Bonnie Blackledge
63, of Petal
Bonnie Blackledge died Jan. 3, 2020. Services were Jan. 7 at Antioch United Pentecostal Church of Laurel with burial in the Macedonia Cemetery.
Survivors include her husband, James Blackledge of Petal; sons, Calvin Hill and Jason Hill, both of Petal, Joshua Hill of Ovett; daughter, Kaitlyn Blackledge of Petal; brother, Walter Mercer Jr. of Vancleave; sisters, Patsy Jones of Vancleave and Dianne Dial of Laurel; four grandchildren.
Nell J. Creel
90, of Hattiesburg
Nell J Creel died Jan. 1, 2020. at the Asbury Hospice House in Hattiesburg. Graveside services were Jan. 4 at the County Line Baptist Church in Ovett.
Mrs. Creel was born on Dec. 13, 1929, in Brinson, Ga.
Survivors include her husband, William T. Creel; son, Randall J. Creel.
Jane Morgan Lee Chandler
72, of Petal
Jane Morgan Lee Chandler died Jan. 3, 2020. Services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, January 11, 2020, at Moore Funeral Home in Hattiesburg with a visitation followed by the service at 3 p.m. and burial in Highland Cemetery.
Mrs. Chandler was born on January 20, 1947, and was the fourth child of Ruby L. Morgan and Edward C. Morgan. She graduated from Petal in 1965. She earned a degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. She served as director of several hospitals in Georgia and Texas. She retired as the Director of Imaging and Radiology at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview, Texas, in 2017. She and her husband owned Air Chandler Heating/Cooling & Duct Cleanings.
Survivors include her husband of 27 years, Joseph Michael Chandler, Jr.; her sons, Joey Lee and Jud Lee; four grandchildren.
Sharon Clark Fortenberry
61, of Sumrall
Sharon Lynn Clark Fortenberry died Jan. 4, 2020. Services were Jan. 7 at Rock Hill Baptist Church with burial in the church cemetery.
Mrs. Fortenberry was a switchboard operator for Hattiesburg Clinic for 21 years. She was a member of Rock Hill Baptist Church.
Survivors include her husband, Terrell Fortenberry of Sumrall; one son, Micah Fortenberry of Sumrall; one daughter, Dr. Kristen Fortenberry Ramey of Purvis; her mother, Wilbur Dee Rogers Clark of Sumrall; one sister, Shelia Nightingale of St. Louis, Mo.; one brother, Steve Clark of Sumrall, and two grandsons.
Murry Foster
72, of New Augusta
Murry Foster died Jan. 2, 2020. Services were Jan. 9 with burial in the Biloxi National Cemetery with Military Honors.
Mr. Foster retired from the Old Augusta Railroad Company. He was a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War and retired from Miss. National Guard.
Survivors include his wife, Thelma Foster of New Augusta; one son, Clayton Murry Foster of Stringer; three daughters, Kelly Turonis of University Park, Md., Sara Foster of Petal and Niki Hood of Ellisville; two brothers, Larry Foster of Hattiesburg and Joe Foster of Purvis and two grandchildren.
Sandra Faye Lowry
76, of Hattiesburg
Sandra Faye Lowry died Jan. 5, 2020, at Forrest General Hospital.
Mrs. Lowry was a homemaker and a member of 19th Avenue Baptist Church.
Survivors include her son, Jay Lowry of Sumrall; one brother, Carl McMurphy of Hattiesburg; and four grandchildren.
Minnie Merle Matherny
92, of Sumrall
Minnie Merle Matheny died Dec. 31, 2019, at her home. Services were Jan. 7 with burial in Double Churches Cemetery.
Mrs. Matheny worked as a seamstress at Movie Star for 17 years and retired from Forrest General Hospital. She was a member of Victory Baptist Church in Jeff Davis County.
Survivors include three sons, Steve Matheny of Sumrall, Stanley Matheny of Melbourne, Fla., and Ricky Matheny of Fort Myers, Fla.; one daughter, Sandra Sanford of Sumrall; eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.
Deborah Ann Lee
63, of Hattiesburg
Deborah Ann Lee died Jan. 2, 2020, at Merit Health Wesley Medical Center. A gathering of friends will be held from 10am-noon Saturday, Jan. 11, at Moore Funeral Home in Hattiesburg.
