DAVID BROOM

David Willard Broom, 57, died Wednesday, May 18, 2011.
Funeral services were Sunday at Welch Funeral Home in Starkville with Rev. Clifton Curtis officiating.
Mr. Broom was born Nov. 14, 1953, in Yazoo City. He was Assistant Director of Millsap’s Career & Technology Center with Starkville Public Schools and a member of First Baptist Church of Starkville. He was a graduate of Manchester Academy, Holmes Junior College, Delta State University, and Mississippi State University.   
Survivors include his wife Mazelle B. Broom and son David W. Broom Jr., both of Starkville; parents Willard and Kathryn Hearst Broom of Benton, Miss., brother Greg Broom (Kathy) of Yazoo City, Miss.; sisters Lisa B. Ables of Yazoo City and Kay B. Ray (Brad) of Madison.
Memorials may be made to CBS Bank, Attn: Margaret Prisock, 303 Hwy. 12 West, Starkville, Miss. 39759, in memory of David W. Broom.

WALTER HOWARD

Walter Howard, 63, died Tuesday, May 3, 2011.
Funeral services were May 14 at Issaquena Church with Rev. Randy Little officiating. Burial followed at Cypress Garden Cemetery under the direction of Shaffer & Collins Funeral Home.
Mr. Howard was born April 11, 1946 in Yazoo City to the late Mary and Limmie Howard. He was a U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam veteran and earned a Purple Heart while serving in the war. He was preceded in death by three brothers,Willie Brackridge, Limmie Howard Jr. and Bubarly Howard; and a sister, Merlisia Grant.
Survivors include a son, Derrick Martin of Gulfport;  two daughters, Corine Martin and Lakeshia McCoy (Darien) of Yazoo City; a sister, Odessa Williams of Houston, Texas; niece, Roberta Grant of Yazoo City: stepdaughters Tina Sims (Rodregess) and Paulette Martin of Yazoo City; nine grandchildren; and a host of relatives and friends.

ODELL MASON

Odell Mason, 56, died Friday, May 6, 2011.
Funeral services were May 14 at the Shaffer & Collins Funeral Home Chapel.
Mr. Mason was born Aug. 29, 1954 to Inery Hampton and Roy Mason in Potosi. He attended Campbellsville High School in Holly Bluff and worked for Nissan. He was married to Charlene Elaine Crowder for 18 years.
He was preceded in death by his brother, Lonnie Paige; and three sisters, Charlean Lawson, Edna Earl Wright and Mary Edna Blue.
Survivors include his daughters, Tammy Mason of Yazoo City and Claudean Jackson of Milwaukee, sisters, Claudean Collins, Ora Robinson (Izish), Dorothy Young (Louis), Doris Elain Paige, and a host of other relatives and friends.

ETHEL SMITH

Ethel Lee Renfroe Smith, 90, died Saturday, May 7, 2011.
Funeral services were May 14 at St. Matthew Church of God in Christ with Rev. Anthony Brown officiating. Burial followed at Cypress Garden Cemetery under the direction of Scott Memorial Funeral Home.
Mrs. Smith was born June 20, 1920 in Yazoo County to Lee Andrew Renfroe and Nancy Chin. Her mother died when she was only 10, and she helped her father raise her brother Willie and sister Lillie. Her father later married Katie Smith. They all preceded her in death.
She worked at Yazoo City High School for 25 years as a custodian and was a member of Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband, John Henry Smith; and two children, I. Jessie and Jessie.
Survivors include her children, Ruthie Brown (Willie) of Yazoo City, John Smith, Edward Smith (Jackie), Lee Smith (Maudine), Otha Smith (Pearlina), Willie Smith Sr., Roy Smith, Lillie Mathews (Robert), Gloria Smith and Beulah Smith; 57 grandchildren; 65 great-grandchildren; and 10 great-great grandchildren.
Serving as pallbearers were Derrick Brown, Kevin Jones, James Prater Jr., Willie Smith Jr., Jimmy Page and Desmonie Levison.

JOHN ROBINSON Sr.

John Marion Robinson Sr., 70, died April 22, 2011 at Baptist Hospital in Jackson.
Funeral services were April 30, 2011 at St. Matthew Church of God in Christ with Rev. Gregory Robertson officiating. Burial followed at Garden Memorial Park in Jackson under the direction of Scott Memorial Funeral Home.
Mr. Robinson was born Aug. 16, 1940 to Rev. Solomon Robinson and Julia Grear Robinson. After graduating from Yazoo City Training School in 1959, he earned a bachelor of science in education from Jackson State. He retired in 2002 after 37 years in education and over 30 years at Yazoo City Junior High School, worked as a tax preparer, electrician, served in the Mississippi State Guard and volunteered with HANDS after Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast. He was a member of New King Solomon M.B. Church.
Survivors include his wife of over 40 years, Mattie Lou Robinson; children, Valerie Robinson and John Robinson Jr. (Catherine) of Jackson; daughters, Vickie Stuckey and Theresa Dunbar (Jermaine) of Jackson; sons, Dennis Lewis of Chicago and Charles Williams of Kansas City; three brothers, Solomon Robinson (Bev) of Port St. Lucie, Fla., Rev. Jerry Robinson (Ann) of Chicago and Willie Robinson of Yazoo City; 10 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and a host of other relatives and friends.
Serving as pallbearers were Roderick Robinson, Cedric Gibbs, Barry Wayne Howard, Anthony Robinson, Zachary Jones and Sherry Hudson.

VIRGIE WILKINSON

Virgie Dalyne Wilkinson, 78, died Saturday, May 21, 2011 at Traceway Retirement Community in Tupelo.
Funeral services were Monday at Glenwood Cemetery. Burial followed under the direction of Robinson Funeral Home.
Miss Wilkinson was born Sept. 30, 1932 in Yazoo City to the late Lillian Perry and Louis Calvin Wilkinson.
Survivors include two nieces, Sherwin Cade of Belden and Cowatha Dill of Philadelphia; nephew, Louis Hollis of Conyers, Ga.; and a host of great nieces and nephews.