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.

Avis Banks.

RIDGELAND – Services for Avis Banks will be at 1 p.m. Wednesday at Vicksburg Auditorium with Mitchell Dent, pastor of Mount Carmel Ministries, officiating. Burial will follow at Locust Grove M.B. Church Cemetery under the direction of W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home. Visitation will be from noon Wednesday until the hour of service at the auditorium.

Ms. Banks died Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2006, at her home in Ridgeland as a result of a homicide. She was 27.

Ms. Banks was a 1997 graduate of Warren Central High School and 2001 graduate of Alcorn State University. She was employed with Bright Horizon Daycare in Jackson. She was a member of Locust Grove M.B. Church.

She was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Don and Martha Banks; and maternal grandfather, Melvin &#8220Buddy” Morgan Sr.

She is survived by her parents, Fredrick and Debra Banks of Vicksburg; her fiance, Keyon Pittman of Ridgeland; two sisters, LaTonya Banks of Houston and Fre-Dreana Banks of Vicksburg; maternal grandmother, Alberta Morgan of Vicksburg; and other relatives and friends, including the Brown, Carter, Morgan and Prentiss families.

David E. Brown.

David E. Brown died Sunday, Dec. 3, 2006, at River Region Medical Center. He was 51.

Mr. Brown was a member of New Hope Baptist Church in Bovina.

He was preceded in death by his father, Gorman Brown Sr.; and a brother, Eddie Brown.

He is survived by his mother, Mary Cook Brown of Vicksburg; his companion, Ruthie Thompson of Vicksburg; two sons, Lewis Thompson and Corey Thompson, both of Vicksburg; three daughters, Lakesha Thompson and Vanessa Thompson, both of Vicksburg, and Yacannia Ray of Hattiesburg; four brothers, James Brown of Vicksburg, Gorman Brown Jr. of Chicago, Thomas Brown of Las Vegas and Barney Brown of Jackson; one sister, Camellia Brown of Los Angeles; three grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, cousins and other relatives.

Robbins Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.

Edward Aylette Buckner Jr.

Edward Aylette Buckner Jr. died Sunday, Dec. 3, 2006, at his residence. He was 81.

Born in Mer Rouge, La., he was the son of the late Edward Aylette Buckner Sr. and Sallie Ellis Buckner. He graduated from Tallulah High School in June 1942 at the age of 16 and from Tulane University with a bachelor of business administration degree in June 1945 at age 19.

Mr. Buckner was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. During his sophomore through senior years, he was a student lab instructor in various accounting courses. He was employed by Esso Standard Oil Company as a tax clerk, later resigning to enter public accounting.

Mr. Buckner was employed by Bourgeois, Russell, Toups and Company CPAs in New Orleans from January 1947 through May 1949, when he resigned to open his own practice. He passed the Certified Public Accountant examination in November 1947 in New Orleans to become the youngest certified public accountant in Louisiana.

Moving to Vicksburg, he opened a public accounting office in June 1949. Mr. Buckner was the first certified public accountant in Vicksburg, one of the first in Mississippi and was an active partner in the Buckner, Buckner and Bridgers CPA firm until his retirement in March 2006. He was of the Episcopal faith.

He was preceded in death by a brother, Louis Buckner.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Ruth Vicknair Buckner of Vicksburg; two daughters, Carolyn Buckner Hall and her husband, Jerry, and Sue Buckner Whitaker and her husband, Danny, all of Vicksburg; two sons, Edward Aylette Buckner III and his wife, Jill, and William Percy &#8220Billy” Buckner and his wife, Cherry, all of Vicksburg; six grandchildren, Michael Buckner Hall, Susan Leigh Hall, Edward Aylette Buckner IV, Angela Brooke Carley, Erin Claire Buckner and Devin Elaine Buckner; four great-grandchildren, Jacob Able Carley, Bailey Nicole Somerville, Addie Shaw Buckner and Ruth Anne Buckner; and one brother, William Ellis &#8220Bill” Buckner of Tallulah.

