William Fenton "Bill" Anderson, Jr.

William Fenton "Bill" Anderson, Jr., 80, a local business man, died July 6, 2026, at The Sanctuary Hospice in Tupelo, MS. 

Visitation is Thursday, July 9, 2026 at 10:00 A.M. at  First United Methodist Church, in Yazoo City, MS, with Funeral services at 11:00 A.M., led by the Reverend Jeffrey Rickman. Burial will follow at Fletchers Chapel Cemetery in Yazoo County, MS.

Stricklin-King Funeral Home in Yazoo City is handling the arrangements.

Bill graduated from Yazoo City High School in 1963, then attended the University of Mississippi and graduated in 1968 with a Degree in Business Administration. He was a member of Sigma Alfa Epsilon (SAE) Fraternity, where he enjoyed much good fellowship with his fraternity brothers. He was a lifetime supporter of Ole Miss. After college, Bill enjoyed working with his Father ("Skinner" Anderson) in the minnow and catfish business, in which his father was a pioneer in the State of Mississippi. For the next 23 years, Bill was a distributor for Anheuser Busch, which was a very rewarding time in Bill's life. 

After his retirement, he enjoyed riding Harley Davidson motorcycles with several close friends all over the country, visiting many historic sites. Bill enjoyed and was an avid hunter having grown up hunting with his Father at White Line Hunting Club. Later, Bill was a founding member of Horseshoe Hunting Club near Pickens, MS, where he and his family enjoyed the sport and fellowship with many of its congenial members. In his later years, he enjoyed fishing, entertaining friends and family, watching Westerns, and spending time with grandchildren. Bill was a very faithful husband and loyal friend, always ready to lend a hand.

Bill is survived by his wife, Alice Bess "Rose" Atkinson Anderson; a brother Robert A. "Bob" Anderson and wife Georgia of Jackson, MS; a sister, Kathy Anderson Phillips and husband Mike of Yazoo City; a son, William Fenton Anderson, Ill and wife Olivia Williamson Anderson of Yazoo City;

William Joseph "Joe" Baker, of Yazoo City, MS, and Catherine Baker Graeber (Jerry) of Madison, MS. Grandchildren include: Bess, Emma and Will Baker; Reese, "Fen" and Liza Anderson; and Barrier Graeber; joined by a host of nieces and nephews.

Bill was preceded in death by his mother, Dorothy G. "Dot" Gibson Anderson; and his father, William Fenton "Skinner" Anderson, Sr.

Pall Bearers are: Jerry Barrier Graeber, William Joseph "Joe" Baker, William Joseph Baker, Jr., Jerry Barrier Graeber,Jr., William Fenton Anderson, Ill and Michael Slater Phillips.

Honorary Pall Bearers are: Bill Hough, Manly Washington, Tom McGraw, John Taylor, Barry McCay, Dr. Kyle Ball, Boyd Kellum, Rand Tyson, Chuck Nelms, Bryan Jones, Mark Culver, and Randy Hearst, Mike Phillips and Bill Walker.

Sylvia Davis Stovall, 84, of Flora, went to her Heavenly home on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. She was born June 30, 1941 in Yazoo County, Mississippi. She was the beloved daughter of her late parents, Luther B. Davis and Nora Louise. She was also the sister to her late brother, Melvin Davis and surviving brother, Jerry Davis.

Sylvia was a devoted wife to her husband, Hilton for 66 years. Together they raised two loving children, son, Skipper Stovall (Nils) and daughter, Angela Brinkley (Mike).

She is survived by her husband, two children and granddaughters; Kelsey McClaskey (Wyatt), Kaylee Brinkley, and Brandy Runnels.

To many she was known as Meme and known as having the best sweet tea in town. She loved spending time outdoors tending to her beautiful plants and flowers. Her favorite thing to do was having her entire family together, laughing, and telling old stories. Sylvia will be remembered for her warmth, quiet strength, and devotion to her family. She was loved fiercely and will be greatly missed.

A graveside service will be held on June 26th at 11 a.m. at the Flora Cemetery. Her family is grateful for the kindness and support shown during this time. Stricklin King Funeral Home is handling all arrangements for the family. 

 Jeptha Fowlkes Barbour III, a native and former mayor of Yazoo City, died of natural causes on June 20, 2026. Jeppie was accompanied and comforted by his family and friends over the last days, weeks, and months of his colorful life.

