The Vicksburg Post publishes obituaries in news form for area residents, their family members and for former residents at no charge. Families wishing to publish additional information or to use specific wording have the option of a paid obituary.

Calvin Funches

Services for Calvin “Dick” Funches will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at House of Peace Worship Church with Pastor Linda Sweezer officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery under the direction of Robbins Funeral Home.

A repast will follow at Gospel Temple Church.

Mr. Funches died Sunday, Feb. 27, 2005, at River Region Medical Center. He was 53.

A native of Warren County, Mr. Funches attended Vicksburg Public Schools. He played football at Jefferson Junior High and Rosa A. Temple High schools. He worked for the Vicksburg Warren School District for 19 years. He had been an ordained deacon for a number of years.

Mr. Funches was a member of H0ouse of Peace Worship Church.

He was preceded in death by Alfred Dillard Jr. and his parents, Warren and Love Lee Funches.

He is survived by his wife, Bessie Dillard Funches of Vicksburg; two daughters, Chandra White and Catina White, both of Vicksburg; a son, Calvert White of the Army, Watertown, N.Y.; three grandchildren; and other relatives, including Bessie Dillard and members of the Funches and Richardson families of Vicksburg.

Homer Herman

TALLULAH – Homer Herman died Wednesday, March 2, 2005, at Madison Parish Hospital in Tallulah. He was 87.

He was a native of Yell County, Ark., and had lived in Madison Parish for 68 years. He was a farmer and member of Willow Bayou Baptist Church.

He is survived by his wife, Bonnie M. Herman of Tallulah; one son, Harry B. Herman of Tallulah; three daughters, Betty Lee of West Monroe, Virginia Williams of Tallulah and Elizabeth Mahoney of Belleville, Ill.; and 11 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Crothers-Glenwood Funeral Home with John Magnuson officiating. Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5 until 8 tonight at the funeral home.

Grandsons will serve as pallbearers

George Robert Horton Jr.

CHICAGO – George Robert Horton Jr. died Thursday, Feb. 24, 2005, in Beaumont, Texas. He was 59.

Mr. Horton was born in Copiah County and attended Douglas Elementary School and Wendell Phillips High School in Chicago. He received a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

He joined the Army in 1966, serving in the Vietnam War.

Mr. Horton worked for the U.S. Post Office in Chicago, retiring after 25 years of service. He attended Grace and Glory Gospel Chapel, where he was a member of the Adult Sunday school class.

He was preceded in death by his parents, George Robert Horton Sr. and Veonia Strickland Horton, and a sister, Geadean Horton.

Survivors include two sons, Maurice Horton of Beaumont and Omar Horton of Edwards; a stepson, Ryan Anderson of Atlanta; one daughter, Irma Terry of McKinney, Texas; three brothers, Willie Horton and Harold Horton, both of Chicago, and Larry Horton of San Francisco; a sister, Onedia Thomas of Chicago; three grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.

Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at United M.B. Church in Edwards. Burial will follow at Pleasant Grove Cemetery in Edwards.

Visitation will be from noon until 7 p.m. Friday at Lakeview Funeral Home of Vicksburg.

Dessie Hall Hudson

Dessie Hall Hudson died Tuesday, March 1, 2005, at River Region Medical Center. She was 74.

Mrs. Hudson worked for 32 years as a cook at Monsour’s Restaurant. She was a member of New Rock of Ages M.B. Church, Household of Ruth, Christian Benevolent Society, Grace Chapter No. 5 Order of Eastern Star, Martha Grand Chapter, Christian Union No. 1 and Christian Union No. 2.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James A. Hudson Sr.; her parents, Floyd Hall Sr. and Lurlean Smith Hall; one daughter, Dan Ethel Youmans; three brothers, Elmo Hall, Johnny Hall and Percy Hall; and four sisters, Lurlean Brown, Annie Bell Hudson, Lucille Thomas and Rosetta Tolliver.

Survivors include one son, James A. Hudson Jr. of Seattle; five daughters, Authrine Brown and Janice M. McGee, both of Seattle, Jennie B. Hudson and Annie Grant, both of Brooklyn, and Peggy King of Jackson; and one brother, Floyd Hall Jr. of Vicksburg.

Williams Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.

Mathew Lee Jr.

Mathew Lee Jr. died Tuesday, March 1, 2005, at his home. He was 55.

Mr. Lee was retired from the Army and had served in Vietnam. He was of the Baptist faith.

He was a member of American Legion Tyner-Ford Post No. 213.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Mathew Sr. and Charlie Lillie Lee.

He is survived by a son, Mathew Lee III; a daughter, Chilly Tolliver of Clinton; one brother, Douglas Lee of Tunica; three sisters, Charity Burnham of Dallas, Brenda Lee of Vicksburg and Lorraine Smith of Columbus, Ind.; and an aunt who reared him, Le Anna Conner of Vicksburg.

