Maggie Herndon departed her earthly body in the early morning hours of April 11, 2023, at her home on East Johnson Street in Bruce, MS. She was born on May 16, 1943, near Toccopola, MS. She was the third born child of Charley McDaniel Aaron and Lola Ann Christine Smith. Her parents were sharecroppers in and around Toccopola and Randolph throughout Maggie's childhood. Financial hardships of that time prevented Maggie from getting a full formal education. She was required to spend many of her early years working in the fields alongside her parents and siblings. At age 13, when her father was ill, she manually plowed, planted, chopped and harvested a crop of cotton by herself with the help of her mule Dan. One thing that was certain for Maggie from as far back as she can remember is that she loved being outdoors, doing physical labor and tinkering with anything that needed to be fixed.
Shortly after her 16th birthday, she was courted by James Herndon of Randolph, MS, who was 24 years older than her and who had four children who were just a few years younger than Maggie. They married in June, 1959, in her parents' home and Maggie, a sixteen year old girl, became a step-parent. She did her best to guide and care for them.
In 1962, at age 19, she had her first child, a son. She had a daughter in 1965 and another daughter in 1969. She raised her three children with grace and love while working as a seamstress at Glenn Slacks in Bruce and Big Yank in Water Valley. She wanted her children to have a better childhood with more opportunities than she had. When her husband was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, she cared for him during his ten year illness until his death in 1981. She became a widow at age 38.
Thereafter, she lived a full, happy and adventurous life, making many friends along the way. She loved to fish, hunt, go to yard sales and estate sales, hunt for fossils, visit friends, take rides along country back roads and pick wild blackberries. She loved to play checkers and dominoes and was really good at both. She loved to tell stories of her childhood and could recall almost all of the locations where she lived as a child of sharecropping parents who moved a lot from farm to farm. She loved to garden and can tomatoes. She once picked, prepared and canned 144 quarts of tomatoes in 2 days. Her favorite meal was purple hull peas with crispy fried hog jowl, corn on the cob, fresh sliced red onion, fresh radish, cornbread and chow chow. She loved her iced tea sweet and ice-cold Dr. Pepper.
Maggie could fix anything and could do just about anything, from replacing a car alternator, building a fence, tarring a leaky roof, cutting firewood, to building a chicken coop. It may have been a man's world, but she never let that dissuade her from doing what needed to be done. If someone said something was impossible, she usually proved them wrong. She had an analytical and spatial intelligence.
She lived in Bruce between 1965 and 1977 and in Sarepta between 1977 and 1986. She then moved back to Bruce and lived there until her death. In March, 2004, a head-on collision with a drunk driver just north of Pontotoc, MS, almost ended her life. He died instantly. Miraculously, a medical helicopter was near the scene of the accident and was able to transport Maggie quickly to the hospital in Tupelo where she underwent several life-saving surgeries and spent two months in the hospital. She was told she would never walk again. However, 9 months later, she commanded her broken and mended legs to walk. Because the Dodge Ram pick-up she was driving at the time of the accident saved her life, she had to have a large truck to make her feel safe. She bought a candy apple red Nissan Titan and drove it until 2 months before her death. She loved getting compliments on how beautiful it was.
After the accident, her life was a constant struggle with daily pain, medications, doctor visits and additional surgeries, but she never complained, never blamed God and never gave up. She loved life and was determined to survive and thrive.
She became a devoted grandmother and a loving great grandmother. She loved to take photos of them everytime she was with them. She left thousands of photos behind of her memories with them and with other family and friends.
Maggie made the most of every day, was never idle and dedicated a lot of her time and energy to being a good friend to many. Even when her youngest daughter met a premature death in 2014, she endured the trauma and grief with dignity and grace. Even malignant breast cancer, chemotherapy and radiation in 2021 did not prevent her from living and caring for others. She was a fighter, not a complainer. Up until her last breath, she was was walking and ready for a new adventure.
If you were kind to Maggie and earned her trust she was a devoted friend for life. She shared the last moments with several of her friends who passed away before her. She loved God and prayed everyday for strength and guidance. Maggie was loved by so many who will carry beautiful memories of her forward.
Maggie was predeceased by her husband, parents, her daughter Diane Reeves, eleven siblings (Mary Louise Stroud, Nancy Caroline Kidd, Peggy Ann Horn, Audrey Aaron, Sarah Paralee Phillips, Ruthie Parker, Pearl Vester Lee, Lloyd Aaron, Leona Aaron, Floyd Aaron and Viola Alexander), her step-son Carl Herndon, niece Melissa Stroud and several devoted friends.
