Lafon O. Aker

Services for Lafon O. Aker, of Brookhaven, are 11 a.m. Saturday,Jan. 3, at Riverwood Family Funeral Service Chapel with burial inRiverwood Memorial Park.

Visitation is Saturday from 9 until 11 a.m. at the funeralhome.

Mrs. Aker, 73, died Jan. 1, 2009, at The University ofMississippi Medical Center in Jackson. She was born on Oct. 9,1935, to V.E. Oyler and Faye Spurlock Oyler.

She was a retired school secretary. She was a member of BrookwayChurch of Christ.

Preceding her in death were her parents; and a nephew, MikeOyler.

Survivors are her a son, Shannon E. Aker and wife, Robyn, ofBrookhaven; a brother, Glenn Oyler and wife, Faye, of Jonesboro,Ark.; and her two grandchildren, Allison and Leslie Ann Aker.

Harvey Lee Banks

Graveside services for Harvey Lee Banks, of Brookhaven, are 11a.m. Monday, Jan. 5, at Hillcrest Cemetery in Brookhaven.

Visitation is Sunday from 1 until 6 p.m. at WilliamsMortuary.

Mr. Banks, 69, died Dec. 31, 2008, at The University ofMississippi Medical Center in Jackson. He was born in Brookhaven onDec. 13, 1939, to Edgar Green and Lena Mae Banks Johnson.

He was retired.

Preceding him in death were his mother; his father; astepfather, Robert Johnson; and a son, Terry Banks.

Survivors are his daughters, Pamela Banks, Zina Smith, EloiseCooper, all of Brookhaven, and Constance Taylor, of Knightdale,N.C.; his sons, Versie Wilson, Eugene Banks, both of Brookhaven,and Darren Quinn, of Milwaukee, Wis.; his 14 grandchildren; hisfive great-grandchildren; and a special aunt, Velma Robinson, ofBrookhaven.

Robert T. ‘Vern’ Dillon

Services for Robert T. “Vern” Dillon, of Brookhaven, are 2 p.m.Saturday, Jan. 3, at St. Paul M.B. Church in Brookhaven with burialin Carver Heights Cemetery in Brookhaven.

Visitation is Friday from noon until 5 p.m. at R.E. TylerFuneral Home.

Mr. Dillon, 67, died Dec. 28, 2008, at Countrybrook LivingCenter in Brookhaven. He was born in Brookhaven on June, 27, 1941,to Robert Dillon and Thelma Watkins Dillon.

He was a carpenter.

Preceding him in death were his parents; his brothers, BobbyCharles Dillon, Lawrence Dillon, Julius Pearl Dillon; his sisters,Willie Beatrice Robinson and Diane Washington; and agrandchild.

Survivors are his sons, Toby Dillon, of Brookhaven, AndreaAllen, Anthony Allen, both of Houston, Texas, and Corey Dillon, ofWashington; his brothers, Harold Dillon, of Chicago, Ill., andBobby Watkins, of Kalamazoo, Mich.; his sisters, Beverly AnnJackson and Ollie McNair, both of Brookhaven; and his ninegrandchildren.

Jo Ann James

Jo Ann James, 70, died at 1:40 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008 atKing’s Daughters Medical Center in Brookhaven. She was a native ofKentwood, La. and a resident of Brookhaven.

Visitation at McKneely Funeral Home in Kentwood from 11 a.m.until religious services at 2 p.m. Friday.

Services will be conducted by the Rev. Ben Wayne Blackwell.Interment will follow in the Woodland Cemetery in Kentwood.

She is survived by her four daughters, Lisa Francis, of BatonRouge, La., Leigh Ann Wrather, of Smyrna, Tenn., Joni Spears, ofMcComb, and Shy Ann James, of Brookhaven; her two sons, JosephFrancis, of Pickens, and John Mark Spears, of Osyka; and her 10grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Ruby Lee McDanielBlackwell; her father, Benjamin Blackwell; her two brothers, ArlanRay Blackwell and Carl Blackwell.

For an online guestbook, visit http://www.mckneelys.com.

Major Byron Johnson

Services for Major Byron Johnson are 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 2, atLexie Baptist Church with burial in Tylertown II Cemetery. CappsFuneral Home in Tylertown is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Johnson, 70, died Dec. 30, 2008, at St. Tammany ParishHospital in Covington, La. He was born in Tylertown on Nov. 21,1938, to Major Moyese and Odeal Burch Johnson.

He was an employee of Croft Metal working in inside sales. Hewas a member of Lexie Baptist Church and a member of Great SouthernBeagle Club. He was loved by his family and a host of friends.

Preceding him in death were his parents.

Survivors are his wife of 50 years, Melba Dillon Johnson; histwo sons, Brad Johnson and wife, Joy, of Wesson; and Brett Johnsonand wife, Susan, of Tylertown; a sister, Myrtis Brumfield andhusband, Larry, of Petal; a special mother-in-law, Georgia Dillon;and his six grandchildren, Claire, Chloe, Clancie, Zach, Katherineand Chess Johnson.

Johnnie Reid Jr.

Services for Johnnie Reid Jr., of Hazlehurst, are 2 p.m.Saturday, Jan. 3, at Antioch M.B. Church in Hazlehurst with burialin the Hazlehurst City Cemetery.

Visitation is Friday from 1 until 6 p.m. at WilliamsMortuary.

Mr. Reid, 83, died Dec. 29, 2008, at St. Dominic-JacksonMemorial Hospital in Jackson. He was born in Hazlehurst on Aug. 23,1925 to Johnnie Reid Sr. and Bernice Wallace Reid.

He was a graduate of Hazlehurst public schools and attendedAlcorn College. Mr. Reid retired after 43 years with HuntingtonLumber Company. He was an U.S. Army veteran of World War II. He wasa member of Antioch M.B. Church.

Preceding him in death were his parents; and a sister, DorothyCalhoun.

Survivors are his wife, Victoria Alexander Reid, of Hazlehurst;his children, Johnny L. Reid, Janice Woods, Hubbard Terry, RickyChase, all of Hazlehurst, Marian Harrod, Valarie Cortez, RickyReid, all of Riverside, Calif., Billy Reid, of Richfield, Minn.,David Reed, Vickie Terrell, both of Crystal Springs, Wayne Reid, ofBentonville, Ark., Glenda Savage, of Port Gibson, and KennethJones, of Houston, Texas; his stepchildren, Kevin Brown, EricBrown, both of Hazlehurst, Dorothy Lovett, of Jackson, and WillieJones, of Greensboro, N.C.; a sister, Katheleen Howard, of Grayson,Ga.; a brother, Andrew Reid, of Hazlehurst; his many grandchildren;and his many great-grandchildren.