September 12, 2002

Published 12:00 am Thursday, September 12, 2002

The Vicksburg Post prints obituaries for residents, former residents and residents’ immediate family members who resided elsewhere when notified by a family member or a funeral home. There is no charge for printing an obituary, but all are edited to meet the newspaper’s requirements.

ALVIN BENSON

JACKSON Alvin Benson died Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2002, at Central Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. He was 65.

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Born in Vicksburg, Mr. Benson attended Bowman High School and Tougaloo College. He worked as a printer in Jackson for a number of years.

He was a member of College Hill Baptist Church in Jackson.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at College Hill Baptist Church with Jose Hinds officiating. Burial will follow at Garden Memorial Park Cemetery in Jackson.

Visitation will be from 7:15 until 8:30 p.m. Friday at Westhaven Funeral Home in Jackson.

JOHN M. BLACK SR.

John M. Black Sr. died Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2002, at River Region Medical Center. He was 97.

Mr. Black was born in Martinsburg, Pa., to Crawford M. and Rebecca Grabill Black. He had been a Vicksburg resident since 1928.

He owned and operated Black’s Store in the Culkin community for more than 40 years. He was a member of Woodlawn Baptist Church, where he was in the Adult V Sunday school class and a member of the Senior Saints.

He was a member of the W.H. Stevens Mason Lodge No. 121 and Wahabi Shrine Temple.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a wife, Neva Holland Black, a stepdaughter, Mary Newman; and four brothers and two sisters.

Survivors include his wife, Nan Logue Black of Vicksburg; one daughter, Margaret Barnes of Vicksburg; two sons, John Black Jr. of Vicksburg and Earl Bodron of Atlanta; two stepsons, Robert A. Logue and Otto A. Logue, both of Vicksburg; two stepdaughters, Joyce Atkins and Patsy Barnes, both of Vicksburg; and 19 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Services will be at 3 p.m. Friday at Fisher Funeral Home with the Revs. Kent Campbell, pastor of Woodlawn Baptist Church, and Carl Barnes officiating. Burial will follow at Green Acres Cemetery.

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

Pallbearers will be Bill Black, Kevin Logue, Robert Barnes, Clyde McKinney, Keith Renfroe and Otto Logue.

Honorary pallbearers will be R.A. Logue, M.L. Atkins, Ed Willis, Albert Shingler, Gene Allen, Dr. John C. Williams, Bernard Riggs, Dr. Daniel P. Edney, Phil Irwin and members of the Adult V Sunday school class.

Memorials may be made to the Woodlawn Baptist Church Building Fund, 2310 Culkin Road, Vicksburg, MS 39183 or to a favorite charity.

ALFRED DILLARD JR.

Services for Alfred “Deechee” Dillard Jr. will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Mount Zion No. 1 M.B. Church with the Rev. Larry Brown officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be today and Friday at Robbins Funeral Home and from 9 a.m. Saturday until the service at the church.

Mr. Dillard died Saturday, Sept. 7, 2002, at River Region Medical Center. He was 88.

Mr. Dillard was Robbins Funeral Home’s funeral director for 70 years. He also worked for Anderson-Tully and retired from Westinghouse after many years. He also briefly played drums for The Red Tops.

He was the oldest member of Mount Zion No. 1 M.B. Church, where he was a lifelong member, soloist and deacon. He was also the facilitator of the weekly prayer service and a member of the Saturday Bible Class.

He was a longtime Scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts of America and assisted in the development of the Boys’ and Girls’ Ranches. He was also a longtime member of the city’s Memorial Day Parade Committee.

All of his professional life, he was a member of the Mississippi Funeral Directors and Morticians Association, state and national.

Mr. Dillard was preceded in death by his parents, Alfred and Mary Dillard; a daughter, Flora Dillard Howard; two sons, Alfred Dillard III and William Richardson; and two sisters, Lucille Williams and Rosalie Dillard.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Bessie R. Dillard; six sons, Thaddeus A. Dillard and John H. Dillard, both of Vicksburg, James C. Dillard of Park Ridge, Ill., Perry L. Dillard of Gulfport, Larry E. Dillard of Miami, Fla., and Leon Harper of Dale City, Va., four daughters, Bessie Dillard Funches and Linda Sweezer, both of Vicksburg, Marilyn G. Dillard of Jackson and Felicia Jones of Fitler; one sister, Frances Wright of Vicksburg; 33 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and other relatives, including members of the Richardson, Bell and Johnson families of Vicksburg.

ADA MARIE PRITCHARD DOZIER

EDWARDS Ada Marie Pritchard Dozier died Friday, Sept. 6, 2002, in Edwards. She was 49.

Mrs. Dozier was a Vicksburg native. She was a member of St. James M.B. Church, where she served as a Sunday school teacher, choir member, church mother, Program Committee chairman, Cemetery Committee co-chairman and Courtesy Committee member.

She graduated from Hinds County Agricultural High School and received a bachelor of science degree from Mississippi University for Women in 1975. She worked for 26 years at the Bank of Edwards, where she was the first black bank teller. She had also worked for a number of years at BancorpSouth.

Mrs. Dozier was preceded in death by her parents, Emma Lee Lomax Pritchard and Algie Stevens.

She is survived by her husband, Henry Thomas Dozier of Edwards; a son, Marcus Jerrard Dozier of Edwards; a daughter, Stephanie Renee Dozier of Edwards; one brother, Daron Pritchard of Edwards; three sisters, Garnetta Collins, Sandra Pritchard and Priscilla Pritchard, all of Edwards; and nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Bonner Campbell College in Edwards. Burial will follow at St. James Cemetery in Edwards.

Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Friday at Lakeview Funeral Home in Vicksburg and from 9 a.m. Saturday until the service at the college.