Claretha Hood Briscoe

GREENVILLE – Claretha Hood Briscoe died Sunday, March 27, 2005, at King’s Daughters Hospital in Greenville. She was 84.

Survivors include 10 daughters, Dorothy Briscoe, Ethel Calvin, Ella Franklin, Mollie Norton and Claretha Ross, all of Chicago, Gracie Briscoe and Linda Briscoe, both of Rolling Fork, Arletha Alexander of Gary, Ind., Mildred Collins of Dowagiac, Mich., and Mary Collins of Calumet City, Ill.; four sons, Robert Hood and Sollie Hood, both of Chicago, Henry Briscoe of Rolling Fork and Alfred Dean Briscoe of Itta Bena; one brother, Eugene Smith of Natchez; one sister, Victoria Johnson of St. Louis, Mo.; 58 grandchildren; 112 great-grandchildren; and 13 great-great grandchildren.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at South Delta High School Auditorium in Rolling Fork with the Rev. William A. Johnson officiating. Burial will follow at Elmwood Cemetery in Rolling Fork.

Visitation will be from 6 until 7 tonight at Walker Funeral Home in Rolling Fork.

Walter Lawrence Carter Sr.

Services for Walter Lawrence “Mr. Bud” Carter Sr. will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Travelers Rest Baptist Church with the Rev. Thomas E. Bernard officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5 until 7 tonight at W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home with family present from 6 until 7 and Saturday at the church from 10 a.m. until the service.

Mr. Carter died Sunday, March 27, 2005, at River Region West Campus. He was 80.

Mr. Carter retired as a truck driver from Runyon Construction Co. He was a veteran of World War II, serving in the Navy. He was a member of Travelers Rest M.B. Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Randell G. Carter Sr. and Bessie B. Carter; his wife, Vivian Earl Carter; one daughter, Helen Carter Palmer; a brother, Randell “R.G.” Carter Jr.; and three sisters, Dorothy Carter, Mary Carter and Pearl Carter.

Survivors include two sons, Walter L. Carter Jr. of Atlanta and Gary M. Carter of Vicksburg; seven grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends, including members of the Garland, Collins, Field, Earl and Carter families.

Roosevelt Coleman Jr.

EDWARDS – Services for Roosevelt Coleman Jr. will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. James Baptist Church in Edwards. Burial will follow at Little Rock United Methodist Church in Crystal Springs.

Visitation will be from 1 until 7 tonight at Lakeview Memorial Funeral Home.

Mr. Coleman died Saturday, March 26, 2005, at his home in Edwards. He was 62.

Mr. Coleman worked for International Paper Co. for 30 years.

He was preceded in death by three brothers, Clyde Gipson, J.C. Coleman and Troy Williams Coleman; and a sister, Davis Jean Freeman.

Survivors include his wife, Liza Coleman of Edwards; six daughters, Wanda Coleman of Edwards, Gloria Ellison of Atlanta and Doretha Coleman, Diane Wheaton, Inette Williams and Mary McCoy, all of Jackson; one son, Henry Coleman of Kosciusko; a sister, Louella Coleman Wilson of Oklahoma City, Okla.; 14 grandchildren; and great-grandchildren, other relatives and friends.

Lula Belle May

FOREST, La. – Lula Belle May died Thursday, March 31, 2005, at Oak Woods Home for the Elderly in Mer Rouge, La. She was 88.

Mrs. May was a native of Mer Rouge and lived in Forest, La., for a number of years.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Woodrow May; a brother, T.W. Eckles; two sisters, Doris Simms and Louise Wilder; and her parents, Emmett and Erba Julia Parks Eckles.

She is survived by a sister, Lucille Eckles of Mer Rouge; and nieces, nephews and other relatives.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Cox Funeral Home in Oak Grove with the Rev. Kenny Herring officiating. Burial will follow at Mer Rouge Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 4 until 8 tonight.

Mary Patricia Middleton

Mary Patricia “Pat” Middleton died Thursday, March 31, 2005, at her home. She was 76.

Mrs. Middleton was born in Vicksburg to the late James M. and Mary Elizabeth Schaffer Salmon. She was a 1946 graduate of St. Francis Xavier Academy.

She was a member of the Vicksburg Art Association, St. Mary’s Catholic Church and St. Mary’s Altar Society.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a granddaughter, Paige Douglas Logue; a sister, Rita R. Evans; and four brothers, Donald Riddle, Mike Riddle, Albert Riddle and James M. “Buddy” Salmon Sr.

Survivors include her husband, Robert A. Middleton of Vicksburg; four daughters, Mary M. Ray, Janis M. Patton, Robin M. Douglas and Ann Willette M. Elliott, all of Vicksburg; a son, Bobby Middleton of Vicksburg; four sisters, Elizabeth S. “Bettie” Rooks of Jackson and Annie Mae “Ann” S. Mahoney, Margaret S. Bucci and Barbara S. Cesare, all of Vicksburg; one brother, William “Billy” Riddle of Vicksburg; and 15 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Riles Funeral Home with the Rev. Charles Boykins, pastor of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, and the Rev. Patrick Farrell, pastor of St. Paul Catholic Church, officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5 until 7 tonight at the funeral home with a wake service at 6:30 p.m.

Pallbearers will be Kelly Ray, Jody Ray, Braden Ray, Jamie Ray, Shea Douglas, Forrest Logue, Chris Middleton, Eric Hardy, Jimmie Elliott and Caleb Ketchum.

Honorary pallbearers will be Jack Brooks, John Cesare, Don Bucci, Tommy Ray, James M. Salmon Jr., Robert Douglas and Scott Elliott.

Gene Austin Neill

UTICA – Gene Austin Neill died Thursday, March 31, 2005, at St. Dominic Memorial Hospital in Jackson. He was 71.

Mr. Neill was a resident of Utica. He was a retired veteran of the Marine Corps, the state of Mississippi and Hinds Community College. He was a member of the Utica Hunting Club, Utica Christian Church and Utica Masonic Temple.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Taylor Austin and Mary Barlow, and a son, Randall Taylor Neill.

Survivors include his wife, Carolyn Ponder Neill of Utica; one son, Kirk Neill of Utica; two daughters, Ronda Jones of Learned and Sheila Lyons of Florence; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Utica Christian Church with the Rev. Brad Hartzog officiating. Burial will follow at Griffin Cemetery in Hinds County.

Visitation will be from 5 until 8 tonight at Glenwood Funeral Home in Utica.

Memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association and Kidney Foundation.

George Winters

George Winters died Wednesday, March 30, 2005, at River Region Medical Center. He was 90.

Mr. Winters was retired from the Mississippi Valley Gas Company.

He was preceded in death by his stepson, Clarence Nelson Jr.

Survivors include his wife, Freddie Winters of Vicksburg; one daughter, Cynthia Nelson of Vicksburg; two stepdaughters, Georgia Nelson and Mary Nelson Truitt, both of Vicksburg; 10 grandchildren; and other relatives, including Sharon Simmons and Clarence Lovett of Vicksburg.

Dillon-Chisley Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.