Brother's Get-Together!

 A great time last week with my brothers at a Vicksburg get-together! L-R Mickey (Class of 1959), Bobby, Jimmy & Mike.

Classmate's Brother Dies

Michael Harris Logue

December 6, 1951 ~ August 26, 2025 (age 73)

Michael H. Logue passed away peacefully from complications of a stroke on August 26, 2025, at Vicksburg Convalescent Center, at age 73. He was the son of L. Harold Logue, Sr., and Lucille Blackledge Logue. His wife and soulmate is the former Mildred Rebecca Fields of Vicksburg, affectionately known locally as the former owner of Becca's Cookies and Becki's Bling. Their adventures took them cross-country numerous times.

Michael was preceded in death by his parents and his younger brother, Keith (Susan) of Longview, Texas. He is survived in Vicksburg by his bride, Becki, and his children: Adam Logue (friend Serah Clemons) and Amanda Logue Boone (Jonathan), and his stepson Dailon Huskey (Jana). His stepdaughter, Hope Huskey Hayes (Ben), resides in Happy Valley, Ore., and his older brother, Louis Harold Jr. (Sonya), and his baby sister, Mary Logue, of Longview, Texas. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Ella Kate Boone, Lori Isabella (Lily) Logue, Amelia Jo Boone, Hannah Bowles, and Darcy Huskey; Great-grandchildren, Lily Rose Bowles and Samuel Dean Bowles, and many nieces and nephews.

Michael and Becki were members of Triumph Church and, more recently, of Pinelake Church and its Rockers small group in Raymond. Michael and Becki were instrumental in developing and implementing innovative systems for church growth, membership retention, assimilation, and leadership training.

A celebratory visitation will be held at Glenwood Funeral Home in Vicksburg from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 4, 2025.

Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Vicksburg Battlefield Guide Association, Pinelake Rockers small group, Kelle Barfield, owner of Lorelei Books, Ben Shaw, Keith Matthews, and Leon Pantenburg.

His earliest local ancestors established a farm that would be later named Redbone Road in Warren County, Mississippi Territory, in 1814: the Cherokee Coodys and the Paces. Born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, He was educated at Grove St. Elementary, St. Francis Xavier Academy, and St. Aloysius High School before graduating in 1969 from H.V. Cooper High School. He proudly boasted that he graduated in the top third of his class.

He received a bachelor's degree in communications from Mississippi State University in 1973 and a master's degree in mass communications management from Mississippi College in 1984, with additional advanced training in public affairs from the University of South Carolina in 1983, where he finished first in his class.

He received an associate's degree from Hinds Junior College in 1984 after transferring to MSU for an hour of PE.

He enjoyed a 42-year career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, focusing on corporate and crisis communications in the lower Mississippi River Valley and across the nation.

He began his career as a technical photographer and cinematographer at the Waterways Experiment Station, before advancing to technical reports editor there.

In 1976, he was named a public affairs writer-editor for the Corps' Vicksburg District. He created the District magazine, The Water's Edge, and the District's Employee Recreation Organization.

In that position, he served as editor and project manager for "Of Men and Rivers: The History of the Vicksburg District," U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The publication received the Award of Merit from the Mississippi Historical Society.

In 1981, he was named Deputy Public Affairs Officer, which included duties as Media Relations Coordinator. He became the Voice of the Vicksburg District, interacting with worldwide media during flood, drought, and civil works issues. He was a trusted source for media clients.

In 1985, he was named the Corps' youngest staff public affairs officer, providing command counsel on a wide range of issues, and managing the District's media, public information, corporate information, community relations, and emergency operations communications programs.

Working with project managers and public sponsor organizations, he served leadership roles in groundbreakings and dedications for critical, massive projects such as the Tensas-Cocodrie Pumping Plant, Lake Chicot Pumping Plant, five J. Bennett Johnston Waterway locks and dams on the Red River, and the H.K. Thatcher and Felsenthal locks and dams on the Ouachita River.

During his tenure, he created an innovative web-based system that proved 100% effective in defeating disinformation and misinformation. The system was implemented across the Corps. He would eventually train the system to DOD and NATO Information Operations officers.

In 1999, with Becki at his side, he also executed and trained his new process, Strategic E-Communication, for national-level corporations, organizations, and municipalities under his company, E-Power Public Relations and Communications.

In 2000, he became the owner and operator of Michael Logue Web Design in Vicksburg, providing more affordable web design options for small businesses. He serviced approximately 60 local companies and attractions, as well as others from Washington to California.

In 2004, he developed the innovative Management by the Numbers, an electronic system designed to reduce operational costs and continually improve team performance and morale. The public affairs version was adopted throughout the Corps' Mississippi Valley Division as a standard.

