Tressa Lee Morris Costley

Services for Tressa Lee Morris Costley, of Meadville, are 11a.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at Franklin Funeral Home Chapel inMeadville with burial in Midway Cemetery in Meadville.

Visitation is Saturday from 10 a.m. until the time of theservice at the funeral home.

Mrs. Costley, 85, died Sept. 21, 2006, at her residence. She wasborn in Improve on Aug. 22, 1921, to Oscar Morris and Leona CoulterMorris.

She was a graduate of Mississippi State College for Women. Shewas a school teacher, dietitian for Franklin Memorial Hospital andExtension Home Economist for Franklin County. She was a member ofMeadville Presbyterian Church. She was a member of the Pine BurrGarden Club, where she was a flower show judge.

Preceding her in death were her parents.

Survivors are her husband of 60 years, Walter Mullins Costley,of Meadville; her brother and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Morris,of Improve; and a number of nieces, nephews and their families.

Memorials may be made to The Natchez Children’s Home, 806 N.Union St., Natchez, MS 39120.

LaNelle Grice

Graveside services for LaNelle Grice, of Tyler, Texas, are 11a.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at Rose Hill Cemetery in Brookhaven.Brookhaven Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Grice, 86, died Sept. 16, 2006, in Tyler. She was born inBrookhaven on Jan. 22, 1920, to Barney Lee Grice and Lizzie LovellGrice.

She was a graduate of Copiah-Lincoln Agricultural High Schooland received an Associate of Arts degree from Copiah-Lincoln JuniorCollege. She lived in Brookhaven until World War II and then livedin Denver, Colo., Hattiesburg and Austin, Texas. She moved to Tylerin April 2006. She was a nurse for 30 years, a member of the Orderof the Eastern Star and a Southern Baptist.

Preceding her in death were her parents.

Survivors are her daughter, Jacqueline E. Little; herson-in-law, Fred R. Little; her grandson, Gary M. Little and hiswife Molly Little; her granddaughter, Wendy L. Cofer and herhusband Jason A. Cofer, all of Tyler; her nieces, Patricia Burnsand Melodie Romeo, of Vicksburg; and cousins in Texas andMississippi.

Dana Marie Haley Merritt

Services for Dana Marie Haley Merritt, of Montgomery, Ala., are2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24, at the chapel of Riverwood Family FuneralService with burial in Heuck’s Retreat Baptist Church Cemetery inBrookhaven. The Rev. Ken Parvin will officiate.

Visitation is today from 6 until 8 p.m. at Brookside Funeralhome in Millbrook, Ala., and on Saturday from 5 until 9 p.m. atRiverwood Family Funeral Service in Brookhaven.

Mrs. Merritt, 32, died Sept. 20, 2006, in an automobileaccident. She gave the gift of life through her death, by organdonation, so that others may have life.

She was born and reared in Lincoln County. She was an honorgraduate of Brookhaven High School, and graduated with high honorsat Copiah-Lincoln Community College. She graduated first in herclass from Troy State University School of Nursing. She was aneonatal nurse at Baptist Medical Center in Montgomery, where shehad lived for the past 12 years. She was a member of Heuck’sRetreat Baptist Church.

Preceding her in death were her grandparents, Stanley Ray andJanette Hart, Barney Haley, and Ernest and Laurayne HaleyCalhoun.

Survivors are her husband, James A. Merritt, of Deatsville; hersons, Hunter Merritt and Blake Merritt, of Deatsville; her parents,James and Janice Haley, of Brookhaven; her brother, Neil Haley, ofBrookhaven; her aunts and uncles, Bryan and Amie Smith, Charles andWanda Hart, Mike Hart and Peggy Reeves, all of Brookhaven, andJames and Carolyn Reeves, of Tallulah, La.; and several nieces,nephews and cousins.

Pallbearers are Glenn Day, Tim Allen, Dean Guthrie, MichaelPugh, Archie Rabb, Terry Barrett, John Brister and Mike Shell.

Earl B. Pickering

Graveside services for Earl B. Pickering, of Picayune, are 2p.m. today, Sept. 22, at Damascus Baptist Church Cemetery inFranklin County. Brookhaven Funeral Home is in charge ofarrangements.

Mr. Pickering, 82, died Sept. 22, 2006, at his residence. He wasborn in New Orleans, La., on Oct. 1, 1923, to John Pickering andHessie Mae Martin Merrill.

He was a pipeline inspector/welder. He was a U.S. Navy veteranof World War II.

Preceding him in death were his parents.

Survivors are his wife, Gertie Larsen Pickering, of Picayune;his son, Jimmy Merrill, of Landers, Wyo.; his daughters, LindaGatlin, of Picayune, and Beverly Pickering, of Brookhaven; and histwo grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Kenneth F. Robinson

Kenneth F. Robinson left this earth to be with the Lord on Sept.21, 2006. He was 89 years old. He died at Silver Cross Home.

