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.

CARLTON LAMAR BROWN SR.

Services for Carlton Lamar Brown Sr. will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Word of Faith Christian Center with Reginald Walker officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery with repast at American Legion Tyner-Ford Post No. 213.

Visitation will be from 6 until 8 tonight at Williams Funeral Service.

Mr. Brown died Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2002, at his home. He was 44.

Mr. Brown worked at Quaker State Refinery and was a member of Word of Faith Christian Center.

He was preceded in death by his mother, Elizabeth Ann Brown.

He is survived by his wife, Utopia Brown of Vicksburg; a daughter, Ebony Brown of Vicksburg; a son, Carlton Brown Jr. of Vicksburg; his father, James A. Brown Sr. of Vicksburg; two brothers, Anthony Brown and James A. Brown Jr., both of Jackson; two sisters, Jacqueline Brown of Atlanta and Elizabeth Brown of Vicksburg; and his grandmother, Clois Johnson of Vicksburg.

VIRGINIA FLETCHER DOWNING

Virginia Fletcher Downing died Thursday, Dec. 26, 2002, at her home in Vicksburg. She was 75.

Mrs. Downing was born in Oneonta, N.Y. She received a degree in elementary education from the State University of New York in 1949. She taught school in Scotia, N.Y., before moving to Vicksburg in 1955. She taught at Vicksburg and Warren County elementary schools and at Porters Chapel Academy. She was a member of Christ Episcopal Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Clarence and Catherine Fletcher; and a brother, Clarence Fletcher Jr.

Survivors include her husband, George C. Downing of Vicksburg; two daughters, Cyrena C. Downing of Vicksburg and Lydia Downing Kendall of Cleveland, Miss.; a brother, Donald Fletcher of Oneonta; two granddaughters; and nieces and nephews.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Fisher Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Denny Allman officiating.

Visitation will be from 6 until 8 tonight and from 10 a.m. until the service Saturday at the funeral home.

Honorary pallbearers will be Lucius Dabney, Ray Duncan, Bobby Polk, Jimmy Horn, Allen Rooke and Bobby Reed.

LESTER L. GRANT

Services for Lester L. Grant will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Riles Funeral Home with the Rev. Michael Nation of the Church of the Holy Trinity officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 6 until 8 tonight at the funeral home.

Mr. Grant died Monday, Dec. 23, 2002, at University Medical Center in Jackson. He was 68.

A native of Issaquena County, he had been a Vicksburg resident for more than 40 years. He served with the Marine Corps from 1956 until 1958 in Puerto Rico.

He was part owner of Keith Williams Lime Co., which was purchased by Falco Lime Inc., then served as general manager of Falco before retiring in January. He was an amateur ham operator with the call letters WJ5L.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence Homer and Lula Miller Grant; and two brothers, Lawrence Grant and Ervin Grant.

Survivors include his wife, Jackie M. Grant; three daughters, Terri Grant Ulmer of Vicksburg, Kimberly Grant Mathews of New York, N.Y., and Derita Grant Atkinson of North Carolina; two sons, Larry Wayne Mason of Rogersville, Ala., and Lester Grant Jr. of Covington, Ga.; a sister, Lenora Burnette of Theodore, Ala.; five brothers, Jerry Grant, James Grant and Clarence Grant, all of Mayersville, Charles Grant of Vicksburg and Joe Grant of Kilmichael; four grandchildren, Thomas Ian Ulmer and Andrew Jacob Ulmer, both of Vicksburg, and David Grant and Emily Ann Grant, both of Covington; and nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be Warren Pace, Keith Rogers, Lamar Heffner, Jinx Smith, J.O. Smith III and Reggie Crawford.

Honorary pallbearers will be Fred Farrell Sr., Larry Lambiotte Sr., and employees of Falco Lime Inc. and PolyVulc USA Inc., Tom McLane, Keith Kinstley, Chuck Ross, Dr. John C. Williams and E.A. Thornton Jr.

CARMELIA HAMBLIN

WEST POINT, Miss. Carmelia Hamblin died Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2002, at Clay County Medical Center in West Point, Miss. She was 48.

A native of Vicksburg, Mrs. Hamblin lived in West Point. She was an X-ray technologist for 28 years and a member of Calvary Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ural Bliss and Lula Bufkin; and a sister, Elizabeth Bliss.

Survivors include her husband, Randy Hamblin of West Point; a daughter, Mary Hamblin of West Point; a son, Johnny Hamblin of West Point; and two brothers, Ural Bliss and David Bliss, both of Vicksburg.

Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Calvary Baptist Church in West Point with Dr. James Towery officiating. Burial will follow at Greenwood Cemetery under the direction of Calvert Funeral Home in West Point.

Pallbearers will be Chris Letson, T.C. Wooten, David Bliss Jr., Scott Hinnant, Brian Hinnant and John Burt Wooten.

Honorary pallbearers will be the deacons of Calvary Baptist Church, the Bearean Sunday School Class, the staff of Clay County Medical Center, Dr. T.N. Braddock, Dr. R.T. Lott, Dr. Robert Dunn, Dr. B.D. Sullivan and the staff of Healthsouth.

Memorials may be made to Calvary Baptist Church Building Fund, 460 McCord St., West Point, MS 39773.