Obituaries for Friday, November 17, 2006

Published 6:00 am Friday, November 17, 2006

John Wesley Billups

Services for John Wesley Billups, of Brookhaven, are 2 p.m.Sunday, Nov. 19 at Alexander Junior High School with burial in RoseHill City Cemetery.

Visitation is Saturday from 1 until 7 p.m. with family hour from6 until 7 p.m. at Williams Mortuary.

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Mr. Billups, 81, died Nov. 13, 2006, at King’s Daughters MedicalCenter. He was born on May 3, 1925, to Robert Lee Billups andMargaret Hart Billups.

He was a retired employee of First Baptist Church of Brookhaven,where he had worked for 37 years. He was a 1943 graduate ofAlexander High School and a U.S. Army veteran of World War II. Hewas a member of Bethel AME Church.

Preceding him in death were his parents; his wife, FrancesBillups; his son, Bobby Billups; his brother, Robert Lee Billups;and a sister, Rebecca Johnson.

Survivors are his son, John “Pete” Billups and wife Carrie, ofBuena Park, Calif.; his daughters, Linda Cox and husband GeorgeCox, of Chicago, Ill., Sarah Godbolt and husband Samuel, ofChicago, and Marlo Blue, of Brookhaven; her nieces, Margaret AnnThomas, of Los Angeles, Calif., Rebecca Billups, of Inglewood,Calif., Anita Bowman Towns, of Dayton, Ohio, and Beverly Billups,of Witchita, Kan.; her nephew, Willie M. Bowman, of Dayton; sixgrandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and many other nieces,nephews and other relatives.

Claude Allen ‘Charlie’ Hux

Services for Claude Allen “Charlie” Hux, of Bogue Chitto, are 11a.m. Saturday, Nov. 18, at Riverwood Family Funeral Service Chapelwith burial in Twin Oaks Cemetery in Bogue Chitto.

Visitation is today from 5 until 9 p.m. at the funeral home.

Mr. Hux, 66, died Nov. 16, 2006, at St. Dominic-Jackson MemorialHospital in Jackson. He was born on June 17, 1940, to Monroe Huxand Minnie Rippy Hux.

His career was in construction. He was a member of Bogue ChittoBaptist Church. Mr. Hux was a Mason and member of the Bogue ChittoMasonic Lodge 260.

Preceding him in death were his parents; his brother, James”Poz” Hux; his grandson, Claude Russell “Rusty” Stubbs; and hisgreat-granddaughter, Kelsey Lynn Avants.

Survivors are his wife, Mary Etta Hux; his son, Corey Allen Hux,of Bogue Chitto; his daughters, Valerie Jeanette Stubbs, of BogueChitto, and Deborah Lynn Hicks, of Collinsville; his brother,Calvin Hux, of Brookhaven; his sisters, Edna Mae Buitt, of BogueChitto, and Peggy Ritz, of Brookhaven; his three grandchildren andone great-grandchild; and a number of nieces and nephews.

Tara Smith Leonard

Services for Tara Smith Leonard, of Monticello, were 2 p.m.today, Nov. 17, at Wilson Funeral Home Chapel in Monticello withburial in Shiloh Baptist Church Cemetery in Sontag.

Visitation was Thursday evening and today from 8 a.m. until thetime of the service at the funeral home.

Mrs. Leonard, 27, died Nov. 15, 2006, in Simpson County frominjuries resulting from an auto accident. She was born in McComb onJune 2, 1979, to Michael D. Smith and Carla Douglas.

She was an industrial insulator and an employee of Circle “S” inNew Hebron. She was a member of Silver Springs Baptist Church inSalem. She was a devoted mother and wife who loved the outdoors andvolunteered time at Shiloh Baptist Church.

Preceding her in death were her grandparents, the Rev. and Mrs.Mitchell Graves Sr., and her grandfather, Fay Smith.

Survivors are her husband, Will Leonard, of Monticello; hersons, Austin Wayne Williams and Jeremiah Smith Williams, both ofFriendship; her daughter, Samara Lynn Leonard, of Monticello; herfather and stepmother, Mike and Deborah Smith, of Magnolia; hermother and stepfather, Carla and Ian Douglas, of Sontag; herbrother, Dustin Michael Smith, of Progress; her stepbrothers, KrisDouglas, Troy Douglas and Andi Douglas, all of Sontag, and JodyStone and Randell Sheets, both of McComb; and her grandmother,Patricia Smith, of Progress.

Memorials may be made to the Gideons International.

Don Alton Smith Sr.

Services for Don Alton Smith Sr., of Smithdale, are 2 p.m.Saturday, Nov. 18 at Brookhaven Funeral Home with burial in RamahBaptist Church Cemetery.

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

Mr. Smith, 58, died Nov. 15, 2006, in Simpson County. He wasborn in McComb on Jan. 5, 1948, to Clifton Smith and Hilda RaeLofton Smith.

He was a construction worker. He was veteran of the U.S.Army.

Preceding him in death were his parents.

Survivors are his sons, Don A. Smith Jr. and wife Sonya, ofManagua, Nicaragua, Shannon Smith and Shane Smith, both of Houston,Texas; his daughter, Madyson Leigh Smith and her mother, TaraSullivan, both of McCall Creek; his brother, Lamar Smith and wifeVenita, of Houston; and 11 grandchildren.