JOHN F. PAULDING

OAKLAND, Calif. John F. Paulding died Wednesday, April 10, 2002, at Summit Hospital in Oakland, Calif. He was 83.

Mr. Paulding was a former resident of Vicksburg. He retired from Richmond Shell Chemical Company.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ellison and Hattie Hubbard Paulding; three brothers, Thomas Paulding, Oscar Paulding and Ellison Paulding Jr.; and three sisters, Gossie Paulding, Susie White and Sarah Lofton.

He is survived by his wife, Carrie Paulding of Oakland; three sons, L.S. Paulding, John F. Paulding Jr. and Oscar Paulding, all of Oakland; three daughters, Betty Picou, Linda Walton and Bobbie Matthews, all of Oakland; two sisters, Cloria Johnson of San Francisco and Ethel Davis of St. Louis; two stepbrothers, Joe Brown of Oakland and James Brown of Vicksburg; three stepsisters, Julie Prentiss, Hazel Ervin and Margaret Neal, all of Vicksburg; 25 grandchildren; 36 great-grandchildren; and other relatives.

Services were April 19 at Evergreen M.B. Church in Oakland under the direction of Fouche’s Hudson Funeral Home.

GLADYS MAE PERKINS

Gladys Mae Perkins, formerly of Vicksburg, died Saturday, May 4, 2002, in Chicago. She was 74.

A homemaker, Mrs. Perkins was of the Baptist faith.

She was preceded in death by a sister, Nan Perkins Stewart.

She is survived by a son, Larry Perkins of Jackson; a daughter, Linda McCoy of Vicksburg; one brother, Willie Perkins of St. Louis, Mo.; seven grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home.

LEE DORA SMITH

Lee Dora Smith died Tuesday, May 7, 2002, at Trace Haven Nursing Home. She was 80.

Mrs. Smith was a homemaker and member of St. James M.B. Church.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Julia Webber; a son, Robert Smith; a daughter, Gloriastein Thomas; two sisters, Mary Holliday Johnson and Laura Mays; and two granddaughters, Ledoris Smith Fields and Kawya Moore.

Survivors include four sons, Charles Smith, Otis Smith and Anninse Smith, all of Vicksburg, and Eugene Smith of Pontiac, Mich.; five daughters, Erma Smith and Carolyn Jenkins, both of Vicksburg, Sandra Williams, Mary Moore of Saginaw, Mich., and Dorothy Hargrove of California; one brother, Alonzo Webber of Vicksburg; nieces; nephews; and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

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

NEAL ALLEN WOLCOTT

Neal Allen Wolcott died Thursday, May 2, 2002. He was 57.

Born and reared in southern California, Mr. Wolcott attended Cal-State University in Fullerton and studied theater. He had lived in Vicksburg for 3 1/2 years.

Services will be private.

Pallbearers will be Eddie Pettis, George Mayer, Jim Shirley, Andy Szuwalski, Sid Pennington, Jason Fairchild and Ricky Smith.

Memorials may be made to Vicksburg Theatre Guild, P.O. Box 1728, Vicksburg, MS 39181.

Fisher-Riles Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.