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.

Joann Brown.

JACKSON – Services for Joann Brown will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Ashland M.B. Church in Port Gibson with the Rev. Otis Davis officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery under the direction of Thompson Funeral Home of Port Gibson. Visitation will be from 1 until 6 this evening at the funeral home and from 1 p.m. Saturday until the hour of service.

Mrs. Brown died Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006, at University Medical Center in Jackson. She was 52.

Survivors include her husband, Anthony Brown of Jackson; three daughters, Kena Brown, Ashley Brown and Jerica Brown, all of Jackson; four sisters, Mary Lee Davis of Boston, Lavonne Goods of Port Gibson, Christine James of Lawton, Okla., and Gustine Spears of Atlanta; five brothers, Edgar Lee Davis of Jackson and Charles C. Davis and Wilbur Davis, both of Port Gibson, and Michael Davis of Prentiss and Bobby Davis of Port Gibson; and other relatives and friends.

Martha Shorter Crystain.

HERMANVILLE – Services for Martha Shorter Crystain will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Campbell Chapel Church in Port Gibson with the Rev. James Jones officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery under the direction of Thompson Funeral Home of Port Gibson. Visitation will be from 1 until 6 this evening at the funeral home and from 1 p.m. Saturday until the hour of service at the church.

Mrs. Crystain died Monday, Jan. 23, 2006, at her home in Hermanville. She was 89.

She was a member and mother of Campbell Chapel Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Eddie Crystain; her parents, Jackson and Mary W. Shorter; two daughters, Sarah Howard and Pearline Banks; three sisters, Fannie Mae Shoulders, Georgia Hicks and Ollie Hill; and three brothers, Wiley Shorter, Roman Shorter and Jack Shorter.

Survivors include six daughters, Murdlia Odom of Carlisle, Martha Curtis, Florine Banks and Ollie Windmon, all of Hermanville, and Gertrude McGloster and Geraldine Nash, both of Port Gibson; three sons, Eddie Crystain Jr. and Eph Crystain, both of Hermanville, and Bobby Crystain of Pattison; four sisters, Mary Spruille of Greenville, Jerlean Hill, Louella Johnson and Dorothy Jenkins, all of Hermanville; two brothers, Matthew Shorter of Hermanville and Jill Shorter of Greenville; 50 grandchildren; great-grandchildren and other relatives and friends.

Vera Eggleston Dobbins.

PORT GIBSON – Vera Eggleston Dobbins died Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006, at her home in Port Gibson. She was 72.

Mrs. Dobbins was preceded in death by her parents, Johnny Eggleston and Sarah Corprew Eggleston; and a son, Lorenzo E. Branch Sr.

She is survived by her husband, Joseph Dobbins Jr. of Port Gibson; two sons, Larry A. Branch of Norfolk, Va., and Tyrone Branch Sr. of Oxford, Ala.; two daughters, Sarah Johnson and Cynthia D. Acosta, both of Bartow, Fla.; two brothers, Harvey Eggleston and Floyd Eggleston, both of Norfolk; two sisters, Marion Vango of Virginia Beach, Va., and Vernice Midgette of Chesapeake, Va.; 12 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Central Church of Christ with the Rev. Eugene Coney officiating. Burial will follow at Thompson Memorial Garden Cemetery in Port Gibson.

Visitation will be from 1 until 6 p.m. Sunday at Thompson Funeral Home and Monday at the church from 10 a.m. until the service.

Williona W. James.

Williona W. James died Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006, at River Region Medical Center. She was 72.

A Vicksburg resident, Mrs. James was a member of Travelers Rest Baptist Church. She retired as a custodian from the Mississippi River Commission.

She is survived by her husband, John L. James Sr. of Vicksburg; three sons, Melvin L. James of Augusta, Ga., Willie L. James of Vicksburg and John L. James Jr. of Birmingham, Ala.; five daughters, Barbara J. Newsome of Augusta and Christine W. Doss, Thelma L. Washington, Gloria M. James and Jacqueline A. James, all of Vicksburg; two stepdaughters, Betty Tucker of Pawtucket, R.I., and Louise James of Texas; two sisters, Katie Mae Robinson of Vicksburg and Viola Neal of Utica; 15 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.

Lakeview Memorial Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.

Harry Powell.

HOUSTON – Harry Powell died Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006, at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. He was 74.

Mr. Powell was a lifelong resident of Vicksburg and retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after 30 years of service and The Vicksburg Post.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Lula West Johnson and Doc Powell; one daughter, Hazel Powell Allen; three brothers, Ross J. Wheatley, Bobby Powell, Eugene Powell; and two sisters, Gertrude Powell and Ruby Powell.

Survivors include his wife, Alice Powell; one brother, Claude Powell of Los Angeles; five children, Harry Jr., Billy Ray, Michael, Brenda and Penny; one stepson, Joseph Russell; 12 grandchildren; and other relatives.

Memorials may be sent to the Vicksburg Homecoming Benevolent Club: Harry Powell Golf Scholarship.