She is survived by her sister Christine Harmon of Bruce, son Rickey Herndon of Smithfield, NC, daughter Lisa Arbuckle of Oxford, MS, three step-children (Glyn Herndon of Rossville, TN, Patricia Holder of Cleveland, MS, and Larry Joe Herndon of Alabaster, AL.), five grandsons (Dustin Morris of Pontotoc,MS, Austin Reeves of Saltillo, MS, Jamie Arbuckle and Cory Arbuckle of Coffeeville, MS, and Matthew Arbuckle of Water Valley, MS) and eight great grandchildren (Makayla, Isabelle, Kaylee, Baylee, Issac, Tucker, Ensley, and Braylen). She is survived by numerous nieces and nephews, including Deborah and Vicky Stroud of Bruce, Teresa Callighan of Tennessee, Mike Stroud of California, Dale Gates of Tupelo, Angile Washington Duvall of Bartlett, TN, Gloria Hayes of Memphis, TN, Elisha Washington of Southaven, MS, and Karen Pittman of Tupelo, MS. She is also survived by many cousins.
Her surviving devoted friends of 40 years who kept a watchful eye over her are Brenda Wright of Banner, MS, and Bobby Stribling of Bruce, MS. Finally, she is survived by her loved companion, her dog Littlebit who has been constantly by her side for the last 8 years.
A memorial service honoring Maggie's life will be held on Saturday April 22, 2023 at 2:00 PM in Parker Memorial Funeral Home Chapel of Bruce.
Shortly after her 16th birthday, she was courted by James Herndon of Randolph, MS, who was 24 years older than her and who had four children who were just a few years younger than Maggie. They married in June, 1959, in her parents' home and Maggie, a sixteen year old girl, became a step-parent. She did her best to guide and care for them.
In 1962, at age 19, she had her first child, a son. She had a daughter in 1965 and another daughter in 1969. She raised her three children with grace and love while working as a seamstress at Glenn Slacks in Bruce and Big Yank in Water Valley. She wanted her children to have a better childhood with more opportunities than she had. When her husband was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, she cared for him during his ten year illness until his death in 1981. She became a widow at age 38.
Thereafter, she lived a full, happy and adventurous life, making many friends along the way. She loved to fish, hunt, go to yard sales and estate sales, hunt for fossils, visit friends, take rides along country back roads and pick wild blackberries. She loved to play checkers and dominoes and was really good at both. She loved to tell stories of her childhood and could recall almost all of the locations where she lived as a child of sharecropping parents who moved a lot from farm to farm. She loved to garden and can tomatoes. She once picked, prepared and canned 144 quarts of tomatoes in 2 days. Her favorite meal was purple hull peas with crispy fried hog jowl, corn on the cob, fresh sliced red onion, fresh radish, cornbread and chow chow. She loved her iced tea sweet and ice-cold Dr. Pepper.
Maggie could fix anything and could do just about anything, from replacing a car alternator, building a fence, tarring a leaky roof, cutting firewood, to building a chicken coop. It may have been a man's world, but she never let that dissuade her from doing what needed to be done. If someone said something was impossible, she usually proved them wrong. She had an analytical and spatial intelligence.
She lived in Bruce between 1965 and 1977 and in Sarepta between 1977 and 1986. She then moved back to Bruce and lived there until her death. In March, 2004, a head-on collision with a drunk driver just north of Pontotoc, MS, almost ended her life. He died instantly. Miraculously, a medical helicopter was near the scene of the accident and was able to transport Maggie quickly to the hospital in Tupelo where she underwent several life-saving surgeries and spent two months in the hospital. She was told she would never walk again. However, 9 months later, she commanded her broken and mended legs to walk. Because the Dodge Ram pick-up she was driving at the time of the accident saved her life, she had to have a large truck to make her feel safe. She bought a candy apple red Nissan Titan and drove it until 2 months before her death. She loved getting compliments on how beautiful it was.
After the accident, her life was a constant struggle with daily pain, medications, doctor visits and additional surgeries, but she never complained, never blamed God and never gave up. She loved life and was determined to survive and thrive.
She became a devoted grandmother and a loving great grandmother. She loved to take photos of them everytime she was with them. She left thousands of photos behind of her memories with them and with other family and friends.
Maggie made the most of every day, was never idle and dedicated a lot of her time and energy to being a good friend to many. Even when her youngest daughter met a premature death in 2014, she endured the trauma and grief with dignity and grace. Even malignant breast cancer, chemotherapy and radiation in 2021 did not prevent her from living and caring for others. She was a fighter, not a complainer. Up until her last breath, she was was walking and ready for a new adventure.
