Obituaries published in the Sunday, Dec. 31, 2006 edition of The Natchez Democrat

Services Today

Elmo Escher

11 a.m., Rose Hill Second Zion Baptist Church, Woodville

Rosetta Marie

Williams Wiley

Noon, Myrtle Baptist Church, Waterproof

Robert Dwayne

Richardson

2 p.m., Laird Funeral Home Union Street Chapel

Joe Hester Barlow

Oct. 3, 1931 &8212; Dec. 29, 2006

GILBERT, La. &8212; Services for Joe Hester Barlow, 75, of Gilbert, La., who died Friday, Dec. 29, 2006, will be 2 p.m. today at Kendrick Ferry Pentecostal Church near Wisner with the Revs. Bruce Lofton and Sonny Warbington officiating.

Burial will follow at South Central Cemetery under the direction of Gill First National Funeral Home in Winnisboro.

Mr. Barlow was born Oct. 3, 1931, in Wisner, the son of Holly and Maude Kenney Barlow. He was a member of Kendrick Ferry Pentecostal Church. He was also a veteran of the Korean War.

Mr. Barlow was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Walter &8220;Bud&8221; Corley and Clarence Corley Jr.; three sisters, Myrtis Caldwell, Emma Jean Colvin and Patricia Corley.

Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Pauline Barlow of Gilbert; two daughters, Loreta Wyles and her husband, Leon, and Vicki Mason and her husband, Mark, all of Vidalia; three sons, Kelley Barlow and his wife, Amy, of Ferriday, Lane Barlow and his wife, Donnah, of Monterey and Bo Barlow of Ferriday; four brothers, Earl Barlow of South Carolina, Herman Barlow of Wisner, Quintes &8220;Pete&8221; Barlow of Gilbert and Lannie Barlow of Ferriday; two sisters, Barbara Lowe of Arkansas and Jeanette Roberts of Wisner; 20 grandchildren and 16 great-great grandchildren.

To view or sign the guest book, go to www.gillfirstnational.com.

Billy F. Thomas

Feb. 24, 1933 &8212; Dec. 29, 2006

NATCHEZ &8212; Services for Billy F. Thomas, 73, who died Friday, Dec. 29, 2006, will be 11 a.m. Monday at First Baptist Church of Natchez with the Rev. Dr. Judson W. Hurt officiating.

Burial will follow in Greenlawn Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until service time Monday at the church.

Mr. Thomas was born Feb. 24, 1933, in Franklin County, the son of Sam and Ivy Jane Aldridge Thomas. He retired from Armstrong Tire & Rubber Company after 32 years of service. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Natchez.

Mr. Thomas was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Alton Thomas; and two nnephews, Michael Young and Kenny Thomas.

Survivors include his wife of 54 years, Bessie Sanders Thomas of Natchez; four children, Dale Thomas and his wife, Terri, of Natchez; Ricky Thomas and his wife, Kaye, of Natchez; Lee Thomas and his wife, Kim, of Natchez; and Cyndy Wynn and her husband, Rodney, of Lancaster, S.C. He loved being called &8220;P-Pa&8221; by his eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, Erika and Kara Wynn, Chad Thomas and Shelby Dooley, Sam and Hannah Thomas, Lauren and Luke Thomas, and Gauge Thomas and Leslie Dooley; two sisters, Dorothy Young and Catherine Thomas, both of Natchez; a brother, Sam Thomas of Arkansas; two nieces and three nephews.

Pallbearers will be Leo Ivy, Claude Diamond, Billy Sanders, Tommy Young, Steve Dooley and Jimmy Rawls.

Memorials may be made to Hospice Ministries or the First Baptist Church of Natchez.

Frank Woods Jr.

Nov. 9, 1939 &8212; Dec. 26, 2006

SIBLEY &8212; Services for Frank Woods Jr., 67, of Natchez, who died Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2006, at his residence, will be at noon Wednesday at Mount Sinai Baptist Church with the Rev. James Brooks officiating.

Burial will follow in the church cemetery under the direction of George F. West Funeral Home.

Visitation is at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home.

Mr. Woods was born Nov. 9, 1939, in Sibley, the son of Frank Woods Sr. and Charolette Lewis.

He was a retired funeral director with Laird Funeral Home and self-employed. He was a Baptist and enjoyed carpentry and fishing.

Mr. Woods was preceded in death by his parents; son, Paul D. Woods; brothers, Jimmy Lee Woods, Willie McCullen and Eugene Woods; and sisters, Josephine Woods, Johnnie Morris and Elizabeth Washington.

Survivors include his fiancee, Linda White; brothers, Issac Woods, Jimmy Lee Woods and Junior Williams; sisters, Mary Washington, Sadie McCraney, Annie Dunmore, Betty Woods and Ineda Barclay; son, Sam Bacon; daughters, Carolyn Hill Anderson, Anntonnette Warren and Sheila Woods; five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be friends of the family.

Elmo Escher

Oct. 3, 1916 &8212; Dec. 27, 2006

WOODVILLE &8212; Services for Elmo Escher, 90, who died Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2006, at his residence in Woodville, will be 11 a.m. today at Rose Hill Second Zion Baptist Church in Woodville with the Rev. Ernest Ford Jr. officiating.

Burial will follow at Cedar Rest Cemetery No. 2 in Woodville under the direction of Rollins Funeral Home.

Mr. Escher was born Oct. 3, 1916 in Wilkinson County, the son of Louis Escher and Charity Bowie. He was a farmer, and a member and head deacon of Rose Hill Second Zion Baptist Church.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a daughter, Mary Ford; a grandson, Andr/ Grover; and a brother-in-law, the Rev. Robert Gibbs.

Survivors include his wife of 69 years, Susie Henley Escher of Woodville; three sons, Elmo Escher Jr. and his wife, Donna, of Austell, Ga., Kevin Escher and his wife, Regina, of Madison and Maury Escher and his wife, Rosalind, of Atlanta; four daughters, Rosie Lee Perry of Woodville, Yvonne Moore and her husband, Leonard, of Lafayette, La., Gloria Dillworth and her husband, Derbert, of Biloxi and Juanita Grover and her husband, Fird, of Westwego, La.; a sister, Anniece Gibbs of New Orleans; a brother-in-law, the Rev. Roosevelt Henley and his wife, Leona, of Baton Rouge; two sisters-in-law, Mamie Turner of New Orleans and Odessa Vaughn of Missouri, Texas; a son-in-law, Joseph Ford of Biloxi; 13 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and a number of other relatives and friends.