Celebrate and Live ON

Babysitting for Safety and Business:
Classes Set for July 23 and 24

Ocean Springs Hospital will host a Safe Sitter class from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 23 and 24.

In the two-day class, participants 11 to13 years old learn how to handle crises, how to keep children safe and secure, and how to nurture and guide young children.

Students also learn about babysitting as a business. They will receive a certificate during a presentation ceremony when the class ends.

There is a $30 fee to participate and spaces are limited.

To register, please call 228-497-7470 or 877- 497-7470.

Nikirah (Ne-Ne) Carlece Milbourne

Nikirah (Ne-Ne) Carlece Milbourne, 10, died Friday, Feb. 29, 2008, after a battle with cancer. She is the daughter of Marie Goddard and Preston Milbourne III.

Ne-Ne lived in Pleasantville, N.J., during her early years, and also attended Greenfields Elementary School in West Deptford, N.J. She had been a student at Pass Road, Bel-Aire and Three Rivers elementary schools in Gulfport, Miss.

Ne-Ne was preceded in death by her uncle Carlos Goddard Jr. Survivors include her parents and sisters Shartaga and Latavia Milbourne; brothers Preston IV, Zahir and Nazir Milbourne of Pleasantville, N.J; maternal grandparents Marva and Carlos Goddard of Atlantic City, N.J.; paternal grandparents Deborah Marshall of Pleasantville and Preston Milbourne Jr. of Absecon, N.J.; aunts Nicole and Tanea Goddard of Atlantic City, Shartaga Milbourne and Linda Key of Pleasantville; uncle Cortez Milbourne of Pleasantville, and a host of family and friends.

Funeral services were held March 8 at Proclaiming His Word Fellowship, 101 North First St., Pleasantville. Interment followed at Atlantic City Cemetery in Pleasantville.

Arrangements were conducted by Greenidge Funeral Home in Atlantic City.

A memorial fund was established at Commerce Bank, c/o Nikirah Milbourne Memorial Fund, 490 Mantua Ave., Woodbury, NJ 08096

(Future update: A photograph of Nikirah is expected at a later date.)

Faith Mackenna Foster

Infant Faith Mackenna Foster of St. Martin died Feb. 16, 2008.

A graveside service was held Feb. 23 at Biloxi City Cemetery.

Funeral arrangements were conducted by Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home at Howard Avenue in Biloxi.

Kandice Kaye Hogue

Kandice Kaye Hogue, 14 months, of Saucier died Friday, Feb. 15, 2008.

She was preceded in death by her grandfather, David Alan Hogue Sr.

Survivors include parents Alan and Linda Elkins Hogue; brother Alan Edward Hogue Jr.; grandparents Lynda Hogue, James Elkins and Katrina Chesler; great-grandfather Harry Hunt.

The family requested private services, handled by Riemann Family Funeral Home on Three Rivers Road in Gulfport.

An online guest book was available at http://www.riemannfamily.com/.

Kraig L. Vecchione

Kraig L. Vecchione, 17, of Ocean Springs died Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008. He was born in Oklahoma City, Okla., on Sept. 6, 1990.

He lived in South Mississippi more than 12 years.

Kraig is survived by father Lenny Vecchione of Ocean Springs, stepmother Robin Zoller, brothers Christian Vecchione, Tony Vecchione, Korey Vecchione, Derrick Turk and Travis Turk. He is also survived by his mother, Tessa Turk, stepfather Jimmy Turk, and baby sister Airianna Turk.

Services were held Feb. 9 at the Gulf Coast Family Church of the Nazarene on Big Ridge Road in Biloxi.

Heritage Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements, and registration was made available at http://www.heritagefuneralhome.us/.

FAMILY MEMORIES: Kraig was a very talented young man who had a very bright future ahead of him. He worked at Blade Computers after completing school and built computers for several hundred residents in the Gulf Coast area. He also worked very hard in the last two years to help rebuild the Gulf Coast from the disastrous hurricane (Katrina).

He also was very talented in music and composed several music tracks that were of record label quality. He was heavily involved in the sport of paintball and rose quickly to being one of the best players in the Gulf Coast area, training with professionals in the sport. He was poised to be one of the best players in this national and global sport.

Kraig was a member of the nationally sponsored Diesel Kids of Ocean Springs. Kraig participated and contributed to the entire paintball family in the Southeast region. Kraig will sadly be missed by all that had the privilege of knowing and loving him.

NOTE: More about Kraig ecchione may be found at www.mydeathspace.com/article/2008/03/11/Kraig_Vecchione_(17)_committed_suicide_by_gunshot - 17k

"Still getting used to the fact they're not here"

One Friday afternoon in late June there was a debate going on in my head about whether or not I could afford to spurge on a $5 pizza from Subway. Work had consumed me all day, and I was really hungry.