In August 2005, he was tasked as the public affairs mission manager for the Corps' FEMA recovery operations in Mississippi for Hurricane Katrina. In January 2007, he assumed the same post for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in New Orleans as a reemployed annuitant.

After his hurricane service, he spent ten years utilizing his specialized issue management and strategic planning skills on challenging public issues in the Sacramento, Jacksonville, and Albuquerque districts, as well as Corps' Headquarters in Washington. His last assignment was in the FEMA Recovery Field Office for the Tubbs wildfire recovery in Northern California in 2018.

During his tenure, he received a Corps' Lifetime Achievement Award in his career field, the first given to a living public affairs practitioner and only the second ever awarded at that time.

He was named the Corps' Michael C. Robinson Public Affairs Practitioner of the Year multiple times and Locke L. Mouton Emergency Communicator of the Year.

Upon his retirement in 2006, he received a Superior Service Award, the military equivalent of the Legion of Merit, for his innovative approaches and contributions to emergency operations and complex public issues.

He was named the 2006 Mississippi College Communications Alumnus of the Year.

Locally, he managed several national-award-winning educational programs, including the semester-long local-history class, the Mississippi River Course, in both local public high schools.

He also created and taught a sixteen-week homeschool and local civic course, titled "Vicksburg: From the Ice Age to the Space Age." He was an award-winning screenwriter of six motion picture screenplays, including Blood Trails, a story about the forced relocation of the Choctaw to Oklahoma.

He helped develop the themes and suggested art displays for the Corps' Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Interpretive Center in Vicksburg.

In 2007, his transition to communications consultant allowed time for three of his passions: history, gardening, and genealogy.

A national genealogy consultant, he created a six-week Legends and Legacies class with the Southern Cultural Heritage Center, which takes twelve local families at a time, six times a year, on a search for their family roots. He was able to preserve over 1,000 family lines connected to Warren County, their migration, and their stories.

He spearheaded the creation of the Historic Vicksburg Advisory Council, a consortium of approximately fifty interrelated businesses and organizations focused on growing the local history and tourism industry. He served on the Mayor's Commission for the Tercentennial of Fort St. Pierre, the region's first French presence.

He was a member of the Vicksburg Historical Society, the Mississippi Historical Society, and the Friends of Vicksburg Campaign and Siege. He was a former board member of the Old Depot Museum and the Vicksburg Riverfront Murals project.

He was also a state-certified storm spotter for the area.

Becoming a licensed battlefield guide in 2014, he served five years as president of the Vicksburg Guide Association. He created and managed the Facebook blog, Michael Logue's Vicksburg Campaign and Siege, since 2015. He was voted Warren County's best city-battlefield guide by the citizens of Warren County in 2023.

In 2014, he also achieved the level of Warren County Master Gardener with the Mississippi State Extension Service.

In 2021, he published his 300-page autobiography, Where The Roads Of My Life Have Taken Me.

In 2023, he published the first comprehensive history of West Central Mississippi and Vicksburg, titled Echoes from the Bluffs, which garnered high reviews both nationally and abroad.

In 2024, he received the Award of Merit from the Mississippi Historical Society for the innovative approach to telling the history of Vicksburg in the book.

In the community, he served previously on the board of the Optimist Club and as chair and disaster chair of the Vicksburg chapter of the American Red Cross.

Instead of flowers or other tributes, donations may be made to Vicksburg Storehouse Community Pantry, 718 Bowmar Avenue, Vicksburg, MS 39180.

Patsy Ellen Glass Duncan's Obituary

September 22, 1941 — July 18, 2025

Patsy Ellen Glass Duncan, age 83 of Martin, Tennessee, passed away on Friday, July 18, 2025, at her residence. She was born on September 22, 1941, in Brownsville, Tennessee, to late Clayton Emmett and Lucille Smith Glass. She graduated from HV Cooper High School in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and later from the University of Mississippi in 1964. She was a proud Ole Miss Rebel and was often seen wearing her red and blue.

She met Dr. William Lloyd Duncan Sr. in Memphis, Tennessee, and they married on October 24, 1965. They moved to Martin, Tennessee, in 1971, where they opened the Martin Specialty Clinic. Patsy managed the Specialty Clinic and then Surgical Associates of Martin until 2020. She was a member of the Martin First United Methodist Church, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and various other organizations.