Services are 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at Pleasant GroveBaptist Church in Brookhaven with burial in the church cemetery.Officiating will be the Revs. Ronny Robinson, Kent Cochran andJerry Sullivan. Brookhaven Funeral Home is in charge ofarrangements.

Visitation will be held today from 5 until 9 p.m. at the funeralhome, and on Saturday from 1 p.m. until the time of the service atthe church.

Preceding him in death was his wife of 65 years, Modena WilliamsRobinson and his brothers, “Coot” Robinson, of New Hebron, andHerman Robinson, of Jacksonville, N.C.

Mr. Robinson leaves behind a daughter, Rita Jean Mercier andhusband Bob, of Damon, Texas, and a son, the Rev. Ronny Robinsonand wife Gayera, of Clinton, and a sister, Mrs. Elora “Duck”Gerrard, of Jackson. He also leaves behind eight grandchildren anda host of friends.

Mr. Robinson, “Pie” to those who knew him growing up, was bornin New Hebron on Nov. 28, 1926, to T.H. Robinson and Alice CrawfordRobinson. He spent most of his adult life in Brookhaven. He wasemployed in the oil field business as a troubleshooter/fishing tooloperator and worked for years with HOMCO at Brookhaven and DOTCO inMorgan City, La.

He married Modena Williams in 1940. At the beginning of WorldWar II, he joined the Army and became a paratrooper with the 507thAirborne Division. He jumped into Normandy on D-Day, and he jumpedthe Rhine during the Battle of the Bulge. He was honorablydischarged in 1945 and began his career in the oil fields withHumble Oil.

Mr. Robinson was a member and a deacon at Pleasant Grove BaptistChurch. He also served as discipleship director. He and his wifewere honored by the Lincoln County Baptist Association for theirfaithful attendance at annual meetings.

He was a loving husband, a strong father and a wonderfulChristian. He will be greatly missed by all who knew and lovedhim.

Honorary pallbearers are the deacons of Pleasant Grove BaptistChurch.

Memorials may be made to the Building Fund, Pleasant GroveBaptist Church, Brookhaven.

Alma Crawford Weise

Services for Alma Crawford Weise, of Kerrville and Austin,Texas, are 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at Holy Cross Lutheran Churchin Kerrville with burial in Garden of Memories, Kerrville. GrimesFuneral Chapels, Kerrville, is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation is Saturday from 1 p.m. until the time of the serviceat the church.

Mrs. Weise died Sept. 19, 2006, in Austin. She was born AlmaBeatrice Isabelle Crawford near Wesson on Nov. 7, 1922, to HughPayton Crawford and Ethel Burns Crawford.

She excelled in academics and sports. She won high schoolalgebra and English competitions, learned to play piano, sang inthe Glee Club, and played basketball at Copiah-Lincoln High School.In her senior year, she was elected “Miss Wesson.”

Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband, ClarenceAugust Weise; and her son, James Neal Weise, of Yoakum, Texas,

Survivors are her daughter Sylvia and husband Michael C.Griffith, of Austin; and her two grandsons.

Condolences may be sent to the family atwww.grimesfuneralchapels.com by selecting the “Send Condolences”link.

Peggy Allen Yawn

Services for Peggy Allen Yawn, of Byram, are 10 a.m. Saturday,Sept. 23, at Riverwood Family Funeral Service with burial in RoseHill Cemetery in Brookhaven.

Visitation is today from 5 until 8 p.m. at the funeral home.

Mrs. Yawn, 70, died Sept. 21, 2006, at Mississippi BaptistMedical Center in Jackson. She was born in Brookhaven on Feb. 16,1936, to Jesse and Evie Allen.

Following graduation from Brookhaven High School, she marriedSpencer Yawn and they made their home in Brookhaven. Peggy wascreative with her cooking, always putting a special touch to thedelicious meals she prepared for her family and friends. Spencerand Peggy later moved to Byram, where they lived the last 29 years.She was a member of the Baptist faith.

Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband of 50years, Spencer Yawn; her son, Clyde Yawn; and her brother, CaptainEugene Allen.

Survivors are her sons, Steve Yawn and wife Cindy, of BogueChitto, and Clark Yawn and wife Paula, of Kosciusko; her sister,Bobbie Jean Sanders, of Jackson; her grandsons, Grant Yawn and wifeSarah, of San Antonio, Texas, and Drew Yawn, of Bogue Chitto; herniece, Shirley Sanders Foster and husband Eddie; her nephew, SamSanders and great-nephew, Sanders Reid.

The family would like to especially thank the Caregivers ofNorthminster Baptist Church and request that memorial gifts be madein memory of Peggy Yawn to the American Cancer Society at 1599Clifton Road N.E., Atlanta, GA 30329 or Northminster Baptist Churchat 3955 Ridgewood Road, Jackson, MS 39211.