Funeral services for Cecile Linton Alford are Wednesday, July 8, 2015, at 10 a.m. at Kentwood United Methodist Church with burial in Sunny Hill Cemetery. McKneely Funeral Home of Amite and Kentwood, Inc. is in charge of arrangements. Pallbearers will be her grandsons Christopher Crawford, Kelly Alford, Matthew Lea, Wade Lea, Zachary Eckman, Garrett Alford and Jackson Davis Smith.

Visitation is Tuesday, July 7, 2015, from 6 until 9 p.m. at Kentwood United Methodist Church and will continue Wednesday, July 8, 2015 from 8 until time of services.

Mrs. Alford, 87, died on Friday, July 3, 2015, at her home in Sunny Hill, Louisiana surrounded by all her children. She was born March 5, 1928 in Brookhaven to Cecil and Ophelia Calcote Linton.

Cecile graduated from Mars Hill High School and attended Southwest Mississippi Junior College, where she was elected Southwest’s Homecoming Queen and “Most Beautiful” in 1947. She then attended and graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a degree in education.

She began her teaching career at Mt. Hermon High School, and along the way she taught at several schools with the majority of her years spent at Spring Creek Elementary. She retired from teaching at Spring Creek Elementary in 1997.

She enjoyed working with others on various projects in the community. She was a charter member of the Spring Creek Garden Club, member of the Eastern Star, one of the founding members of the Kentwood Museum and one of the committee members that was responsible for the organization and inception of the Mt. Hermon Ruritan Club.

She graduated from college and started teaching home economics the next day at Mt. Hermon High School. Cecile made an immediate impression on the students of Mt. Hermon as well as on Wince Alford to whom she was introduced on a blind date. That initial date, to a MHS basketball game, led to 53 years of marriage and six children. Even with such a large family, she made each person feel so important and loved, and this she did until the day she died.

At her home, she was an avid gardener and loved animals. There were numerous wild animals raised by the bottle and she loved every one. Helping others was her nature.

During her time as a teacher, she influenced countless students with her kindness, thoughtfulness and exceptional teaching ability. Even after the final bell rang, she brought students to the dentist and bought them clothes and supplies. She enjoyed her role as 4-H sponsor and loved watching her students compete in various competitions. One of her pet projects was to improve the school grounds at Spring Creek Elementary and buy playground equipment for the children. To accomplish this, she sold pencils at school for years. Even after retirement, she tutored former students and made sure that their dreams of attending a college became a reality. As wonderful as she was a teacher, she was a better person and all who knew her were blessed.

She was an active member of the Kentwood United Methodist Church and exemplified her faith through her charitable and kind nature. She taught Sunday school for many years and would carry any child that wanted to go to church. She was a member of the choir and even led Bible School. She believed in God, family and church. If one believed in God and family, she said, then everything else would fall in place.

Her family would like to thank Lakeshore Hospice for their comforting words, care, and compassion. And to Ebony Rattler for her loving devotion to Mama.

Preceding her in death were her parents; her husband, Winston “Wince” Alford; son in-law Ted Davis; and great-grandchildren Logan Hargis and Annaleise Newman.

Survivors are her daughters, Trish and husband, Don Painter, of Kentwood, Cyndi and husband, Brad Blades, of Sunny Hill, Judy and husband, Randy Eckman, of McComb, Jan and husband, Otis Alford, of Kentwood and daughter Rebekah and husband, Jason Smith, of Privett, United Kingdom; son, Lin “B” and wife, Cindy Lou Alford, of Sunny Hill; her grandchildren, Christi Travis, Christopher Crawford, Ann Claire Newman, Kelly Alford, Lou Elise Jennings, Matthew Lea, Wade Lea, Kasie Beth Eckman, Zachary Eckman, Erin Cecile Milton, Garrett Alford, Scott Alford, Korie Alford, Jackson Davis Smith, Winston Smith, Maggie Smith, August Smith and Everett Smith; her great-grandchildren Seth Travis, Connor Travis, Ayden Travis, Addie Painter, Gabe Newman, Isabella Alford, Caleb Jennings, Kate Jennings, Noah Lea, Chloe Ripp, Luke Milton, Blaine Milton, Brady Milton, Emma Milton, Court Milton, Lynnleigh Alford, Peyton Alford, Grace Alford, Haven Alford, Delanie Prestridge and Gabriella Alford.