He was born in Yazoo City, Mississippi, on September 7, 1940, to Jeptha Fowlkes Barbour, Jr. and LeFlore Johnson Barbour. Jeppie’s dad died at age 36. He and his younger brothers, Wiley and Haley, were a handful. However, LeFlore was a strong mother and raised the boys in a loving home in Yazoo City. Family was always important to Jeppie; he loved sharing stories and poking fun with family. 

Jeppie graduated from Yazoo City High School in 1958, where he met the love of his life – Frances Allen. He was an active and successful student serving as a class officer, Flashlight Managing Editor and Hi-Y editor, playing on the football team, and a member of the Press Club, “S” Club, and Freedoms Foundation. Surprisingly to his five sons, he was also in the Mixed Chorus his senior year and reportedly known as “Cool Threads” by his friends.

Jeppie loved Boy Scouts and was an Eagle Scout. He enjoyed Camp Swayze and spent one summer at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. He later served as a Scoutmaster in Yazoo City.

Jeppie was a graduate of Ole Miss, where he was a proud member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. 

He and Frances married on February 2, 1961, in Yazoo City. They soon had two sons, and he was commissioned as an Army Lieutenant. He served two years of active duty in Germany, and the young family had a third son in Heidelberg. They returned to Yazoo in 1965 where he initially worked for the Delta National Bank and became active in the thriving community. Jeppie and Frances had two more sons and loved raising their family in the home his grandparents built on Grand Avenue.

He was an active force in Yazoo City and enjoyed volunteering with the Jaycees. He coached Little League baseball from a young age, including the 1967 state championship team. He always had a spirited dialogue with the umpire, until occasionally he was excused from the game.

Jeppie was elected Mayor of Yazoo City in 1968 – one of the first Republican mayors in Mississippi – at the age of 27 and served one term just exactly the way he wanted. He was a Goldwater Republican and attended the Republican National Convention in 1968 and 1972.

President Gerald Ford appointed Jeppie to serve as head of the Mississippi Farmers Home Administration in 1974, and he transitioned to a career selling life insurance in the late 70s, but his passion was always politics. 

Jeppie was popular in the Mississippi Republican Party for his love of the grassroots and expertise of ballot security. He traveled throughout the state training volunteers on how to best ensure free and fair elections. He was particularly proud of his role in helping lead a statewide vote to pass a Constitutional Amendment in 2011 requiring voters to show a photo ID before casting a ballot in Mississippi.

He had a big heart and made time for others, including often stopping his car, full of children, on the highway to offer aid to whomever was pulled over on the side of the road. He loved talking about his trip to Pakistan with a nonprofit in 2006 following a devastating 7.7 earthquake saying, “I figured somebody had to come help them. I didn’t see what reason I had saying it wasn’t gonna be me.”

There were a number of people who made a significant impression on him. He was incredibly proud of his hard-working mother, LeFlore, and very close to his grandmother, Lucile Barbour. In fact, he loved visiting with the elders in the family and every relative he could hunt down through his love of genealogy. In addition, Jeppie was especially fond of Leon Turner and Hattie B. Fox, both stalwarts of the Barbour family. 

Late in life, Jeppie and Frances made the difficult decision to leave the family home in Yazoo City and move to Jackson. Jeppie moved to St. Catherine’s Village in Madison after Frances’ death in 2022 where he enjoyed loving care from the staff. The family is grateful for all the team at St. Catherine’s, and especially Joyce Henderson and Jackie Shinall.

Jeppie was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Yazoo City and professed his faith in his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Jeppie was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Frances Lorraine Allen Barbour, his parents, Jeptha and LeFlore Barbour, and his brother, Wiley J. Barbour.

He is survived by his children: Jeptha Fowlkes Barbour IV (Laura), Charles Allen Barbour, Henry LeFlore Barbour (Georgie), Robert Johnson Barbour (Amanda), and Austin Fowlkes Barbour (Deidre); brother Haley R. Barbour (Marsha), 12 grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and many other family members.

The funeral will be held at First Presbyterian Church, Yazoo City, on Tuesday, June 23, at 11:00 a.m. with visitation at the church beginning at 9:30 a.m. A graveside service will immediately follow at Glenwood Cemetery in Yazoo City. Stricklin King is directing the funeral. 

