Area Obituaries

A celebration of life will be held for Shelton Lee Cothern at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 1, 2026, at Topeka Baptist Church. Burial will follow at Jayess Baptist Church Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m., Thursday, April 30, at Topeka Baptist Church and will resume at 10 a.m. on Friday until…

A graveside service for Brian David Rayborn will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at Greer Cemetery in Jayess. Riverwood Family is handling the arrangements. Brian David Rayborn, 58, of Jayess, passed away on April 26 at his residence. He was born in Lafayette, La., on Sept. 23, 1967, to WT…

Elvira Smith Tyler was born on Feb. 25, 1951, in Monticello to the union of Ira Smith Sr. and Oeverda Smith. She was the seventh born of eight children from this union. Elvira departed this very fruitful life on March 31, 2026, at her children’s residence in Monticello. A service was held on April 15…

Funeral services for Eddie D. Smith will be conducted at noon on April 21, 2026, at Hepzibah Baptist Church, with Rev. Matt Robinson officiating. Interment will follow in the Hepzibah Cemetery. Mr. Smith, 56, entered into the eternal rest of his Lord on April 16 at St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson. Saulters Moore Funeral Home…

Elbert Shepard Lambert Jr., “Bert,” died at home near the Oma community, in Lawrence County. Born on Jan. 2, 1950, Bert was the son of Elbert and Ruth Lambert. Though he never married, nor had children, he was loved by family and friends. He was born in Brookhaven; his parents and he moved to Biloxi…

Funeral services honoring the life of Linda Carol Riley Bass, of Maben, formerly of New Hebron, were conducted on April 14, 2026, at New Hebron Methodist Church with interment following in Whitesand Cemetery. Pastor Mike Hart officiated. Mrs. Bass, 74, peacefully passed away at her home on April 8. A woman of grace, dedication, and…

Funeral services were held on April 10, 2026, at Silver Creek M.B. Church, New Hebron, for Terrell Magee, 69, of New Hebron, who passed away on March 31. Rev. Bill O. Walker officiated with interment following in the church cemetery. Johnson Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements. He is the son of the late…

Elvis Wilson (E.W.) Lambert, 88, of Sontag, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family on April 6, 2026. Elvis was born on Dec. 4, 1937, to Ellis Watson Lambert and Rosalie Boyte Lacrosse. Funeral services were conducted at Monticello Methodist Protestant church in Monticello on April 8. Interment followed in Bethshan Cemetery. Officiating ministers were Bro. Bobby Dawson, Bro. Roger Smith, and Bro. Tom Belcher. Wilson Funeral…

Cecil Swann Ward, 86, of Monticello, passed away peacefully on March 21, 2026, at home surrounded by family. Services were held on March 23 at Tilton Church, with Rev. Wade Barnes officiating; music by Sandy Brister, Ramona Neal, and DeeDee Barnes; and reading by Rhianna Reeder. Burial followed in Tilton Cemetery. Cecil was born on…

Gerald Douglas Tompkins, 84, of Hattiesburg, passed away on March 29, 2026, at Forrest General Hospital. Visitation will be from 1 to 3 p.m. on Friday, April 3, at Moore Funeral Home in Hattiesburg, with services immediately following at 3 at Moore Hattiesburg Chapel. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery. Mr. Tompkins was born on…