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.

Floyd Denson “Dinkey” Acuff

Floyd Denson “Dinkey” Acuff died Wednesday, July 23, 2008, at River Region Medical Center. He was 33.

Mr. Acuff was born in Vicksburg and had lived in Delta, La., for three years. He was of the Baptist faith, was employed by Hogan Construction Company and was a hunter and fisherman.

Mr. Acuff is survived by his parents, Joseph D. and Maggie Partin Acuff; his wife, Beth Acuff; his three sons, Michael, Aaron and Dustin; his daughter, Destany; four brothers, Joseph James Acuff, Raymond Acuff and Chris Acuff, all of Vicksburg, and Joseph D. Acuff of Delta; a sister, Ronda Acuff of Delta; and his adoptive parents, A.J. and Sally Graham.

Graveside services will be at 2 pm. Monday at Cedar Hill Cemetery. Visitation will be from noon until the service Monday at Frank J. Fisher Funeral Home.

Pallbearers will be Joseph Acuff, Raymond Acuff, Joseph Acuff Jr., John Smith, Chris Acuff, Thomas Wade, Timothy Harrison, Shane Acuff and Jason Vega.

Thelma B. Lujan

Thelma B. Lujan died Thursday, July 24, 2008, at River Region Medical Center. She was 88.

Mrs. Lujan, the daughter of Thomas and Inez Beard, was born in Jefferson County. From the age of 8, she was a member of Unity and Bethesda Baptist churches.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Bernie Lujan; a son, John P. Foster; a sister, Lillian Beard; and three brothers, Jacob Calvin Beard, who was killed in service during World War II, Luther Beard and Jack D. Beard.

She is survived by a sister, Minnie Abbott of Port Gibson; two brothers, Billy Beard of Vicksburg and Tommy Beard of Ocean Springs; a brother-in-law, Frank Lujan of Denver; a sister-in-law, Mary Ann Lujan of Denver; a daughter-in-law, Barbara Foster of Vicksburg; a grandson, Randy Curtis of Vicksburg; a great-grandson, Chance Curtis of Vicksburg; two nieces, Debbie Dirago of Vicksburg and Margaret Varando of Port Gibson; four nephews, Jake Beard of Vicksburg, Dexter Abbott and Tom Abbott, both of Port Gibson, and Thomas Allen of Jackson; and other relatives.

Services will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at Frank J. Fisher Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Dwight Sibley officiating. Burial will follow at Singletary Cemetery in Jefferson County. Visitation will be from 5 until 7 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.

Pallbearers will be Tony Dirago, Ray Wright, Jack Beard, Wesley Vanlandingham, Randy Curtis, Paul Curry, Billy Jeffers and Thomas Allen. Clay Griffin will be an honorary pallbearer.

Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or the American Heart Association, P.O. Box 16808, Jackson, MS 39236-6808.

Major Cleve Mathis

SHREVEPORT, La. – Major Cleve Mathis died Thursday, July 24, 2008, at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center hospital in Shreveport. He was 59.

Mr. Mathis was born in Brookhaven and had lived in Madison Parish for many years. He was a U.S. Air Force veteran and a district manager for Labor Finders of Monroe.

Mr. Mathis was preceded in death by a son, Brad Mathis.

He is survived by his father, Robert E. Mathis of Tallulah; three sons, Tommy Mathis of Abita Springs, La., Brian Mathis of Monroe and Eric Mathis of Las Vegas; three sisters, Lillian Simms, Sally Welch and Betty Jo Young, all of Tallulah; and two brothers, Charles Mathis of Shreveport and Marlin Mathis of Epps, La.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Monday at First Baptist Church in Tallulah with the Rev. Danny Trichell officiating. Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery in Tallulah, under the direction of Crothers-Glenwood Funeral Home of Tallulah. Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until noon Monday at the funeral home.

Leslie Gaboury Verhagen

TALLULAH – Leslie Gaboury Verhagen died Friday, July 25, 2008. She was 72.

Mrs. Verhagen was born in Webster, Mass, and was a graduate of St. Louis High School. She served in the U.S. Army from 1954 until 1956. A year later, she moved to Tallulah, where she was a social worker for the Madison Parish welfare department for 33 years. She retired in 1986.

Mrs. Verhagen was preceded in death by her parents, Estelle and Roland Gaboury Sr.

She is survived by her children, Stacy Solet of Houma, La., and Marty Verhagen of Monroe, La.; a brother, Roland Haboury Jr. of Brooklyn, Conn.; a sister, Patricia Raymond of Delray Beach, Fla.; and nieces and nephews.

A memorial Mass will be at 2 p.m. Monday at St. Edward Catholic Church in Tallulah., with the Rev. Ferre DeCruz officiating. A reception for family and friends will follow.

Donations may be made to The Cancer Foundation League, 141 DeSiard St., Suite 407, Monroe, LA 71201 or to St. Edward Catholic Church, 205 E. Bayou Drive, Tallulah, LA 71282.