If you were kind to Maggie and earned her trust she was a devoted friend for life. She shared the last moments with several of her friends who passed away before her. She loved God and prayed everyday for strength and guidance. Maggie was loved by so many who will carry beautiful memories of her forward.
Maggie was predeceased by her husband, parents, her daughter Diane Reeves, eleven siblings (Mary Louise Stroud, Nancy Caroline Kidd, Peggy Ann Horn, Audrey Aaron, Sarah Paralee Phillips, Ruthie Parker, Pearl Vester Lee, Lloyd Aaron, Leona Aaron, Floyd Aaron and Viola Alexander), her step-son Carl Herndon, niece Melissa Stroud and several devoted friends.
She is survived by her sister Christine Harmon of Bruce, son Rickey Herndon of Smithfield, NC, daughter Lisa Arbuckle of Oxford, MS, three step-children (Glyn Herndon of Rossville, TN, Patricia Holder of Cleveland, MS, and Larry Joe Herndon of Alabaster, AL.), five grandsons (Dustin Morris of Pontotoc,MS, Austin Reeves of Saltillo, MS, Jamie Arbuckle and Cory Arbuckle of Coffeeville, MS, and Matthew Arbuckle of Water Valley, MS) and eight great grandchildren (Makayla, Isabelle, Kaylee, Baylee, Issac, Tucker, Ensley, and Braylen). She is survived by numerous nieces and nephews, including Deborah and Vicky Stroud of Bruce, Teresa Callighan of Tennessee, Mike Stroud of California, Dale Gates of Tupelo, Angile Washington Duvall of Bartlett, TN, Gloria Hayes of Memphis, TN, Elisha Washington of Southaven, MS, and Karen Pittman of Tupelo, MS. She is also survived by many cousins.
Her surviving devoted friends of 40 years who kept a watchful eye over her are Brenda Wright of Banner, MS, and Bobby Stribling of Bruce, MS. Finally, she is survived by her loved companion, her dog Littlebit who has been constantly by her side for the last 8 years.
A memorial service honoring Maggie's life will be held on Saturday April 22, 2023 at 2:00 PM in Parker Memorial Funeral Home Chapel of Bruce.
Maggie Herndon departed her earthly body in the early morning hours of April 11, 2023, at her home on East Johnson Street in Bruce, MS. She was born on May 16, 1943, near Toccopola, MS. She was the third born child of Charley McDaniel Aaron and Lola Ann Christine Smith. Her parents were sharecroppers in and around Toccopola and Randolph throughout Maggie's childhood. Financial hardships of that time prevented Maggie from getting a full formal education. She was required to spend many of her early years working in the fields alongside her parents and siblings. At age 13, when her father was ill, she manually plowed, planted, chopped and harvested a crop of cotton by herself with the help of her mule Dan. One thing that was certain for Maggie from as far back as she can remember is that she loved being outdoors, doing physical labor and tinkering with anything that needed to be fixed.
Shortly after her 16th birthday, she was courted by James Herndon of Randolph, MS, who was 24 years older than her and who had four children who were just a few years younger than Maggie. They married in June, 1959, in her parents' home and Maggie, a sixteen year old girl, became a step-parent. She did her best to guide and care for them.
In 1962, at age 19, she had her first child, a son. She had a daughter in 1965 and another daughter in 1969. She raised her three children with grace and love while working as a seamstress at Glenn Slacks in Bruce and Big Yank in Water Valley. She wanted her children to have a better childhood with more opportunities than she had. When her husband was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, she cared for him during his ten year illness until his death in 1981. She became a widow at age 38.
Thereafter, she lived a full, happy and adventurous life, making many friends along the way. She loved to fish, hunt, go to yard sales and estate sales, hunt for fossils, visit friends, take rides along country back roads and pick wild blackberries. She loved to play checkers and dominoes and was really good at both. She loved to tell stories of her childhood and could recall almost all of the locations where she lived as a child of sharecropping parents who moved a lot from farm to farm. She loved to garden and can tomatoes. She once picked, prepared and canned 144 quarts of tomatoes in 2 days. Her favorite meal was purple hull peas with crispy fried hog jowl, corn on the cob, fresh sliced red onion, fresh radish, cornbread and chow chow. She loved her iced tea sweet and ice-cold Dr. Pepper.
