Flora Mae Posey

Services for Flora Mae Posey of Union Church are 2 p.m.,Thursday, April 1, at Union Church Baptist Church in JeffersonCounty with burial in Damascus Baptist Church Cemetery in FranklinCounty.

Visitation is Wednesday from 5-7 p.m., at Brookhaven FuneralHome, and Thursday from 1-2 p.m., at the church.

Miss Posey, 91, died March 30, 2004, at Natchez CommunityHospital. She was born in Lucien on Dec. 16, 1912, to Irvin LeePosey and Alda Armitta Rodriguez Posey.

She was a registered nursing and taught nursing. She attendedPiedmont School in Jefferson County and Jefferson CountyAgricultural High School in Union Church. She studied basic nursingat Mississippi Baptist Hospital’s School of Nursing, and earned aBachelor of Science degree (magna cum laude) in nursing educationfrom Incarnate Word College in San Antonio, Texas, where she wasnamed the Distinguished Alumnus of 1994 for ProfessionalAchievement. She earned a Master of Science degree in nursing fromUniversity of Texas, and conducted her post masters study (limited)at University of Southern Mississippi. She spent 11 years in dualadministrative positions in schools of nursing and nursing serviceat Natchez Hospital; Mississippi Sate Charity Hospital, where shelater worked as director of nursing service; Our Lady of the LakeSanitarium, where she was assistant director; and LutheranHospital. She worked as assistant director of nursing service atUniversity Hospital, and spent five years as director of diplomaschools of nursing at Baton Rouge General Hospital, MethodistHospital and Gilfroy School of Nursing.

For three years, she was director of Northwestern State CollegeSchool of Nursing, and for 12 years, she was director of thedepartment of nursing at University of Southern Mississippi’sNatchez campus, where she organized the nursing program in 1964,and administered it until her retirement in 1976. She was a memberand officer in numerous professional organizations.

She was appointed to the Mississippi Board of Nursing by thegovernor in 1970, and elected by membership as president in 1971.She received personal recognition in “Personalities of the South,””Community Leaders of America,” “Dictionary of InternationalBiographies,” “Community Leaders and Noteworthy Americans,” “2000Women of Distinction,” “International Who’s Who in CommunityService,” “Community Leaders of America” and “The World of Who’sWho of Women.” She received the Balfour Award for attaining thehighest score in the state on the State Board Licensing Examinationyear of writing. She was voted Nurse of the Year in 1971 byDistrict 1 of the Mississippi Nurses Association.

Preceding her in death were her parents; her sisters, WelmaLaine Posey and Allie Lee Posey; two brothers, Dempsey Felice Poseyand Ralph Haskel Posey; and a sister-in-law, Jessie Posey.

Survivors are her brother, Lorenzo Dow Posey of Union Church;her sisters-in-law, Winnie Maude Posey of Meadville, and Mary RuthPosey of Union Church; her nieces, Marilyn Weeks of Union Church,and Martha Ann Dickey of Meadville; her nephews, Glenn Posey ofFlorida, Ken Posey of Jackson, Sen. Lynn Posey and Robin Posey,both of Union Church; and her great nieces and nephews, William”Trey” Dickey III of Natchez, Haley Dickey of Baton Rouge, La.,Hunter Posey, Kaitlyn Posey and Chris Weeks, all of Union Church,Claire Weeks of Starkville, and Mindy Weeks of Crystal Springs.

Candace “Candy” Jeannine Parnell Thomas

Graveside services for Candace “Candy” Jeannine Parnell Thomasof Pine, La., are 4:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 31, in HollywoodCemetery in McComb. Services will be conducted by Bro. Millard Moakand the Rev. Denny Brumfield.

Visitation is Wednesday from 3-4:30 p.m., at Hartman FuneralHome of McComb.

Mrs. Thomas, 36, died March 29, 2004. She was born in PikeCounty on Jan. 13, 1968.

She was an ADRN at Hardy Wilson Hospital in Hazlehurst. Sheformerly worked at University Hospital in Jackson. She was a memberof Montgomery Baptist Church and attended Thomas First BaptistChurch.

Preceding her in death were her grandfather, Cannon Allen;grandmother, Mary Parnell; great-grandparents, Sidonia and SamWeaver Sr.; and great-grandparents, George and Anna Allen.

Survivors are her mother, Judy A. Parsons of Bogue Chitto; herfather, John D. Parnell of McComb; her stepfather, Darrell J.Parsons of Bogue Chitto; her husband, Grant Thomas of Pine, La.;her daughters, Christy Dye and Camille Rutland, both of BogueChitto; her sons, Cody Dye of Bogue Chitto, and Chaney Rutland andTrenton Thomas, both of Pine, La.; her sister and brother-in-law,Jenny “Becky” and Joe Buffington; her grandparent, Billie W. Allenof Bogue Chitto; her nephews, Austin, Shawn Michael and TristanBuffington, all of Bogue Chitto; and her mother-in-law andfather-in-law, Nick and Carolyn Smith of Pine, La.