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.

Donnie Wayne Burton

Donnie Wayne Burton died Monday, Sept. 5, 2005, at his home. He was 41.

A native and lifelong resident of Vicksburg, Mr. Burton was the son of the late Ruby Darlene Nevels. He was self-employed in landscaping and yard maintenance. He was of the Baptist faith.

He is survived by his wife, Kathryn Marie Burton of Vicksburg; two daughters, Allyson Parker and Brittany Burton, both of Vicksburg; one sister, Mary Frances Burton of Port Arthur, Texas; one brother, Anthony Ray Ainsworth of Vicksburg; his paternal grandmother, Maggie Lee Bobb of Vicksburg; and other relatives.

Private services will be held under the direction of Fisher Funeral Home.

Maggie Clay

CARY – Maggie Clay died Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005, at Americare Health Center in Memphis. She was 81.

Survivors include one son, Howard M. Clay Jr. of Memphis; four daughters, Lillian C. Martin, Doris Dew and Patricia Dowing, all of Chicago, and Juanita Armstrong of Memphis; one sister, Ida Bell Grisby of Waterloo, Iowa; 13 grandchildren; and 17 great-grandchildren.

Services were at 11 this morning at Guiding Star M.B. Church in Cary with the Rev. Henry Wilson officiating. Burial followed at Cary Community Cemetery.

John Smith Harper

John Smith Harper, 85, of Evanston, Ill., died on Aug. 1, 2005, in Anchorage, Alaska, following an automobile accident that occurred while vacationing with his family.

He was born in Vicksburg on Jan. 16, 1920, to Milton Jackson Sr. and Frances Smith Harper and attended Vicksburg public schools and the First Baptist Church. He always spoke fondly of his work, play and family experiences as a young man in Vicksburg.

He graduated with honors from Mississippi State College in 1942 with a bachelor’s of science degree in chemical engineering. In college, he was active in student government, debate team, and the school newspaper. It was there he met his future wife, Sue Elizabeth Cowsert of Starkville.

After graduating, he entered Naval Reserve Midshipmen’s School and was commissioned an ensign in May 1943. During World War II he participated in research and development of high explosives at the Navy Mine Depot, Yorktown, Va. He and Sue married on Dec. 7, 1944. He was discharged with the rank of lieutenant commander at the end of the war and remained in the Naval Reserve until 1959.

In 1947, John accepted a position with Masonite Corporation in Laurel. Between 1947 and 1966 he worked in product research, quality control, and production management. During this period he and Sue built a home and raised three children in Laurel. He was promoted to general manager of the Masonite hardboard plant in Ukiah, Calif., in 1966 and general manager of the Masonite hardboard plant in Laurel in 1970. Moving to Evanston in 1971, he filled several executive positions at Masonite headquarters in Chicago and retired as president of Woodland Services Corporation, which managed Masonite’s forestry operations, in 1983.

He led a very active life after retirement, serving as a volunteer, board member and treasurer of the Evanston Meals at Home program and pursuing many new interests. However, his primary commitment was to his family. He devoted his time especially to the care of his wife, Sue, brother, Jack, and sister, Mary Frances. He and Sue moved to Presbyterian Homes Westminster Place in Evanston in 1998. He enjoyed that community thoroughly and participated in a number of committees and group activities.

John and Sue were active members of the First United Methodist churches in Laurel and Ukiah, as well as Covenant United Methodist Church in Evanston.

He will be remembered for his love of family and friends, his inquisitive mind, his wit, his generosity, his strength of character and his kindness. We are all better for having been touched by him, and will miss him greatly.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, Sue, in 1999, and brother, Milton Jackson Harper Jr. in 2002.

He is survived by his sister, Mary Frances Harper of Evanston; daughter, Elizabeth Ann of Sonoma, Calif.; son, John Jackson (Maryanne) of Austin, Texas; son, William Milton (Connie) of Olympia, Wash.; and four grandsons, Thomas Benjamin, James Daniel, Evan Stone and Seth Powers Harper.

A memorial service was held on Saturday, Aug. 27, at the Presbyterian Homes in Evanston.

Memorial gifts may be made to Meals at Home, P.O. Box 279, Wilmette, Ill. 60091 or to a charity of choice.

