JESSIE D. PASSONS

YAZOO CITY Jessie D. Passons died Sunday, March 3, 2002, at King’s Daughters Hospital in Yazoo City. He was 86.

Born in Yazoo City, Mr. Passons was a member of the Masonic Lodge No. 0042 in Yazoo City and the Civilian Conservation Corps. He was the former grand master of the Yazoo Bass Masters. He retired from Ethyl Oil Corporation in Houston, Texas, after 30 years. He was a member of Fletchers Chapel United Methodist Church.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Carrie Mae Tait Passons; his daughter, Betty June Passons; and two sisters and three brothers.

He is survived by his wife, Florine Hearn Passons of Yazoo City; three sons, Delma Passons of Houston, Jessie Passons of Reno, Nev., and Tim Passons of Sinton, Texas; three stepdaughters, Hermanell Barnett of Ocean Springs, Florence Newman of Valley Park and Pat Dye of Starkville; six grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; four step-grandchildren; four step-great-grandchildren; two step-great-great-grandchildren; and other relatives.

Services will be at 3:30 p.m. today at Stricklin-King Funeral Home with the Revs. Paul McDonald, George Butler and Darryl Johnston officiating. Burial will be Wednesday at Resthaven Cemetery in Baton Rouge.

RHODRIC RUDOLPH SAVAGE

OAK GROVE, La. Rhodric Rudolph Savage died Sunday, March 3, 2002, at West Carroll Memorial Hospital in Oak Grove, La. He was 86.

Mr. Savage was born in Perry County to the late Benjamin Franklin Savage and Ada Revette Savage.

He is survived by his wife, Gladys O. Coats Savage of Oak Grove; a daughter, Kathryn Turner of La Mirada, Calif.; three sons, Huey Savage of Oak Grove, James Rhodric Savage of Boulder City, Nev., and Raymond Savage of Fort Worth, Texas; one sister, Beatrice Lauredine of Sanford, Fla.; and 13 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Cox Chapel in Oak Grove with the Rev. David Sistrunk officiating. Burial will follow at New Forest Cemetery in Forest, La.

Pallbearers will be Don Hales, Will Turner, Steve Savage, Steve Bartosh, Jody Savage, George McIntosh, Mike Ross, Marlan Monzingo and James Bartosh.

JAMES STAMPS

James Stamps died Thursday, Feb. 28, 2002, at his home. He was 50.

Mr. Stamps was self-employed as a landscaper.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry Stamps Sr. and Charlie Mae Stamps; and a sister, Helen Kelly.

He is survived by a brother, Henry Stamps Jr. of Vicksburg; two sisters, Cornelia Nelson of Leesville, La., and Bobbie Lee Stamps of Greenwood; and other relatives.

Dillon-Chisley Funeral Home has charge of the arrangements.

LESTER LAVERNE WHITEHEAD

HELENA, Ark. Lester Laverne Whitehead, formerly of Vicksburg, died Saturday, March 2, 2002. He was 84.

Mr. Whitehead was born in Winslow, Ind., to Lester and Essie Adler Whitehead. He was a resident of Helena, Ark. He graduated from Helena High School and attended college in Pennsylvania.

He had worked as an engineer for Westinghouse in Vicksburg. He was a 32nd-degree Mason and belonged to the F&AM Lodge in Mississippi. He was involved in amateur radio as “Whitey.”

He was preceded in death by his wife, Hazel Whitehead.

He is survived by three daughters, Gale Lammers of Marvell, Ark., Alice Bufkin of Vicksburg and Leslie Young of Gulfport; a son, Steven Whitehead of Pittsburgh, Pa.; two sisters, Kathleen Warren of Fort Worth, Texas, and Martha Long of Memphis; and seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Vicksburg.

Visitation will be from 6 until 7 tonight at Roller-Citizens Funeral Home in West Helena.

Memorials may be made to the National Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in memory of David Pendergrass.