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.

Bruce Carver Farnsworth

Bruce Carver Farnsworth died Saturday, July 17, 2004, at River Region Medical Center. He was 57.

Born in Santa Monica, Calif., Mr. Farnsworth was a former resident of Los Angeles. He had lived in Vicksburg since 1965. He was a graduate of the University of Mississippi and a member of Sigma Pi Fraternity.

Mr. Farnsworth was the owner and manager of Perry Lumber Company for a number of years. He was a member of the Vicksburg Kiwanis Club, where he served as secretary-treasurer for 15 years and was a past president. He was the former lieutenant governor and had served on several district committees for the Louisiana-Mississippi-West Tennessee District of Kiwanis International. He was a past president for the Foundation for Historic Preservation and participated in Keep Vicksburg-Warren Beautiful. He was a member of Christ Episcopal Church.

He was preceded in death by his father, Robert S. Farnsworth.

Survivors include his mother, Leone Templeton Farnsworth Dingman of Vicksburg; two brothers, Perry E. Farnsworth of Lawrenceville, Ga., and Blake T. Farnsworth of Tucson, Ariz.; and nephews, cousins and other relatives, including the Perry, Rigby and Collier families and Martha Maupin Whitaker, all of Vicksburg.

Memorial services will be at a later date.

Riles Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.

Willie W. Harris Jr.

Willie W. Harris Jr. died Saturday, July 17, 2004, at his home. He was 60.

Mr. Harris was a member of Greater Oak Grove M.B. Church, where he served as an usher. He retired from the Army after 21 years of service and was a former employee of Waterways Experiment Station.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Willie W. Harris Sr. and Katie Sanders Harris; a brother, George C. Harris; a sister, Katherine Ransone; and a daughter, Rebecca Harris.

Survivors include his wife, Donzie L. Harris of Vicksburg; three sons, Walter Harris of Vicksburg, Dion Harris of Hattiesburg and Willie W. Harris III of Italy; a daughter, LaDonna Burks of Vicksburg; two brothers, Richard Harris of Vicksburg and Charles Harris of Maintz, Germany; three sisters, Annie Lee Prince, Shirley Porter and Susie Myers, all of Vicksburg; nine grandchildren; and a great-grandchild; and other relatives and friends.

Williams Funeral Service has charge of arrangements.

Tommie Nailor Sr.

Tommie Nailor Sr. died Sunday, July 18, 2004, at River Region Medical Center. He was 92.

Mr. Nailor was a member of Mount Calvary M.B. Church. He was retired from the Canadian Railroad and was a former self-employed carpenter.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Lena Bass and Mack Nailor; a brother, Johnny Nailor Sr.; and two sisters, Della Nailor Mitchell and twin.

Survivors include three sons, Leon Nailor, Tommy Nailor Jr. and Luster L. Nailor, all of Vicksburg; six daughters, Josephine T. Montgomery and Fannie Mae T. Buckley, both of Chicago, Ethel Griffin Johnson, Ruby E. Green and Lillie R. Moore, all of Vicksburg, Shelby Robinson of Fredericksburg, Va.; 21 grandchildren; 19 great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.

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

Helen Elizabeth Shields

Helen Elizabeth Shields died Saturday, July 17, 2004, at her son’s home in Hoover, Ala. She was 85.

Mrs. Shields was a Vicksburg native and former member of First Presbyterian Church. She had been a resident of Shreveport, La., since 1954.

She was a community volunteer and member of St. Luke’s Methodist Church in Shreveport. She had served as an usher at Strand Theater in Vicksburg and other theaters in Shreveport.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Samuel B. Shields.

She is survived by a son, Ernest V. Shields of Hoover; two daughters, Peggy S. Schifelbein of Washington, D.C., and Thelma E. “Betty” Shields of Shreveport; a brother, Robert L. Fields Jr.; two grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Cedar Hill Cemetery with the Rev. Harrison Morgan officiating. Burial will follow under the direction of Fisher Funeral Home.

Visitation will be at the funeral home today until the service.

Memorials may be made to Wiregrass Hospice of Birmingham, 2084 Valleydale Road, Hoover, Ala., 35244.

James P. Stafford Jr.

James P. Stafford Jr. died Saturday, July 17, 2004, at Heritage House Retirement Center. He was 85.

Mr. Stafford was a native of Cary. He received a bachelor’s degree from Mississippi State College in 1939 and a master’s degree from Iowa State College in 1940. He began his engineering career with the Soil Conservation Service in Oklahoma.

He served in Germany and the Philippines during World War II and served with the 412th Army Reserve until his retirement as a colonel in 1973.

Mr. Stafford worked on the Enid and Grenada Reservoir projects in Mississippi and the Narrows and Blakely Mountain projects in Arkansas. He was the resident engineer on the DeGray Dam, dike and powerhouse project before moving to Vicksburg. For 13 years he was chief of the construction division at Vicksburg District Army Corps of Engineers. He received the Meritorious Service Medal and George C. Marshall Award, the Goethals Award and was listed in Who’s Who in America. He was inducted into the District’s Gallery of Distinguished Civilian Employees in June 1990. He was a registered professional engineer in Mississippi and was a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Society of American Military Engineers, Reserve Officers Association, the Retired Officers Association, the Vicksburg Lions Club and the Mississippi State University Alumni Association.

He was a former Sunday school teacher and chairman of the administrative board at Crawford Street United Methodist Church, where he had served on the board of trustees and building and finance committees.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Edna Earle Stafford; and a son, James P. “Pete” Stafford III.

Survivors include two daughters, Patricia Stafford McKnight of Vicksburg and Pam Stafford Hunt of Starkville; a sister, Emily Matheny of Meridian; two grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; nieces, nephews and other relatives, including Nellie Stafford of Vicksburg.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Crawford Street United Methodist Church with the Rev. Geoffrey Joyner, pastor, officiating. Burial will follow at Green Acres Cemetery under the direction of Fisher Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 5 until 7 tonight at the funeral home and at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the church.

Pallbearers will be Dave Wylie, George Hunt, Hugh Green, Wade West, Burton Boyd, Wes Lominick, Bobby Fleming, Bob Moss and Mack Varner.

Honorary pallbearers will be Dr. George E. Abraham II, Bill Flathau and members of the Vicksburg Lions Club and Seniors Sunday School Class.

Memorials may be made to Crawford Street United Methodist Church Building Fund, 900 Crawford St., Vicksburg, MS 39180.