February 7, 2002

Published 12:00 am Thursday, February 7, 2002

ARNETTA McWANE BROWN

Services for Arnetta McWane Brown will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 6 until 7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

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Mrs. Brown, formerly of Vicksburg, died Saturday, Feb. 2, 2002, at her home in Washington, D.C. She was 91.

Mrs. Brown was born in Warren County and retired as a clerk from the U.S. Post Office in Chicago. She was a former member of Lynch Chapel United Methodist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard McWane; a daughter, Virginia McWane Lewis; her parents, Albert Brown and Lillie Williams Brown; two brothers, Robert L. Brown and Burton Brown; three sisters, Elizabeth Ford Brown, Mary B. Smith and Julia Ryan; and her maternal grandmother, Hannah Wright.

Survivors include a son, Samuel McWane of Washington, D.C.; one sister, Jeanette Brown Farmer of Vicksburg; two grandchildren, Gerri N. Hevalow of Ventnor, N.J., and Tiffany McWane of Washington, D.C.; and two great-grandchildren.

HEOLA BRANDER GRAHAM

BILOXI Theola Brander Graham died Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2002, in Biloxi. She was 85.

Mrs. Graham was a native and lifelong resident of Biloxi. She was a member and a Sunday school teacher at First Baptist Church of Biloxi. She was past president of the Biloxi PTA.

She was a member of Sunkist Country Club, the Biloxi Ladies Golf Association, the Eastern Star, Magnolia Garden Club, Billikins Carnival Association and the Gulf Coast Carnival Association.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jack D. Graham Sr.; her son, Jack D. Graham Jr.; and a sister, Louise Bander Fayard.

She is survived by her daughter, Patty Cappaert of Vicksburg; three grandchildren, Jay Graham of Baton Rouge, Brandi Cappaert Schwartz of Gulfport and Brent Cappaert of Vicksburg; and two great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the Howard Avenue Chapel of Bradford O’Keefe Funeral Home in Biloxi. Burial will follow at Southern Memorial Park.

Visitation will be from 6 until 9 tonight at the funeral home.

BRUCE C. LAZARUS

Bruce C. Lazarus died Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2002, at Mississippi State Veterans Home in Jackson. He was 89.

Born in Natchez, Mr. Lazarus was the son of the late Orsie Lass and Mamie B. Stier. He had lived in Vicksburg most of his life. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving during World War II. He retired from Marathon-LeTourneau after 37 years of service. He was a member of the VFW and the Methodist faith.

He is survived by a sister, Ruth Griffin of Vicksburg; nieces; and nephews.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Cedar Hill Cemetery with the Rev. Mitchell Hedgepeth officiating. Burial will follow under the direction of Fisher-Riles Funeral Home.

Pallbearers will be Keith Paxton, Scott Paxton, Jake Parsons, Randy Hale and Justus Griffin.

CLARA ANN STRONG

Services for Clara Ann Strong will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at China Grove M.B. Church in the Oak Ridge community with the Rev. Robert L. Miller Sr. officiating. Burial will follow at China Grove Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. Saturday until the service at the church.

Mrs. Strong died Thursday, Jan. 31, 2002, at Vicksburg Medical Center. She was 88.

A homemaker, Mrs. Strong was a member of China Grove M.B. Church in Oak Ridge.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Scott Strong; her parents, Jett Marley and Emma Marley; two brothers, Ernest Marley and Richard “Book” Marley; and two sisters, Hattie Warren and Theresa Wilson.

She is survived by two nieces, Parthine Brown of Albion, Mich., and Fannie Davis of Los Angeles; and her nephew, Willie Evans of Los Angeles.

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

OLA MAE WILLIAMS

Ola Mae Williams died Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2002, at ParkView Regional Medical Center. She was 83.

Mrs. Williams was a member of Mount Zion M.B. Church No. 1, where she served on the Mother Board.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Hardie and Mary Lenson Thrasher; three brothers, Qullie Williams, Jack Williams and Wyman Williams; three sisters, Ollie Mae Thrasher, Willie Mae Thrasher and Ruby McBain.

Survivors include six sons, R.B. Williams of Vicksburg, James E. Williams of Seaford, Del., L.J. Williams of Tampa, Fla., Johnnie L. Williams of Holyoke, Mass., Hardie Lee Williams of Clinton, N.C., and Bennie C. Williams of Del Ray Beach, Fla.; four daughters, Geneva Jones and Martha Lewis, both of Vicksburg, Mary O. McSwain of Portland, Ore., and Maxine Jones of New Orleans; two brothers, Russell Thrasher of Hazlehurst and H.J. Thrasher of Brookhaven; a sister, Alice Brown of McComb; nieces; nephews; and grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren and other relatives.

Dillon-Chisley Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.

JOANNA WOODRUFF

EDWARDS Services for Joanna Woodruff will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Springridge M.B. Church. Burial will follow at Bar Ridge Cemetery in Hinds County.

Visitation will be from 7 until 8 p.m. Friday at Dillon-Chisley Funeral Home.

Mrs. Woodruff died Saturday, Feb. 2. 2002, at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas. She was 81.

Mrs. Woodruff was a member of Springridge M.B. Church where she was on the Mother Board.

She is survived by two sons, Leo Woodruff Jr. of Richardson, Texas, and James Woodruff Sr. of Jackson; three daughters, Minnie Reed of Lockport, Ill., Rhodia McKenzie of Dallas and Maxie Randon of Edwards; her sister, Annie Woodson of Chicago; 12 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren; and other relatives.

LOLA V. LAY WOOTEN

Lola V. Lay Wooten died Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2002, at Vicksburg Medical Center. She was 85.

A lifelong resident of Lake, Miss., Mrs. Wooten was a member of Goodhope Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by a daughter, Shirley Hollingsworth; a brother, Glover Lay; and two sisters, Gurdia Lay Gibbs and Opel Sessums.

Survivors include a son, Durwood L. Tadlock of Vicksburg; a brother, Gradon Lay of Lake; and four grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, stepgrandchildren and stepgreat-grandchildren.

Services were at 11 a.m. today at Colonial Chapel Funeral Home in Forest with the Rev. Harold Laird and Dr. Leon Everett officiating. Burial followed at Salem Baptist Church Cemetery in Scott County.

Pallbearers were Darryl Towell, Kirk Carraway, Hez Hollingsworth, Bob Gray, Clinton Carraway and Kyle Keeton.