Patsy was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. She is survived by her husband, Dr. William Lloyd Duncan Sr.; daughter Dr. Elizabeth (David) Byars of Martin, TN; son William Lloyd Duncan Jr. (Tia) of Rio Rico, Arizona; granddaughter Rebecca (Boomer) Rhodes of Union City, Tennessee; granddaughter Dr. Amanda (Boone) Brown of Birmingham, Alabama; granddaughter Sarah Elizabeth Byars of Martin, TN; great grandson Emmett Rhodes; and special friend Rebecca Carson McWilliams of Halls, TN.

Memorial Services will be held on Sunday, July 20, 2025, at 3:00 pm at The First United Methodist Church in Martin, TN. Visitation will be held on Sunday, July 20, 2025, beginning at 12:00 pm until the hour of service at The First United Methodist Church in Martin, TN.

Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital.

Murphy Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. 731-587-3121

Former Classmate in Hospice Care

I was just informed that our former classmate, Patsy Glass Duncan, has transitioned to hospice care.  It's heartbreaking to hear this news about Patsy, who lives in Martin, TN.  Keep her in your thoughts and prayers.  I will update you with the latest news from the family. 

Service at Fisher-Riles Funeral for Jackie

I was able to attend Jackie's funeral, and it was packed.  She had many people who loved her.  The only other classmate that I saw there was Johnny Hennessey and his wife.  

May she rest in peace!

Jacqueline "Jackie" Ann Doiron Obituary

October 10, 1941 ~ July 4, 2025

Jacqueline “Jackie” Ann Melsheimer Doiron died Friday, July 4, 2025, at St. Dominic Hospital.  She was 83.

     Born in Vicksburg, Jackie was the daughter of the late Julius Daniel Melsheimer and Elizabeth “Libby” Cronin Melsheimer. She was a lifelong resident of Vicksburg, as well as a member of the Roman Catholic Church.

     Jackie was a graduate of St. Francis Xavier Academy, where she excelled as a cheerleader and played basketball for the SFXA Blue Streaks.  She went on to Hinds Community College, where she was a cheerleader, voted Most Friendly Girl, and a maid on the Homecoming Court.  She graduated from Business School.

    Jackie loved people, music, dancing, her friends, pen and ink drawing, her dogs, Henry, Buttons, Lucy, Lady, Rocky, and Amy, and working in her yard. She was active in the community, teaching Red Cross swimming and serving as a Water Safety Instructor.  She was the Director of City Playgrounds, volunteered for Meals on Wheels, Altar Angels, Crawford Street United Methodist Church Vacation Bible School, and the Vicksburg YMCA.  She enjoyed coaching Rec Soccer in Vicksburg and coached a team, the Strikers, to a State Championship. She also enjoyed teaching at Crawford Street Play School as the "Movin' n' Groovin'" teacher.  She made many friends at Play School, and she loved and taught many children over the 10 years she worked there.  

    Jackie loved her family. She is survived by her three children, Julie Lizabeth Doiron Sosebee (Craig), Phillip L. Doiron, Jr. (Kara), and Jacqueline Danielle Warnock (Brad), six grandchildren, John “Jack” Sosebee (Sofia), Elizabeth Sosebee Donatucci (Kyle), Anna Kate Doiron Andrews (Sam), Ally Doiron, Mary Bradley Warnock (fiance’ Reed Roberts), Wes Warnock, and a future great-grand-daughter,  Baby Donatucci.

     In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by Phillip L. Doiron, Sr.

Visitation will be held on Friday, July 11, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Fisher-Riles Funeral Home, 5000 Indiana Avenue, with services to follow, officiated by the Rev. Robert Dore. 

     Instead of flowers, the family asks for donations to Vicksburg Catholic Schools, Crawford Street United Methodist Church Play School, and Paws Rescue Animal Shelter.

Classmate Jackie Melsheimer Doiron Dies

Classmates:

This is sad news - I was informed this morning that our classmate, Jackie Melsheimer Doiron, passed away today.  It was sudden, and she had coded and could not be brought back.  I will keep you posted on arrangements.  

Marian

God Bless America!

 

Honoring My Friend, Max Edward Polk

May 18, 1942 ~ June 11, 2025

Max Edward Polk passed away on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at River Region Medical Center in Vicksburg. He was born May 18, 1942, in Shreveport, Louisiana, the eldest son of John Thomas Polk and Robertine Higgins Polk of Lake Providence.