Services will be at noon Wednesday at Cedar Hill Cemetery with the Rev. Michael Nation, rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Episcopal, officiating. Burial will follow under the direction of Riles Funeral Home.

Visitation will be at the funeral home from 10 a.m. Wednesday until the hour of the service.

Pallbearers will be Glen Jones, Richard Marcus, James Davis, Louis Buckner Jr., Landman Teller Jr., James E. Blackburn Jr., Nathan Ellis Buckner and Harry Nadler Buckner.

Honorary pallbearers will be D.P. Waring, Richard G. Watson, Warner L. Byrum, Kellogg Bobb, Heiman Cohn and Bobby G. Hannon.

Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or to charities of choice.

Jeffery Holmes Burton.

Jeffery Holmes Burton, age 58, died Monday, Dec. 4, 2006, at River Region Medical Center. Services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 7, at Glenwood Funeral Home with the Rev. Billy Talbert and the Rev. J.M. Molter officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be Wednesday from 5 until 8 p.m.

Mr. Burton was a lifelong resident of Vicksburg and a graduate of Warren Central High School. He was employed with Entergy for 30 years. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army Signal Corps during the Vietnam War. He was a charter member of the Solid Rock Pentecostal Church.

Mr. Burton was preceded in death by his parents, Robert F. and Lois Nations Burton; and his wife, Linda Day Burton, all of Vicksburg.

He is survived by two sons, Landon Fields and his wife, Donna, and Tegan Burton and his wife, Catie, all of Vicksburg; one daughter, Breslyn Burton Turner and her husband, Chris, of Vicksburg; two sisters, Mary Ann Champion of Grand Bay, Ala., and Susan Harrod of Springfield, Ill.; one brother, Robert F. Burton Jr. of Spartanburg, S.C.; and two grandchildren, Caleb Jeffery Fields and Carah Ruth Fields of Vicksburg.

Pallbearers will be Jody Gatling, David Goree, Ronnie Hill, Lonnie Hollowell, Bobby Johnson, Jerry Marshall, Larry Montpelier and Tim Wright.

Honorary pallbearers will be members of the CCU staff of River Region, employees of Entergy, Bobby Turner, Billy Welch, Terry West, Bobby Whitley Sr., James Wyatt, Rusty Champion, the Rev. Joe Harrod, Harold Williamson and Elma Malone.

Memorials may be made to Solid Rock Pentecostal Church.

James Patrick McCrary.

James Patrick McCrary died Saturday, Dec. 2, 2006, at his home. He was 43.

Born and reared in Vicksburg, Mr. McCrary was a graduate of Vicksburg High School. He was a veteran of the Navy and a member of Christ Episcopal Church.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Marcus and Delia Mae Hammett; and a brother, Johnathan M. McCrary.

Survivors include his mother and stepfather, Delia Hammett Williams of Vicksburg and Sidney Williams of Mound; a brother, Steven A. Williams of Vicksburg; and aunts, uncles and cousins.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Cedar Hill Cemetery. Burial will follow under the direction of Glenwood Funeral Home.

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

Coleman Woodhouse Sr.

AURORA, Ill. – Services for Coleman &#8220Woody” Woodhouse Sr. were Monday, Nov. 20, 2006, at James Funeral Home Chapel in Aurora. Burial followed at Riverside Cemetery with military honors.

Mr. Woodhouse died Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006, in Aurora. He was 80.

Mr. Woodhouse was the son of the late Harrison and Estella Woodhouse of Vicksburg. He was a World War II veteran, past commander in chief for the American Legion and past master of the Masonic Fraternity. He was a member of Main Baptist Church and Keystone Lodge No. 15 F.&A.M.

He is survived by his companion of 30 years, Josie Billingsley; two daughters, Gladys Bryant of Vallejo, Calif., and Marie Young of Gary, Ind.; two sons, Coleman Woodhouse Jr. and James Johnson of Vallejo; four grandchildren; two grandchildren; and other relatives and friends, including Hayward Jr. and Faye Greene of Aurora.