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.

Willie May “Madea” Clay

Willie May “Madea” Clay died Friday, Aug. 31, 2007, at River Region Medical Center. She was 89.

Mrs. Clay was a homemaker. She was a member of Bright Morning Star M.B. Church, where she was president of the Usher Board for 42 years; a member of the Esther Grand Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star, in which she was associate grand matron; a member of the Daughters of Sphinx; a member of the Ladies of the Night; and was worthy matron of the ADA Chapter No. 1 of the Heroines of Jericho.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James “Jack” Clay Sr.; her parents, Thomas J. Johnson and Mamie E. McJoy Johnson; five brothers, Thomas J. Johnson, Lucious Johnson, James Johnson, Abraham Johnson and Robert Johnson; and three sisters, Mamie Sarah Curry, Lucy Lee Witchard and Jessie Tolar.

She is survived by two sons, Bernard H. Clay of Las Vegas, and James E. “Big June” Clay; seven daughters, Cinderetha M. Clay and Brenda M. Hunter, both of Los Angeles, Jean P. Byrd and Wanda L. Clay, both of San Diego, and Shirley A. Lowe, Westine L. Houston and Joyce M. Joiner, all of Vicksburg; three sisters, Gladys Stanley and Mary Jane Johnson, both of Chicago, and Carrie Bell Johnson; 16 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and nephews and nieces.

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

Chester G. Hall

Fort Worth, Texas — Chester G. Hall, 91, died Wednesday, August 29, 2007, at Garden Terrace Alzheimer’s Center of Excellence in Fort Worth, Texas.

He was born September 10, 1915, in Fresno, Calif., the son of Charles Waiteman Hall and Cora Edith Denny Hall.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Joan Eggleton Hall; his daughter, Rosemary Hall Ferguson; his sister, Catherine Hall Yokum of Benicia, Calif.; and his brothers, Clyde Hall and Kenneth Hall, both of Fresno.

He is survived by a son, Kenneth G. Hall of Vicksburg and his wife, Cathey; three daughters, Carol Marshall of Kuwait City, Kuwait, Taffy Jeffers of Longview, Texas, and her husband, Steve, and Susan Everts of Fort Worth and her husband, Frank; 17 grandchildren; 26 great-grandchildren.

After graduating high school in 1932, Chester was employed by R.G. LeTourneau Inc. — first as a blueprint boy, draftsman engineer and design engineer and later as a chief design engineer, a job in which he designed revolutionary, electrical powered earth-moving equipment and off-shore drilling rigs for LeTourneau in Fresno; Peoria, Ill.; Toccoa, Ga.; and Longview.

In 1976, he moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, where he was employed by I.H.C. Holland and Baker Marine, developing off-shore jack-up rigs. He traveled extensively in the Netherlands for I.H.C. Holland and in Singapore for Baker Marine. He retired in March 1995 and moved to Vicksburg to live with his son. In December 2004, he moved to an Alzheimer’s facility in Fort Worth.

He was a devout Christian, active in the Presbyterian Church, a Gideon since he was 24, a Lions Club member and was involved in many local charities.

Services will be at 3 p.m. Saturday, September 8, 2007, at First Presbyterian Church in Longview, followed by burial beside his mother and wife in Grace Hill Cemetery.

Charles Earl Sanders

Charles Earl Sanders died Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2007, at Shady Lawn Nursing Home. He was 48.

Born and reared in Mayersville, Mr. Sanders had retired from the City of Vicksburg.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Willie and Savannah Sanders; three brothers, Jimmy Sanders, Willie Sanders and Richard Sanders; and one sister, Mae Catherine Sanders.

He is survived by his wife, Darlene Sanders of Vicksburg; one son, Raymond Harvey; five stepchildren, Preston Miller, Danny Miller, Henrietta Miller, Darlene Miller and Teretha Miller, all of Vicksburg; three brothers, Charlie Sanders of Rolling Fork, Walter Sanders of Kansas City, Mo., and Andrew Sanders of Washington; three sisters, Ruby McClain of Lambert, Mary Sanders of Gary, Ind., and Linda Waller of Vidalia, La.; and other relatives.

Dillon-Chisley Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.