Survivors include her son, Mason Saxon Lee of Hattiesburg; her daughter, Megan Lee Maddox of Hattiesburg; a brother, Donald McAtee of Hattiesburg; three grandchildren; her significant other, Bill Seawell of Hattiesburg.
Kimberly Sumrall
28, of Hattiesburg
Kimberly Sumrall died Dec. 31, 2019. Services were Jan. 4 with burial in Eli Clyde Stephens Cemetery.
Mrs. Sumrall was of the Baptist faith and a homemaker.
Survivors include four children, Payton Andrew Lambert, Addie Grace Lambert, Tymber Rachelle Bishop and Emma Faye Breazeale; her father and step-mother, Wade and Regina Passman; her mother, Melissa Buse; three siblings, Carol Parker, Anthony Passman, and Shelby Passman; and one grandmother, Lottie Passman.
Hilda Snell
85, of Brooklyn
Hilda "Tina" "Tiny" Snell died Dec. 28, 2019, at home. Services were Jan. 3, 2020, with burial in Wiggins Cemetery.
Survivors include her husband, Frank Snell of Brooklyn; two daughters, Louise Hibley of Pine Purr and Mary Ahik of Middleburg, Fla.; seven grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren.
Michael Wallace
77, of Hattiesburg
Michael “Mike” Wallace died Jan. 2, 2020, at Forrest General Hospital. Services were Jan. 6 at Hattiesburg Community Church with burial in the Rawls Springs Cemetery.
Mr. Wallace was a member of Hattiesburg Community Church. He served in the Air Force and was a graduate of William Carey College. He served as a minister of music for many years and was a former insurance salesman. He owned Magic Moments Video.
Survivors include his wife, Sylvia Wallace; daughters, Kim Jorns, Karen Sullivan, Karla Everett, all of Hattiesburg, Sandra Conway of Maui, Hawaii; Penny Baird of Ocala, Fla.; sister, Nancy Killebrew of Fairview, Tenn.; brother, Steve Wallace of Midland, Texas; 13 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren.
Joel Bradford Vaughn Sr.
41, of Hattiesburg
Joel Bradford “Brad” Vaughn Sr died Dec. 27, 2019, at Forrest General Hospital. Services were Jan. 1, 2020, at House of the Lord Full Gospel Baptist Church in Hattiesburg with burial at a later date in New Albany.
Mr. Vaughn was born on May 10, 1978, in New Albany.
Survivors include his wife, Tonsa Balfour Vaughn; one son, Joel Vaughn II; father, Shelby Vaughn; one brother, Tramelle Vaughn.
Melissa Ann Napp
55, of Petal
Melissa Ann Napp died Dec. 30, 2019, at Hattiesburg Health and Rehab.
Survivors include her daughter, Brittany Napp; a brother, Nolan Clark; one grandson.
John Bush
86, of Hattiesburg
John Bush, 86, of Hattiesburg, passed away on Tuesday, January 7, 2020, at Forrest General Hospital. Funeral services will be at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, January 11, 2020, at the Hattiesburg Chapel of Moore Funeral Home with interment in Roseland Park Cemetery to follow.
Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. until service time Saturday at the Hattiesburg Chapel of Moore Funeral Home.
John was a member of Temple Baptist Church and an avid University of Southern Mississippi sports fan. He thoroughly enjoyed fishing for speckled trout on the coast and also playing golf. He founded South Mississippi Business Machines in 1974 and then went on to found South Mississippi Business Machines in Gulfport in 1981.
Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Nancy Bush of Hattiesburg; two sons, David (Kelly) Bush of Hattiesburg, Johnny (Audry) Bush of Gulfport; a daughter, Pam Bush of Hattiesburg; two brothers, Robert (Susan) Bush of Lake Charles, La., James (Adelia) Bush of Madison; a sister, Elizabeth (Gerald) Copeland of Weatherford, Texas; nine grandchildren, Johnna (Matt) Carter, Lucas Bush, Courtney Bush, Gabriel (Chris) Snodgrass, Zack Hillman, Robert Temple, David Temple, Timothy Sherwood and Brian Sherwood; three great-grandchildren, Ruby Carter, Porter Temple and Addison Snodgrass.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Rev. J.P. and Inez Bush and a son, Thomas Allen Bush.
