February 19, 2003

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, February 19, 2003

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.

J.R. Miller

OWENSBORO, Ky. J.R. Miller died Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2003, at Owensboro Mercy Health System in Owensboro, Ky. He was 86.

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A native of Vicksburg, Mr. Miller retired as chief executive officer of Green River Electric. He was former mayor of Owensboro and former chairman of the Kentucky Democratic Party. He was past president of the former Audubon Boy Scout Council and a member of Settle Memorial United Methodist Church.

He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the Navy.

Mr. Miller is survived by his wife, Tommie Melton Miller of Owensboro; three sons, James M. Miller, Timothy R. Miller and Mark K. Miller, all of Owensboro; two daughters, Jane Haase of Owensboro and Mary Dee Miller of Henderson, Ky.; and eight grandchildren and four stepgrandchildren.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Settle Memorial United Methodist Church. Burial will follow at Owensboro Memorial Gardens Mausoleum.

Visitation will be from 4 until 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday and from 11 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Glenn Funeral Home in Owensboro.

Memorials may be made to Settle Memorial United Methodist Church memorial fund, 201 E. Fourth St., Owensboro, KY 42303 or to the Shawnee Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America, P.O. Box 487, Owensboro, KY 42302.

Andrew Ray Mitchell

HOLCOMB, Miss. Andrew Ray Mitchell died Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2003, at Grenada Lake Medical Center. He was 77.

A former resident of Vicksburg, Mr. Mitchell lived in Holcomb, Miss. He was retired from South Central Bell and was a member of Emmanuel Baptist Church and Telephone Pioneers. He was a Mason.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Fannie Mitchell; a daughter, Jean Ingram; and two sisters, Juanita Nevell and S.L. Sultan.

Survivors include a daughter, Dianne Sharpe of Holcomb; two sons, James Ray Mitchell and Kenny Mitchell, both of Holcomb; a sister, Bertha Evelyn Brown of Ashland, Miss.; 14 grandchildren; and a great-grandchild.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at National Funeral Home Chapel in Grenada, Miss., with Dr. Clarence Cooper officiating. Burial will follow at Sparta Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5 until 8 tonight at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be Jay Mitchell, Greg Mitchell, David Dubard, Stephen O’Neal, Thomas Presley and Terry Welch.

Catherine Smithhart Price

Catherine Smithhart Price died Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2003, at River Region Medical Center. She was 81.

A native of Yazoo City, Mrs. Price was a lifelong resident of Warren County. She had lived in Mound, La., for the past three years. She was a housewife, a former member of Oak Ridge Church of Christ and a member of Tallulah Church of Christ.

She was preceded in death by her first husband, Vernon Smithhart; her parents, Jessie Meadie and Neety Maude Halford Hearron; a brother, Harry Mills; and three sisters, Caddo Anderson, Alene Youngblood and Dollie Redditt.

Survivors include her husband, Edwin Price of Mound; a daughter, Vera Hearn of Vicksburg; a sister, Clara Hearn Oakes of Vicksburg; two grandchildren, Joey Hearn and Myra Davidson, both of Vicksburg; and three great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 10 a.m Thursday at Fisher Funeral Home with Richard Taylor officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Ridge Church of Christ Cemetery.

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

Pallbearers will be Tim Conrad, Jerry Price, Danny Joe Wicker, Douglas Hearn, Warren Pace and R.D. Forbes.

Honorary pallbearers will be John Harris, Kelly Worthy, Sherman Price, J.W. Hearn, Curtis Whatley and George Dwiggins.

Estelena Taylor Scott

EDWARDS Estelena Taylor Scott, a resident of Edwards, died Sunday, Feb. 16, 2003. She was 89.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Greater Zion Traveler M.B. Church in Utica with the Rev. Willie L. Lewis, pastor, officiating.

Alex R. Shells

Services for Alex R. “Lil Bro” Shells will be at 1 p.m. Friday at Jefferson Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill under the direction of Dillon-Chisley Funeral Home.

Mr. Shells died Sunday, Feb. 16, 2003, at his home. He was 45.

He was preceded in death by a son, John Douglas; his parents, Emma Scott and Lee R. Jefferson; and his brother, Albert Shells.

He is survived by a daughter, Jessica Wright of Vicksburg; two sisters, Faye Shells Bolden and Emma Spates, both of Vicksburg; and nieces, nephews and other relatives, including M.W. and Milton Jefferson of Vicksburg.

Jack Shorter

HERMANVILLE Jack Shorter died Friday, Feb. 14, 2003, at River Region Medical Center. He was 76.

A resident of Hermanville, Mr. Shorter was a member of First Christian Church.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Rosie Mae Shorter; his parents, Jackson and Mary Wilson Shorter; a daughter, Shelia Shorter; two brothers, Roman Shorter and Wiley Marshall; and two sisters, Fannie Mae Shoulders and Gergia Nettles.

Survivors include two sons, Lorenzo Shorter of Utica and Jack Shorter of Jackson; two daughters, Elaine Smith and Christy Shorter, both of Hermanville; two brothers, Matthew Shorter of Hermanville and Jill Shorter of Greenville; six sisters, Ollie Ruth Hill, Dorothy Jenkins, Luella Johnson, Jerlean Hill and Martha Christian, all of Hermanville and Mary Spiller of Greenville; eight grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and other relatives and friends.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at First Christian Church with the Rev. Johnny Hughes officiating. Burial will follow at Hermanville Cemetery under the direction of Rollins Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from noon until 6 p.m. Friday at the funeral home in Port Gibson.

Pallbearers will be friends of the family.