Hazel Kirkland Perritt, 94, died Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2007, atCentral Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. Visitation is 10a.m. until 1 p.m. on Friday, March 2, at Baldwin-Lee Funeral Homein Jackson. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Friday, with burialin Wesson City Cemetery at 3:30 p.m.

Mrs. Perritt was born Nov. 30, 1912, to Charles Edward Kirklandand Elizabeth Caroline Mangum Kirkland in the Weathersby communitynear Magee. She was raised on the family farm and educated in Mageeschools. She graduated from Magee High School, where she excelledin Latin and mathematics. She was an excellent writer and speller,and took special pride in participating and winning as manyspelling bees as she could.

Upon graduating from high school, Mrs. Perritt attendedDraughn’s Business College in Jackson and then moved to LittleRock, Ark., where she worked for the Red Cross and the U.S.Department of Agriculture.

Later, after returning to Mississippi and while working inHazlehurst, she met and married Robert W. Perritt, of Wesson. Aftermarrying, they moved to Columbus, where their first child, JohnEdward, was born. Later, after the family moved back to Wesson,they welcomed their second child, Jayne Elizabeth.

While living in Wesson, she served as city clerk/tax collector,accountant for City Service Oil Co. and the Federal Farmer’s HomeAdministration. Later she worked as bookkeeper and the officemanager for the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. in Brookhaven for 25 years.After retiring, she and her husband moved to south Jackson wherethey resided on Woodside Drive. After her husband’s death in 1980,she resided at both Apple Manor and Riggs Manor Retirement Homes.While living in Jackson, she worked part time at Alta Woods DayCare Center and wrote a daily column for the Hinds CountyGazette.

A devout Christian and committed church member, Mrs. Perritt wasa model for servanthood. She held several memberships in numerouschurches, including the First Baptist Church of Wesson, Brookhavenand Little Rock. During her membership at FBC Little Rock, sheorganized the first Young Women’s Auxiliary for the Deaf, which wasnamed in her honor. She also attended Oak Forest Baptist Church,where she served as Sunday school class president and was veryactive in the Keenagers, Senior Adult Choir and MUW. She was mostrecently a member of First Baptist Church of Raymond.

Mrs. Perritt’s favorite pastimes and hobbies included being withfriends and family, traveling, singing, sewing, crocheting andcooking for family gatherings and holidays.

Mrs. Perritt was known for her kindness and compassion. Sheloved to correspond and send cards and notes to loved ones andfriends. She took great pride in her children, grandchildren andgreat-grandchildren, whom she loved dearly and prayed fordaily.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Robert Perritt;parents, Charles and Elizabeth Kirkland; sisters, Janie MaeBurnham, Ollie Nell Ellison, Mildred Rae Graves; brothers, T.J.,James, Charles, Virgil and Buford Kirkland.

Survivors include her son, John Edward Perritt and wife Lou, ofRaymond; daughter, Jayne Pennington and husband Jim, of Raymond;grandchildren, Chandra Hays and husband Eric, of Flora, Alan Polkand wife Laura, of Raymond, Chris Perritt and wife Michelle, ofFlora, and Jason Polk and wife Lexi, of Terri. Other survivorsinclude great-grandchildren, Marybeth and Trace Lane, Harrison andAnna Cate Hays, Hannah and James Christian Polk, and James DabneyPolk; nieces and nephews, Nancy Robinson, Mildred Rae Evans, MavisNell Jordan, Betty Lou Puckett, Glen Kirkland, Diane Jernigan,Kenneth Wayne Kirkland and Mary Caroline Campbell. Survivors alsoinclude numerous great-nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, memorials should be made to Riggs ManorRetirement Community, 2300 Seven Springs Road, Raymond, MS39154.