Lakeview Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.

Judge Price Jr.

EDWARDS – Judge Price Jr. died Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2006, at Central Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. He was 64.

Mr. Price was a truck driver with Hinds County District No. 3.

He was a member of Mount Moriah M.B. Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother.

Survivors include his wife, Shirley Price of Edwards; two daughters, Nita Price and Sharon Kelly, both of Edwards; three sons, Patrick Thomas Price of Atlanta, Antonio Harvey of Sacramento and Judge Price III of Oklahoma; three brothers, Ulysses Singleton of Michigan, Ernest Price of Detroit and James Calvin Price of Edwards; and six sisters, Margie Price Williams and Louise Price, both of Edwards, Beatrice Lewis of Jackson, Ozie Price Turner of Picayune, Helen Mosley of Champagne, Ill., and Stella Price of Southfield, Mich.; and other relatives including Camille Williams and Monterrio Jefferson, both of Edwards.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Sunday at Bonner Campbell College in Edwards. Burial will follow at Mount Moriah Church Cemetery under the direction of Lakeview Funeral Home in Vicksburg.

Visitation will be from 1 until 5 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home.

Sybil Graham Safley.

Sybil Graham Safley died Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006, at River Region Medical Center. She was 91.

Mrs. Safley lived in Philipp, Miss., from 1942 until 2002 before moving to Vicksburg. She was a grocer clerk in Philipp for 16 years and served as assistant housekeeping manager at Greenwood Leflore Hospital for 14 years.

She was a member of Philipp Baptist Church, serving as treasurer for 30 years. She was also a member of the Eastern Star and Home Demonstration Club.

She was preceded in death by her husband, T.J. Safley.

Survivors include a son, Billy Safley of Vicksburg; one sister, Willene Jarrett of Walnut Ridge, Ark.; five grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Wilson & Knight Funeral Home in Greenwood with the Revs. Lanny Haley and Steve Livingston officiating. Burial will follow at Odd Fellows Cemetery.

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

Pallbearers will be Walter Safley, Shelton Raner, Roy Knighton, Lawrence Strider, Henry Starnes and Richard Safley.

Lucien Downing Whatley.

Lucien Downing Whatley died Thursday, Jan. 26, 2006, at Shady Lawn Nursing Home. He was 77.

Born in Vicksburg, Mr. Whatley was the son of the late Richard Hawkins Whatley and Lena Hoggatt Whatley. He served in the military between World War II and the Korean War and again during the Korean War.

He was a disabled American veteran and had farming and cattle interests in Warren County. He was of the Baptist faith.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Richard Tillman Whatley, on Wednesday.

He is survived by a nephew, Richard Steven Whatley of Covington, Ga., and other relatives.

Services will be at 4 p.m. Saturday at Cedar Hill Cemetery with the Rev. Terry White, pastor of Bowmar Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will follow under the direction of Riles Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 1 until 3 p.m. Saturday at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be Dr. James Valentine, Clyde Posey Sr., Randall Dillon, Billy Bridges, Mike Wilson and Gaylan McGregor.

Memorials may be made to the Vicksburg-Warren Humane Society, P.O. Box 820171, Vicksburg, MS 39182.

Richard Tillman Whatley.

MADISON, Ga. – Richard Tillman Whatley died Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2006, in Madison, Ga. He was 89.

Born in Vicksburg, he had been a resident of Great Oaks, Monroe, Ga., since 2005. He was the son of the late Richard Hawkins Whatley and Lena Hoggatt Whatley. Mr. Whatley was a graduate of Carr Central High School and Hinds College in Raymond. He was a veteran of World War II serving as a flight officer in the 810th Army Air Corps. Mr. Whatley retired from the photographic section of the Waterways Experiment Station in 1970 and was employed by the Vicksburg Evening Post for a number of years after his retirement. He was a lifelong member of Bowmar Avenue Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon, youth leader, Sunday School teacher and minister of music. He was a member of Bowmar Baptist Church.

He is survived by his wife, Nellie Maurice Dykes Whatley of Monroe, Ga.; one son, Richard Steven Whatley and his wife, Marilynn, of Covington, Ga.; two grandchildren, Erin Elizabeth Whatley Lockerman of Dublin, Ga., and Richard Andrew McDonald Whatley of Atlanta; and a great-granddaughter, Hannah Morgan Lockerman.

His death occurred hours before that of his brother, Lucien Whatley of Vicksburg on Jan. 26, 2006.

Services will be at 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, 2006, at Riles Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Terry White, pastor of Bowmar Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will be at Cedar Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be from 1 p.m. Saturday until the hour of service.

Pallbearers will be Dr. James Valentine, Clyde Posey Sr., Randall Dillon, Billy Bridges, Mike Wilson and Gaylan McGregor.

Memorials may be made to the Bowmar Baptist Church Building Fund, 1825 U.S. 61 South, Vicksburg, MS 39180. Condolences may be sent to www.charlesrilesfuneralhome.com.