Services for Bessie Brown Thomas of Hazlehurst are 2:30 p.m.,Saturday, May 1, at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church with burialin the church cemetery.

Visitation is Friday from noon until 5 p.m., at Tyler FuneralHome.

Mrs. Thomas, 87, died April 25, 2004, at Pine Crest Guest Homein Hazlehurst. She was born in Franklin County on April 12, 1917,to Rufus Roundtree and Berniece Coleman Roundtree.

She was a homemaker, and a member of Macedonia MissionaryBaptist Church. She had lived in Chicago, Ill., for 20 years beforereturning home.

Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband, DavidBrown; a son, Samuel Thomas Jr.; seven sisters, Annie Cain, FannieHouston, Emma Keys, Jennie May Jones, Daisy McKnight, the Rev. EviaCrockett and Fredonia Stephens; and her brothers, Manse Roundtreeand West Roundtree.

Survivors are her son, Johnny Thomas of Brookhaven; her sisters,Martha McGee of California, and Gurdia Hillard of Chicago, Ill.;and her nephew, Robert Roundtree of Brookhaven.