She loved visiting family and friends and having large cookouts. She loved to have lots of people around, enjoyed dancing and traveling around the U.S. with her husband and his job.

     Her parents died when she was 10 years old. She became a foster child to Daniel and Adelia Lofton of Bogue Chitto. She lost touch with her brothers and sisters for many years, until her marriage. 

     She loved having young people around her, saying it kept her going.  She watched after her three grandchildren after their mother’s accident, helped with two great-grandchildren while their mother worked, and raised two great-grandchildren. 

     Preceding her in death were her parents, Boragard and Fanny Elisabeth Breeland Hill; her foster parents, Daniel and Adelia Lofton; two infant sons; a grandson, James H. Stewart of Florida; her husband, Homer Laird; her daughter, Dorothy I. Laird Cannon; three brothers, Ervin Hill, John Hill, and Glen Hill; three sisters, Mildred Hill Huckabone, Elise Hill Rice, and Marie Hill Sumrall, all of Louisiana; and her granddaughter, Laurel Sue Laird Hughes, of Oklahoma City, Okla.

     She was a member of New Prospect Baptist Church. She was a longtime worker at Stahl-Urban Manufacturing, waitress, cashier, Jacobson Manufacturing, and a sitter with the elderly until she retired to take care of her husband. 

     Survivors include: her son, Howard Laird and wife Carolyn of Helena, Ala.; her daughter, Ruth O. Laird Talley and husband Billy Sr. of Bogue Chitto; her grandchildren H. Michael Laird, Dr. Amanda Laird, Lisa L. Laird Joyner, Joey W. Cannon, Daniel L Cannon, Christa N. Cannon Mitchell and Marsha I. Stewart Anding; eight great-grandchildren; one foster great-grandchild; seven great-great-grandchildren; four step-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. She was loved and will be missed.

     The family of Mrs. Winnie Laird wants to thank the staff of Countrybrook Living Center for the loving care of our mother. Also the ER, ICU, 3rd floor staff of King’s Daughters Medical Center and the staff of Hospice Compassus for the loving care they showed her in her time of need. Thank you all so very much and may God bless you all.

     Funeral services are 1 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 27, at Brookhaven Funeral Home on Natchez Drive, with burial in Mt. Zion Church of Christ Cemetery.

     Visitation is Wednesday from 5 until 8 p.m. at the funeral home.

     Mrs. Laird, 87, died Dec. 22, 2012, at Countrybrook Living Center.