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 Gordon

PORT GIBSON — Ethel Gordon died Thursday, April 10, 2008, at University Medical Center in Jackson. She was 50.

Mrs. Gordon was a member of New Christian Fellowship.

Survivors include her husband, Herman L. Gordon of St. Louis, Mo.; two sons, Decarles Watson and Thomas Fells both of Port Gibson; three brothers, Jordan Davis Jr. and Peter Davis, both of Port Gibson, and Walter Davis of Vicksburg; two sisters, Josephine Allen of Henderson, N.C., and Jennie M. Chambers of Terry; Sadie Davis of Port Gibson and numerous other relatives and friends.

Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Ashland M.B. Church in Port Gibson with the Rev. Randy Burge officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery with Thompson Funeral Home in charge of arrangements. Visitation will be from 1 until 6 this evening at the funeral home and Saturday until the hour of the service at the church.

Mary Valentine Gray

Services for Mary Valentine Gray will be at noon Sunday at Calvary M.B. Church, 406 Klein St., with the Rev. Henry Mayfield Sr. officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6 until 7 p.m. Saturday at W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home and Sunday at the church from 11 a.m. until the service.

Mrs. Gray died Tuesday, April 15, 2008, at River Region Medical Center. She was 65.

Born in Warren County, Mrs. Gray retired as a dietary worker from River Region Medical Center. She was a member of Calvary M.B. Church, where she was on the Usher Board.

She was preceded in death by a son, David Gray; two brothers, James Valentine and Freddie Valentine; one sister, Cora Smith; and her parents, Henry Sr. and Naomi Washington Valentine.

She is survived by her husband, David Gray Jr. of Vicksburg; two sons, Jerome Thomas Gray and David Gray III, both of Vicksburg; three daughters, Diane Denise Young, Marie Gray Smith and Lora Ann Gray, all of Vicksburg; two brothers, Ross Valentine of Vicksburg and Henry Valentine Jr. of Buffalo, N.Y.; five sisters, Naomi Patterson and Theresa Bailey, both of San Diego, Calif., and her twin Martha Wesley, Eugenia Murphy and Katherine Brooks, all of Vicksburg; and grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Carolyn Drake Hines

JACKSON — Carolyn Drake Hines, 86, of Jackson and formerly of Vicksburg and Magnolia, died April 15, 2008, at Hospices Ministries in Ridgeland.

She was born April 17, 1921, in Brunswick, Ga., and was the daughter of the Rev. Edward Plummer Drake and Caroline Redding Drake. She was retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as chief of technical services. Carolyn was a member of Crawford Street United Methodist Church in Vicksburg; a member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary; and a member and served many years as a consultant/chaperone for the Miss Mississippi Pageant. She was an avid bridge player.

Carolyn was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Sidney Gilbert Hines Jr.; her daughter, Sally Hines Grau; and two brothers, Dr. Robert E. Drake of Winter Park, Fla., and Edward Plummer Drake Jr. of Malibu, Calif.

She is survived by one son, Sidney Gilbert Hines III of Destin, Fla.; one sister, Gwendolyn Drake Hiatt of Jackson and formerly of Magnolia; two grandchildren, Richard Edwin Grau of The Woodlands, Texas, and Wendy Grau Fletcher and husband Edward Low Fletcher of Brandon; two great-grandchildren, Richard Dalton Grau of The Woodlands and Audrey Grace Fletcher of Brandon; one sister-in-law, JoAnn Williams Drake of Winter Park; numerous nieces and nephews, including Rebecca Hiatt Collins and husband Dr. R. Deaver Collins Jr. of Jackson and Dr. Warren A. Hiatt Jr. and wife Meridith of Gulfport.

Visitation is Saturday at Hartman-Sharkey Funeral Home in McComb from 9 until 10:40 a.m. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. at Hollywood Cemetery with the Rev. Charles Brister officiating.

Pallbearers will be Dr. R. Deaver Collins, Richard Edwin Grau, Edward Low Fletcher and Richard Herman Grau.

