March 18, 2005

Published 12:00 am Friday, March 18, 2005

Jessie Edward Lee

BASTROP, La. – Jessie Edward Lee, infant son of Jessie Deon Lee and Sonya Michelle Calhoun, both of Bastrop, La., died Tuesday, March 15, 2005, at Morehouse General Hospital.

In addition to his parents, Jessie is survived by two brothers, Juan Salazar Jr. and Megel Salazar, both of Bastrop; his grandparents, Michael and Janice Walker, Jackie Lee Anderson and Billy Ray Anderson, all of Oak Grove, and Mary Rando of Bastrop; great-grandparents, Elizabeth Walker of Oak Grove and Josephine Lee Stevenson and Nathan Bradley, both of Dallas; and aunts and uncles.

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Services will be at 3 p.m. today at Cox Funeral Home in Oak Grove with the Rev. Mike Ray officiating. burial will follow at Forest Cemetery.

Catherine M. Miller

Services for Catherine M. Miller will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at King David No. 2 M.B. Church with the Rev. Johnny Williams officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 6 until 7 tonight at W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home.

Mrs. Miller died Friday, March 11, 2005, at River Region Medical Center. She was 70.

A member of King David M.B. Church No. 2, Mrs. Miller was a church mother for a number of years. She was a former member of Elite Social and Civic Club and Order of the Eastern Star.

She was a cook at The Duff Green Mansion.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Will Miller Jr., and two brothers, Johnny Mahone and Freddie Mahone.

She is survived by a brother, Sylvester Mahone of Columbus, Ga., and other relatives, including Barbara Parker of Vicksburg.

Mary McGraw Pierce

HOUSTON, Texas – Mary McGraw Pierce died Tuesday, March 15, 2005, at Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital in Houston, Texas. She was 79.

A homemaker, Mrs. Pierce was a Vicksburg resident before moving to Houston last year. She was of the Baptist faith.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Willie McGraw Sr. and Eliza Washington McGraw; a brother, Willie McGraw; and three sisters, Lucille Schaffer, Danny Browning and Eliza Cooper.

Survivors include two sons, Willie McGraw Jr. of Houston and Eugene McGraw of Vicksburg; one daughter, Lee Pierce Lynn of Vicksburg; a sister, Flora Page of Landover Hills, Md.; nine grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and nieces, nephews and other relatives, including members of the Taylor family.

Services will be Saturday at Lockwood Funeral Home in Houston.

Visitation will be from 6 until 9 tonight at the funeral home.

Memorials may be sent to Lockwood Funeral Home, 9402 Lockwood Drive, Houston, TX 77016.

Ricky Lee Prentiss

Ricky Lee “Uncle Rick” Prentiss died Wednesday, March 16, 2005, in Pearl. He was 44.

A brick mason, Mr. Prentiss was a veteran of the Army. He graduated in 1978 from Vicksburg High School. He was of the Baptist faith.

Mr. Prentiss was preceded in death by his parents, Albert Sr. and Issaquena Bass Prentiss; his maternal grandparents, Betty Washington Wells and Alex Bass; and his paternal grandfather, William Prentiss.

Survivors include two daughters, Janeka Shaw of Nashville, Tenn., and Shamelia Shaw of Aurora, Ill.; five brothers, Eddie Lee Prentiss, Larry D. Prentiss and Albert Prentiss Jr., all of Vicksburg, Alex Prentiss Sr. of Inglewood, Calif., and Clarence Otis Sr. of Compton, Calif.; six sisters, Patricia Anderson of Vicksburg and Earline Farris, Queen Campbell, Alberta Marshall, Bettye Hughes and Estella Moore, all of Aurora; his paternal grandmother, Josephine Prentiss of Vicksburg; and other relatives.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Sunday at St. Mary’s Center with the Rev. Alfred Lassiter officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5 until 7 p.m. Saturday at W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home.

Elias Rankin

LORMAN – Elias Rankin died Saturday, March 12, 2005, at River Region Medical Center in Vicksburg. He was 78.

Mr. Rankin was a veteran of the Army and worked as a security guard at Alcorn State University. He was a member and deacon of St. Mark M.B. Church in the Blue Hill Community. He was also a member of Sunrise Lodge No. 579.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Captain and Rose Ella Brinner-Rankin; three sisters, Mayrean Rankin Dunmore, Alma Rankin and Earlean Rankin; and three brothers, Ezekiel Rankin, Grover Rankin and Guy Rankin.