I had a taste for a pizza with roasted chicken, so the debate didn't last too long. But that Subway, under new management, no longer allows customers to stray from the printed menu.

While entering the restaurant on U.S. 90 in Pascagoula, I noticed a young woman and a friend ... relative .. I didn't really know ... laughing and talking while deciding their choice of subs.

The one who entered the restaurant went ahead of me. She was sleeveless so I noticed a tattoo of a child on her upper right arm. The little boy's face looked so familiar. Like I knew him for some reason.

It was really odd because I could not recall her face at all. Had never seen her before; for sure, had never met her before.

She was making her food order while I stared, though trying not to gawk at the tattoo.

“Is that your son?”

“Yes,” she said.

“How old is he?”

“He died two years ago,” she said.

Oh. Awkward moment. ... You know, that pause when you feel embarrassed and sympathetic at the same time but don't really know what to say.

But he looked so familiar.

She said her other son also had died, but she had not yet put a tatto of him on her left arm. But she's had another child. (She already had a daughter when the boys died.)

I said her son looked like a child I knew or had seen before.

Then she introduced herself. She was Claudia Johnson, mother of two boys -- Phillips Burts Jr., 3, and Keshawn Burts, 2 -- who died in November 2006 during a house fire in Moss Point.

Now I knew. I'd seen the faces of the brothers on the media, and had written several news reports last year when the Hope Has A Face Foundation and the South Mississippi Red Cross had built a new home for her parents on Tucker Avenue.

“How are you doing now? Are you OK?”

She hedged, and then said, “I'm still getting used to the fact that they're not here.”

Words and hugs of sympathy were offered. She gave permission for her sons to be added to Memories Always. There were inquiries about her family, some personal information provided.

She paid for her subs and left. Finished my order and went back to work.

Isaac Nathaniel Carmony

But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. -- Matthew 19:14

Infant Isaac Nathaniel Carmony died Sunday, Jan. 27, 2008, in Gulfport.

Isaac was preceded in death by his brother, Dalton Carmony.

Survivors include parents Dale and Sabrina Carmony; siblings Jennifer, Beverly, Dale, Chris, Crystal, Shawn, Cheryl, D.J., Donnie, and Christina.

Visitation and funeral services were held Jan. 30 at Riemann Family Funeral Home, Three Rivers Road, Gulfport. Interment was at Floral Hills Memorial Gardens.

A guestbook was signed at http://www.riemannfamily.com/

Jana Dickerson Johnson

Jana Dickerson Johnson, 25, of Picayune died Jan. 30, 2008, in Pass Christian.

Graveside services were held Feb. 2 at Turtleskin Cemetery in Nicholson, Miss.

McDonald Funeral Home of Picayune handled service arrangements.

Joseph Decell

Joseph Decell, 25, of Biloxi died Friday, Jan. 18, 2008, in Gulfport.

He is survived by his fiancee, Sharon Marie Peresich; daughter Hanna Maire Peresich; parents Ann Decell and Mike Decell; sister Bonnie Decell; brother Wade Decell, a U.S. Air Force senior airman, and wife Mayumi.

Services were held Jan. 21 at Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home on 15th Street in Gulfport. Burial was at Long Beach City Cemetery.

An online register was viewed and signed at http://www.bradfordokeefe.com/

Malik Kyrie Sherrod

Malik Kyrie Sherrod, 7 , died Thursday, Jan. 17, 2008, at his home in Columbia, S.C., among family. He was born Dec. 25, 2000, in Pascagoula.

Malik is survived by his parents, Eddie Lee Sherrod Sr. and Xavier Cabrini Sherrod; sisters Zacchia and Chamanique Sherrod; grandparents Mary Sherrod of Moss Point, Howard and Debra Cox of Pascagoula, Eddie (Barbara) Sherrod of Atlanta, Ga.; aunts and uncles Keshia (Derrick) McLaurin,
Roshonda (Diarra) Wilkerson, Kasandra Sherrod, Michael Morris, Kathy (Eric) Jackson, Sonya (Calvin) Armstrong, Janel Cox, Martina Cox, Marquita Cox, Andrian Coss, and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

Funeral services were held Jan. 26 at Highway Holiness Church of Deliverance of Fayetteville, N.C. Graveside services were held Jan. 27 at Ford Cemetery in Escatawpa.

Arrangements were handled by Wiseman Funeral Home in Fayetteville and Millender's Funeral Home in Moss Point.