Monday, March 30, 2009

Joshua D. Gershon

Joshua D. Gershon, 22, of Osmond, Neb., died March 12, 2009, in Gufport. 

He was sent to Brockhaus Funeral in Creighton, Neb., during arrangements handled locally by Riemann Family Funeral Home. 

Monday, March 16, 2009

Joshua Jackson

A 22-year-old man from the Kiln was one of two Mississippi residents who died in a three-vehicle wreck March 14 in Louisiana, according to a report filed at www.wlox.com

The wreck that killed Joshua Jackson, 22, also killed Casey Wilson of Bay St. Louis, who lost control of the vehicle the two men were riding in on Interstate 10 near the Interstate 12 and Interstate 59 junction in St. Tammany Parish, La. 

A news report said Wilson struck another vehicle in the rear and then another vehicle then struck the side of Wilson's vehicle. Passengers in the other vehicles did not suffer major injuries. 

Mother, daughter laid to rest


GENEVA, Ala. -- A mother and her toddler daughter were laid to rest together March 15,  the second funeral service for victims of the shooting rampage that left 10 people dead across two counties in Alabama on March 10. 

Andrea Myers and daughter Corinne Gracy, 19 months, were buried Sunday in the same casket, the young mother holding her oldest daughter in her arms. 

Sheriff's deputy Josh Myers, husband and father of the two victims, saluted their casket as he said goodbye. 

Myers was devastated by the loss of his wife and daughter, but is glad he has two remaining children. Ella, 3 months, was injured in the shooting but has been released from the hospital. Joshua, 4 years, hid in the house where his mother and sister were shot to death.   

View this story, photograph and other related stories at www.wkrg.com  and www.wlox.com

Sunday, March 15, 2009

15-year-old among gunman's relatives in Alabama

Dale Wise was another young person numbered among Alabama residents killed March 10 when Michael Kenneth McLendon went on a shooting rampage across an approximately 25-mile span that included three small towns and two counties. 

Dale, 15, and his mother, Tracy Wise, 34, were relatives of McLendon, killed because of a dispute over a family Bible, according to media reports. McLendon also killed and set on fire his mother, Lisa McLendon, and her four dogs. 

McLendon lived with his mother in Kinston, Ala., but he shot most of his relatives while they sat on a front porch in Samson, Ala. McLendon, 28, finally shot himself in the head at his former workplace, Reliable Metal Products, after the hourlong rampage.   

Corinne Gracy Myers, 18-months old, and mother Andrea Myers were killed as they visited with McLendon's relatives in Samson. Her 4-month-old sister Ella was wounded in the leg. 

Sonya Lolley Smith, 23, was killed while pumping gas at a Samson, Ala., convenience store. James Starling, 24, of Samson was shot and killed while walking on West Pullum Street, also where McLendon's relatives lived. 
 

Joshua Gershon

Nebraska resident Joshua Gershon was working in South Mississippi when he lost his life during a single-vehicle wreck March 12, 2009, in Gulfport.

Media reports said Gershon, 22, was a resident of Osmond, Neb. He died of a head injury after being ejected from his pickup truck late that Thursday night, said a Harrison County official.

According to www.sunherald.com he was not wearing a seatbelt when the wreck occurred about a mile north of Harrison Central High School. 

Personnel with Riemann Funeral Home sent Gershon's body to Brockhaus Funeral Home in Creighton, Neb. 

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Levi Lane Stout


Levi Lane Stout, 13, passed away March 11, 2009. He was a resident of Lucedale.

A visitation will be held at 6 p.m. March 15 at George County Funeral Home in Lucedale, which is handling service and burial arrangements. 

The funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. March 16 at Agricola Baptist Church with burial in the church cemetery. 


Thursday, March 12, 2009

Corinne Myers killed in Alabama rampage

An 18-month old toddler was among 11 victims of a shooting rampage that extended across three cities in southeastern Alabama on March 10. 

Corinne Myers was with her mother, Andrea Myers, and a 4-month-old sister, Ella, when Michael Kenneth McLendon shot and killed the mother and daughter as well as his own uncle, cousin and nephew as they all sat on a porch in Samson, Ala. McLendon then went next door and shot his grandmother.

A neighbor saved Ella Myers, who suffered a gunshot to the leg, while Joshua Myers, 4 years, had hidden inside the house where his mother had come to visit with neighbors. 

McLendon already had shot his mother, Lisa McLendon, in the head and set on fire her and the home they shared with her three dogs, which he also killed. McLendon and his mother lived in Kingston, Ala., about 12 miles away from the town of Samson. 

Corinne was the toddler daughter of Geneva County sheriff's deputy Josh Meyers, who was among law enforcement officers seeking to stop McClendon's rampage. Meyers told ABCNEWS.com reporters that someone called him and told him to get home as quickly as possible. 

The deputy helped surround McLendon at the Reliant Metal Factory in Geneva, Ala., where the gunman shot himself in the head and died. 

As of today, law enforcement have not determined the exact reason for the shooting rampage.

