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.

Frances Willard Morgan

TUPELO – Frances Willard Morgan, 94, died Monday, July 21, 2008, at The Meadows in Fulton, where she had resided the past year. A lifelong Lee countian, Mrs. Morgan was born on Oct. 30, 1913, in the Auburn community to the late Mr. and Mrs. Will Morgan. She lived in the New Hope community east of Plantersville before moving several years ago to Samaritan Gardens in Verona.

Mrs. Morgan worked many years at the historic Johnnie’s Drive-In in Tupelo and had previously worked for Reed’s and Blue Bell. She was a great nature lover and enjoyed fishing.

Mrs. Morgan was a faithful member of the New Hope Baptist Church until her health failed. She was a wonderful Christian lady with a great smile and a warm heart.

Services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, July 23, 2008, from the Tupelo Chapel of Holland-Harris Funeral Directors with Brother Lowell Johnson officiating. Private burial will follow at Lee Memorial Park.

Survivors include her only son, Billy Raden and wife Wilma of Vicksburg; two grandchildren, Teresa Mosley and husband Kenneth of Clinton and Rick Graham and wife Joy of Vicksburg; three great-grandchildren, Emily Mosley of Clinton, Allison G. Spangler (Jeff) of Lancaster, Ohio, and Amanda G. Babowski (Robert) of Shreveport, La.; and one great-great-granddaughter, Amelia Babowski.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husbands, Murl Raden and Willie B. Morgan; a great-granddaughter, Elisabeth Mosley; and she was the last of her siblings.

Visitation will be from 5 until 7 tonight and from 10 a.m. Tuesday until service time Wednesday at the Tupelo Chapel.

Memorials may be made to the New Hope Baptist Church, 452 CR 1009, Tupelo, MS 38804.

Dr. Howard Marvin Ponder

Memorial services for Dr. Howard Marvin Ponder were at 2 p.m. Sunday at Riles Funeral Home with Mike Ponder, Marvin’s nephew, officiating.

Dr. Ponder died Thursday, July 17, 2008, at Rush Hospital in Meridian, Miss.

He was born in Vicksburg and graduated from Redwood High School. He joined the Air Force, serving most of his tour-of-duty in Germany. He was a retired professor of the University of Missouri-Columbia. He moved to Clinton in 1998 so he could enjoy his family, especially his great-nieces.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Laurence and Lola Ponder; four brothers, James Ponder, Steve Ponder, Ben Ponder and Johnny Ponder; and two sisters, Joyce Woodward and Dorothy Bourg.

Survivors include two sisters, Barbara Ashley Kitchens and husband Bobby and Debbi Harrigill and husband Tony; a niece, Sheila Gullett and husband Ronnie; a nephew, Allen Ashley II and wife Jennifer; four great-nieces, Ashleigh Gullett, Abbigail Ashley, Erin Gullett and Anna Ashley; and many other nieces, nephews and other relatives.

Ruby Redditt

Ruby Redditt died Saturday, July 19, 2008 at River Region Medical Center. She was 90.

Mrs. Redditt was born in Bentonia. She was a longtime resident of the Oak Ridge community.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Addie Parker; a daughter; three sons, Alton Lee Redditt, Roger Redditt and Pete Keen; and a stepgreat-grandson, Bradley McMorris.

Survivors include four sons, James Keen, Joe Redditt, Dan Redditt and Billy Wayne Redditt, all of Vicksburg; a daughter, Jean Campbell of Twin City, Okla.; a sister, Lillian Hughes of Vicksburg; and 12 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, 10 great-great-grandchildren, four stepgrandchildren, 10 stepgreat-grandchildren and two stepgreat-great-grandchildren.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Glenwood Funeral Home with the Rev. Ronnie O’Quinn officiating. Burial will follow at Redditt’s Cemetery. Visitation will be from 8 a.m. until the service at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be Donnie Keen, James “Bubba” Keen, Sean Keen, Kory Redditt, Kevin Campbell and Tom Campbell.

Honorary pallbearers will be Edwin Andrews, Gerald Vanderford, Nathan Skipworth, Charlotte Santucci, Pat O’Conner, Donna Lou Bailey, Patricia Carlisle, Steve Carlisle, David Lyons, D.W. Lyons, Robert Redditt III, Donald Kirk, James T. Boykin, Ricky Catron, Wayne Whatley and Joseph Whatley.

Bennie Smith Jr.

PORT GIBSON – Bennie Smith Jr. died Monday, July 21, 2008, at River Region Medical Center. He was 89.

A Port Gibson resident, Mr. Smith was a member and usher at Campbell Chapel Church. He was a veteran of the Army.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ben Smith Sr. and Mintie January-Smith; five brothers, Wilbert Smith, Leonard Smith Sr., Joseph Smith Sr., Dave Smith and James Smith Sr.; and two sisters, Leola Lucas and Mary Ella Robinson.

He is survived by six sons, Leroy Smith, Trenton Johnson and Ferdale Johnson, all of Port Gibson, Donnell Smith of Utica, Freddie Smith of Vicksburg and Henry Smith of Dade City, Fla.; three daughters, Laverne S. Rucker of Port Gibson, Mary S. Rayford of Lorman and Sheila Smith of Atlanta; 13 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Thompson Funeral Home of Port Gibson has charge of arrangements.

James Foster Vantrease

BRANDON – James Foster Vantrease, 85, died Friday, July 18, 2008, at his residence.

Mr. Vantrease, son of the late Mr. Solon Witcher Vantrease and Eva Sarrett Vantrease, was reared in Williamson County, Tenn. He was a member of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Brandon and was a member of the Methodist Men’s Club. He was also a member of the Telephone Pioneers and Leavell Woods Exchange Club.

He was a World War II veteran of the U.S. Air Force and was a crew chief in the South Pacific for a squadron of DC-8 aircraft. He was a specialist sergeant who received two bronze stars for valor and an Oak Leaf Cluster.

He leaves behind his loving wife, Irene Manton Vantrease of Brandon; two sons, James “Jim” Foster Vantrease and wife Becky of Eagle Lake; William David Vantrease Sr. and wife Twila of Vicksburg; a daughter, Jan Vantrease Ford and husband Eddie of Houston, Texas; sister, Margaret Bond, of Franklin, Tenn.; and three grandchildren, William David Vantrease Jr., Matthew Burl Ford and James Patrick Ford.

A brother, Solon Vantrease, preceded him in death.

Visitation will be from 5 until 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 22, 2008, and Wednesday starting at 10 a.m. at Ott & Lee Funeral Home in Brandon. Funeral services are at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, July 23, 2008, at the funeral home with interment at Lakewood Memorial Park in Jackson.

The family wants to thank the services of Dr. Martin Newcombe, Dr. Paul Vanlandingham, Gilberts Hospice and the many friends and family for their support.

Memorials may be sent to St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, Brandon or French Camp.