Evelyn Baird Fondren, age 98, passed away peacefully on Monday, December 23, 2013. She was born on June 12, 1915, in Brooksville, MS, the second of four daughters of James Jerome Baird, a Methodist pastor, and his wife, Jimmy Scruggs Baird.
She and her family moved frequently as her father served numerous churches in the North Mississippi Conference of the Methodist Church.
After graduating in 1933 from high school in Shaw, MS, she attended Delta State University (then known as Delta State Teachers' College), graduating in 1937.
While in college, she met William Merle Fondren, whom she married in 1938. They were happily married until his death in 1980.
Frequent moves characterized most of her married life as the wife of an army officer. She taught school in many of the communities in which they lived. She was a wonderful, supportive wife and mother while her husband worked his way up the ranks to Major General. She made every move cheerfully and gracefully and determined each time to bloom where she was planted. The family lived in Ft. Benning, GA; Booneville, MS; Ft. Monroe, VA; Arlington and Alexandria, VA; Ft. Leavenworth, KS; Ft. Knox, KY; Carlisle Barracks, PA; the Panama Canal Zone; Augsburg, Munich, and Stuttgart, Germany; and Ft. Meade, MD.
Upon her husband's retirement from the military, the family settled in Memphis. She stayed active through membership in Christ United Methodist Church, where she sang in the choir for several years, United Methodist Women, Shelby County Republican Women, Memphis Women's Club, Laurelwood Garden Club, and Carnival Memphis as a Duchess for the Memphi Society in 1975.
She was known for her gracious style and elegant entertaining. After General Fondren's retirement from the army, she was asked to co-author a book on military protocol. She was able to add "published author" to her list of accomplishments. Evelyn was also a talented singer, gardener, and an expert seamstress. She sewed for her family and friends until shortly before her death.
A committed Christian, she lived out her faith on a daily basis. She loved the Lord with all her heart. She loved and cared for her family and friends while living independently until her death.
She leaves her two children, William Merle Fondren, Jr. (Sondra), and Evelyn Fondren Hammond (Pete), and four grandchildren, William Merle Fondren, III (Melinda), Susan Warmack Fondren, First Lieutenant Michael Andrew Hammond, and Katherine Baird Hammond.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be sent to Christ United Methodist Church or the Church Health Center. Visitation is scheduled for 11 a.m.-12 p.m. on Friday, December 27, with a graveside service immediately thereafter at Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery.
Information from www.memorialparkonline.com
She and her family moved frequently as her father served numerous churches in the North Mississippi Conference of the Methodist Church.
After graduating in 1933 from high school in Shaw, MS, she attended Delta State University (then known as Delta State Teachers' College), graduating in 1937.
While in college, she met William Merle Fondren, whom she married in 1938. They were happily married until his death in 1980.
Frequent moves characterized most of her married life as the wife of an army officer. She taught school in many of the communities in which they lived. She was a wonderful, supportive wife and mother while her husband worked his way up the ranks to Major General. She made every move cheerfully and gracefully and determined each time to bloom where she was planted. The family lived in Ft. Benning, GA; Booneville, MS; Ft. Monroe, VA; Arlington and Alexandria, VA; Ft. Leavenworth, KS; Ft. Knox, KY; Carlisle Barracks, PA; the Panama Canal Zone; Augsburg, Munich, and Stuttgart, Germany; and Ft. Meade, MD.
Upon her husband's retirement from the military, the family settled in Memphis. She stayed active through membership in Christ United Methodist Church, where she sang in the choir for several years, United Methodist Women, Shelby County Republican Women, Memphis Women's Club, Laurelwood Garden Club, and Carnival Memphis as a Duchess for the Memphi Society in 1975.
She was known for her gracious style and elegant entertaining. After General Fondren's retirement from the army, she was asked to co-author a book on military protocol. She was able to add "published author" to her list of accomplishments. Evelyn was also a talented singer, gardener, and an expert seamstress. She sewed for her family and friends until shortly before her death.
