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.

Gloria White Dudding

Gloria White Dudding, a McComb native, avid Mississippi theater supporter and community activist, died Tuesday, Jan. 15, at Heritage House Nursing Center in Vicksburg. She was 82.

Services will be at 9 a.m. Friday at Church of the Mediator in McComb with an 11 a.m. gathering at the parish hall. The Rev. David Lemburg will officiate. Burial will be at Hollywood Cemetery.

Mrs. Dudding was an enthusiastic supporter of the arts and participated in community theater as an actor and director throughout Mississippi for almost four decades. She was the organizing president of the Pike Little Theater in McComb and the Clinton Community Theater in Clinton, three-time vice president of the Mississippi Little Theatre Association, secretary and member of the board of directors of the Natchez Little Theater and Cleveland (Miss.) Little Theater, and three-time president of the Vicksburg Theatre Guild.

She appeared on stage dozens of times in various theaters, including the Pike Little Theatre in McComb, the West Lafayette (Ind.) Little Theatre, the Natchez Little Theatre, the Cleveland Little theaters, the Clinton Community Theatre, the Vicksburg Theatre Guild, Natchez Stage 67, Jackson’s New Stage, and the Sardis and Greenwood little theaters.

She directed a half-dozen seasonal productions for community theatres in Natchez, Cleveland, Vicksburg and Clinton, as well as The Church of the Holy Trinity in Vicksburg and All Saints’ Episcopal School in Vicksburg.

Later in life, she wrote a number of plays, some of which were produced in state community theaters, including “The Villain from Vicksburg,” “SM 102” and “Clinton: A Clear Spring Rising.” She also wrote several sexual abuse awareness short plays for the Mississippi Children’s Home that were staged extensively in the Jackson area.

Active in other community affairs, Mrs. Dudding formed a foreign film club in Cleveland, served as president of the Cleveland Lioness Club, was a member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary, was chairman of Indian Affairs for the Natchez Civic and Welfare Club and spearheaded local efforts to give the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians park status. She was president of both the Natchez and Clinton newcomers clubs, served on the advisory board of the Clinton Public Library, and chaired a steering committee to form the Arts Council of Clinton, of which she later served as president.

An Episcopalian, she was active in various Episcopal parishes and served regularly as a lector and in other leadership roles.

During her retirement, she became a tutor for the McComb Adult Literacy Council and then its president. She was presiding secretary of the McComb Nautilus Club, gave regular book talks to local nursing homes, and became an active member of McComb’s Quilting Society Book Club and the “13” Club.

Mrs. Dudding loved to read and watch movies, kept up with current events, learned to use a computer and played Scrabble and bridge whenever she could. She leaves many devoted friends who helped care for her in her later years.

She was a proud graduate of the McComb High School Class of 1943 and held a bachelor’s degree in English from Louisiana State University and a master’s degree in speech from Mississippi College.

Mrs. Dudding was born Oct. 20, 1925, in Clarksdale to William Lawrence White and Tycelia Johnson White.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ben Dudding, an Entergy production executive; as well as her siblings: William L. White Jr. of Arlington, Texas, Audrey White Soule of Larkspur, Calif., Dawn White Christensen of Fort Worth, Texas, Robert White of North Carolina and Sharon White of McComb.

She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Janet Dudding and James Kaihatu of Bryan, Texas; a son and daughter-in-law, Hank Dudding and Mickie Anderson of Memphis and Gainesville, Fla.; a granddaughter, Kristi Walski Hall and her husband, Andy Hall, of Vicksburg; and two great-grandchildren, Gloria and Sam Hall.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Big Print Section of the McComb Public Library; the Warren County-Vicksburg Public Library; the Big Print Section of the MS Library Commission; the Hospice “Providence”; or to the McComb Church of the Mediator Parish.

Ollie Mae Johnson

Services for Ollie Mae Johnson will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Zion Traveler Church, 1701 Poplar St., with the Rev. Phillip Burks officiating.

Visitation will be at the church Saturday from 10 a.m. until the service.

Ms. Johnson died Monday, Jan. 14, 2008, at River Region Medical Center. She was 65.

A member of Zion Traveler M.B. Church, she attended Claiborne County and Hinds County schools and was a graduate of Milady’s School of Cosmetology. She worked as a cook for more than 25 years at Mr. C’s Cafeteria, Pemberton Cafeteria and Cracker Barrel Country Store.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Amos Johnson Sr. and Julia Neal Johnson; and a sister, Pearlean Johnson Hollins.

She is survived by three sons, Dwight A. Johnson of Greenville and James Phillip Johnson and Douglas M. Miller of Vicksburg; six sisters, Wilena Cole of Jackson, Julia M. Fisher of New Orleans, Hattie Haley of Houston, Texas, Geneva Trahan of Inglewood, Calif., and Mary Burns Gray and Carrie M. Carson, both of Vicksburg; two brothers, Amos Johnson Jr. of New Orleans and Simmie Johnson of Vicksburg; and nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends, including Kimberly McKay and members of the Neal, Turner and Price families of Vicksburg and Utica.

Westhaven Memorial Funeral Home, 3580 Robinson Road in Jackson, has charge of arrangements.

Clara Ross Mann

Services for Clara Ross Mann will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Williams Funeral Service with the Rev. R.L. Miller officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 1 until 6 p.m. Thursday and from 10 a.m. Friday until the service at the funeral home.

Mrs. Mann died Thursday, Jan. 10, 2008, at University Medical Center in Jackson. She was 57.

She was of the Baptist faith and a member of Christian Home Society No. 24.

She was preceded in death by her husbands, James Ross and James Mann; and her parents, Cecil Craig Allen and Wilroy Allen.

She is survived by three sons, Benjamin Ross of Vicksburg, James Willie Ross of Clarksdale and Jamie Ross of Edwards; four daughters, Brindia Ross, Carolyn Ross, Mary Ross and Matilda Ross, all of Vicksburg; 26 grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.

Arthur Morrow

Arthur “Tanker” Morrow died Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2008, at his home in Vicksburg. He was 64.

Mr. Morrow retired as a cemetery employee from the City of Vicksburg. He was of the Baptist faith.

He was preceded in death by his father, Jonas Flagg; his mother, Selma Morrow; and a brother, Fred Cooper.

Survivors include his wife, Georgia James Morrow of Vicksburg; one son, Julius Morrow of Vicksburg; one daughter, Yolanda Morrow of Vicksburg; and three sisters, Mildred Patin of Baton Rouge and Odell Flagg Allen and Birda Mae Mace, both of Vicksburg.

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