BERLEAN BENARD

Berlean Benard died Saturday, Dec. 21, 2002, at Shady Lawn Nursing Home. She was 92.

A resident of Vicksburg, Mrs. Benard was a homemaker. She was of the Baptist faith and a member of the choir at Mount Olive M.B. Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Jake Benard; her parents, Byrl Lawson and Hattie Lawson; and a brother, Joseph Gaskin.

Survivors include a sister, Dora Stewart of Vicksburg; nieces, nephews and others including, the Gaskin family and Willie Mae Singleton, both of Vicksburg.

Services will be at noon today at W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Joseph Briscoe and Leon Nelson officiating. Burial will follow at Pleasant Hill Cemetery.

PERCY GARY

Percy Gary died Thursday, Dec. 26, 2002, at Veterans Administration Medical Center in Jackson. He was 72.

A resident of Vicksburg, Mr. Gary was a retired machine operator for Union Compress. He was a member of Christian Home No. 2 Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Bessie Gary and Percy Gary Sr.; a son, Derrick Tair; and a daughter, Percil Pope.

Survivors include his wife, Essie Gary of Vicksburg; a son, William Wardell Gary of Nantucket, Mass.; ten daughters, Derrekia Gary, Cheryl Tair and Claudette Tair, all of Vicksburg, Linda Starks and Monia Bell, both of Rosedale; Helen Michell Gary, Rose Evelyn Gary and Grace Evelyn Gary, all of Chicago, Brenda Gary of Dayton, Ohio and Lettie Pearl Gary of Beulah; a sister, Janie Styles of Memphis; grandchildren; great-grandchildren; and other relatives.

Williams Funeral Service has charge of arrangements.

ROSCOE PETER MACE SR.

EDWARDS Roscoe Peter Mace Sr. died Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2002, at Decatur Hospital in Decatur, Ga. He was 84.

Mr. Mace was a resident of Edwards.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Elnora Fields; two sons, Roy Peter Mace and Roscoe Mace Jr.; three sisters, Velma Burks, Luevester Hays and Clara Winston; and a brother, Stanford B. Mace.

Survivors include three daughters, Gloria Mace Morrison of Memphis, Betty Mace Godbolt and Regina Mace Crowder of Stone Mountain, Ga.; a son, Donald Mace Sr. of Edwards; two brothers, Robert Earl Mace of Chicago and Huey P. Mace of Vicksburg; four sisters, Queen E. Jackson of Edwards, Mynetta Smith of Jackson, Aileen Moore of Oakland, Calif., and Ethel Mace of Indianapolis, Ind.; ten grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at New Oak Ridge M.B. Church in Edwards.

Peoples Funeral Home of Jackson has charge of arrangements.

GEORGE LARRY RACHAL

NEWELLTON, La. George Larry Rachal died Thursday, Dec. 26, 2002, at North Monroe Hospital. He was 81.

A resident of Newellton, La., Mr. Rachal was a retired truck driver. He was an Army veteran serving in World War II. He was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church and the American Legion.

Survivors include his wife, Susan Peters Rachal of Newellton; a daughter, Liz Rachal of Newellton; and three sisters, Alma Black of West Monroe, La., and Mae Brossett and Lela Bennett, both of Monroe, La.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. today at St. Joseph Catholic Church in St. Joseph, La. with Jacob Thomas and Chris Russell officiating. Burial will follow at the Legion Memorial Cemetery in Newellton under the direction of Crothers-Glenwood Funeral Home of Tallulah.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m until the service today at the church.

Pallbearers will be Charles Peters, Jason May, John May, Regan Russell, Gene Rachal and Trent Williams.

ELSIE C. SMITH

UTICA Elsie C. Smith died Friday, Dec. 27, 2002, at Baptist Hospital in Jackson. She was 85.

Born in Copiah County, Mrs. Smith had lived in Utica for most of her life. She was a retired home economics teacher for Hinds County Public Schools. She was a member of the Eastern Star and Utica Christian Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Otis C. Smith.

Survivors include a son and daughter-in-law, Nick and Peggy Smith of Utica; and two granddaughters, Denise Crowder of Dallas, Texas and Nikki Smith of Utica.

Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Utica Christian Church with the Rev. Lucian Lee officiating. Burial will follow at Pine Bluff Cemetery in Dentville, under the direction of Glenwood Funeral Home.

ETHEL GIBSON

RIDGELAND Ethel Gibson died Thursday, Dec. 26, 2002, at her home in Ridgeland. She was 80.

She was a member of St. Luke Christian Church in Pattison.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Leroy Thompson and Lizzie Dee-Thompson; two brothers, Leroy Thompson and Louis Thompson, four sisters, Annie Reed, Arcola Moore-Trunnel, Emma Savage and Lillie Davis.

Survivors include four daughters, Estella Gales of Detroit, Mich., Betty Hardges of Ridgeland, Joan Lynch of Dallas, and Luejean Wagner of Redding, Calif.; two sons, Roosevelt Smith of Fayette and Roan Gibson of Port Gibson; granchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Services will at 2 p.m. Monday at St. Luke Christian Chruch with T.E. Harris officiating. Burial will be at the church cemetery.

Visitation will be Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. at Thompson Funeral Home Chapel and Monday from 1 p.m. until the service at the church.

ADDIE HOWARD

HERMANVILLE Addie Howard, 82, died Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2002 at River Region Medical Center in Vicksburg. She was 82.

She was a member of Mountro Grove M.B. Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Hampton Howard and Susie Young-Howard; a son, Earl Howard; two sisters, Emma J. Johnson and Rosie Spencer; and three brothers, Jasper Howard, Ervin Howard and Phillip Howard.

She is survived by two sons, Sidney Howard and Percy Howard, both of Harvey, La., seven daughters, Sadie Williams and Maxine Howard, both of Carlisle, Florene Robinson of Hermanville, Juanita Howard and Joyce Howard, both of Gretna, La., Henrietta Howard Stamps and Gloria Lee, both of Marrero, La.; a sister, Ethel Lee Howard of Port Gibson; 49 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren, neices, nephews and other relatives.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mountro Grove M.B. Church with the Rev. Horace McBride officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery.

Visitation will be from 1 to 6 p.m. today at Thompson Funeral Home and from noon until service time at the church.