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.

Ruth Cain Pilgrim Cook

CLINTON – Ruth Cain Pilgrim Cook died Friday, June 8, 2007, at Hospice Ministries in Ridgeland. She was 92.

Mrs. Cook was a former resident of Durant, Ethel and Kosciusko, born and reared in Attala County. She was a member of Immanuel Nazarene Church in Jackson.

She was preceded in death by husbands, the Rev. Jim Pilgrim and Wallace D. Cook.

Survivors include sons James Pilgrim of Vicksburg and Jerry Pilgrim of Clinton; a brother, Sam O. Cain of Jackson, a sister, Alberta Cain Townsend of Jackson; and six grandchildren.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Ferguson Funeral Home in Clinton with the Rev. Bob Duranceau officiating. Visitation will be from 4 until 6 this afternoon and from 9 a.m. Monday until the service.

Pallbearers will be nephews and fellow church members.

Memorials may be made to a charity of choice.

Dr. Waverley Conway Artz Sr.

Dr. Waverley Conway Artz Sr. died Saturday, June 9, 2007. He was 79.

Dr. Artz practiced dentistry in Vicksburg from 1956 to 2003. He was a lifelong member of First Presbyterian Church.

Dr. Artz is survived by his wife of 54 years, Joan Rebecca Dennis Artz of Vicksburg; one son, Waverley Conway Artz Jr. of Vicksburg; four daughters, Jancsi Herlihy of Madison, Becky Ruth McCaskill of Vicksburg, Amy Beasley of Clinton and Mary Meg Courtney of Brandon; and 11 grandchildren.

Services are being handled by Riles Funeral Home.

Travis Darren McGuffee

JACKSON – Travis Darren McGuffee died Thursday, June 7, 2007. He was 34.

Mr. McGuffee was born and reared in Vicksburg.

Survivors include a son, Trevor McGuffee of Richland; his mother, Penny McGuffee of Pearl; two brothers, Gabe McGuffee of Brandon and Trey McGuffee of Knoxville; and aunts, uncles and cousins in Vicksburg.

Services will be 2 this afternoon at Southside Assembly of God Church in Jackson. Visitation will be from 1 p.m. until the service.

Memorials may be made to Missions at Southside Assembly of God, 665 Raymond Road, Jackson, MS, 39204.

Raymond Allen Reese

LAVEEN, Ariz. – Services for Raymond Allen Reese of Laveen, Ariz., will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Lakeview Memorial Funeral Home with the Rev. Darryl J. Moore officiating. Burial will follow at St. Paul Church Cemetery. Visitation will be from noon until 6 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.

Mr. Reese died Monday, June 4, 2007, at North Mountain Rehabilitation Medical Center in Arizona. He was 58.

A former resident of Vicksburg.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Wesley James Reese Sr. and Effie Lee Bohanna Reese; a sister, Wilma Reese; and his grandparents.

He is survived by three sisters, Ceatrice Smith of Vicksburg, Bertha Meeks of Detroit and Debra Hardy of Tallulah; five brothers, Wesley James Reese Jr. of Vallejo, Calif., Ned B. Reese of Daly City, Calif., Edison Joseph Reese of Detroit and Alonzo Riley Reese, both of Detroit, and Alfonse Reese of Vicksburg; and uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

Louise Smith

Services for Louise &#8220Charlie” Smith will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Dillon-Chisley Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

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

Mrs. Smith died Tuesday, June 5, 2007, at River Region Medical Center. She was 85.

A lifelong resident of Vicksburg, Mrs. Smith was a homemaker and a member of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church.

Mrs. Smith was preceded in death by her mother, Chestine Harrison; and two sisters, Edna Derby and Inez White.

She is survived by six stepsiblings, Hermee Morgan, Maurice Rivers, Ophelia Garbin, Vanessa Robinson, William Garbin Jr. and Malcolm Garbin; and nieces, nephews and other relatives, including Zoe Derby, Leona Burnett and Larry Freeman of Vicksburg, Willie Freeman of Dallas, Inez Young of Beverly Hills and members of the Thomas, Robinson, Wallace, Barnes and Stewart families of Vicksburg.

Nellie Alice Strickland

Nellie Alice Strickland died Thursday, June 7, 2007, at River Regional Medical Center. She was 75.

A native of Natchez, Mrs. Strickland had been a resident of Vicksburg since 1970. She was the daughter of the late Robert Jesse and Kathleen King Jackson. She had worked at Wal-Mart in the fabric department for seven years and H&R Block for five years. She had owned and operated Strickland Tax Services for 20 years. She was a member of Highland Baptist Church. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Clyde J. Strickland; a grandson, Kenneth Harvey Stocks III; and brother, Paul Jackson.

She is survived by two sons, Kenneth H. Stocks Jr. of Delta, La. and Dairy 0. Stocks of Vicksburg; two daughters, Diane Strickland Kuchman and Lisa Strickland Culbreth, both of Vicksburg; eight grandchildren, Jason Stocks, Barry Stocks II, Bennie Stocks, Cami Hook Natalie, Daniel Kuchman, Heather Culbreth and Daelyn Culbreth; a great-granddaughter, Brittany Stocks; a great-great-granddaughter, Ashley Bowser; three brothers, Earl Jackson and Donald Jackson, both of Columbus, and Roy Jackson of Steen.

Services will be at 3 p.m. Monday, June 11, 2007, at Frank J. Fisher Funeral Home Chapel. The Rev. Chan DeAnata of Christ Episcopal Church will lead the service. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be from 3 until 5 tonight, June 10, 2007, at the funeral home.