Ira Jones Jr.

Services for Ira “Buddy” Jones Jr. will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Zion Travelers Church. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

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

Mr. Jones died Sunday, Sept. 4, 2005, at University Medical Center in Jackson. He was 74.

He was a carpenter and of the Baptist faith.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Beatrice Tubbs Jones; his son, Stanley Jones; his mother, Lucille Jones; his father, Ira Jones Sr.; and his brother, Grant Jones.

He is survived by 10 daughters, Laverne Gardner of Jackson and Angela Brown, Dina Beatrice Buchanan, Riva Lenora Jones, Denise Jackson, Mary Chatman Miller, Catherine Jones, Linda White Dixon, Patricia Tubbs London Smith and Ledora Jones, all of Vicksburg; six sons, Ira T. Jones III of Chicago and Ira Jones IV, Louis Shelby Jones, Charlie Tubbs, Thomas Edward Tubbs and Joseph Jones, all of Virginia Beach, Va.; four sisters, Lillie Hinkle and Millie S. Jones, both of Vicksburg, and Mary Nell Smith and Joann Jones Roberts, both of North Carolina; five brothers, the Rev. Jesse Jones, Robert Jones, Tommy Jones and Cleatho Jones, all of New Orleans, and Lonnie Jones of Vicksburg; 54 grandchildren; 37 great-grandchildren; and friends and other relatives including Mary Harris.

Willie Mae Kyzar

Willie Mae Kyzar died Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2005, at Vicksburg Convalescent Home in Vicksburg. She was 86.

Mrs. Kyzar was born in Richland Parish, La., and had been a resident of Vicksburg for 60 years. She was a retired waitress at Byrd’s Truck Stop.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Willard B. Kyzar.

Survivors include two cousins, Earsell Daniels of Sterlington, La. and Helen Price of Downsville, La.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Cedar Hill Cemetery with the Rev. Bobby Anderson officiating.

Visitation is from 10 a.m. Friday until the hour of service at Glenwood Funeral Home in Vicksburg.

Steven Martin

Services for Steven Martin will be at 11 a.m. Friday at W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home with the Rev. LaDonna Burks officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Mr. Martin died Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2005, at River Region Medical Center in Vicksburg. He was 39.

He was preceded in death by his father, Willie Lee Jones.

Survivors include his wife, Joann Houston Martin of Vicksburg; his mother, Leola Jones of Vicksburg; two brothers, Willie Jones and Aurtha Jones; three children, Steven L. Houston, Denzel Carr and Domanique Carr; two stepchildren, Stacy Houston and Adrian Houston; two grandchildren; and other relatives and friends including the Thomas, Russell, Martin, Mays and Jones families.

Corene McLean

Corene McLean died Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2005, at River Region Medical Center. She was 93.

Mrs. McLean was a homemaker and lifelong resident of Vicksburg. She was of the Baptist faith.

Survivors include one daughter, Rosie Sutton of Houston, and other relatives.

Williams Funeral Service has charge of arrangements.

Wilton Alexander Roberts

DELHI – Wilton Alexander Roberts died Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2005, at Richland Parish Hospital in Delhi. He was 93.

Mr. Roberts was a longtime resident of the Baskin-Delhi area.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 70 years, Rebecca Jane Roberts; a son, Wilton Allen Roberts; a daughter, Mary Jane Roberts; and his parents, Frank Johnson Roberts and Mary Alice Dunham Roberts.

He is survived by one son, Ed Roberts of Baskin; two grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Cox Funeral Home in Delhi with the Rev. Prentis Gandy officiating. Burial will follow at Sunflower Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 5 until 9 tonight at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be Robert Dunham, Leslie Dunham, Jason Dunham, Robert Strahan, Howard Evans, Royce Johnson, Jerry Williams, Fred Watson and Glasscell Morris.

Memorials may be made to the Sunflower Cemetery Association, 3910 Highway 132, Baskin, LA 71219.

Bobbie Flowers Ross

UTICA – Bobbie Flowers Ross died Saturday, Sept. 3, 2005, at her home in Utica. She was 69.

