Ora Lee Mason Hill

Services for Ora Lee Mason Hill, of Monticello, are 11 a.m.Monday, March 12, at Carmel Baptist Church with burial in thechurch cemetery. Wilson Funeral Home is in charge ofarrangements.

Visitation is Sunday from 4 until 9 p.m. at the church.

Mrs. Hill, 81, died March 10, 2007, at Lawrence County NursingCenter. She was born in Lawrence County on Feb. 2, 1926, to JamesE. Hearn and Verla R. Miller Hearn.

She was a retired postal clerk. She was a member of CarmelBaptist Church, where she taught Sunday School for 52 years,starting at age 27.

Preceding her in death were her parents; her first husband, theRev. Clayton Mason; her brother, Billy Hearn; her sisters, WinnieChestnut, Lucille McDaniel, Lynette Sager, and Margie Crane; hergrandson, Joey Woods; and her great-grandson, Jonathan Mason.

Survivors are her husband, Robert Conley Hill; her sons, JimmyMason and Jerry Mason, of Monticello; and Jackie Mason, of CapeFair, Mo.; and her brothers, Gene Hearn, of Pearl, and J. T. Hearn,of Hammond, La; six grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

Alice Searcy Givens

Services for Alice Searcy Givens, of Monticello, are 2 p.m.Monday, March 12, at Carmel Baptist Church with burial in thechurch cemetery. Wilson Funeral Home is in charge ofarrangements.

Visitation is Sunday from 5 until 9 p.m. at the funeralhome.

Mrs. Givens, 87, died March 10, 2007, at her residence. She wasborn in Baskin, La. on Sept. 26, 1919, to Leon Searcy and EffieCheek Searcy.

She was a retired bookkeeper. She was a member of Carmel BaptistChurch.

Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband, Shelton P.Givens; three brothers, Stanley Searcy, Ernest Searcy, and HerschelSearcy; and three sisters, Minnie Brown, Blanch Stephenson, andHazel Stephenson.

Survivors are her daughters, Joann Givens Ortega, of Monticello,and Gail Givens Howell, of Moss Point; her granddaughters, BeverlyH. Hanson and husband, Johnny; Melamie H. Reitz and husband, Dave;Kimberly H. Scott and husband, Mark; Re’nee O. Mancini and husband,Richard; Dana O. Hajovsky; and Kerri O. Smith and husband, Michael;her great-grandchildren, Emily and Brianna Hajovsky; Richard andMichelle Mancini; Britnye, Toby, and Hilary Sartain; Shea, Rae, andOlivia Hanson; Linzi Smith; Jayden Bannister, Corbyn Fryfogole; andBraden Mancini.

Gertrude Verena Burkhalter Mason

Gertrude Verena Burkhalter Mason went to be with her Lord onMarch 6, 2007, at the age of 95, at Hospice Ministries inRidgeland. The service in celebration of her life was held onSaturday, March 10, at the First Baptist Church in Crystal Springs.Stringer Family Funeral Home in Crystal Springs was in charge ofarrangements.

Mrs. Mason was born June 5, 1911, to Menno and Sarah GilliomBurkhalter in Berne, Ind. After graduating from Berne High Schoolin 1928, Gertrude was later able to attend Moody Bible Institute inChicago, Ill., where she played the violin in string ensembles forreligious radio broadcasts and in various churches. At Moody, shemet the love of her life, Estus Mason, her future husband fromMississippi. While Estus, a ministerial student, continued hiseducation at Moody and Mississippi College, Gertrude attendedWheaton College near Chicago, where she sang and traveled with thewomen’s chorus, and also helped out during those years at The FairStore, her family’s business in Berne.

Gertrude and Estus dedicated their lives to their Lord in theChristian ministry. Gertrude was a true helpmate as Estus firstpastored, simultaneously, five part-time rural churches in centralMississippi and then while at the Southern Baptist TheologicalSeminary in Louisville, Ky., served churches in Indiana. Duringthese years their two daughters, Anne and Sara, were born. Feelingthat her Christian calling was to be the best possible pastor’swife, Gertrude helped Estus with his ministry to churchcongregations. After the seminary years, they ministered inOolitic, Ind., and in Lyon and Meridian, before the couple moved toCrystal Springs, where Estus pastored the First Baptist Church for24 years until he retired in 1978. At their different pastoratesthroughout the years, Gertrude served the Lord in various churchministries, such as Children’s Bible Hour, Sunday school, Women’sMissionary Union, Vacation Bible School, church choir, and librarywork, as well as visiting, with Estus, the church members in theircongregations, prospective church members, and others needing God’snearness in their lives at special times.

After Estus’ retirement as full-time pastor, the couple servedin 10 interim pastorates at churches in Copiah, Hinds and Lincolncounties in Mississippi. They also worked as short-term volunteermissionaries in Michigan, Arizona and Washington state and as thefirst Volunteer Mission Coordinators for the Mississippi BaptistConvention. An unusually delightful privilege was their being askedto pastor the Baptist English-speaking church in Stavanger, Norway,for three months. Also Gertrude and Estus were blessed during hispastorate at First Baptist Church, Crystal Springs, with thecongregation’s “love gifts” enabling them to travel with Baptistgroups to mission opportunities in South Africa and the Holy Land.Estus was privileged to preach in Palestine and to lead the groupin prayer at Jesus’ tomb. They toured Europe for a month by trainbefore serving in Norway and twice visited Greece, includingCorinth and Ephesus where the Apostle Paul preached.

Gertrude Mason lived her life in service to her God and to herfamily, the calling to which in her youth she had dedicated herlife. Her life reflected love and joy because of her personalrelationship with Jesus Christ, her Savior and Lord. Gertrude’sfavorite Bible verse was Philippians 4:28: “All things worktogether for good to those who love Christ and who are calledaccording to his purpose.”

Gertrude was predeceased by Estus, her husband for 59 years.

In addition to two daughters, Anne Bass and Sara Barnes; twosisters, Frances, Lorraine Burkhalter; and two sisters-in-law,Ramoth Burkhalter and Nell Hayes; several nieces and nephews, sheis survived and loved by eight grandchildren, 13great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren, all of whomwill miss their mother, sister, grandmom, and “Nonny,” as theyremember her love, prayers, and Christian guidance.

Memorials may be given to the building fund at the First BaptistChurch, Crystal Springs.

Ronald Walker Sutton Jr.

Services for Ronald Walker Sutton Jr., of Bogue Chitto, are 4p.m. Tuesday, March 13, at Riverwood Family Funeral ServiceChapel.

Mr. Sutton, 38, died March 9, 2007, at his residence. He wasborn in Brookhaven on Aug. 19, 1968, to Ronald Walker Sutton Sr.and Nancy Evans Sutton.

He worked at Wal-Mart Distribution Center. He was of the Baptistfaith.

Survivors are his parents; his daughter, Brittany Marie Sutton,of Bogue Chitto; his sisters, Terry Lynn Sutton, of Bogue Chitto;and Alajuana Sutton King, of Brookhaven; and many nieces andnephews.