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

Mary L. McRaney

Mary L. “Shorty” McRaney died Wednesday, March 2, 2005, at River Region Medical Center. She was 79.

Born in Warren County, Mrs. McRaney lived in Port Gibson for 23 years where she was employed at McFatter Drug Store. Since 1964, she had been a Vicksburg resident and was a former employee of Durst Drug Store.

She was a member of Grace Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Albert and Mary Wright; two brothers, Albert S. Wright Jr. and Everett J. Wright; and a sister Margie M. Wright.

Survivors include her husband, Billy K. McRaney of Vicksburg; one daughter, Patsy Dee McCain of Vicksburg; two brothers, J.W. Wright Sr. and Billy Wright, both of Vicksburg; and four sisters, Helen Luckett and Beverly Biedenharn, both of Vicksburg, Emma Gossen of Summerville, S.C., and Lilly Biedenharn of Germantown, Tenn.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday at Glenwood Funeral Home with the Rev. Sam Dunaway officiating. Burial will follow at Wintergreen Cemetery in Port Gibson.

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

Pallbearers will be J.W. Wright Sr., Billy Wright, Warner Biedenharn, Herman Biedenharn, Rob McCain and Ron Gossen.

Honorary pallbearers will be Harvey Luckett, Claude F. Wright Sr. and Don K. Hynum.

Scott J. Speed Jr.

Scott J. Speed Jr. died Wednesday, March 2, 2005, at his home. He was 47.

A native of Taylorsville, Mr. Speed was the son of the late Scott J. Sr. and Helen Grace Spangler Speed. He worked more than 31 years as a heating and air conditioning technician for Hilderbrand Heating and Air Conditioning. He was a member of the Pentecostal faith.

Survivors include his wife, Anita Rose Speed of Vicksburg; one daughter, Robin Speed of Vicksburg; one son, Eric Cockrell of Vicksburg; two sisters, Sue Railey of Magee and Katherine Sassonett of Pearl; three brothers, Ernest Speed of Forest, Thurman Speed of Hazlehurst and Wayne Speed of Morton; and nieces, nephews and other relatives.

Services will be at 3 p.m. Friday at Fisher Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 1 p.m. Friday until the service.

Honorary pallbearers will be Keith Hilderbrand, Mark Hilderbrand, Joseph Wilson and John Springfield.

Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 16808, Jackson, MS 39236-6808.

Zane Stewart

Zane Stewart, 75, of Kingwood, Texas, formerly of Slidell, La., and Vicksburg, died Saturday, Feb. 26, 2005, of cancer.

Zane was born in Isola, Miss., to Bessie and Ike Stewart. He graduated from Isola High School in 1948 and worked for Koestler’s Bakery in Vicksburg before joining the U.S. Navy in 1951. He served four years during the Korean Conflict and was honorably discharged in 1955.

He went to work for the Corps of Engineers in Vicksburg in 1955 and worked for 32 years as a radio operator, then as an engineering technician. While working full-time for the Corps of Engineers, he attended and graduated from Southern Business College.

Zane was active at Gibson Memorial United Methodist Church for approximately 40 years, serving in many areas including the Administrative Board and trustees. He later joined Hawkins United Methodist Church and served as trustee.

He served on the Board of Directors at Lake Claiborne for many years. He was a volunteer at Mutual Credit Union, serving on the Credit Committee for 12 years, then on the Administrative Board for nine years.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary A. “Bo” Stewart; his parents, Ike and Bessie Stewart; sister, Mamie Walton; and brother, Aubrey Stewart.

He is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Tami and Mike Newett of Plantation, Fla.; and a son, daughter-in-law and four grandchildren, J. Nash and Kim Stewart, Alex Stewart, Kate Stewart, Abigail Stewart and Caroline Stewart of Kingwood. Other survivors include sisters, Esther Rivers of Niceville, Fla., Mable Hitchcock of Port Gibson, Eloise Dupuy of Inverness, Pat Stewart of Albuquerque, N.M., and Donnie Stewart of Rio Rancho, N.M.

Visitation will be from 6 until 8 tonight at Fisher Funeral Home, 1830 Cherry St., and Friday at the church from 9 a.m. until the service.

The funeral will be held at Hawkins United Methodist Church, 3736 Halls Ferry Road, at 10 a.m. Friday with the Rev. T. Ed Hightower officiating. Burial will follow the funeral at Green Acres Memorial Park, corner of Highways 27 and 80.

Pallbearers will be Alex Stewart, Hilary Westbrook, Harold Williamson, Don Wallace, Jerry Walton and Vernon Champion.

Memorials may be made to Hawkins United Methodist Church, 3736 Halls Ferry Road, Vicksburg, MS 39180.