He was preceded in death by his parents and a beloved brother, Robert Polk. He is survived by his wife of over 31 years, the love of his life, Linda Lane Polk; his son, Max; his daughter, Tracy; other relatives and friends; and his fur babies, Bobby Blue and Chia. He grew up in Lake Providence, Louisiana, and attended both Catholic and public schools. When Max was only nine years old, his father passed away, a tragedy and hardship that he endured with strength and determination beyond his years. Growing up, he spent a great deal of time on the farm of his grandparents, Albert Marvin Higgins Sr. and Ether Carter Higgins. He gained many skills and developed much common sense under the guidance of his grandparents, and happily helped with chores including feeding livestock, mending fences, gardening, and even churning butter. After chores were completed, fueled by his grandmother's cooking, free time was filled with romping in the woods, riding horses, fishing, and hunting. He cherished memories of those years and often said he was "one of the last of a dying breed," considering it a privilege to have grown up in such a manner.
He began his career in the early 1960s with Letourneau Inc.. He later worked in the nuclear field as a pipefitter, welder, and valve technician through Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 619 in Vicksburg. He enjoyed working in many states before retiring from Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Station.  
His many hobbies included gardening, fishing, and hunting. He and Linda enjoyed many happy hours canning and preserving the fruits of their labors. They also enjoyed traveling, especially on cruises to the Caribbean and Alaska, as well as on trips to The Ark Encounter, Creation Museum, and Shaker Village in Kentucky, and west to The Grand Canyon and other points of interest.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Glenwood Funeral Home, 145 Highway 80, Vicksburg, MS. Funeral services will be held at 3:00 PM in the chapel, followed by burial in Cedar Hill Cemetery in Vicksburg. Father Rusty Vincent will officiate.
Pallbearers will be Kevin Mahoney, Jody Higgins, Daniel Riles, Joseph McCormick Jr., Mike Hogan, Joe Mocknick, Robert Foley, and Brad Warnock.   
Max was a member of St. Paul Catholic Church. In place of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Paul Catholic Church, Vicksburg Warren Humane Society, or a favorite charity. 

Max and I at our 25th Class Reunion at Maxwells Restaurant.

Great-Grandson & Granddaughter Graduating

Emma Claire Nicholas

Fredericksburg, VA

Tidus David Barnhart

Great Falls, MT

I will fly to VA next Tuesday to see my granddaughter graduate on June 1, 2025. I also wish to see my Great-Grandson, Tidus, graduate on May 31, 2025, but I will not. I am so proud of both of them and love them so much. 

Forever Grateful

 

Joan Hennessey Koestler Dies

Joan Hennessey Koestler, a lifelong resident of Vicksburg, Mississippi, was born on February 11, 1933, and departed this life on May 3, 2025, at 92.

A 1951 St. Francis Xavier Academy graduate, she attended St. Mary-of-the-Woods College, Terre Haute, Indiana. After many years as a devoted homemaker, she joined the family firm of P.L. Hennessey, Inc., as a real estate agent in 1979 and worked for 30+ years in the business. She was an active member of the Vicksburg-Warren Board of Realtors and a past member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary.

She was a life-long communicant of St. Paul Catholic Church in Vicksburg, where she served as secretary for the St. Paul Altar Society.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Lawrence H. and Margaret H. Hennessey; sons, John R. and Christopher H. Koestler; a brother, Lawrence H. Hennessey, Jr.; and a sister, Catherine Mulhern. She leaves behind daughters, Joan “Missy” (James) Arnold, Charlotte (John) Booth, Patricia (Preston) Williams; sons, Michael R. (Carla) Koestler, Robert M. (Donna) Koestler, Jr., and Lawrence H. Koestler; a brother, John A. (Joy Ann) Hennessey (Class of 1959); 11 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

The holy rosary will be recited Friday, May 16, at 8:30 a.m., followed by Visitation until 10:00 a.m. at Fisher-Riles Funeral Home, 5000 Indiana Avenue, Vicksburg. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. at St Paul Catholic Church, Vicksburg, with interment ensuing at Cedar Hill Cemetery. 

The grandsons, H Stewart Patterson, Thomas R. Duffey, Jr., B. Carlisle Koestler, John P., and William R. Williams, will be pallbearers.

The family would like to thank the Heritage House Nursing Home and Pax Hospice staff.

Instead of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Paul Catholic Church, 713 Crawford Street, Vicksburg, MS 39180, or Storehouse Community Food Pantry, PO Box 804912, Vicksburg, MS 39182.

Pope Leo XIV

*Quote from Pope Leo X1V.*

" Brothers, sisters…

I speak to you, especially to those who no longer believe, no longer hope, no longer pray because they think God has left.

To those who are fed up with scandals, with misused power, with the silence of a Church that sometimes seems more like a palace than a home.

I, too, was angry with God.

I, too, saw good people die, children suffer, grandparents cry without medicine.

And yes… there were days when I prayed and only felt an echo.

But then I discovered something:

God doesn't shout. God whispers.