William Lee Siter

An 18-year-old native of Harrison County died Feb. 6, 2009 in Andover, Conn., where a number of other relatives also live in that state. 

Family members say William Lee Siter was a resident of Hebron, Conn., but had spent most of his life in South Mississippi. He had graduated in 2008 from RHAM high school in Hebron.

William, an organ donor, was able to help others through his donations. 

He was preceded in death by sister Sandie Shaw Siter, great-grandparents J.L. and Betty Dedeaux, and Kelly and Arvy Shaw.

Family members who mourn his passing include mother Anna Marie Shaw Siter of Gulfport, father Glen W. Siter and his wife Dorene, both of Connecticut; brothers Colby Shaw Jerkins of Pascagoula and Justin Shaw and wife Kristin of Gulfport; sisters Kellie Siter (Mrs. Frankie) Sawyer of Gulfport, and Lauren, Katlyn and Marsha Siter, all of Connecticut; step-sisters Jamie and Elizabeth Wilder of Connnecticut; grandparents Gerald and Carol Sister and Adele Siter, all of Connecticut, and Lonnie Colwell and her husband Craig of Gulfport; grandfather Kelly Gene Shaw and his wife Janice of Gulfport; aunt Stacy (Mrs. Chad) Parrish of Gulfport; special uncle Glen Shaw of Gulfport; nephews Christian and Andrew Sawyer.

Visitation and funeral service was Feb. 15, conducted by Pastor Carl Miles of Highland Baptist Church in the chapel of Riemann Family Funeral Home, Three Rivers Road in Gulfport. Burial followed at Shaw Cemetery.

Olivia Jade Abshire

Graveside services were held Feb. 15 for the infant daughter of Joshua W. and Stacey Denton Abshire of Biloxi.

Olivia Jade Abshire died Feb. 12, 2009, in Ocean Springs. She is buried at Machpelah Cemetery in Pascagoula.

She was preceded in death by maternal grandmother Marie I. Denton, paternal great-grandparents Diana B. Abshire, Noland "Red" Trahan and Wilbert L. Trahan; maternal great-grandparents Roy and Mary Denton and Charles Lamora.

Olivia is survived by her parents, sister Ashleigh Barnaba of Biloxi; paternal grandparents Thomas G. and Regina Abshire of Welsh, La.; maternal grandfather Joseph C. Denton of Pascagoula; paternal great-grandparents Alec J. Abshire and Shirley B. Trahan, both of Welsh; maternal great-grandparents Carlton and Eloise Hurst of Cantonment, Fla.; aunts Donna Denton of Pascagoula and Hannah Absire of Welsh, La., and uncle Howard (Mechelle) Denton of Gautier. 

O'Bryant-O'Keefe Funeral Home handled services. 

Candice Lizana


Candice Lizana was 20 years old when she passed away Jan. 29, 2009. 

Visitation and service were held at St. Ann's Catholic Church on Feb. 1. Burial was at Wolf River Cemetery.

Riemann Family Funeral Home of Gulfport handled services. 

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Lam Luong

An Alabama father charged in the death of his three children and a step-son pleaded guilty to murder today in Mobile. 

Lam Luong also asked for the death penalty after confessing to the drowning deaths of the children in order to get back at his wife. He said he toss the four children from the Dauphin Island Bridge on Jan. 7, 2008. 


Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Holden Lee Grant Spears

Having lived only 20 minutes, Holden Lee Grant Spears passed away Feb. 25, 2009.  He is the son of Sasha Spears of Gautier.

He was preceded in death by his aunt Teresa Benjamin, great-grandfather David E. Parnell, and great-great grandmother Abby Parnell. 

He is survived by his mother, sister Kyra Spears; grandparents Steve and Christian Parnell of Gautier; great-grandparents Charlynn Parnell of Gautier and Duane and Sharon Lackey of Arkansas; uncle Brandon Parnell of Gautier, aunt Sharon Parnell of Gautier, great-aunt and -uncle Benny and Sharon French of Gautier; John Longawa of Ocean Springs. 

An evening memorial service will be held March 5 at St. Mary's Catholic Church, officiated by the Rev. Charles Nutter. 

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Nelson Dolbares

Nelson Dolbares, 12 years old, was among three family members who died Friday, Feb. 27, 2009, in an airplane crash that occurred over southeastern Louisiana shortly after takeoff.

Dolbares, his mother Tabitha Dolbares and father Glyn Johnson, all of Gautier, had taken off from Slidell, La.,  and were headed to Marksville, La., when the plane crashed without giving a distress signal, according to reporter Krystal Allan at www.wlox.com

The Cessna 182 crashed in rural Livingston Parish. 

Nelson was in sixth-grade at Gautier Middle School. He was an avid football player, loved swimming and fishing, and often spent weekends with his parents on skydiving trips, according to reporter Margaret Baker with www.sunherald.com  

Johnson was a former teacher in Jackson County. 

Read the following comments from family members about the death of their loved ones.  

March 2, 2009 @ www.sunherald.com

www.wlox.com