Pallbearers are Brad White, Fowlkes Barbour, Allen Barbour, Harlan Barbour, John Frederick Barbour, Bo Barbour, Jay Barbour, Sterling Barbour, and Reeves Barbour. 

Honorary Pallbearers are Griffin Norquist, Jr., Frank Patty, Barry Bridgforth, Dick Rohman, Tommy Bond, Buford Atkinson, and Marty Cox.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 231 N. Washington Street, Yazoo City, MS 39194 or wherever one wants to honor Jeppie.

Jacob Ryan Gibson, 24, cherished husband, son, grandson, nephew, cousin, and friend went to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ on June 14, 2026. He was born on May 13, 2002, to Alicia and Ryan Gibson. 

From age 2, Jacob showed a natural talent for golf. He became a member of the high school Golf team in 8th grade. He won countless tournaments and awards. Jacob’s passion and dedication to the sport led him to Meridian Community College where he was awarded a full golf scholarship. From Meridian, the Lord led him to the delta where he had many adventures and made tons of friends. He earned his Electrical Technology Degree with honors at Mississippi Delta Community College. 

After graduation, he went on to work at Columbus Brick as a Controls Technician, Level IV where he put in countless hours to run projects, fix machines, and delegated day to day tasks. 

Jacob was an avid outdoorsman. You could find him on a lake or river in his boat fishing, hunting or getting in the water in general. He loved being in the woods with his best friends and family. He had a strong love for animals from an early age. He loved his dogs, Hank & Sammy who he looked forward to seeing at the end of every day. He had so many passions and hobbies for every different season. He loved music and would always listen to it no matter what he was doing. He loved keeping up with the new music, but the oldies had a special place in his heart too. All in all, he loved being in the beautiful outdoors that God created. 

Above all, Jacob had a heart of gold. He loved his family and friends with all his heart and would do anything for them. He inspired and was admired by so many in his life especially from his golf skill. He was compassionate, honest, caring, and kind. He was always the first person to check on everyone and always ready to help anyone in need even if he didn’t think they would do the same for him. 

Jacob is survived by his high school sweetheart and love of his life, Katie Moody Gibson; his mother, Alicia Gibson; father, Ryan Gibson; grandmother, Alice Peavy George; grandparents Rhonda and Ronnie Gibson; aunts, Stephanie Peavy Jones (Jeff) and Rachel Gibson Wilkinson (Luke). He is also lovingly remembered by cousins, Joseph Jones (Emily), Jeremy Gibson, Josh Gibson, and James Deason. He was loved and admired by his mother and father-In-law, sister and brother in laws and nieces and nephews. 

He is preceded in death by his grandfathers, Joe D. Peavy and Marlin George Jr. (Bay). 

Pallbearers include: Carter Jones, Austin Joiner, John Wyatt Bell, Davis Poole, Anderson Smith, Joseph Jones, Jeremy Gibson, Josh Gibson, Micheal George Jr.

Funeral Services will be held Thursday, June 18th at 2:00 p.m. at Stricklin King Funeral Home, 718 Calhoun Ave, Yazoo City, MS 39194, with Dr. Dwayne Parker officiating. Burial will follow at Glenwood Cemetery in Yazoo City, MS. Friends and family may visit Thursday, June 18th from 12:30 until the time of the funeral service all under the direction of Stricklin King Funeral Home.

Patrick Travis Hudson was born on September 30, 1962, and passed away on June 7, 2026, surrounded by the love of his family and lifelong friend, Tim Hodnett.

Pat was preceded in death by his father, James Talmage Hudson, and his mother, Paty Sue Travis Hudson Huff.

He is survived by his daughter, Rebecca Hudson Cooper and her husband, Steven Cooper, along with their children, Ellie, Pate, and Sam; his sons, James Patrick Hudson and Ryan Travis Hudson, both of Yazoo City, MS; his brothers, David Hudson of Yazoo City, MS, and Timothy Hudson, of OK.

Pat was a man known for his hard work, determination, and willingness to help others. After losing his father at the age of 13, he learned to rely on his own perseverance and resourcefulness. Though he never graduated high school, he possessed an incredible ability to learn and could fix almost anything.