And sometimes He whispers from the mud, from pain, from a grandmother who feeds you without having anything.

I don't come to offer you perfect faith.

I come to tell you that faith is a walk with stones, puddles, and unexpected hugs.

I'm not asking you to believe in everything.

I'm asking you not to close the door. Give a chance to the God who waits for you without judgment.

I'm just a priest who saw God in the smile of a woman who lost her son... and yet she cooked for others.

That changed me.

So if you're broken, if you don't believe, if you're tired of the lies...

come anyway. With your anger, your doubt, your dirty backpack.

No one here will ask you for a VIP card.

Because this Church, as long as I breathe, will be a home for the homeless and a rest for the weary.

God doesn't need soldiers.

He needs brothers.

And you, yes, you...

are one of them."

Robert Prevost (Leo XIV)

Looking Back at Lynn Stegall Christmas 1991

I recently found a greeting card written by Lynn Stegall (Class of 1959) in February 1992.  She sent me this picture of her son Brian, a friend, Fern, and Lynn getting ready for a Christmas party.  Lynn has since passed away, but it's the only picture I have of her, except when we went on our field trip to MP&L in Jackson during our Senior year.  Thought you would like to see it.  When this was taken, her son was a dance major in Music Man and Sound of Music at Galveston Island Outdoor Musicals.  

Brian, Fern (a friend), and Lynn heading for a Christmas Party (1991)

To Learn to Love

December 17. 1936 ~ April 21, 2025

Blessed Easter Weekend Classmates

 

2025 St. Aloysius St. Francis Alumni Banquet

This year, the alumni banquet was held at the old SFXA Auditorium on Crawford Street, now the Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation complex. 

Steps to the high school inside the auditorium.

Cool Speakers

Rowdy's Restaurant catering.

Alumni and guests are arriving for the banquet.  

Marian Ann Love, Myrtle Loviza Alvarado, and Sue McNamara Fowler.  We were the only attendees for the SFXA/SAHS Class of 1959.

Mary Carol (Sue's sister) gave us each a gift.    

A New Multipurpose Facility

A dedicated space for fine arts instruction and performances, athletic activities, worship space for all-school mass, and more will accommodate current and future needs as VCS grows and evolves.

Timeline 

Phase 1 - Acquire property - Completed Spring 2024

Phase II - Renovations and upgrades to campus - Completed Summer 2024

Phase III - Indoor arts/athletic facility construction begins - Spring 2025

Phase IV - MPAAC new building construction begins - Winter 2026

Flagler County Kiwanis Yearly Fund Raiser Event 2025

Kinawis is an international organization dedicated to assisting children around the world.

Our local club provides scholarships to Flagler County students and also sup[ports other charitable organizations that provide services to children, such as boys and girls club, Vincents Clubhouse for autism, and others.

We are only able to provide assistance because of friends like you who contribute and support us.

Our yearly fundraising event is the 50-50-50 event, which only requires a donation of $10 per ticket, and then provides you the opportunity to make $50 every time your tick matches the DOW closing numbers.  You can win multiple times.  Of course you may purchase as many tickets as you want.

Please let me know how many tickets you want and I will get the tickets to you.

Your support is appreciated.  A sample ticket is attached.

Robert Witty

--

 

Robert "Bob" Witty

Hammock Real Estate Group

Broker Associate

GRI, CREN, CSP

www.premiercoastalliving.com

Rwitty70@gmail.com

386-931-6179

*Wire Fraud is Real*.  Before wiring any money, call the intended recipient at a number you know is valid to confirm the instructions. Additionally, please note that the sender does not have authority to bind a party to a real estate contract via written or verbal communication.

• RED WHITE BLUE.pdf

  18.7kB

 

2025 Alumni Banquet

ATTENTION ALUMNI & SENIORS

Please join us for our upcoming Annual Alumni Banquet on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at the former St. Francis Xavier Academy location, Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation in Historic Downtown Vicksburg! Honorary classes will include the Class of 1975 and the Class of 2025. We have a great event planned with a special guest. We hope to see you there!

Saturday, April 6, 2024

 4pm Mass - St. Paul Catholic Church
 5:30pm Social/6pm Alumni Banquet - Southern Cultural Heritage Foundation

PLEASE NOTE: OUR FAVORITE COLORS ARE STILL  PURPLE AND GOLD , BUT WE ARE GOING  GREEN 

As always, ALL ALUMNI are invited to our banquet! However, only the Honorary Class of 1975 will receive a form in the mail.

Please spread the word to your classmates and make plans to attend!

To register for the banquet, please visit:

https://www.vicksburgcatholic.org/apps/pages/alumni