March 4, 2003

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, March 4, 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.

Doris Conn Branning

Doris Conn Branning died Sunday, March 2, 2003, at River Region Medical Center. She was 70.

Email newsletter signup

Sign up for The Vicksburg Post's free newsletters

Check which newsletters you would like to receive
  • Vicksburg News: Sent daily at 5 am
  • Vicksburg Sports: Sent daily at 10 am
  • Vicksburg Living: Sent on 15th of each month

Born in Sereppa, Miss., Ms. Branning was a Vicksburg resident and a homemaker.

Survivors include two sons, Richard Galbreath of Houma, La., and Michael Conn of Vicksburg; four daughters, Tommie Clarkson of Eagle Lake, Patricia Schmidtt of Ridgeland, Miss., Sylvia Galbreath Lewter of Bossier City, La., and Rebecca Galbreath McMahon of Vicksburg; a brother, Clell M. Allred Jr. of Vicksburg; a sister, Jeanette Jerls of Vicksburg; 13 grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Green Acres Memorial Park with the Revs. Brian Ivy and Ben Bradly Lewter officiating. Burial will follow under the direction of Glenwood Funeral Home.

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

Pallbearers will be Walter Schmidtt, Tommy Clarkson, Jason Galbreath, Johnny Lewter, Clell Allred and Scotty Cothran.

Mark Stephen Carlson

BROOKHAVEN Mark Stephen Carlson died Monday, March 3, 2003, at Hospices Ministries of Mississippi in Ridgeland. He was 45.

A former resident of Port Gibson, Mr. Carlson lived in Brookhaven and worked in the restaurant business for many years. He was a member of First Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by his stepfather, Blackie Johnson.

Survivors include his mother, Shirley Bobo Johnson of Brookhaven; a brother, Kenneth Carlson of Hamburg, Miss.; a sister, Cris Simmons of Brookhaven; and nieces and a nephew.

Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Glenwood Funeral Home Chapel in Port Gibson. Burial will follow at Wintergreen Cemetery.

Visitation was scheduled for noon until the service today at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be Gene Simmon Jr., Kenneth Carlson, Michael Bobo, Marty Bobo, Kyle Bobo and Chad Simmons.

Memorials may be made to Brookhaven Animal Rescue League, P.O. Box 909, Brookhaven, MS 39602 or to Hospices Ministries, P.O. Drawer 3490, Brookhaven, MS 39603.

Willie Chong

Willie Chong died Saturday, March 1, 2003, at Southwest Medical Center in Lafayette, La. He was 86.

Mr. Chong retired from the YMCA as a masseuse. He was of the Catholic faith.

He was preceded in death by two brothers, George Chong and Leonard Pierce.

Survivors include his wife, Myrtle Chong; one daughter, Nancy Pendry of Sumpter, S.C.; nine sons, Leon Robinson and Marc A. Johnson, both of Vicksburg, Cecil S. Johnson of Tunica, Harvey D. Wardell of Itta Bena, Roosevelt Wardell of Jackson, Willie Chong Jr. of Fayetteville, N.C., Welton Wardell of Harvey, La., Joseph H. Johnson of Burbank, Calif., and Robert Lee Wardell of El Paso, Texas; one sister, Toy Marks of Los Angeles; 13 grandchildren; and great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives.

W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.

Carol Jones Cook

OAK GROVE Carol Jones Cook died Sunday, March 2, 2003, at her home in Oak Grove. She was 78.

Mrs. Cook was preceded in death by her husband, William Byrd Cook; her parents, Henry Luther Jones and Agnes Jones; and five brothers, Loren Jones, Ozell Jones, Burman Jones, Verell Jones and Reyburn Jones.

Survivors include a sister, Louise J. Sanders of Oak Grove; two sisters-in-law, Willodeen Jones of Oak Grove and Bea Jones of Baton Rouge; and nieces and nephews.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Cox Funeral Home Chapel in Oak Grove with Elder Joe Asbell officiating. Burial will follow at Providence Memorial Cemetery in Lake Providence.

Visitation will be today and until the service Wednesday.

Pallbearers will be Willie Aaron, Bobby Blackwell, Larry Boyte, Wayne Boyte, Jerry Waters and Johnny Gunter.

Nehemiah D. Fountain Jr.

Nehemiah D. “Bae Bro” Fountain Jr. died Saturday, Feb. 22, 2003, at his home in Chicago. He was 53.

Mr. Fountain was born in Vicksburg to Nehemiah Sr. and Rosalie Fountain. He was employed at TRO Manufacturing for 35 years.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a sister, Shirley Fountain; a brother, Charles Fountain Sr.; and his stepmother, Mary Calvin Fountain.

He is survived by his wife, Beatrice Fountain; three daughters, Wanda “Wendy” Fountain, Lisa Fountain and Deanna Fountain; three sisters, his twin Naomi Smith, June Caldwell and Joyce Fountain; two brothers, Elijah Fountain and Herman Fountain Sr.; six grandchildren; and aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Services were Saturday in Illinois under the direction of Hursen Funeral Home.

Pallbearers were Herman Fountain, Elijah Fountain, Charles Fountain Jr., Steve Freeman Sr., Herman Fountain Jr. and Steven Freeman Jr.

Honorary pallbearers were Maurice Freeman, Cedric Powell, Bryant Holt, Tavon Taylor, Dominique S. Taylor and Kaywan D. Palmer.