Funeral services for Janie Lou Boarden of Wesson are 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 25, at Ebenezer A.M.E. with burial in St. John Cemetery. Williams Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Visitation is Thursday from 1 until 6 p.m. at the funeral home with Family Hour from 9 until 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 25 at the church.

Mrs. Boarden, 98, died Oct. 16, 2013, at King’s Daughters Medical Center. She was born in Wesson on June 13, 1915.

Mother Boarden was a lifelong member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. As a child she received her basic training attending St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church in Wesson and became a member in 1928 at the tender age of 13. The following year she was elected as the delegate to the Sunday School Convention of the Mississippi Conference.

In 1933 Mother Boarden married her best friend, Loxey Boarden. Together they raised four children, Mattie, Loretta, Charles and Julius. Rev. Loxey Boarden went home to be with the Lord in 1979. He and Mother Boarden had been married 46 years at the time of his passing.

Mrs. Boarden was an exemplary helpmate to her husband, the Rev. Loxey Boarden taking an active role in every church that he pastored. Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church was the last pastorate for the Rev. Boarden, and after his death Mrs. Boarden continued her membership and service to Ebenezer A.M.E. Church.

Mrs. Boarden was a Life Member of the Women’s Missionary Society of the A.M.E. Church. On the Conference level, she served as president for eight years, first vice president for nine years, and second vice president for eight years, and treasurer for one year. She served on many standing committees of both the Episcopal and Connectional levels of the A.M.E. Church. She was a delegate to many General Conferences, Annual Conferences and District Conferences. She served the local church in many capacities including class leader.

Mother Boarden was employed as a domestic and worked in private homes for 30 years. She worked in the Copiah-Lincoln Community College bookstore for 15 years and worked at Cartwheel Nursing Home for 15 years.

Mother Boarden enjoyed many activities during her lifetime, which included caring for her family, always working in church, reading, gardening and baking. She loved when her children came home and always had a spread of their favorite foods ready for them to enjoy. Undeniably, she is known worldwide for her cookie crust pound cake, her Italian coconut cake and her strawberry fig preserves.

Mother Boarden was proceeded in death by her parents, Ray and Ollie Gray; her husband, Rev. Loxey Boarden; one son, Charles Boarden; one sister Berniece Fisher Johnson, two brothers, Ray Field and James Fisher; grandchildren, Gloria and Gary; great-grandchild, Marquitta; brothers-in-law, Wilfred, Andrew, Scott, and Charles, mother-in-law, Estella and father-in-law, Loxey.

Survivors are her 2 daughters, Mattie L. Washington and Loretta B. Bingham of Flint, Mich.; 1 son, Julius (Rosetta) Boarden of Saginaw, Mich.; 7 grandsons, Thadis Bingham, Booker Washington Jr. and Jefffrey Bingham of Flint, Mich., Julius Boarden Jr. of Nashville, Tenn., Darrell (Shanda) Boarden of Jackson, Charles Boarden Jr. of Atlanta, Ga. And Unton Ray Boarden of Alton, Ill.; 3 granddaughters, Ashonta Boarden of Belleville, Mich., Peggy Wimley of Akron, Ohio and Charlotte Boarden of Alton, Ill.; 20 great-grandchildren, 37 great-great grandchildren; and 5 great-great-great-grandchildren; a daughter-in-law, Rosena Boarden of Jackson; one brother, Lieutenant General Wilfred (Ida) Fisher of Sui Sum City, Calif.; two sisters-in-law, Georgia Fisher, of Memphis, Tenn. And Helen Boarden-Williams of Chicago, Ill.; one brother-in-law, William (Leona) Boarden of Lancaster, Calif.; many nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives, and friends.