The Vicksburg Post prints 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.

Luther Aaron Corbin Jr.

Luther Aaron Corbin Jr., who resided for the past 45 years on Culkin Road in Vicksburg, departed this life on May 31, 2005, at the State Veterans Home in Collins, Miss., at the age of 82 years.

Mr. Corbin was born in Natchez, Miss., on Dec. 9, 1922. He served his country with honor and bravery during World War II in Africa and Europe as a member of the 155th U.S. Infantry and later the Long Tom Field Artillery. Mr. Corbin took part in the invasion of Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. Following the war, he was a maintenance superintendent and retired from Vicksburg Chemical Company in the late 1970s. After his retirement, he was a self-employed contractor, owning and operating Corbin Construction Company.

His beloved wife of 54 years, Lena Mae Williams Corbin, predeceased him in 2000. He was also preceded in death by his parents, Luther and Mae Corbin; two sisters, Mildred Corbin Hearn and Patty Corbin Bowie; and a granddaughter, Kimberly Lane Thomas.

Mr. Corbin is survived by his four children, including his only son, Thomas Aaron Corbin, and wife Mary of Vicksburg, and three daughters, Jeannie Corbin Dick and husband, Douglas, of Gautier, Miss., Barbara Corbin Gray and husband, Terry, of Utica and Kathy Corbin Gary and husband, Bert, of Flora. Also surviving Mr. Corbin are his nine grandchildren, Brandi Corbin, Thomas A. Corbin Jr., Rebecca McKnight Sims, Cory McKnight Peusch, Edward McKnight IV, Blaine Burroughs Keen, David Wester Burroughs, Jennifer Claire Riley and Jana Riley Caldwell; and six great-grandchildren, as well as his sister and brother-in-law, Louise and Frank Williams of Vicksburg; his brother and sister-in-law, Joe and Janiece Corbin of Olympia, Wash.; and his sisters-in-law, Betty Jane Williams, Annie Conrad Williams and Claire Williams of Vicksburg.

Memorial services for Mr. Corbin will be at Fisher Funeral Home at 2 p.m. Thursday and burial will be at Green Acres Memorial Cemetery, where he will be laid to rest beside his wife. Mr. Corbin’s son-in-law, the Rev. Bert Gary, will officiate.

Visitation will be from 12:30 p.m. Thursday until the hour of the service.

Pallbearers will be Andrew Collin Lang, David Wester Burroughs, Martin T. Gray Jr., Dr. Kevin Keen, Edward McKnight IV and Thomas A. Corbin Jr.

Honorary pallbearers will be Roy Frank Williams Jr., Ford Emery, Edward R. McKnight III, Ike Barnes, Oscar Barnes, James Parker, David Garrick, Dean Perkins, Edward Arnold, Betty Beasley Worrell and the staff of the State Veterans Home in Collins.

The family would like to extend heartfelt thanks to the State Veterans Home and to Quality Hospice of the Gulf Coast for their loving care of Mr. Corbin.

Kenneth Arnold Heffner

Services for Kenneth Arnold “Ken” Heffner will be at 4 p.m. Friday at Glenwood Funeral Home with the Rev. Brian Ivey officiating.

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

Mr. Heffner died Friday, May 27, 2005, at Willis Knighton Hospital in Bossier City, La. He was 49.

A Vicksburg native, Mr. Heffner served as senior department manager for the J.C. Penney Company for 23 years. He had worked in New Orleans; Dothan, Ala.; Pensacola, Fla.; Jackson, Miss.; and most recently in Bossier City, La.

He was a former member of Highland Baptist Church of Vicksburg and was a member of Trinity Presbyterian Church in Pensacola.

He was preceded in death by a daughter, Rachel Nicole Heffner.

Survivors include his wife, Belinda Joe “B.J.” Smith Heffner of Bossier City; a son, Kenneth Arnold Heffner Jr. of Pensacola; a stepson, John Christopher Lewis of Versailles, Ky.; his parents, Ray and Jean Heffner of Vicksburg; a brother, Lamar Heffner of Vicksburg; and two sisters, Darlene Vincent of Savannah, Ga., and Angela Buckley of Collierville, Tenn.

Memorials may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation at www.cff.org, 800-FIGHTCF or Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 6931 Arlington, Bethesda, MD 20184.

Wilhelmina Cassino Turcotte

Wilhelmina Cassino Turcotte died Monday, May 30, 2005, at Heritage House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. She was 87.

Born in Vicksburg, she was the daughter of Vincent and Rosalie Bove Cassino. She was a graduate of All Saints’ College.

For a number of years, Mrs. Turcotte was a member of the St. Aloysius Mothers Club and the Maywood Terrace Garden Club. She served as a Pink Lady for the Mercy Hospital Auxiliary.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Roy V. Turcotte Sr.; a sister, Mary Jo Strong; and two brothers, Frank Cassino and Vincent “Junie” Cassino.

She is survived by one daughter, Rosalie T. Garner of Oxford; two sons, Roy V. Turcotte Jr. and Randy V. Turcotte, both of Vicksburg; a sister, Elena Estes of El Dorado, Ark.; and eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

A funeral Mass will be said at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Paul Catholic Church with the Rev. Patrick Farrell, pastor, officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5 until 7 tonight at Riles Funeral Home with a wake at 6:30 and Thursday at the church from 9:30 a.m. until the service.

Pallbearers will be Jeffrey Turcotte, Gregory Turcotte, Tim Turcotte, Steve Turcotte, Bert Turcotte, Paul Garner, Andy Garner and Leigh Garner.

Memorials may be made to Vicksburg Catholic School, 1900 Grove St., Vicksburg, MS 39183 or to the Lions Sight Foundation, c/o Vicksburg Lions Club, P.O. Box 820223, Vicksburg, MS 39182.

Alice Louise Johnson Vandevender

Alice Louise Johnson Vandevender died Tuesday, May 31, 2005, at her daughter’s residence in Jackson. She was 81.

A homemaker, Mrs. Vandevender was a lifelong resident of Warren County. She was a member of Wayside Baptist Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Oliver Odell Vandevender; five sons; two daughters; and one granddaughter.

Survivors include four daughters, Lavonne Whitehead and Gloria Vandevender, both of Vicksburg, Carolyn Gilbert of Utica and Ann Lee Garcia of Jackson; a brother, Larry Don Johnson of Edwards; a sister, Frankie Ogle of Vicksburg; and 10 grandchildren, two stepgrandchildren, five great-grandchildren and five stepgreat-grandchildren.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Thursday at Glenwood Funeral Home with the Rev. Russell Granberry officiating. Burial will be at Dover Cemetery in Little Yazoo, Miss.

Visitation will be from 4 until 8 tonight at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be Pat Ring, Charlie Ring, David Johnson, Robert Carpenter, Michael Carpenter and Billy Vandevender.

Honorary pallbearers will be Gary James, Alfred Whitehead Jr., Robert Kinkley, Allan Leese, Doug Huskey and James “Bud” Shiers.