Graveside service for Miriam Y. Smith Ballard will be 10 a.m., Friday, May 24, at Calvary Baptist Church Cemetery.

Mrs. Ballard, 60, of Bogue Chitto, passed from this life May 20, 2024. She was born July 14, 1963, to Lamar Smith and Mary B. Bigner Smith.

Miriam was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and daughter. She had a positive outlook on life and used that to combat anything she came up against. She enjoyed shopping and trips to the beach. Being a “people person”, she never met a stranger. Miriam loved her family and friends, especially her grandbabies, Gabriel and Madison. She will be greatly missed by all who loved her.

Miriam is preceded in death by her father and one daughter, Keely E. Ballard.

Those left to cherish her memory are her husband of 39 years, Kenneth C. Ballard; her mother, Mary B. Smith; daughter, Karly R. Ballard; brother, Warren Smith; and her two grandchildren, Gabriel L. Dyess and Madison P. Dyess. She is also survived by other loving family members and friends.

A memorial service will be held for Johnie Van “John” Coffman, 2 p.m., Friday, May 24, at the former First Church of the Nazarene, 732 Union Church Rd, Brookhaven, MS.

John (79) of Bogue Chitto, MS went to his heavenly home on March 5th, 2024. He was born in Skiatook, OK on October 30, 1944, to Cleatus Van and Mavis McCoy Coffman.

He is preceded in death by his parents, baby sister, and daughter Amanda Trehern.

John was of Cherokee Heritage, which he proudly embraced. John was a faithful member of the Church of the Nazarene.

He is survived by his wife Connie Coffman. Also, he is survived by his children Jamie Asbury (George), Sherri McCaleb, Marvin Morrison, Christina Fairburn, Frank Saujon, 13 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.

John served his country proudly in the Vietnam War in the Air Force as an M.P. (Military Police). After his return, he worked for the Dallas Police Department.

In 1968 he moved to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and served on the Gulfport Police Department as well as the Harrison County Sheriff's Department in many law enforcement capacities.

After leaving law enforcement, he started a security recovery business working for bank and finance companies across the country. He was an avid collector of oil, gas, and drink memorabilia. He loved telling his jokes to anyone who would listen. He also loved participating in car shows and attending Cruising the Coast in his 1989 Chevy C-10 Truck.

He will be sorely missed by his friends and loving family.

There will be a graveside service for Donna Rodgers, Thursday, May 23, at 10 a.m. in Hollywood Cemetery, McComb, MS.

Donna Ruth Stewart Rodgers, 82, of Brookhaven, died May 20, 2024, at Silver Cross Nursing Home and Rehab Center. She was born in Baton Rouge, LA, November 26, 1941, to Arthur Noah Singleton and Dora Pearl Satchell Singleton.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Charles Stewart; her parents; and her son, Troy Stewart.

Those left to cherish her memory are her children, Tracy Stewart (Debra) and Trudy Rutland (Greg); brother, Tommy Singleton; sisters, Della Clark and Dottie Long; three grandchildren, Eric Allen Stewart (Gina), Ana Elise Adams (David), Jaclyn Brooke Platts (Sean); and four great grandchildren, Maddox Adams, Maci Adams, Adilyn Stewart and Layton Stewart. She is also survived by a host of nieces and nephews as well as special friends, Marjorie Houston and Joyce Sullivan, who, along with Donna were called “the 3 Amigos”.

The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Silvercross for their continued care of Mrs. Rodgers. She will be greatly missed by all who loved her.

Charlie C. Williams, 79, of Brookhaven, went to meet his heavenly Father, Sunday, May 5, 2024, at his residence. He was born November 6, 1944, in Tallulah, LA, to Johnnie and Lucille Bass Williams.

He is preceded in death by his parents; a son, Charles “Chuck” Williams; sister, JoAnn Williams; and brothers, Grover Williams and Warren Gene Williams.

He is survived by his sisters, Jean Poole and Linda Strange; brothers, Loyd Williams and Jerry Bryan; special friends, Joe and Angela Portrey; and beloved “niece”, Farrah Portrey.

Charlie worked throughout his life doing all types of construction and in the oilfield industry.

Charlie loved gardening, woodworking and drawing. It brought him great joy to share the products of his hobbies with his friends and neighbors. He was often seen on Hwys 550 and 51 and Brookway Blvd, riding his motorized scooter on the way to visit some of his favorite places, Home Hardware, Wand’s Feed and Seed, KFC, Dairy Queen, Burger King, and Ward’s.

If you ever talked with Charlie, he loved sharing stories about his life. Charlie relied on his faith to help him “never give up and never slow down” because of being a double leg amputee. He was proud of his customized “legs” by Brad from Methodist Rehab, that had alligators on them, since he often went by the nickname, “Gator”.

Thank you to each member of the medical community that helped make sure Charlie had a good life and to all the local businesses that kept him supplied with craft, wood, and drawing supplies.

There will be a memorial service for Charlie, 1 p.m., Monday, May 20, 2024, at Lincoln Village, located at the corner of Brookman Drive and Hwy 550.

Charlie was a “one-of-a-kind” person with a loving and generous heart. He will be greatly missed. “See you again one day, Gator.”