, Mo.; his paternal grandfather, Carrollton Warfield Smith Sr. of Vicksburg; and great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Private services were held under the direction of Riles Funeral home.

Memorials may be made to the March of Dimes for the Study of Pena Shokeir, 1275 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains, NY 10605.

Willie Williams Stelivan

Willie Williams &#8220Billy” Stelivan died Friday, Feb. 16, 2007, at Promise Specialty Hospital. He was 74.

A retired brick layer, Mr. Stelivan was of the Baptist faith.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Joe Isom and Nancy Stelivan; two brothers, Joseph Stelivan Jr. and Everitt C. Stelivan; and a sister, Anna East.

He is survived by two sons, John Neal and Elijah Neal, both of Gary, Ind.; five daughters, Deoleah Barnes of St. Louis, Mo., Susan Ella Johnson of Joliet, Ill., Starlene Richardson and Ethel Bowlings, both of Gary, Ind., and Nancy Wilester Stelivan of Vicksburg; a brother, Elbert Lee Stelivan of Vicksburg; a sister, Alberta Anderson of Detroit; 22 grandchildren, 28 grandchildren and other relatives.

Dillon-Chisley Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.

Ronald Charles Wheeler

Services for Ronald Charles Wheeler were at 3 p.m. Sunday at Frank J. Fisher Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation was from 2 p.m. Sunday until the hour of service at the funeral home.

Mr. Wheeler died Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2007, at Hinds County Nursing Center in Jackson. He was 61.

Mr. Wheeler was a native of Jacksonville, Fla., and had been a resident of Vicksburg since 1985. He was the son of the late Raymond Lamar Wheeler Sr. He was an aircraft mechanic with the U.S. Army Reserved for eight years. He served in the Florida National Guard, Desert Storm and U.S. Army Reserved. Mr. Wheeler worked as a casino dealer for Rainbow and Ameristar casinos. He worked as a cameraman for the local NBC in Jacksonville, Fla. He was of the Baptist faith.

In addition to his father, he was preceded in death by his wife, Ruth Harrell-Wheeler.

He is survived by a son, Warren Michael Wheeler and wife, Justine, of Vicksburg; a daughter, Jennifer Micheal Wheeler of Vicksburg; seven grandchildren, Ronald James Wheeler, Devlin Philip Warden, Elizabeth Nicole Wheeler, Nolan Michael Wheeler, Megan Porter, Tara Porter and Jade Ashlin Wheeler; his mother, Helen Wheeler of Jacksonville, Fla.; a brother, Raymond Lamar Wheeler Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla.; and a sister, Marsha Juro of Dallas.