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.

Rev. Robert Branch

PORT GIBSON The Rev. Robert Branch died Friday, May 21, 2004, from injuries received in an automobile accident. He was 64.

Rev. Branch was born in Louisville to John Albert and Estella Branch. He was a member of New Mount Sinai M.B. Church No. 2 in Chicago, where he served on the Deacon Board. He was a member of the Illinois Baptist District Association, serving as corresponding secretary of the Illinois State Brotherhood Union.

He moved to Port Gibson, where he was a member of St. Paul M.B. Church and was ordained by the Association of Ministers. He was assigned to Lake Grove Baptist Church in Louisville, where he was pastor for more than 20 years. He had also served as pastor at Morning Star in Vicksburg, Old Come and See in Port Gibson, First Baptist in Carthage and St. Peter in Utica.

Survivors include his wife, Katie M. Branch of Port Gibson; a daughter, Lalita Dobbins of Chicago; a son, Robert Branch Jr. of Poplar Grove, Ill.; five stepsons, Gerald Brinner and Glen A. Brinner, both of Chicago, Andrew Anderson of Bowling Brook, Ill., Darnell Brinner of Hanover Park, Ill., and Melvin Brinner of Port Gibson; one stepdaughter, Gustina Phillips of Port Gibson; eight brothers, Clyde Branch, Albert Branch, William B. Branch and Louis Branch, all of Chicago, George Branch of Louisville, Sylvester Branch of Virginia, Isaiah Branch of Rockford, Ill., and Edward Branch of Detroit; three sisters, Rosemary Johnson of Chicago, Hattie Mae Wilson of Louisville and Arma June Hill of Evanston, Ill.; seven grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Lonely Valley A.M.E. Church in Louisville with Edward L. Branch, pastor of Third New Hope Church in Detroit, officiating. Burial will follow at the Peterson Family Cemetery in Louisville.

Visitation will be from 1 until 5 p.m. Friday at Thompson Funeral Home in Port Gibson, followed by a memorial service from 6 until 7 p.m. at St. Paul M.B. Church in Pattison.

Clyde Cooks

EDWARDS Services for Clyde Cooks will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at St. Paul M.B. Church in Edwards. Burial will follow at the church cemetery under the direction of Lakeview Memorial Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from noon until 7 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

Mr. Cooks died Tuesday, May 25, 2004, at his home in Edwards. He was 42.

He is survived by six brothers, Jimmie Dotson of Grandview, Mo., and Samuel Cooks, Curtis Armstrong, Ronnell Cooks, Alfonzo Carter and Gregory Tatum, all of Edwards; eight sisters, Sharlena Fahngon of Columbia, S.C., and Elise Beacham, Gertha Ponce, Shirley Williams, Annette Jones, Dorothy Richards, Denise Richards and Ella Mae King, all of Edwards; and other relatives and friends.

Leola Hill

DENVER, Colo. Leola Hill died Sunday, May 23, 2004, in Denver, Colo. She was 66.

Miss Hill was a native of Edwards and a resident of Denver.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Fannie Mae Carson; a stepfather, Eugene Carson Sr.; a sister, Maude Carson Hollis; and a brother, Adolph Carson Sr.

Survivors include a daughter, Debra Harris of Denver; five sisters, Betty Carson Prentiss, Georgia Carson Ross, Mary Carson Smith, Catherine Carson and Sadie Carson Clark, all of Vicksburg; a brother, Eugene Carson Jr. of Vicksburg; and other relatives and friends.

Ballard Family Mortuary in Denver has charge of arrangements.

Henri Leighton

Henri Leighton died Friday, May 21, 2004, at his home in Plainfield, N.J. He was 86.

Born in Memphis, Mr. Leighton was a former resident of Vicksburg, New York City and Summit, N.J., before moving to Plainfield in 1984. He was the son of Theo and Janet Shuster Levi.

He received a bachelor’s degree in English literature from the University of Mississippi in 1938. He served as a cryptographer in the Army Air Force during World War II. He operated a jewelry shop in Manhattan before owning and operating “Beautiful Things” shop in Scotch Plains, N.J., from 1973 until 1996.

Mr. Leighton was a professional photographer, and his works were included in the “Family of Man” exhibition sponsored by the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Paula Leighton.

He is survived by a brother, Ted Levi of Vicksburg.

A celebration of life will be scheduled later. Riles Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.

Johnny Andrew Smith

HERMANVILLE Johnny Andrew Smith died Friday, May 21, 2004, from injuries received in an automobile accident. He was 45.

Mr. Smith was a member of Jones Chapel Church in Hermanville. He was employed at Jackson Municipal Airport.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Alicia Smith; his parents, Ervin Smith Sr. and Johnnie Ruth Smith; and a brother, MacArthur Smith.

He is survived by his fiancee, Mary Barnes of Hermanville; one son, Kamaal Smith of Hermanville; three daughters, Shavon Davis of Ridgeland, Kristian Smith of Hermanville and Courtney Allen of Anchorage, Alaska; six brothers, George Smith, Willie Smith and John Wesley White, all of Hermanville, Donald Smith of Port Gibson, John Henry White of Detroit and Ervin Smith of Jesuit Bend, La.; a sister, Patricia Smith of Hermanville; five grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, other relatives and friends.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Christian Chapel Church in Port Gibson with the Rev. Johnny Hughes officiating, assisted by Elder T.E. Harris. Burial will follow at Mountro Grove Cemetery in Hermanville.

Visitation will be from 1 until 6 p.m. Friday at Thompson Funeral Home in Port Gibson with family hour from 6 until 7 and from noon Saturday until the service at the church.