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.

Louis Armstrong Jr.

PORT GIBSON – Louis Armstrong Jr. died Friday, July 4, 2008, at his home in Port Gibson. He was 69.

Survivors include his wife, Mary Rollins-Armstrong of Port Gibson; two daughters, Shirley McClure and Angelia Armstrong, both of Port Gibson; two sons, Louis Armstrong III and Debronquen Armstrong, both of Port Gibson; a sister, Helen Rose Armstrong of Port Gibson; two brothers, Will T. Armstrong of Port Gibson and Johnnie Lee Armstrong of Vero Beach, Fla.; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and other relatives and friends, including Annie L. Hedrick and Joe Sykes of Port Gibson and Angela Caldwell of Vicksburg.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Old Come and See Baptist Church in Port Gibson with the Rev. Cosey officiating. Burial will follow at Ingleside Cemetery under the direction of Thompson Funeral Home of Port Gibson. Visitation will be from 1 until 6 p.m. Friday at the funeral home and Saturday from 10 a.m. until the service at the church.

Edward Frank Bonner

MER ROUGE, La. – Services for Edward Frank “Bud” Bonner will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the chapel of Cox Funeral Home in Bastrop, La., with the Rev. Richard Norsworthy officiating. Burial will follow at Mer Rouge Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 until 8 tonight and from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Friday at the funeral home.

Mr. Bonner died Monday, July 7, 2008, at M.D. Anderson Medical Center in Houston, Texas. He was 63.

Born in Lake Providence, Mr. Bonner was a graduate of Lake Providence High School and a 1971 graduate of Louisiana Tech University with a degree in agronomy. He was a member of the Army National Guard and the Lions Club of Mer Rouge. He was a turf farmer, formerly employed with T.L. James and was co-owner of B&B Turf Farm of Mer Rouge.

He was preceded in death by his parents, W.F. “Billy” Bonner and Nell Catherine Patrick Bonner of Lake Providence.

He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Carol Buffaloe Bonner; one daughter, Tracey Ann Bonner of San Francisco; one son, William Douglas “Billy” Bonner of West Monroe, La.; two brothers, William Patrick “Pat” Bonner of Mer Rouge and Joseph Douglas “Doug” Bonner of Atlanta; two sisters, Anne Bonner Beaver of Farmerville, La., and Barbara Bonner Crawford of Monroe; and two grandsons.

Pallbearers will be Bobby Parker, Sonny Panzico, Tom Carpenter, Roy Witherington, John Spires and Jimmy Mangrum.

Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Lions Club of Mer Rouge.

Willie Mae Ervin

CRYSTAL SPRINGS – Willie Mae “Doe” Ervin died Tuesday, July 8, 2008, at Central Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. She was 79.

Mrs. Ervin was born in Scott County and was a longtime resident of Crystal Springs. She was a graduate of Centenary College in Shreveport, La. She was a retired math and Bible teacher. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James Wilfred Ervin Sr.; and her parents, Carl and Nannie Mae Stuart Bradshaw.

She is survived by three daughters, Betty Palmer of Nashville, Tenn., Judy Moore of Orange Beach, Ala., and Janet Chisolm of Vicksburg; one son, Dr. James W. Ervin Jr. of Crystal Springs; three sisters, Maxine Strong of Carpenter, Virginia Huffman of Pelahatchie and Delilah Bradshaw of Nashville; a brother, Paul Bradshaw of Jackson; and three great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Stringer Family Funeral Services on Mississippi 27 in Crystal Springs. Burial will follow at County Line Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 until 8 tonight at the funeral home.

Memorials may be made to the National Parkinson Foundation Inc., 1501 NW 9th Ave./Bob Hope Road, Miami, FL 33136-1494 or to the First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs Building Fund.

Etta Ruth Harris

Services for Etta Ruth Harris will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Greater Mount Zion M.B. Church with the Rev. Gregory Butler officiating. Burial will follow at Egremont Cemetery in Rolling Fork. Visitation will be from noon until 6 p.m. Friday at Robbins Funeral Home.