Maggie could fix anything and could do just about anything, from replacing a car alternator, building a fence, tarring a leaky roof, cutting firewood, to building a chicken coop. It may have been a man's world, but she never let that dissuade her from doing what needed to be done. If someone said something was impossible, she usually proved them wrong. She had an analytical and spatial intelligence.
She lived in Bruce between 1965 and 1977 and in Sarepta between 1977 and 1986. She then moved back to Bruce and lived there until her death. In March, 2004, a head-on collision with a drunk driver just north of Pontotoc, MS, almost ended her life. He died instantly. Miraculously, a medical helicopter was near the scene of the accident and was able to transport Maggie quickly to the hospital in Tupelo where she underwent several life-saving surgeries and spent two months in the hospital. She was told she would never walk again. However, 9 months later, she commanded her broken and mended legs to walk. Because the Dodge Ram pick-up she was driving at the time of the accident saved her life, she had to have a large truck to make her feel safe. She bought a candy apple red Nissan Titan and drove it until 2 months before her death. She loved getting compliments on how beautiful it was.
After the accident, her life was a constant struggle with daily pain, medications, doctor visits and additional surgeries, but she never complained, never blamed God and never gave up. She loved life and was determined to survive and thrive.
She became a devoted grandmother and a loving great grandmother. She loved to take photos of them everytime she was with them. She left thousands of photos behind of her memories with them and with other family and friends.
Maggie made the most of every day, was never idle and dedicated a lot of her time and energy to being a good friend to many. Even when her youngest daughter met a premature death in 2014, she endured the trauma and grief with dignity and grace. Even malignant breast cancer, chemotherapy and radiation in 2021 did not prevent her from living and caring for others. She was a fighter, not a complainer. Up until her last breath, she was was walking and ready for a new adventure.
If you were kind to Maggie and earned her trust she was a devoted friend for life. She shared the last moments with several of her friends who passed away before her. She loved God and prayed everyday for strength and guidance. Maggie was loved by so many who will carry beautiful memories of her forward.
Maggie was predeceased by her husband, parents, her daughter Diane Reeves, eleven siblings (Mary Louise Stroud, Nancy Caroline Kidd, Peggy Ann Horn, Audrey Aaron, Sarah Paralee Phillips, Ruthie Parker, Pearl Vester Lee, Lloyd Aaron, Leona Aaron, Floyd Aaron and Viola Alexander), her step-son Carl Herndon, niece Melissa Stroud and several devoted friends.
She is survived by her sister Christine Harmon of Bruce, son Rickey Herndon of Smithfield, NC, daughter Lisa Arbuckle of Oxford, MS, three step-children (Glyn Herndon of Rossville, TN, Patricia Holder of Cleveland, MS, and Larry Joe Herndon of Alabaster, AL.), five grandsons (Dustin Morris of Pontotoc,MS, Austin Reeves of Saltillo, MS, Jamie Arbuckle and Cory Arbuckle of Coffeeville, MS, and Matthew Arbuckle of Water Valley, MS) and eight great grandchildren (Makayla, Isabelle, Kaylee, Baylee, Issac, Tucker, Ensley, and Braylen). She is survived by numerous nieces and nephews, including Deborah and Vicky Stroud of Bruce, Teresa Callighan of Tennessee, Mike Stroud of California, Dale Gates of Tupelo, Angile Washington Duvall of Bartlett, TN, Gloria Hayes of Memphis, TN, Elisha Washington of Southaven, MS, and Karen Pittman of Tupelo, MS. She is also survived by many cousins.
Her surviving devoted friends of 40 years who kept a watchful eye over her are Brenda Wright of Banner, MS, and Bobby Stribling of Bruce, MS. Finally, she is survived by her loved companion, her dog Littlebit who has been constantly by her side for the last 8 years.
A memorial service honoring Maggie's life will be held on Saturday April 22, 2023 at 2:00 PM in Parker Memorial Funeral Home Chapel of Bruce.
Shortly after her 16th birthday, she was courted by James Herndon of Randolph, MS, who was 24 years older than her and who had four children who were just a few years younger than Maggie. They married in June, 1959, in her parents' home and Maggie, a sixteen year old girl, became a step-parent. She did her best to guide and care for them.
In 1962, at age 19, she had her first child, a son. She had a daughter in 1965 and another daughter in 1969. She raised her three children with grace and love while working as a seamstress at Glenn Slacks in Bruce and Big Yank in Water Valley. She wanted her children to have a better childhood with more opportunities than she had. When her husband was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, she cared for him during his ten year illness until his death in 1981. She became a widow at age 38.
