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.

HAZEL COPELAND

OAK GROVE Hazel Copeland died Sunday, Dec. 22, 2002, at North Monroe Hospital in Monroe, La. She was 64.

Born in Advance, Mo., Mrs. Copeland lived in Oak Grove.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ernest Phillips and Ida Marie Phillips; and a brother, Jimmy Eugene Phillips.

Survivors include her husband, Odell Pardon of Oak Grove; two daughters, Carolyn Melton of Philadelphia, Miss., and Melinda Copeland Hart of Austin, Texas; a son, Jeff Copeland of Oak Grove; a stepson, James Pardon of Oak Grove; a sister, Geneva Ermoline Pry of Dexter, Mo.; and nine grandchildren.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Oak Grove Church of God with the Revs. Tim Sterling and Bobby Lowery officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery.

Visitation will be until the time of the service Tuesday at the church.

BESS N. DAVIDSON

Services for Bess N. Davidson will be at 2 p.m. today at Riles Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. John G. McCall officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery. Visitation will begin at noon today at the funeral home.

Mrs. Davidson died Saturday, Dec. 21, 2002, at River Region Medical Center. She was 91.

A native of Jefferson County, she lived in Natchez and had been a longtime resident of Vicksburg.

Mrs. Davidson was a graduate of the Street Sanitarium School of Nursing where she received a registered nurse’s degree in 1935. She was a member of the Baptist church.

Mrs. Davidson was preceded in death by her husband, Robert “Bob” Davidson; her parents, Allen and Nannie Lucinda Lyles Nevels; and 10 brothers and sisters.

Survivors include a daughter, Bobbie Hogg of Hebron, Ind.; one son, Richard “Dick” Davidson of Vicksburg; one brother, Roger Nevels of Farmerville, Texas; nine grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be her grandsons.

ROBERT F. IVEY

MOUNT SYLVAN, Texas Robert F. “Bob” Ivey died Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2002, at his home in Mount Sylvan, Texas. He was 67.

A former resident of Vicksburg, Mr. Ivey was a retired offshore drilling rig construction manager. He was an Air Force veteran, serving during the Korean Conflict. He was a member of Mount Sylvan United Methodist Church and was a Mason.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert Franklin and Beatrice Ivey; and a son, Joe Ivey.

Survivors include his wife, Leigh Ivey of Mount Sylvan; a daughter, Kelly Wilson of Peachtree City, Ga.; two sons, David Ivey of Vicksburg and Robert Becker of Houston, Texas; and eight grandchildren.

Memorial services were at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Mount Sylvan United Methodist Church with the Rev. Stephanie Hughes officiating. Caudle-Rutledge Funeral Directors in Lindale, Texas, were in charge of arrangements.

Local private services were today at Cedar Hill Cemetery under the direction of Fisher Funeral Home.

Honorary pallbearers were David Ivey, Robert Becker, Cody Malone, Mac Hughes, Mike Hargrove and Kent Johnson.

Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association or to the Bering Foundation, P.O. Box 540517, Houston, Texas, 77254-0517.

ANN S. MELTON

Services for Ann S. Melton were this morning at Riles Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. John G. McCall officiating. Burial followed at Green Acres Cemetery.

Mrs. Melton died Friday, Dec. 20, 2002, at Heritage House Nursing Center. She was 78.

A native of Monticello, Ark., she had lived in Clinton and was a longtime Vicksburg resident. She was a member of First Baptist Church in Clinton and the Joymakers Senior Choir.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James Ray Melton; and her parents, George Wesley and Clara Burton Sanders.

Survivors include two daughters, Kay Given of Clinton and Shirley Cummins of Vicksburg; two sons, Charles Melton of Pearl and James Harvey Melton of Vicksburg; three sisters, Clarice Young of Viola, Ark., Georgia Mae “Mickey” Barbarotto of Evening Shade, Ark., and Betty Hales of Monticello, Ark.; and 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 1900 Dunbarton Drive, Suite 1, Jackson, MS 39216 or the American Cancer Society, 1380 Livingston Lane, Jackson, MS 39213.

Pallbearers were Steve Given, Chris Melton, Jason Cummins, Charles Melton Jr., Justin Abernathy, Jimmy Hales and Ricky Hales.