August 16, 2007
Published 12:00 am Thursday, August 16, 2007
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.
Ethel Mae Minor
PORT GIBSON – Ethel Mae Minor died Friday, Aug. 10, 2007, at her home in Port Gibson. She was 65.
Mrs. Minor was preceded in death by her mother, Mattie Parker-Wilson; and two brothers, Wilson Parker and Edward Lee Wilson.
She is survived by a son, Nathaniel Minor Jr. of Port Gibson; her father, Allen Parker Sr. of Scottsville, La.; two brothers, Allen Parker Jr. and Tommie Wilson, both of Port Gibson; four sisters, Jannie Wilson-Shorter and Syrenia Wilson, both of Port Gibson, and Lucille Wilson and Louise Wilson, both of Jackson; three grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at St. Luke Christian Church in Pattison with the Rev. Jimmy Ellis officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery.
Visitation will be from 1 until 6 p.m. Friday at Thompson Funeral Home in Port Gibson and Saturday at the church from 1 p.m. until the service.
Bessie Beatrice Payne
PORT GIBSON – Bessie Beatrice Payne died Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2007, at River Region Medical Center. She was 81.
Mrs. Payne was a member of Springhill M.B. Church in Port Gibson, where she was in the choir.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Isaac and Bertha Wade-Simmons; her husband, Robert Payne; a sister, Mattie Simmons; and a grandson, Larry Payne.
She is survived by three sons, John L. Payne, T.J. Payne and Larry Payne, all of Port Gibson; four daughters, Bertha Dorsey, Geraldine Watson, Bobbie Gusta and Margie Payne, all of Port Gibson; 22 grandchildren; 38 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, friends and other relatives, including Leo Shakir of Chicago.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Springhill M.B. Church with the Rev. Joseph Brown officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery.
Visitation will be from 1 until 6 p.m. Friday at Thompson Funeral Home in Port Gibson and Saturday at the church from 10 a.m. until the service.
Gwendolyn Walls Hopper Posey
Gwendolyn Walls Hopper Posey passed away Wednesday, Aug. 15, 2007, at River Region Medical Center. She lived her life abundantly while serving God and others for 81 years.
She was a beloved homemaker. As a longtime member of Bowmar Baptist Church, she served for 59 years in the preschool and nursery program. She was also director of the 4-year-old Sunday school class for 40 years.
Mrs. Posey worked and volunteered at the Sydney Building and other area nursing homes for many years.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Martin O. and Mary Fogarty Walls; her husband of 52 years, G.Q. Hopper; her stepmother, Opal Walls; and a sister, Betty Hoagland.
Mrs. Posey is survived by her husband, Clyde Posey Sr. of Vicksburg; a daughter, Mary Helen Malone and husband, Eddie, of Terry; two sons, Dr. George M. Hopper and wife, Dr. Missy Hopper, of Starkville and David Q. Hopper and wife, Colleen Hopper, of Longview, Texas; stepchildren, Clyde Posey Jr. of Vicksburg and Beth P. Clark and husband, Mark, of Jackson. She is also survived by eight grandchildren and their spouses, four great-grandchildren, and an extended family of beloved nieces, nephews, sisters and brothers-in-law of many years.
Visitation will be from 6 until 8 tonight at Frank J. Fisher Funeral Home. Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the funeral home with the Rev. Terry White officiating. Burial will follow at Green Acres Memorial Park.
Pallbearers will be David Hopper, George Hopper, Clyde Posey Jr., Michael Malone, Jason Malone, Eddie Malone and Ben Hopper.
Memorials may be made to Bowmar Church Preschool Ministries, 1825 U.S. 61 South, Vicksburg, MS 39180 or Gideons International, P.O. Box 140800, Nashville, TN 37214-0800.
Bertie Hatten Rotstein Simmons
Bertie Hatten Rotstein Simmons died Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2007, at St. Clare Manor in Baton Rouge. She was 89.
Born in Winnsboro, La., she was the daughter of James Wylie Hatten and Annis Jordan Hatten. She graduated from Liddieville High School at the age of 16 and worked at a local hospital for a year before she was old enough to be accepted into nursing school at Charity Hospital in Vicksburg. She completed the RN program in three years and then went to Philadelphia, Pa., for post-graduate studies.
Mrs. Simmons had a varied nursing career that spanned over 60 years. A longtime former resident of Vicksburg, she had been a resident of Mandeville, La., since 2000. She was an active member of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Vicksburg before moving to Mandeville.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Rotstein; six brothers, Edgar Hatten, Ralph Hatten, Louis Hatten, Joe Hatten, Cass Hatten and Van Martin; four sisters, Myrtle Williams, Minnie Posey, Onie Hudson and Melissa Hatten; and other family members.
She is survived by two daughters, Betty Rotstein Miller and her husband, John, of Mandeville and Bobbie Rotstein Tosso and her husband, Emile, of Springfield, La.; three grandchildren, Monica Miller Kidder of Ottumwa, Iowa, Sgt. Everette Kyle Clark, USMC, of Jacksonville, N.C., and Marcia Clark of Springfield; two great-grandchildren, Bailey Kidder and Jacob Kidder of Ottumwa; a sister, Alyne Cole of Brandon; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Riles Funeral Home with the Rev. Ann Whitaker, rector of St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, officiating. Interment will be at the Vicksburg National Cemetery.
Visitation will be from 10 a.m. Friday until the hour of the service.
Memorials may be made to St. Joseph Hospice, 8923 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70810.
Mary L. Winston
AURORA, Ill. – Mary L. Winston of Aurora, Ill., departed this life peacefully and surrounded by her loving family on Monday, Aug. 13, 2007, at Rush Copley Medical Center in Aurora.
She was born March 18, 1941, to Luella (Atkins) Wolf and the late Dave James in Vicksburg. On June 23, 1962, she was united in holy matrimony to Joseph Winston Jr.; to this union, five children were born.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph Winston Jr.; father, Dave James; stepfather, Nathan Wolf; and grandmother, Gertrude Atkins.
She is survived by three sons, David Winston Sr. of Plainfield, Ill., Michael Winston of Aurora and Jeffrey Winston of Wheaton, Ill.; two daughters, Lora Winston-Tuggles (Henry Tuggles, a very special son-in-law) of Batavia, Ill., and Lisa Winston of Aurora; her mother, Luella Wolf of Aurora; nine grandchildren, David Jr., Joseph, Colton, Breanna, Taylor, Jasmine, Cameron, Yuliesa Winston and Renisha Martin; three brothers-in-law; three sisters-in-law; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, Aug. 18, at Clover Valley Baptist Church, 7670 Highway 27 in Vicksburg, where flowers will be received. Interment will be in Vicksburg.
Visitation will be from 6 until 8 tonight, Aug. 16, at James Funeral Service in Aurora, 630-851-6503.