October 12, 2003

Published 12:00 am Monday, October 13, 2003

Joseph Harris

Joseph Harris died Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2003, at Trace Haven Nursing Home. He was 81.

Mr. Harris was a former employee of the Mat Sinking Unit of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Vicksburg District.

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A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he was a member of American Legion Tyner-Ford Post 213.

He was a member of the Baptist faith.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Emma Harris; one son, Barry Harris; one daughter, Betty Jones Frentz; and one grandson, Maurice Harris.

He is survived by his wife, Lillie Mae Harris; one son, Charles Harris of Antioch, Calif.; four daughters, Ernestine Banks, Eunice Jackson and Carol Smith, all of Vicksburg; and Patricia Tshihamba of Washington, D.C.; one sister, Estelle Barnes of Chicago; grandchildren; and great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Shiloh M.B. Church with the Rev. Willie J. Jones officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be at W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home from 6 until 7 p.m. Monday.

Garland Dean Hill

KILBOURNE, La. Garland Dean “Bubba” Hill died Friday, Oct. 10, 2003, at North Monroe Hospital in North Monroe, La. He was 63.

Mr. Hill was a native and a resident of Oak Grove.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ernest and Mary Gertrude Hill; and one brother, John T. Hill.

He is survived by his wife, Peggy Hill; three sons, Amos Beard of Elk City, Okla., Johnny Beard of Cordell, Okla., and Jason Hill of Memphis; two daughters, Debbie Chapin of Vicksburg and Jana Hancock of Memphis; one brother, Hollis “Hawk” Hill of Kilbourne; two sisters, Sidney Francis Smith of Dubach, La., and Mary E. “Tena” White of Oak Grove; 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 4 p.m. today at Cox Chapel-Oak Grove with the Rev. Leslie Yates officiating. Burial will follow at Kilbourne Cemetery.

Visitation will be at the funeral home from 8 a.m. today until the service.

Pallbearers will be Scott Dunn, John Richard Smith, John Black, J.J. Kincey, Gary Kincey, Junior Neal, D.R. Sanders and Bob Willis.

Honorary pallbearers will be Jimmy Kincey, Buddy Belcher, Jimmy McNeil, Doc Neal, Curtis Bridges, Carl Bridges, Mark Bridges, Arthur Bridges, Dennis Lee, Bobo McDowell, Rick Humphries, Carl Farr and the El Paso pipeline inspectors of Southern Natural Gas company.

Robert Nelson Leggett

Robert Nelson Leggett died Saturday, Oct. 11, 2003, at River Region Medical Center. He was 90.

Mr. Leggett was born in Allen in Copiah County and had lived in Vicksburg since 1940.

After 34 years with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Waterways Experiment Station, he retired as chief of the construction and maintenance branch of the construction service division. He continued working at WES in model construction for 12 years following his retirement.

He was a member of Crawford St. United Methodist Church, having served as lay reader, church-school superintendent, secretary to the administrative board and secretary to the Methodist Men’s Club. He was also treasurer of the Greater Vicksburg Methodist Leadership Training School.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Edith Bass Leggett; two sons, Robert N. Leggett Jr. of Great Falls, Va.; Richard B. Leggett of Vicksburg; three brothers, Dr. J.D. Leggett of Parker and Az Leggett and Charles Leggett, both of Purvis; one sister, Robbie Lee Leggett Curry of Jackson; one grandchild and two great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Crawford Street United Methodist Church with the Rev. Geoffrey Joyner officiating. Burial will follow at Green Acres Cemetery with Fisher Funeral Home in charge.

Visitation will be at the church from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. Monday until the service.

Pallbearers will be J.J. Coker, Tom Leggett, Rusty Hawkins, Mack Varner, Bob Morrison III and the Rev. Warren Coile.

Memorials may be made to Crawford Street United Methodist Church, 1480 Crawford St., in Vicksburg.

Mary Elizabeth Presson

Mary Elizabeth Presson died Friday, Oct. 10, 2003, at Shady Lawn Nursing Home. She was 83.

She was born in Smyrna and was a longtime resident of Vicksburg. She worked for years in sales at Valley Dry Goods and she owned and operated a private day care in her home for more than 25 years.

She was a member of the Church of God of Prophecy.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Seldon Matthew and Aletris Broome Hawkins.

She is survived by her husband, William T. “Bill” Presson Sr. of Vicksburg; two sons, William T. “Tommy” Presson and Mike Presson, both of Vicksburg; one daughter, Cathy Lowe of Vicksburg; one brother, John Terrell Hawkins of Jacksboro, Texas; 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Fisher Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.