Eddie Burrell

HERMANVILLE Eddie Burrell died Monday, Oct. 4, 2004, at his home in Hermanville. He was 85.

Born in Claiborne County, Mr. Burrell was the son of the late Washington Burrell and Mary Martin. He was the first black road supervisor of District 4 in Claiborne County and was a member of Shady Grove Baptist Church.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Rosann Burrell; two brothers and a sister.

Survivors include a son, Eddie James Burrell of Indianapolis, Ind.; three daughters, Earnestine Burrell of Chicago, Jessie Mae Lowery of Grand Junction, Mich., and Anna Mae Burrell of Plainfield, N.J.; seven grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at First Baptist Church in Hermanville with the Rev. Johnny Hughes officiating. Burial will follow at the Burrell Family Cemetery under the direction of Rollins Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 1 until 7 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home in Port Gibson.

Friends of the family will serve as pallbearers.

Honorary pallbearers will be the grandchildren.

Delmor Ilean Easom

William Donald Easom

OAK GROVE Delmor Ilean Easom and William Donald Easom died Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2004, at their home in Oak Grove. She was 50. He was 51.

Mrs. Easom was preceded in death by her father, Thomas Woodard Bonner Sr.; a brother, T.W. Bonner Jr.; and a sister, Shirley Turnage.

Mr. Easom was preceded in death by his parents, William Charles Sr. and Cleo Miller Easom; and a sister, Mary Alice Geralds.

They are survived by a daughter, Debra Wiggins of Haughton, La.; and a grandson.

She is also survived by her mother, Vearlean Bell of Oak Grove; and a sister, Thereca O’Neal of Oak Grove.

He is also survived by six brothers, Mack Harold Easom of Midway, Tenn., John Franklin Easom of Heber Springs, Ark., Jerry Easom of Harrison, Ark., William Charles Easom Jr. and Bobby Dale Easom, both of Bastrop, La., and James Burel Easom of Minden, La.; and three sisters, Willie Pearl Fitzgerald of Midway, Tenn., Linda Faye Taber of Little Rock, Ark., and Sharon Gail Easom of Bastrop.

Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Cox Funeral Home in Oak Grove with the Rev. Leslie Yates officiating. Mr. Easom will be buried at Kilbourne Cemetery in Kilbourne. Mrs. Easom will be buried at Concord Cemetery in Oak Grove.

Pallbearers for Mr. Easom will be John H. Costello, Jimmy Coleman, Lee Carroll, Johnny Costello, Gary Townsend and Dennis Townsend.

Pallbearers for Mrs. Easom will be Virgil Ray Bonner, Mitchell O’Neal, Thomas O’Neal, Mike Lingo, Louis Turnage and Tommy Bonner.

Irene Gaines

PORT GIBSON Irene Gaines died Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2004, at University Medical Center in Jackson. She was 83.

A resident of Port Gibson, Mrs. Gaines was a member of Springhill M.B. Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Willis and Ollie Gaines; her husband, Allen Goods; and two sisters, Ruby Moore and Carrie V. Hall.

Survivors include a son, Samuel W. Goods Sr. of Port Gibson; two grandsons, whom she reared, Samuel W. Goods Jr. of Port Gibson and Vincent J. Goods of Meridian, Idaho; two granddaughters; eight great-grandchildren; a great-great-granddaughter; nieces and nephews; and other relatives and friends.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Second Baptist Church in Port Gibson with the Rev. Leon Nelson officiating. Burial will follow at Pine Grove Cemetery under the direction of Thompson Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 1 until 5 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home and from 1 p.m. Sunday until the service at the church.

Robert Earl Gray

NORPHLET, Ark. Robert Earl Gray died Monday, Oct. 4, 2004, in El Dorado, Ark. He was 33.

Mr. Gray was a resident of Norphlet, Ark.

He is survived by his parents, J.W. and Linda Gray of Oak Grove; three brothers, Randall Gray, Rodney Gray and Jason Gray, all of Oak Grove; his grandmother, Ruby DeLisle of Smackover, Ark.; and aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Cox Funeral Home in Oak Grove with the Rev. Jason Strong officiating. Burial will follow at Red Wing Cemetery in Oak Grove.

Visitation will be until 10 tonight at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be Jonathan Haynes, Bear Driver, Garland Ray Posey, Tommy Bonner, Stacy Bonner and Carey Bonner.

Honorary pallbearers will be Brandon Hayes, T. Riddell and Daniel Riddell.

Robert Earl Keys

LORMAN Robert Earl “Bob” Keys died Saturday, Oct. 2, 2004, as a result of an automobile accident in Lorman. He was 41.

A resident of Lorman, Mr. Keys was a member of Fellowship M.B. Church.

He is survived by his parents, Scotty Sr. and Annie L. Keys of Lorman; five brothers, Scotty Keys Jr., Aaron Keys, Curtis Keys and Jimmy Keys, all of Lorman, and Thomas Keys of West Erlangen, Germany; two sisters, Estella Keys of Lorman and Levonne Bailey of Natchez; aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews; and other relatives and friends.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Fellowship M.B. Church with the Rev. Kemp Burley Jr. officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery under the direction of Thompson Funeral Home of Port Gibson.

Visitation will be from 1 until 6 tonight, with family hour from 7:30 until 8:30, at the funeral home and from 10 a.m. Saturday until the service at the church.

Bessie M. Thornton

YAZOO CITY Bessie M. Thornton died Thursday, Oct. 7, 2004, at her home in Yazoo City. She was 61.

Mrs. Thornton was a homemaker and a member of the Baptist faith.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Fred Richardson and Ruth Gorman.

Survivors include her husband, Paul Thornton of Yazoo City; two daughters, Paula Manus of Vicksburg and Tina Manor of Yazoo City; two sons, Mike Thornton and Leroy Thornton, both of Yazoo City; a stepson, Tommy Thornton of Yazoo City; a brother, James Alfred Richardson of Yazoo City; and 13 grandchildren.

Services will be at 2 p.m. today at Stricklin-King Funeral Home with the Rev. Sonny Bradshaw officiating. Burial will follow at Glenwood Cemetery.