ALEX W. CUNNINGHAM

Alex W. Cunningham died Monday, June 17, 2002, at his home. He was 96.

Mr. Cunningham was born in Hamburg in Franklin County to Cecil and Florence Rowland Cunningham. He attended Hamburg Public School until 1919 when he moved to Vicksburg. He graduated in 1923 from Vicksburg High School. He was employed by the Vicksburg District Army Corps of Engineers. His work with the Corps began in 1935 in Greenville and took him to Jamaica, Miami and Oak Ridge, Tenn., before he returned to Vicksburg in 1945. Here he was employed by the Mississippi River Commission and Lower Mississippi Valley Division. He retired in 1966 as chief of the audit branch.

In 2000, Mr. Cunningham was featured in a Vicksburg Post story about his continued weekly dancing at Jacques’ Cafe as he turned 95.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth Strickland Cunningham.

He is survived by his daughter, Martha Jo C. Wolcott of Sorrento, La.; two grandsons, Alex Steven Abney and Horace Dean Abney, both of Vicksburg; one granddaughter, Jane Reine of New Orleans; and five great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Hawkins United Methodist Church with the Revs. Mitchell Hedgepeth, pastor of Hawkins United Methodist Church, and Lynette Little, pastor of Bovina United Methodist Church, officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5 until 8 tonight at Fisher-Riles Funeral Home and 1:30 p.m. Thursday until the hour of the service at Hawkins United Methodist Church.

Pallbearers will be Paul Barrett, John Dolan, Joe Lindsey, Oren Bailess, Buddy Lofton, Roy Campbell, Bill Baker and Francis Hanes.

Honorary pallbearers will be members of Elks Lodge No. 95, the Vicksburg Chapter of Retired Federal Employees, W.H. Stevens Masonic Lodge, Crawford Street United Methodist Men’s Bible Class, Leslie Forsythe, Larry Erves, Bill Lauderdale, George Cronia and Dr. Daniel Edney.

BURNELL BANKS HOWARD

Services for Burnell Banks Howard will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Williams Funeral Service with the Rev. Alfred Lassiter Jr. officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5 until 7 tonight at the funeral home.

Mr. Howard died Tuesday, June 11, 2002, at River Region Medical Center. He was 42.

Mr. Banks was employed at River Region Medical Center in the Housekeeping Department. He was of the Baptist faith.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Joseph Howard Sr. and Annie Howard.

Survivors include his wife, Carol Smith Howard of Vicksburg; a son, Christopher Smith of Vicksburg; four daughters, Markita Promise, Annie Sherelle Smith, Whitney Theresa Smith and La’Toya Faye Smith, all of Vicksburg; two brothers, Joseph Howard Jr. and Adam Carter, both of Vicksburg; four sisters, Betty Jean Erves, Pam Banks, Mary Banks and Angela Banks, all of Vicksburg; and three grandchildren and other relatives, including members of the Banks, Brown, Carter, Erves, Smith and Williams families of Vicksburg.

JOHN V. McQUARY JR.

GLEN ALLAN Services for John V. “Mr. Mac” McQuary Jr. were at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at New Providence Cemetery in Derma with the Rev. Jimmy McLendon officiating. Burial followed under the direction of Glenwood Funeral Home of Rolling Fork.

Mr. McQuary died Sunday, June 16, 2002, at G.V. “Sonny” Montgomery Veterans Administration Hospital. He was 74.

Born in Calhoun City, Mr. McQuary had lived in Glen Allan for the past 15 years. He was caretaker at the Issaquena County Conservation League Hunting Camp. He was a veteran of the Army.

He is survived by a son, Phillip McQuary of Glen Allan; his daughter, Bonita A. Massey of Brandon; his brother, O.L. “Red” McQuary of Anguilla; two sisters, Madeline Boland of Pascagoula and Nellie Ruth McQuary of Jackson; and three grandchildren.

RUTHER SMITH JR.

Services for Ruther “Little Hat” Smith Jr. will be at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Mary’s Center. Burial will follow at Henry Cemetery in Edwards under the direction of Dillon-Chisley Funeral Home.

Mr. Smith died Friday, June 14, 2002, at University Medical Center in Jackson. He was 72.

Mr. Smith was a member of Old Oak Ridge M.B. Church in Edwards. He was a veteran of the Army in World War II.

He was preceded in death by a son, Ruther Turner Smith; a grandson, Kareen Smith; his parents, Ruther Sr. and Annie Bell Smith; and four brothers, Willie Smith, Robert Smith, William Smith and Lorenza Smith.

Survivors include seven sons, Robert Smith of Manhattan, N.Y., Robert Gaskin, Patrick Jefferson, Christopher Jefferson, Michael Johnson and Gregory Phillips, all of Vicksburg, and Quintin Ross of Glendale, Texas; four daughters, Cora Lee James, Tamera Wallace, Tiffany S. Jefferson and Felisa D. Jefferson, all of Vicksburg; three brothers, Cleveland Smith and Andrew Smith, both of Gary, Ind., and James Smith of Chicago; seven sisters, Virginia Hubbard and Josie Mallett, both of Edwards, Jo Ella Hunter of Gary, Annie Wright and Mary Knowles, both of Chicago, Bertha Smith of Indianapolis, Ind., and Lucy Nichols of Jackson; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; and other relatives.

Dillon-Chisley Funeral Home has charge of the arrangements.

JAMES WILLIAMS

ROLLING FORK James Williams died Monday, June 17, 2002, at Delta Care in Rolling Fork. He was 84.

Mr. Williams was a member of the Baptist faith.

He is survived by Beatrice Hall of Vicksburg; a nephew, James Norford of Oakland, Calif.; his niece, Janie Reynold of Oakland; and other relatives.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Williams Funeral Service. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5 until 7 tonight at the funeral home.