Honorary pallbearers will be John Collins, Harold Saverns and Dr. Warren Hiatt.

The family requests memorials be sent to Hospice Ministries Inc., 450 Towne Center Blvd., Ridgeland, MS 39157.

Sharper Phelps

Sharper Phelps died Monday, April 14, 2008, at his home. He was 73.

Mr. Phelps was a member of the Elks Lodge and of Jackson Street M.B. Church, where he served on the Trustees Board. He retired from the Highland Park Post Office in Highland Park, Ill., and worked part-time at Wal-Mart. He was an Army veteran.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Lemon and Ella Ellis-Phelps.

Survivors include his wife, Alice Phelps; two sons, Frederick Springer of Tucson and Douglas Springer of Belmont, Mich.; one brother, Robert Phelps of Crete, Ill.; three sisters, Bernice Dobbins of Port Gibson, Dora Phelps of Hermanville and Lee Sarah Amos of Petal; Josephine Peaks of South Bend, Ind.; Arthur Phelps of Port Gibson; three grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Jackson Street M.B. Church with the Rev. John Carroll officiating. Burial will follow at Hermanville Cemetery in Hermanville with Thompson Funeral Home of Port Gibson in charge of arrangements. Visitation will be today from 1 until 4 at the funeral home chapel, and from 5 until 7 tonight with the family hour from 6 until 7 at the church and Saturday from 10 a.m. until the hour of the service at the church.

Olivia Johnson Puryear

Olivia Johnson Puryear died Monday, April 14, 2008, at Vicksburg Convalescent Home. She was 82.

Mrs. Puryear was born in Edwards to Erma Cassell Johnson and Amos Harold Johnson. She attended Hinds County Schools before moving to Kansas City, Mo., where she worked as a beautician and homemaker.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, William Puryear; three brothers, Leon Johnson, Ruben Johnson and Isaac Johnson; one sister, Thelma Johnson; and a grandson, Reginald Cornelius.

Survivors include two daughters, Georgia Mae Johnson of Edwards and Shirley Ann Mack of Kansas City; one son, Willie “Billy” Johnson of Jackson; two brothers, Joseph Vernon Johnson of Edwards and Amos Harold Johnson of San Diego, Calif.; 10 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Lakeview Memorial Funeral Home.

John W. Sykes

John W. Sykes died Thursday, April 17, 2008, at River Region Medical Center. He was 84.

Born in Tunica, Mr. Sykes was a former resident of Madera, Calif., where he retired. He was a member of Triumph M.B. Church.

He was preceded in death by his wives, Lucille Sykes and Ethel Sykes; a son, James Edward Jackson; two brothers, Edward Sykes and Moses Sykes; and four sisters, Millie Sykes, Rosetta Miller, Jean Ford and Zelna Gilliam.

He is survived by a daughter, Brenda Sykes of Signal Hill, Calif.; one sister, Vera Carter of Vicksburg; his caregiver, Victor Gilliam of Vicksburg; one grandson; and nieces, nephews and other relatives.

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

Jadyn Dakarai Young

Services for Jadyn Dakarai Young, infant son of Lawerence Young Jr. and Raven Bryant, both of Vicksburg, were at 10 a.m. today at Turner Family Cemetery in Hermanville. Burial followed under the direction of Williams Funeral Service.

Jadyn died Monday, April 14, 2008, at River Region Medical Center.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Montae Trevillion; and his great-grandfather, Charlie Turner.

In addition to his parents, he is survived by his paternal grandparents, Lawerence Young Sr. and Faye Young of Port Gibson; Frajoe and Estella McKenzie of Vicksburg; paternal great-grandmother, Mae Eulice Turner of Port Gibson; maternal grandparents, Nathaniel Bryant and Gloria Marsh of Vicksburg; maternal great-grandparents, Tommie and Frances Adams of Holcomb, Miss.; and three brothers, Lawerence Young III, Damontae Trevillion and JaCorey Daniels, all of Vicksburg.