LESLIE BROWN

LORMAN Leslie Brown died Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2001, at ParkView Regional Medical Center. She was 92.

A homemaker, Mrs. Brown was born in Franklin County. She had lived in Lorman for a number of years. She was a member of Higdon Methodist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James Brown; her parents, John Porter and Elizabeth Cameron; 10 brothers; five sisters; and a son, Early Lee Vessell.

She is survived by two daughters, Ruby Johnson and Carolyn Brown, both of Lorman; four sons, Ralph Cameron of Magnolia, Ben Porter of Fayette and Fred Porter and Ed Porter; four sisters, Dee Ann Porter and Elnora Porter, both of Chicago, Lee Ann Porter of Convent, La., and Catherine Porter Wells of Fayette; nine grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and friends and other relatives, including Bessie Galloway Vessell of Port St. Lucie, Fla.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Higdon Methodist Church of Roxie with the Rev. Marvin Eanochs officiating. Burial will follow at Higdon Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 1 until 7 today at Rollins Funeral Home in Fayette.

Pallbearers will be Samuel Brinkley Jr., Leonard Brinkley Jr., David Cameron, George Collins, Billy Smith, Ronnie Watts, Preston Weddington and Raymond Wright.

Honorary pallbearers will be Darren Johnson, Otis Brinkley, Detrell Brinkley, Zachary Brown, Jimmy Keys, Cedric Vessell, Robert Fisher and Charles Vessell.

JESSIE B. THOMAS EATMON

EDWARDS Services for Jessie B. Thomas Eatmon will be at noon Saturday at Springridge M.B. Church. Burial will follow at Bar Ridge Cemetery in Edwards under the direction of Lakeover Funeral Home.

Mrs. Eatmon died Friday, Sept. 14, 2001, at Bay City Hospital in Flint, Mich. She was 80.

Mrs. Thomas had lived in Edwards for a number of years before moving to Flint. She was retired from Anderson-Tully Co. and was a member of Springridge M.B. Church in Edwards.

Mrs. Thomas was preceded in death by her parents, Ella and John Henry Thomas; a son, Ethel James Thomas; three sisters, Lauree Thomas, Coretta Thomas and Vantee Singleton; and eight brothers, Richard Thomas, Clifton Thomas, John Henry Thomas, Allen Thomas, Lewis Thomas, George “Bo” Thomas, Bennie Thomas and McKinley Thomas.

She is survived by a daughter, Earnestine Barker of Flint, Mich.; a son, Ellis Irving Thomas of Edwards; three sisters, Kayretha Smith of Learned and Virginia Bradley and Ruth Roby, both of Vicksburg; three grandchildren; one great-grandson; and other relatives, including Elex Singleton, John Henry Singleton, Ulysses Singleton and Freddie Singleton.

IRA JONES

NEW ORLEANS Ira Jones died Friday, Sept. 14, 2001, at Kindred Hospital in New Orleans. He was 96.

Mr. Jones was a Claiborne County native and had lived in New Orleans for a number of years. He was a retired self-employed logger.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Alonzo Jones and Emma Morton; two sons, Ira Jones Jr. and Leandrew Jones Sr.; and two grandchildren, Barbara Ann Jones and Demetrice Jones.

Survivors include two sons, Dudley Jones of Dayton, Ohio, and Fred L. Jones Sr. of Port Gibson; a daughter, Carrie R. Jones Moore of New Orleans; two brothers, Nathaniel Jones and Eddie Duffin, both of Port Gibson; a sister, Emma Brandon of Port Gibson; 27 grandchildren; 60 great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends, including Adline Bailey of Port Gibson.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Morning Star M. B. Church in Lorman with the Rev. Larry Clark officiating. Burial will follow at McCaa Cemetery in Lorman.

Visitation will be from 3 until 6 today at Rollins Funeral Home in Port Gibson.

Pallbearers will be Gregory Ekins, Leandrew Jones Jr., Fredrick Jones, Patrick Jones, Willie Moore Jr., Bryan Moore, Kenneth Hollins and Stanley Cook.

Honorary pallbearers will be Fred Jones, Dudley Jones, Nathaniel Jones, Eddie Duffin, Allen Jones and Michael Williams.

BENETTA LEE DAVIS KEENE

FAYETTE Benetta Lee Davis Keene died Friday, Sept. 14, 2001, at her home in Fayette. She was 74.

Mrs. Keene was born in Kankakee, Ill. She was a former government employee in Fort Lee, Va., and a former employee of H&R Block. She worked as a volunteer at the Jefferson County Library.

She attended Rose Hill No. 1 and Bethlehem Baptist churches. She was a member of various bridge clubs and the Michigan Cancer Society.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Margie Zollicoffer Davis, and a sister, Betty Oneva Armstrong.

Survivors include a niece, Margie Stone of Oak Park, Mich.; nephews, including Todd Arthur Stone and Gionni Natori Stone, both of Buckhead, Ga., and Donald Shelton Stone of Fort Jackson, S.C.; aunts; and other relatives and friends.

Services will be at noon Saturday at Rose Hill No. 1 Baptist Church in Fayette with the Rev. Percy Turner officiating. Burial will follow at Rose Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 3 until 6 today at Rollins Funeral Home in Fayette.

Pallbearers will be Booker T. Berry, J.W. Wiley, Andrew Dorsey Jr., Alfred Tyler and Theodore Fleming Jr.

Honorary pallbearers will be Todd Stone, Donald Stone, Peter Jenkins and Juanita Tyler.