He devotedly cared for his mother until her pas sing and was a loving father and grandfather who would do anything for his family. No matter what was going on in his own life, he would drop everything to help those he loved. His children knew they could always count on him.

After overcoming addiction, Pat remained sober for more than 20 years, teaching his children that Jesus helped him through that. He will be remembered for his generosity, strength, and love for his family and friends. He will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.

The funeral service will be at 10:00 a.m. at the Stricklin King Funeral Home chapel, followed by burial in Glenwood Cemetery, all under the direction of Stricklin King Funeral Home. 

Wiley Johnson Barbour, age 83, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 after a courageous fight with cancer. He was the beloved son of his late parents, Jeptha Fowlkes Barbour, Jr. and Grace Leflore Barbour.

Wiley was a devoted husband to his wife, Patty, for nearly sixty years, and loving father to Jay Barbour (Erin) and Kaylee Berry (Robert Alton). He was the proud grandfather of Mary Clinton Barbour, Kathleen Grace Barbour, Rebecca Wiley Barbour, Jason Nicholas Berry (Brooke) and bonus grands Michael Christopher Berry (Neely) and Austin Carter Berry (Courtney). He was a doting great grandfather to Brees Michael Berry and was very much looking forward to the arrival of Brees’ little sister. 

Wiley and Patty met soon after she moved to Yazoo City and then they married on August 20, 1966. Thereafter they briefly lived in New Albany as Wiley completed law school and then moved to Yazoo City where they lived on North Monroe Street until they moved to their current home in Benton in 2003. Wiley continued the long-standing family practice of law in Yazoo City from 1966 until his retirement in 2025. Without him, the family law firm, which is currently the oldest active law firm in the State of Mississippi, would not exist. The positions he held during his lengthy career include serving as a member of the Yazoo City School Board, the City Attorney of Yazoo City, and his favorite, the County Fire Coordinator for Yazoo County. 

Wiley lived a life of steady purpose and quiet generosity. He loved being with and taking care of his family and those around him. He spent much time attending and following the activities of his grandchildren. Wiley was passionate about volunteer firefighting. In earlier years, while residing in Yazoo City, he eagerly assisted the fire departments whenever possible. Later, upon moving to Benton, he was a loyal member of the Benton Volunteer Fire Department, which he thoroughly enjoyed. 

He was a proud Mississippi State alumnus and avid follower of Bulldog baseball and football. He additionally was a big fan of Delta State baseball, and was even pleased with his granddaughter going to Ole Miss. 

Wiley is survived by his wife, Patty Barbour: two children, Jay and Kaylee; six grandchildren, Mary Clinton, Katie Grace, Becca, Jason, Michael and Austin; one great grandchild, Brees; his brothers, Jeppie Barbour and Haley Barbour (Marsha) and many other family members who will miss and remember him fondly.

Services will be held on Monday, June 8 at Benton Methodist Church with visitation from 9:30-11:00 immediately followed by the funeral service at 11:00 and burial thereafter at Glenwood Cemetery. Services will be officiated by Brother Jay Trammell. All arrangements are under the direction of Stricklin King Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to the Benton Methodist Church, P.O. Box 1, Benton, MS 39039 or to the Benton Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 344, Benton, MS 39039.

Hershell “Walker” Williamson, 88, passed away on June 1, 2026.

Mr. Williamson was born on Dec. 9, 1937 in Simpson County. He worked at Mississippi Chemical Corporation for 33 years and was a member of First Baptist of Yazoo City for 53 years, where he served as a deacon. Of those 53 years, he taught preschool Sunday School. He attended Men’s Prayer Breakfast religiously.

After retirement, he went on several mission trips around the United States, where he built and restored churches. He also traveled with the youth of the church on many mission trips.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Marvin and Auleen Williamson; siblings, James Williamson (Dorothy), John Williamson (Erie) and Julee Williamson Fortenberry (Earl).

Survivors include his wife, Inez Williamson; daughter, Stacie Bolian (William “Bo”); granddaughter, Walker Kate Bolian; step granddaughter, Elizabeth “Betsy” Bolian Hancock (Josh) and family; step grandson, William Bolian (Elizabeth) and family; and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, June 5, at 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church with Rev. Shannon Davis officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery in Simpson County under the direction of Stricklin King Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the First Baptist Church’s Preschool.