Survivors include his wife, Shirley D. Rankin of Lorman; two sons, Major Kelvin Rankin of Vicksburg and Melvin Rankin of Lorman; a daughter, Cheryl Rankin of Lorman; a sister, Canary Brinston of New Orleans; a brother, Albert Rankin of Lorman; and nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at China Grove M.B. Church in Russum, Miss. with the Rev. Roosevelt Harried officiating. Burial will follow at McCay Cemetery in Lorman. Visitation will be from 1 until 5 this evening at Thompson Funeral Home in Port Gibson and from 10 a.m. until the hour of service Saturday at the church. There will be a memorial service from 6 until 7:30 this evening at New Christian Fellowship Church in Port Gibson.

Robert Ratliff

LOUISA, Va. – Robert “Rock” Ratliff died Sunday, March 13, 2005, in Louisa, Va. He was 69.

Mr. Ratliff was born in Raymond to the late Mary Butler and J.B. Ratliff. He was a member of Calvary Chapel in Louisa.

He was preceded in death by a son, Tommy James Ratliff.

He is survived by his wife, Lillye Ellis; one son, Orlando Cepada Ratliff; four daughters, Dorothy Ratliff Harris, Marianne Ratliff Hemphill, Deborah Ratliff and Cynthia Ratliff Glover; a brother, Ernest Ratliff; two sisters, Corrine Ratliff Catchings and Eva Dell Ratliff Warren; one stepson; 14 grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Lyles Funeral Home in Purcellville, Va., with Mike Merryman officiating. Burial will follow at Brightview Cemetery in Warrenton, Va.

Pallbearers will be Pat Boyd, Ben Davis, Gerald Lofton, Matthew Merryman, Tom Couch, Aaron Harris, Chris Merryman and Josh Sumner.

Lois Ann Savage

TALLULAH – Lois Ann Savage died Wednesday, March 16, 2005, at Madison Parish Hospital. She was 58.

Mrs. Savage was born in Fresno, Calif., and had lived in Madison Parish since 1964. She was a homemaker and a member of Parkview Baptist Church.

She is survived by her husband, Larry Wayne Savage of Tallulah; three sons, Larry Wayne Savage Jr., William Terrell Savage and Shon Savage, all of Tallulah; one daughter, Jimmie Terri Savage of Tallulah; three bothers, Johnny Marsh and Leo Marsh, both of Shreveport, and Ernest Marsh of Natchez; five grandchildren; and nieces and nephews.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Crothers-Glenwood Funeral Home with the Rev. Cletus Moak officiating. Burial will follow at Silver Cross Cemetery in Tallulah.

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

Pallbearers will be Wally Lopez, Dustin Savage, Tom King, Tim King, Bump Lee and Troy Burgess.

Johnny Hamilton Stuart

TALLULAH – Johnny Hamilton Stuart died March 17, 2005, at Olive Branch Senior Care Center in Tallulah. He was 90.

Mr. Stuart was born in Scooba, Miss., and had lived in Transylvania, La., most of his life. He was a farmer and a member of First Baptist Church in Sondheimer.

Survivors include his wife of 67 years, Ora Belle Stuart of Tallulah; three daughters, Ann Davidson and Janice Peterson, both of Transylvania, and Stevie Sturdivant of Lake Providence; four sons, Terry Stuart of Golden, Colo., Jerry Stuart of Vicksburg, John “Buddy” C. Stuart and Jimmy Stuart, both of Transylvania; three sisters, Louise Blevins of Bogalousa, La., Margie Wise of Sondheimer and Helen White of Monroe; one brother, Arthur Stuart of Oak Grove; 14 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 2:30 p.m. today at Memorial Park Cemetery in Lake Providence with the Rev. Paul Stephens officiating.

Visitation will be from 1 until 2 today at Crothers-Glenwood Funeral Home in Tallulah.

Grandsons and great-grandsons will serve as pallbearers.

Honorary pallbearers will be Billy Davidson, Ray Hart, Roy Dean Hart, Garth Sullivan and Ormand Patrick.