ANNIE ALEXANDER
Annie Laura Alexander, 100, died Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012 at home.
Funeral services were Sunday at Ellison United Methodist Church with Rev. David Schultz and Rev. George Butler officiating. Burial followed at the church cemetery under the direction of Stricklin King Funeral Home.
Mrs. Alexander was born Feb. 17, 1911 in Yazoo County to James S. and Mable Dixon Moore. She was a retired music teacher and a  lifelong member of Ellison United Methodist Church and served as the church’s musician for many years.
She was preceded in death by her husband, L.C. “Joe” Alexander; and two brothers, Clarence Moore and James Moore.
Survivors include two sons, Bill Alexander (Katherine) of Vaughan and Joe C. Alexander (Shirley) of Elon, N.C.; a daughter, Peggy Youngblood (James) of Rose Hill; brother, John Kelly Moore (Helen) of Vaughan; brother-in-law, Howard Alexander (Gertie) of Jayess; seven grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
Serving as pallbearers were Will Alexander, Jim Alexander, William Moore, David Moore, Carl Newsom, Hunter Newsom, Leon Rucker and Larry Moore.

OTHA DAVIS
Otha Bernard Davis, 50, died Dec. 31, 2011.
Funeral services were Saturday at King Solomon M.B. Church with Rev. Benjamin Hall officiating. Burial followed at Cypress Gardens under the direction of Scott Funeral Home.
Mr. Davis was born April 10, 1961. He worked as a sales specialist at Wal-Mart for nearly a decade until his health began to fail.
Survivors include his wife of 11 years, Bessie Davis; mother, Velma Davis; five children, Denetra, Onika, Onassis, Octavia and Akeem; two step-children, brothers, Billy Davis Sr. and Willie Earl Jones; sisters, Linda Bullock, Nora Faye Ray and Juanita Collum; seven grandchildren; and a host of other relatives and friends.
Serving as pallbearers were the Deacons of King Solomon Church.
Honorary pallbearers were Billy Davis Sr., Michael Collum Sr., Tom Sulton, Onassis Parker, Willie Earl Jones, Larry Collum and Willie Turnage.

EARLENE JACKSON
Earlene Pennington Jackson, 87, of Natchez, died Friday, January 6, 2012, at River Region Medical Center in Vicksburg.
Funeral services were Monday at Laird Funeral Home Chapel in Natchez. Burial followed at Greenlawn Cemetery in Natchez.
Mrs. Jackson was born Feb. 8, 1924 in Monticello to James Martin and Ruby Pennington. She was a Baptist and a homemaker.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, James Jackson; son, James Jackson Jr.; and daughter, Alice Fay Wiggins.
Survivors include her daughters, Rhonda Kemp of Vicksburg and Sonya  Braswell (Herbert) of Natchez; siblings, James Pennington (Cora), Eva Young (Charles), Nita Cain, Billy Pennington  (Pat) and Kenneth Pennington (Deborah); grandchildren, Jamie  Patterson (Jason) of Yazoo City, Michael Wiggins (Jaime) of Dallas, Sherry Loffler (Ivan) of Dallas, Tonya Sloan (Steve)  of Vidalia and Shannon Wilson (Purvis) of Natchez; eight great grandchildren; cousin, Agnes Curry; and a host of family and friends.
Serving as pallbearers were Thomas Swaggart, Robert Atwood, Purvis Wilson, Johnathan Wilson, Freddie Gamberi and Jerry Harper.
Honorary pallbearers were Dr. George E. Abraham II, Dr. David Halinski, Bobby Cox and Jack Cox.

SILVIA JEFFREY
Silvia Rean Newkirk Jeffrey, 85, died Dec. 29, 2011.
Funeral services were Jan. 6, 2012 at Chapel Hill M.B. Church with Rev. Eugene Williams officiating.
Mrs. Jeffrey was born March 28, 1926 in Yazoo County to William McKinnley Newkirk and Marie Bonner Newkirk. She was retired employee of the Yazoo City Municipal School District, where she worked in janitorial services, and a member of Chapel Hill Church.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Leezell Jeffrey; a daughter, Sylvia Lena Felder; a brother, William M. Newkirk; and three sisters, Willie Mae Martin, Eula B. Harris and Ella Mae Fox.
Survivors include a daughter, Michelle M. Bell (Tommie); three sisters, Anna Newkirk of Pontiac, Mich. and Marie Christmas and Robbie Lee Thomas of Yazoo City; two brothers, Cleotha Newkirk (Ola) of Chicago and Alfred Newkirk (Joyce) of Benton; six grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and a host of other relatives and friends.
Serving as pallbearers were her nephews.
Honorary pallbearers were Timothy Matthews Jr., Thomas Matthews, Theodore Matthews, Tommie Bell, Benjamin D. Jeffery, Benjamin Felder Sr., Alfred J. Newkirk and Cleotha Newkirk.

ANNIE OWENS
Annie Pearl Owens, 73, died Dec. 31, 2011.
Funeral services were Jan. 7, 2012 at Mt. Zion M.B. Church in Vaughan. Burial followed at Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church Cemetery under the direction of Scott Memorial Funeral Home.
Mrs. Owens was born Jan. 4, 1938 to Jimmie Lee Yancy and Wilburt Charles Owens. She later moved to Chicago where she retired from St. Francis Hospital in 2007. She was a member of Greater Mount Olivet M.B. Church.
Survivors include four children, Wayne (Jacqueline), Jacqueline (Ulysses), Robin (Demorris) and Vincent (Annie); 11 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and a host of other relatives and friends.
Serving as pallbearers were Derrick Hollins, Edgar Foster, Roy Skinner, Gregory Garvis, John Williams Jr. and John Earl Bradfield.
Honorary pallbearers are Wayne Owens, Vincent Owens, James Yancy, Sammie Tucker, Leroy Little, Ivey Little and Larry Little.

MICHAEL PURNELL
Michael Frederick Purnell, 53, died Dec. 30, 2011.
Funeral services were Saturday at Lintonia Chapel AME Church with Rev. Jacob W. Hilton officiating. Burial followed at Yazoo Memorial Garden under the direction of Scott Memorial Funeral Home.
Mr. Purnell was born Jan. 27, 1958 to the late Rev. Ceasar A. Purnell Sr. and Walterine Jean Purnell. After retiring from the Municipal Water Department in Boynton Beach, Fla. he returned to Yazoo City, where he operated two retail stores and was involved in many civic affairs and volunteer efforts.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a step-father, Walter Scott Jr.; and a sister, Juanita Purnell.
Survivors include a son, Clemenceau Jeanite (Florida); eight siblings, Rev. Charles Purnell (Mildred) of Savannah, Ga., Ceaser Purnell Jr. (Aline) of Biloxi, Sherman Purnell of St. Louis, Mo., Hal Purnell of Garland, Texas, Shirley Scott Whitehead and Hazel Scott Porter of Yazoo City, Walter Scott of Fayetteville, N.C. and Venson Scott of Yazoo City; two grandchildren; and a host of other relatives and friends.
Serving as pallbearers were Eric Whitehead, Justin Porter, Kenneth Jefferson, Taurice King, Otis Porter and Jessie Jackson.
Honorary pallbearers are Jerry Price, Jessie Jackson, Robert Bell Jr., Otis Porter, Preston Bell, Luster Wade Jr., Sherman Purnell, Venson Scott, Kenneth Jefferson, Billy Ray Thomas, Donnie Ray Jefferson, Walter G. Scott and Dexter “Red” Williams.