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.

Earla B. Burks

Services for Earla B. Burks will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Church of Christ, U.S. 61 North, with Larry Harris officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be from noon until 6 p.m. Friday at Lakeview Memorial Funeral Home.

Mr. Burks died Sunday, June 8, 2008, at River Region Medical Center. He was 77.

Mr. Burks was retired from Cooper Lighting Company.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Clifton Burks and Fannie Ross; and his sister, Matilda Fortune.

Survivors include his wife, Annie Mae Burks of Vicksburg; five sons, Von Mixon, Eric Burks, Gerald Burks, Patrick Burks and Channing Burks, all of Vicksburg; four daughters, Pamela Bell, Monica Burks, Lauren Wildee and Ava Burks, all of Vicksburg; one sister, Vellia Wash of Vicksburg; two brothers, Homer Burks of Joliet, Ill., and Joe Lee Burks of Texas; 17 grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends.

Marie Kimble Phelps

Marie Kimble “Topsie” Phelps died Monday, June 9, 2008, at River Region Medical Center. She was 69.

Born in Warren County, Mrs. Phelps was the retired owner of Phelps Bail Bonding Co. She attended Warren County Public Schools and was a member of Mount Pilgrim M.B. Church, Freetown.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Elijah “Billy” Phelps; her father, James Kimble; her mother, Mary Williams Randle; a brother, John A. Jackson; a sister, Rosie Marsh; and her grandparents, Ed Williams and Emma Williams.

She is survived by one daughter and son-in-law, Toya P. and Tyrone Nix of Oxford; three brothers, Steven Randle and Lawrence H. Randle, both of Vicksburg, and James E. Jackson of Chicago; four sisters, Mary M. Wilson and Mavies Randle, both of Vicksburg, Tillie R. Dorris of Shorewood, Ill., and Dorothy Randle of Urbana, Ill.; two grandchildren, Tyvari Nix and Tiah Nix, both of Oxford; and other relatives, including Sammie Rainey and Linda R. Smith of Vicksburg.

Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Cedar Hill Cemetery with the Rev. Joseph L. Brown officiating. Visitation will be from 5 until 8 p.m. Friday at W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home.

Betty T. Rawlings

Betty T. Rawlings died Tuesday, June 10, 2008, at Choctaw County Medical Center in Ackerman. She was 59.

Mrs. Rawlings was a member of the Rosa A. Temple Class of 1970. She had worked as a beautician in Vicksburg for more than 30 years. She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

She was preceded in death by a daughter, Almeda Rawlings Carter; her parents, Percy Sanders and Maryanna Robinson; and one brother, Willie Robinson.

Survivors include four sons, Timothy Rawlings of Richmond, Va., Clifton Rawlings Jr. of Vicksburg, James T. Walker of Fort Myers, Fla., and Antonie Walker of Atlanta; three sisters, Pamela Galmore, Almeda Jones and Marie Robinson, all of Fort Myers; and other relatives, including Zethia Strong of Columbia, S.C.

Dillon-Chisley Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.

Georgia Lee Simpson

Services for Georgia Lee Simpson will be at noon Saturday at W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Mount Alban Cemetery.

Mrs. Simpson died Sunday, June 8, 2008, at Promise Hospital of Vicksburg. She was 82.

A homemaker, Mrs. Simpson was born in Warren County. She was a member of Mount Alban M.B. Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Early Simpson Sr.; three brothers, Eugene Durman Sr., J.J. Durman and Bennie Durman; one stepson, Early Simpson Jr.; one stepdaughter, Earline Hill; and her parents, Tony and Bessie Havard Durman.

She is survived by one daughter, Eva Carter of Vicksburg; seven grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; and other relatives, including Sandy Carter of Vicksburg.

Mary Boone Stephens

Mary Boone Stephens died Wednesday, June 11, 2008, at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She was 50.

Mrs. Stephens was a former resident of Vicksburg and had lived in Crystal Springs since 1990. She was a member of the Worldwide Church of God.

She was preceded in death by her father, Vinkley Leroy Boone.

She is survived by her husband, H.N. “Sonny” Stephens Jr. of Crystal Springs; one daughter, Hannah Stephens of Crystal Springs; her mother, Lucille Boone of Vicksburg; a sister, Vera Boone of Providence, R.I.; and two brothers, Peter L. Boone of Vicksburg and John L. Boone of Manchester, N.H.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Cedar Hill Cemetery with John Novic officiating. Visitation will be at Riles Funeral Home from 10 a.m. until the service.

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