Thereafter, she lived a full, happy and adventurous life, making many friends along the way. She loved to fish, hunt, go to yard sales and estate sales, hunt for fossils, visit friends, take rides along country back roads and pick wild blackberries. She loved to play checkers and dominoes and was really good at both. She loved to tell stories of her childhood and could recall almost all of the locations where she lived as a child of sharecropping parents who moved a lot from farm to farm. She loved to garden and can tomatoes. She once picked, prepared and canned 144 quarts of tomatoes in 2 days. Her favorite meal was purple hull peas with crispy fried hog jowl, corn on the cob, fresh sliced red onion, fresh radish, cornbread and chow chow. She loved her iced tea sweet and ice-cold Dr. Pepper.
Maggie could fix anything and could do just about anything, from replacing a car alternator, building a fence, tarring a leaky roof, cutting firewood, to building a chicken coop. It may have been a man's world, but she never let that dissuade her from doing what needed to be done. If someone said something was impossible, she usually proved them wrong. She had an analytical and spatial intelligence.
She lived in Bruce between 1965 and 1977 and in Sarepta between 1977 and 1986. She then moved back to Bruce and lived there until her death. In March, 2004, a head-on collision with a drunk driver just north of Pontotoc, MS, almost ended her life. He died instantly. Miraculously, a medical helicopter was near the scene of the accident and was able to transport Maggie quickly to the hospital in Tupelo where she underwent several life-saving surgeries and spent two months in the hospital. She was told she would never walk again. However, 9 months later, she commanded her broken and mended legs to walk. Because the Dodge Ram pick-up she was driving at the time of the accident saved her life, she had to have a large truck to make her feel safe. She bought a candy apple red Nissan Titan and drove it until 2 months before her death. She loved getting compliments on how beautiful it was.
After the accident, her life was a constant struggle with daily pain, medications, doctor visits and additional surgeries, but she never complained, never blamed God and never gave up. She loved life and was determined to survive and thrive.
She became a devoted grandmother and a loving great grandmother. She loved to take photos of them everytime she was with them. She left thousands of photos behind of her memories with them and with other family and friends.
Maggie made the most of every day, was never idle and dedicated a lot of her time and energy to being a good friend to many. Even when her youngest daughter met a premature death in 2014, she endured the trauma and grief with dignity and grace. Even malignant breast cancer, chemotherapy and radiation in 2021 did not prevent her from living and caring for others. She was a fighter, not a complainer. Up until her last breath, she was was walking and ready for a new adventure.
If you were kind to Maggie and earned her trust she was a devoted friend for life. She shared the last moments with several of her friends who passed away before her. She loved God and prayed everyday for strength and guidance. Maggie was loved by so many who will carry beautiful memories of her forward.
Maggie was predeceased by her husband, parents, her daughter Diane Reeves, eleven siblings (Mary Louise Stroud, Nancy Caroline Kidd, Peggy Ann Horn, Audrey Aaron, Sarah Paralee Phillips, Ruthie Parker, Pearl Vester Lee, Lloyd Aaron, Leona Aaron, Floyd Aaron and Viola Alexander), her step-son Carl Herndon, niece Melissa Stroud and several devoted friends.
She is survived by her sister Christine Harmon of Bruce, son Rickey Herndon of Smithfield, NC, daughter Lisa Arbuckle of Oxford, MS, three step-children (Glyn Herndon of Rossville, TN, Patricia Holder of Cleveland, MS, and Larry Joe Herndon of Alabaster, AL.), five grandsons (Dustin Morris of Pontotoc,MS, Austin Reeves of Saltillo, MS, Jamie Arbuckle and Cory Arbuckle of Coffeeville, MS, and Matthew Arbuckle of Water Valley, MS) and eight great grandchildren (Makayla, Isabelle, Kaylee, Baylee, Issac, Tucker, Ensley, and Braylen). She is survived by numerous nieces and nephews, including Deborah and Vicky Stroud of Bruce, Teresa Callighan of Tennessee, Mike Stroud of California, Dale Gates of Tupelo, Angile Washington Duvall of Bartlett, TN, Gloria Hayes of Memphis, TN, Elisha Washington of Southaven, MS, and Karen Pittman of Tupelo, MS. She is also survived by many cousins.
Her surviving devoted friends of 40 years who kept a watchful eye over her are Brenda Wright of Banner, MS, and Bobby Stribling of Bruce, MS. Finally, she is survived by her loved companion, her dog Littlebit who has been constantly by her side for the last 8 years.
A memorial service honoring Maggie's life will be held on Saturday April 22, 2023 at 2:00 PM in Parker Memorial Funeral Home Chapel of Bruce.
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