THOMAS ALLEN GROSS JR.

Published 12:00 am Friday, December 14, 2001

Services for Thomas Allen “Mane” Gross Jr. will be at 1 p.m. Sunday at W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home with the Rev. Rudy Smith officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from noon until 6 p.m. Saturday and begin at noon Sunday at the funeral home.

Mr. Gross died Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2001, at Vicksburg Medical Center. He was 44.

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A 1975 graduate of Vicksburg High School, Mr. Gross was a 1977 graduate of Hinds Community College and attended Knoxville College. He was a former member of the U.S. Army Reserves at the 412th Engineer Command. He was a supervisor at Tyson Foods and a member of Mercy Seat M.B. Church and Sunshine Lodge No. 99, where he was secretary.

He was preceded in death by his father, Thomas Allen Gross Sr.; his mother, Charlene Peace Gross; his maternal grandparents, Armstead and Josie Mae Wallace; paternal grandparents, Harrison Gross and Mattie B. Chambers.

Survivors include his wife, Irene Yates Gross; three daughters, Lashon S. Gross, Kristy D. Gross and Bridgette B. Gross, all of Vicksburg; four sisters, Marian D. Brown, Mattie L. Lacey, Shirley A. Smith and Tammy D. Jones, all of Vicksburg; his paternal stepgrandmother, Julia Mary Gross of Vicksburg; his paternal stepgrandfather, John Frank Chambers of Gary, Ind.; his grandson, Tyreek Anthony Gross of Vicksburg; and other relatives, including Juanita Yates.

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

SISTER MARY ROSARIA MARTELLO, R.S.M.

Sister Mary Rosaria Martello, R.S.M., died Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2001, at Our Lady of Wisdom Health Care Center in New Orleans. She was 95.

Born in Hattiesburg, Sister Rosaria entered the Sisters of Mercy in 1926 and made her first vows in 1931. She received a bachelor of science degree and retired to McAuley Home in Vicksburg. She had lived at Our Lady of Wisdom since 1999.

She is survived by Frances Jaffrion, Marilyn Jackson, Rose Marie Payton, Jo Ann Haggatt and Connie Lipscomb.

A Mass of the Resurrection will be said at 10 a.m. Saturday at Our Lady of Wisdom Chapel, 5600 Gen. De Gaulle Drive in New Orleans. Burial will follow at St. Patrick Cemetery under the direction of All Faiths Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 9:15 a.m. Saturday until the service with Rosary at 9:30.

Memorials may be made to the Sisters of Mercy, Our Lady of Wisdom Health Care Center, 5600 Gen. De Gaulle Drive, New Orleans, LA 70131.

MATT B. PALMER

SANGER, Texas Matt B. Palmer died Saturday, Dec. 8, 2001, at Denton Community Hospital. He was 80.

A former resident of Vicksburg, Mr. Palmer served in the Navy during World War II and was a member of the Yorktown CV5 Reunion. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign War in Denton. He retired as a self-employed tax accountant.

He is survived by his wife, Aline Palmer of Sanger; his daughter, Patricia Aline Palmer of Sanger; and his sister, Rita Hazzlerigg of Vicksburg.

Services were Tuesday at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Denton with Monsignor Charles King officiating. Burial was at Sanger Cemetery in Sanger under the direction of DeBerry Funeral Directors.

ANNA MARGARET ROSE

BOOROWE, NEW SOUTH WEST, Australia Anna Margaret Rose died Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2001, as the result of an automobile accident in Boorowe, New South West, Australia. She was 21.

She is survived by her mother, Margaret Rose of Boorowe; her father and stepmother, Gilbert and Debbie H. Rose of Vicksburg; two sisters, Sarah Rose of Boorowe and Sydney Rose of Melborn, Va.; and her brother, Clinton Collins of Vicksburg.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Youngs Funeral Home in Young, New South West, Australia.

MARGARET ELLEN BIRDSONG STURGIS

Margaret Ellen Birdsong Sturgis died Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2001, at St. Clair Regional Hospital in Pell City, Ala. She was 87.

A lifelong resident of Vicksburg, Mrs. Sturgis was a member of First Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Sebbe E. Sturgis; and two brothers, E.T. Birdsong Jr. and David Reed Birdsong.

She is survived by two sons, Gene Sturgis of Clinton and John L. Sturgis of Oxnard, Calif.; two daughters, Belinda S. Hurd of Pell City and Margaret S. Payton of Colorado Springs, Colo.; her sister, Bird Elise Hunt of Vicksburg; eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Glenwood Funeral Home with Dr. John G. McCall and the Rev. Eric Thomas officiating. Burial will be at Edwards Cemetery.

Visitation will begin at noon Saturday at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be Greg Todd Sturgis, Jason Sturgis, Todd M. Sturgis, Chris Sturgis, the Rev. Billy Hunt and Edgar T. Birdsong III.

ROSIE LEE TANKSON

ROLLING FORK Rosie Lee Tankson died Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2001, at ParkView Regional Medical Center. She was 83.

Mrs. Tankson is survived by seven sons, Willie Tankson of Chicago, Eddie Tankson and James Tankson of Rolling Fork, David Tankson of Cary, John Tankson and Tom Tankson, both of Florida, and Otis Tankson of Houston, Texas; three daughters, Gertrude Hill of Greenville, Rose M. Tankson of Florida and Catherine Tankson of Chicago; her sister, Lizzie Allen of Shaw; and 32 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Mount Zion M.B. Church in Cary. Burial will follow at Cary Community Cemetery under the direction of Walker Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 5 until 6 p.m. Saturday at the church and from 1:30 p.m. until the service Sunday at the church.