Mrs. Ross was born in Utica to Eugene and Alberta Benson Flowers. She attended Utica Public Schools and worked at the Bernstein Shirt Factory in Utica for a number of years.

She was a member of St. Peter’s M.B. Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her daughter, Doris Ross; two brothers, the Rev. James Flowers and Sam Flowers; and a sister, Ruth Flowers.

Survivors include her husband of 50 years, Johnny Ross; a brother, Alton Flowers of Jackson; two sisters, Earnestine Sturgis of Jackson and Earlene Flowers of New Orleans; two granddaughters; and nieces and nephews.

Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at St. Peter’s M.B. Church. Burial will follow at the church cemetery under the direction of Westhaven Funeral Home in Utica.

Hattie Wright Ross

Hattie Wright Ross died Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2005, at River Region Medical Center. She was 53.

Mrs. Ross was a homemaker and member of Triumph M.B. Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Everlena Hardy Wright; and three brothers, James Wright, Willie Wright and Henry Wright.

She is survived by two sons, Henry Earl Ross and Tommy Wright, both of Vicksburg; a daughter, Jessica W. Johnson of Vicksburg; two brothers, Dave Wright and Joseph Wright, both of Vicksburg; five grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives.

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

Robert Ross

Services for Robert Ross will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home with the Rev. E.E. Gibbs officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Mr. Ross died Monday, Aug. 29, 2005, at University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. He was 43.

Mr. Ross, a graduate of Vicksburg High School, was a self-employed carpenter and was of the Baptist faith.

He was preceded in death by his maternal grandparents, Jonah Ross and Lula Evans Ross, and his maternal grandfather, Johnny Bailey Sr.

Mr. Ross is survived by four sons, Michael O’Neal, Jerry O’Neal, Jona O’Neal and Robert O’Neal, all of Vicksburg; a daughter, Quita O’Neal of Vicksburg; his parents, Ada Faye Ross Johnson and Robert Bailey, both of Vicksburg; four brothers, Ricky Ross, Terry Ross, Darrel Bailey and Greg Bailey, all of Vicksburg; a sister, Bridgette Bailey of Vicksburg; his paternal grandmother, Bernice Bailey of Vicksburg; and nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives, including members of the Rader, Foster, Qualls, Trisby and Bailey families of Vicksburg.

Mable Bernice Thompson

EDWARDS – Services for Mable Bernice Thompson will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Friendship M.B. Church in Edwards with the Rev. Bobby Burks officiating. Burial will follow at Greenhill Cemetery under the direction of Dillon-Chisley Funeral Home.

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

Miss Thompson died Thursday, Sept. 1, 2005, at Forest Hill Nursing Home in Jackson. She was 69.

She was a member of Friendship M.B. Church in Edwards.

She was preceded in death by three brothers, Vernon Thompson, Rufus Thompson and Norvel Thompson; and one sister, Eddie Mae Morgan.

Survivors include two brothers, J.C. Thompson of San Francisco and Leodis Thompson of Wichita, Kan.; three sisters, Callie Thompson of Edwards, Bessie Cain of Wichita and Charlie B. Pritchett of San Diego; and other relatives.

Tom Long Wansley

FLORENCE – Tom Long Wansley died Monday, Aug. 29, 2005, at Hospice Ministries in Ridgeland. He was 76.

Mr. Wansley was a native of Florence. He developed the Valley Park Elevator. He was a member of Mississippi Cattleman’s Association and served on the Board of Directors for First National Bank of Vicksburg. He was a member of Valley Park Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by his son, Will Wansley.

Survivors include his wife, Mary Ann Wansley of Florence; two sons, David Steen Wansley of Vicksburg and Tandy Wayne Wansley of Florence; two daughters, Tommie Ann Bays of Brandon and Fran Braxton of Pensacola, Fla.; one sister, Elsie Burns of Florence; seven grandchildren; three stepgrandchildren; and other relatives including Mary Wansley of Raymond.

Services were at 10 a.m. Saturday at Sinai Cemetery under the direction of Chancellor Funeral Home in Florence.

Memorials may be made to Will C. Wansley Memorial Scholarship, Mississippi State University Foundation Inc., P.O. Box 6149, Mississippi State, MS 39762.