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.

Linda Tilley Duthu

Linda Tilley Duthu died Tuesday, July 24, 2007, at River Region Medical Center. She was 59.

A native of Greenville, Mrs. Duthu was the daughter of Charles G. and Dorothy Lewellen Tilley. She was a longtime employee of P.J.’s Lounge and owned and operated Le Captain and The Captain’s Nest in Greenville. She was of the Baptist faith.

She is survived by a daughter, Stephanie Trent of Vicksburg; a son, Tim Wright of Vicksburg; one brother, Charles Tilley of Vicksburg; two sisters, Patricia Erickson of South Carolina and Sheryl Case of Fayette; and four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

A memorial service will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at Fisher Funeral Home with the Rev. Kent Campbell officiating.

Marie McGuffee Johns

CLINTON – Marie McGuffee Johns, 65, died Monday, July 23, 2007, in Rankin County.

Services are at 11 a.m. Thursday, July 26, 2007, in the chapel at Lakewood Funeral Home. Visitation is from 5 until 8 tonight and after 10 a.m. Thursday. Burial will follow at Lakewood Memorial Park.

Marie was born Feb. 17, 1942, in Vicksburg to the late Harry L. McGuffee Sr. and Gladys G. Westbrook McGuffee; she was the oldest of 10 children.

Marie grew up in Vicksburg and graduated from Culkin Academy. She later made her home in Clinton, where she devoted herself to her family and the community. While her children were growing up, she spent time as a youth soccer coach for many years. After her children were no longer in the youth athletic programs, she devoted much of her time to her grandchildren and their activities. She would be sure to go to every possible game they played.

Marie loved to travel but, more than anything else, she was devoted to her family and to her friends. She had a great support system between the two that contributed to her surviving breast cancer twice.

She was employed by A&S Upholstery and had been an interior designer for many years.

Preceding her in death were her parents and two brothers, Harry McGuffee and Cecil McGuffee.

She will be missed greatly by her son, Mike Boulanger and his wife, Paula, of Jackson; daughter, Heather Garrett and her husband, Greg, of Brandon; son, Kevin Johns also of Brandon; and her former husband and best friend, Bruce Johns of Braxton.

She is also survived by her precious grandchildren: Michael, Thomas, Matthew and Mitchell Boulanger of Jackson and Olivia, Phoebe, Lillie Grace and Neely Garrett of Brandon; siblings, Bobbie and Ralph Abraham of Clinton, Wanda Wilkerson of Victoria, Texas, Shirley and Billy Riddle of Vicksburg, Albert McGuffee and Carolyn Eubanks of Terry; Wayne McGuffee of Terry, Eileen Ring of Cypress, Texas, and Carrie McGuffee and Shelia Laird of Byram; sisters-in-law, Candice McGuffee of Polkville and Penny McGuffee of Pearl; and numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and many friends.

Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org.

The online guest book can be signed at www.lakewoodfuneralhomes.com.

Adele Bethany Kette

RIDGELAND – Adele Bethany Kette, 43, died July 21, 2007, at Mississippi Baptist Medical Center.

Services were at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Wright and Ferguson Funeral Home in Ridgeland. Burial followed at Parkway Memorial Cemetery.

Mrs. Kette was born April 16, 1964, in Jackson. She was a graduate of Jackson Prep and Mississippi State University and attended Mississippi College. She was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority at MSU, serving as treasurer. She was a member of the Debutante Club of Mississippi, having made her debut in 1983.

She was a certified public accountant and practiced with the former firm of Koury, Ready and Butler and later with Ergon Inc.

She was a lifetime member of Christ United Methodist Church.

She is survived by her husband, George Edward Kette of Ridgeland, formerly of Vicksburg; her parents, Kye and Loraine Smith Bethany of Jackson; her sister, Kate Bethany Campbell and husband, John, of Madison; her father-in-law and mother-in-law, Charles and Jean Kette of Vicksburg; her sister-in-law, Katie Marcus and husband, Stephen, of Vicksburg; her brother-in-law, Richard Kette and wife, Debra, of Vicksburg; her brother-in-law, David Kette and wife, Nancy, of Reno, Nev.; and her brother-in-law, Charles Kette III of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Pallbearers were Eustace Conway of Vicksburg, Keith Kellum of Baton Rouge, and Brad Pitts, Bob Piazza and Dan Smith, all of Ridgeland.