Mrs. Harris died Monday, July 7, 2008, at River Region Medical Center. She was 65.

Born in Vicksburg, Mrs. Harris was a member of Greater Mount Zion M.B. Church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Alton Harris; her parents, Ed Matthew and Ruthie Lee Sullivan Bullock; one son, Leo Matthews; and one daughter, Shirley Harris.

Survivors include three sons, Oliver Matthews of Gulfport, John K. Harris of Vicksburg and Randolph Harris of Omaha, Neb.; three daughters, Annette Matthews of Atlanta and Janie Harris and Janet Nelson, both of Vicksburg; three brothers, Richard Robison and Wesley Bullock, both of Rolling Fork, and Earl Williams of South Carolina; one sister, Jackie Davis of Rolling Fork; 20 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and nieces, a nephew, other relatives and friends.

James Walter Knox Sr.

Services for James Walter “Son” Knox Sr. will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Clover Valley M.B. Church with the Rev. Claborn Logan officiating. Burial will follow at Cedar Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6 until 7 p.m. Friday at W.H. Jefferson Funeral Home and Saturday at the church from 10 a.m. until the service.

Mr. Knox died Friday, July 4, 2008, at Shady Lawn Nursing Home. He was 92.

Born in Hinds County, Mr. Knox was a retired truck driver for Gulf Oil Company. He was a member of Clover Valley M.B. Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents, George Knox and Elizabeth Funches Knox; one brother, Woodrow Knox; three sisters, Anna Bell Brown, Georgiana Williams and Gleneva Johnson; and one granddaughter, Kennedi M. Brinkley.

Survivors include his wife, Georgia Turner Knox; two sons, James W. Knox Jr. of Vicksburg and George W. Knox of Cordova, Tenn.; three daughters, Laura Williams and Geraldine Geter, both of Pontiac, Mich., and Khelli L. Knox of Dallas; and grandchildren, great-grandchildren and members of the Dent and Funches families of Vicksburg.

Winnie Pearl Scott Rounds

Winnie Pearl Scott Rounds died Tuesday, July 8, 2008, at River Region Medical Center. She was 56.

Mrs. Rounds was a native of Jefferson County. She was a former employee of Ameristar Casino’s transportation department. She was a member of Greater Mount Olive M.B. Church.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Eddie Sr. and Sarah Cotton Scott; two brothers, Eddie Scott Jr. and Phillip Scott Sr.; and two sisters, Madora Richmond and Dorothy Slaughter.

Survivors include one daughter, Claudia R. Scott of Vicksburg; four brothers, Richard Scott Sr. and Jordan Smith Jr., both of Vicksburg, Robert Scott Sr. of Fayette and Jessie Gray of Chicago; one sister, Patricia Cole of Vicksburg; one granddaughter; and nieces, nephews and members of the Turner, Moore, Smith, Henderson, Brown, Rounds and Clark families.

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

Johnny Shorter

PORT GIBSON – Johnny Shorter died Thursday, July 3, 2008, at River Region Medical Center. He was 67.

Survivors include his three sons, Johnny Ray Davis of Port Gibson and Damien Shorter and Dwayne Shorter, both of Atlanta; two daughters, Linda Simmons of Port Gibson and Brittany Shorter of Atlanta; a stepdaughter, Geraldine Kinnard of Port Gibson; three brothers, Lee Earnest Shorter of New York, N.Y., and Willie Shorter and Charlie Shorter, both of Port Gibson; six grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, friends and other relatives, including Shantell Byrd of Hermanville.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Ashland M.B. Church in Port Gibson with the Rev. James Dorsey officiating. Burial will follow at the church cemetery under the direction of Thompson Funeral Home. Visitation will be from 1 until 6 p.m. Friday at the funeral home and Saturday from 10 a.m. until the service at the church.