Laura B. Fortenberry

Services for Laura B. Fortenberry, of Brookhaven, are 11 a.m.Tuesday, Dec. 23, at New Vision Fellowship Church with burial inPleasant Grove M.B. Church Cemetery in Smithdale. Williams Mortuaryis in charge of arrangements.

Visitation is Monday from 1 until 7 p.m. at the funeral homewith family hour from 6 until 7 p.m.

Mrs. Fortenberry, 86, died Dec. 17, 2008, at her residence. Shewas born in Lincoln County on April 7, 1922, to Ada Brown.

She was retired. She was a member of New Vision FellowshipChurch.

Preceding her in death were her parents; her husbands, WilsonWells and Bert Fortenberry Sr.; her brother, Albert J. Cook; andher sister, Luella Cook.

Survivors are her daughter, Wyvonne Herring, of Brookhaven; hersons, Vernell Wells and wife, Latonya, of Lansing, Mich., BertFortenberry Jr. and wife, Verma, of Brookhaven, Joseph Fortenberry,of Belwood, Ill., Tony Fortenberry and wife, Gearline, ofBrookhaven; her grandchildren she raised, Josie Taylor, JohnnieHerring and husband, Ricky, all of Brookhaven, and Stacey Rivers,of Everette, Wash.; 40 grandchildren; 25 great-grandchildren; 15great-great-grandchildren; her sister, Willena Walker, of Belwood;her brothers, James Kelly Cook and wife, Shelia, of Summit, andJames P. Crossley, of Chicago, Ill.; and many nieces, nephews,other relatives and friends.

Joyce W. Hart

Services for Joyce W. Hart, of Summit, are 1 p.m. Tuesday, Dec.23, at Jones Family Funeral Services Chapel in McComb with burialin Hollywood Cemetery. Pastor Woody Rimes will officiate.

Visitation is Monday from 5 until 8 p.m. and Tuesday from noonuntil the time of the service at the funeral home.

Mrs. Hart, 80, died Dec. 19, 2008, at her residence. She wasborn in Greenville on Nov. 15, 1928, to Bernard L. Westbrook andAlice Wilda Carroll.

She worked for Doctors Mauldin and Weinberg and also worked forSouth Central Bell in McComb before she was married. She and herhusband, Alvin, lived in Metarie, La. for 33 years until hisretirement from Greyhound Bus Lines.

They were members of Kenner Baptist Church until they moved toSummit and joined First Baptist Church of McComb.

Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband of 50years, Alvin C. Hart Sr.; her brother, Carroll “Tiny” Westbrook;and her sister-in-law, Frances Hart Prestridge.

Survivors are her daughters, Beverly H. Bartee and husband,Michael, of Metarie, Wilda H. Geddie and husband, Don, of Magnolia,and Nina E. Hart, of Summit; her sons, Alvin C. Hart Jr., ofKenner, La., and Fredrick B. Hart, of Summit; her grandchildren,Richard H. Johnson III, of Magnolia, James Allen Bartee, of BatonRouge, La., William Hart Bartee, of Metairie, Kristina Hart Burkardand husband, Andy, of Hammond, La., and Cami Diane Hart, ofDestrahan, La.; her great-grandson, Thomas Andrew Burkard, ofHammond; her brothers, Bernard Westbrook and wife, Barbara, WilliamWestbrook and wife, Rhonda, all of McComb; her sister-in-law, AlmaWestbrook, of McComb; and her brothers-in-law, Martin Hart andwife, Florence, Waide Hart and wife, Mae, all of Summit, and JamesPrestridge, of Pensacola, Fla.

Pallbearers will be Dennis, Donald, Daniel and Nathan Hart,James Bartee and Brett Freeman.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, send donations tothe Favorite Few class at First Baptist Church in McComb, HelpingHands Group at Central Baptist Church or to Ms. Mattie’s SpecialFew class at the McComb Library.

Ashley Shane Wallis

Services for Ashley Shane Wallis, of Washington, D.C., are 11a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23, at Riverwood Family Funeral Services withinterment at the Pleasant Hill Baptist Church Cemetery in BogueChitto.

Visitation is Monday from 5 until 8 p.m. at the funeralhome.

Preceding him in death were his grandfathers, Ernest Avants, ofBogue Chitto, and Paul Wallis, of Baldwin City, Kan.

Survivors are his mother, Elizabeth Wallace and husband, Jerry,of Bogue Chitto; his father, Mickey Wallis and wife, Denise, ofRidgeland; his daughter, Morgan Grace Wallis; and his son, BraxtonRials Wallis, of Brookhaven; his brother, Todd Wallis and wife,Jennifer, and nephew, Brady, of Saucier; and his grandmothers,Gladys Burns, of Bogue Chitto, and Virginia Wallis, of BaldwinCity, Kan., as well as his extended family and many friends.

Pallbearers will be Ronnie Killingsworth, Jeffery Little, GlennAvants, Jason Avants, Nathan Avants, Joe Burns and DavidAvants.

Shane entered this life on a beauty snowing morning inTuscumbia, Mo., on Dec. 28, 1975. Later, his family moved theirhome to Bogue Chitto. He attended Enterprise School and was a 1994graduate of Brookhaven Academy and Copiah-Lincoln CommunityCollege. His love for British literature and the theater led him toa Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of SouthernMississippi.

He was a teacher, musician, singer and songwriter. Shane hadstars in his eyes, a dream in his heart and the audacity to pursuethat dream. He left the security and quietness of Mississippi forthe stages of West Virginia, New York and Washington, D.C. He had apassion for his work, and in time, became a master carpenter fortheater sets, a fight choreographer and a skilled actor.

He performed with such prestigious theaters as the FolgersTheater, the Looking Glass Theater, the Shakespeare Company,Baltimore Shakespeare Theater, the American Century Theater andSignature Theater. His talents were simply amazing. To say he was afree spirit is an understatement.

Sadly, on Dec. 18, on a highway in Baltimore, Md., Shane exitedthe stage for the last time. He did not leave us empty-handed; heleaves his legacy of two beautiful children, Morgan and Braxton. Heleaves memories that are priceless. He leaves us with a song in ourheart.

Shane’s favorite proverb says, “… a merry heart worketh goodlike a medicine.” He would want us to be merry in spite of hisleaving. And so it will be … in due time. We miss youalready.