Brooks Jackson Thomas

HAZLEHURST – Beloved father, husband and friend Brooks Jackson &#8220Jack” Thomas, 61, a native of Half Acre, Ala., and longtime resident of Hazlehurst, died Saturday, July 21, 2007.

Visitation was from 5 until 8 p.m. Tuesday at Stringer Funeral Home in Hazlehurst followed by a service at 10 a.m. today at First Presbyterian Church of Hazlehurst. A second service will be held at 4 today at First Presbyterian Church of Linden, Ala., with burial at Half Acre Cemetery.

Mr. Thomas was born July 14, 1946, and was preceded in death by his parents, William Gray Thomas and Elizabeth Robbins Thomas of Half Acre.

Survivors include his wife, Melanie Campbell Thomas; three sons, Jason Thomas of Wesson, Granville Engle of New York City and Michael Engle of Vicksburg; four daughters, Stefanie Moore and her husband, Kris, of Taylorsville, Katherine Thomas of Starkville, Brooke Thomas of Taylorsville and Campbell Engle of Washington, D.C.; three sisters, Jane Beck of Sweetwater, Ala., Anne Schroeder and her husband, Jerry, of Linden, Ala., and Sarah Drinkard and her husband, Reid, of Linden; and one brother, William Thomas and his wife, Anne, of Myrtlewood, Ala.

Jack was an All-Conference and All-State lineman for the Linden Red Devils football team. He played football at Mississippi State University, where he lettered three years. He was a member of the South squad in the Blue-Gray classic and Most Valuable Player. All of Marengo County, Ala., became St. Louis Cardinal fans when Jack was drafted to play in the National Football League in 1969.

Jack spent a year coaching at Apopka High School in Orlando, Fla., and at Copiah Academy for seven, where he was named Coach of the Year in 1979 by the MPSA.

Jack was very active in the Hazlehurst community. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, where he was an elder. Also, he was a former Lions Club president and a Gideon.

Jack was an agent for State Farm Insurance for 27 years.

Jack will be remembered as a loyal friend, loving father and husband and will be missed dearly.

Pallbearers for the funeral include the following: Tommy Bufkin, Wayne Garrett, Tommy Jones, Dr. Jim Hall, Dr. John Long, Kent Newman, Buddy Prestridge and Chip Sanders.

Honorary pallbearers include: Dr. Ricky Akin, Eustace Conway, Ronnie Gray, Neil King, Max Phillips, Shag Pyron, Mel Stegall, Dr. Charles Hall, Dr. Jerry Long, Jackie Lindsey and the State Farm family.

Memorials should be made to the First Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 769, Hazlehurst, MS 39083.

Willie Lee Tillman

Willie Lee &#8220Sonny” Tillman died Tuesday, July 24, 2007, at River Region Medical Center. He was 75.

Mr. Tillman retired from Anderson-Tully Co. He was of the Baptist faith.

He was preceded in death by a son, Lloyd Tillman; a daughter, Patricia Ann Conway; his mother, Lillie Smith; and his father.

Survivors include his wife, Rosie Lee Watson Tillman of Vicksburg; two sons, Donald Ray Tillman and Roy Tillman of Vicksburg; one daughter, Linda Tillman of Vicksburg; and grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

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

Martha Mae Williams

Martha Mae Williams died Tuesday, July 24, 2007, at River Region Medical Center. She was 69.

Mrs. Williams was retired from the Vicksburg Warren School District. She was a member of Ebenezer M.B. Church, where she was a former usher.

She was a former member of Elite Civic and Social Club and the Vicksburg Benevolent Homecoming Club.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Williams Sr.; a daughter, Anita W. Jones; two brothers, Leonard Nash Jr. and Booker T. Nash; her father, Leonard Nash Sr.; and her mother, Mary Galtney Taylor.

Survivors include four sons, Charles Williams Sr., Nathaniel Williams and John Wesley Williams, all of Vicksburg, and Howard L. Williams of Detroit; two daughters, Virginia D. Connor of Vicksburg and Rose Blair of Corpus Christi, Texas; one brother, Charles E. Taylor of Vicksburg; three sisters, Winnie Shorter of Pittsburgh, Pa., and Betty L. Smith and Louise Kennedy, both of Vicksburg; 11 grandchildren, including Montoya W. Parson and Lashondra Williams of Vicksburg whom she reared; and 13 great-grandchildren.

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