A committed Christian, she lived out her faith on a daily basis. She loved the Lord with all her heart. She loved and cared for her family and friends while living independently until her death.
She leaves her two children, William Merle Fondren, Jr. (Sondra), and Evelyn Fondren Hammond (Pete), and four grandchildren, William Merle Fondren, III (Melinda), Susan Warmack Fondren, First Lieutenant Michael Andrew Hammond, and Katherine Baird Hammond.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be sent to Christ United Methodist Church or the Church Health Center. Visitation is scheduled for 11 a.m.-12 p.m. on Friday, December 27, with a graveside service immediately thereafter at Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery.
Information from www.memorialparkonline.com
Evelyn Baird Fondren, age 98, passed away peacefully on Monday, December 23, 2013. She was born on June 12, 1915, in Brooksville, MS, the second of four daughters of James Jerome Baird, a Methodist pastor, and his wife, Jimmy Scruggs Baird.
She and her family moved frequently as her father served numerous churches in the North Mississippi Conference of the Methodist Church.
After graduating in 1933 from high school in Shaw, MS, she attended Delta State University (then known as Delta State Teachers' College), graduating in 1937.
While in college, she met William Merle Fondren, whom she married in 1938. They were happily married until his death in 1980.
Frequent moves characterized most of her married life as the wife of an army officer. She taught school in many of the communities in which they lived. She was a wonderful, supportive wife and mother while her husband worked his way up the ranks to Major General. She made every move cheerfully and gracefully and determined each time to bloom where she was planted. The family lived in Ft. Benning, GA; Booneville, MS; Ft. Monroe, VA; Arlington and Alexandria, VA; Ft. Leavenworth, KS; Ft. Knox, KY; Carlisle Barracks, PA; the Panama Canal Zone; Augsburg, Munich, and Stuttgart, Germany; and Ft. Meade, MD.
Upon her husband's retirement from the military, the family settled in Memphis. She stayed active through membership in Christ United Methodist Church, where she sang in the choir for several years, United Methodist Women, Shelby County Republican Women, Memphis Women's Club, Laurelwood Garden Club, and Carnival Memphis as a Duchess for the Memphi Society in 1975.
She was known for her gracious style and elegant entertaining. After General Fondren's retirement from the army, she was asked to co-author a book on military protocol. She was able to add "published author" to her list of accomplishments. Evelyn was also a talented singer, gardener, and an expert seamstress. She sewed for her family and friends until shortly before her death.
A committed Christian, she lived out her faith on a daily basis. She loved the Lord with all her heart. She loved and cared for her family and friends while living independently until her death.
She leaves her two children, William Merle Fondren, Jr. (Sondra), and Evelyn Fondren Hammond (Pete), and four grandchildren, William Merle Fondren, III (Melinda), Susan Warmack Fondren, First Lieutenant Michael Andrew Hammond, and Katherine Baird Hammond.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be sent to Christ United Methodist Church or the Church Health Center. Visitation is scheduled for 11 a.m.-12 p.m. on Friday, December 27, with a graveside service immediately thereafter at Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery.
Information from www.memorialparkonline.com
She and her family moved frequently as her father served numerous churches in the North Mississippi Conference of the Methodist Church.
After graduating in 1933 from high school in Shaw, MS, she attended Delta State University (then known as Delta State Teachers' College), graduating in 1937.
While in college, she met William Merle Fondren, whom she married in 1938. They were happily married until his death in 1980.
Frequent moves characterized most of her married life as the wife of an army officer. She taught school in many of the communities in which they lived. She was a wonderful, supportive wife and mother while her husband worked his way up the ranks to Major General. She made every move cheerfully and gracefully and determined each time to bloom where she was planted. The family lived in Ft. Benning, GA; Booneville, MS; Ft. Monroe, VA; Arlington and Alexandria, VA; Ft. Leavenworth, KS; Ft. Knox, KY; Carlisle Barracks, PA; the Panama Canal Zone; Augsburg, Munich, and Stuttgart, Germany; and Ft. Meade, MD.
Upon her husband's retirement from the military, the family settled in Memphis. She stayed active through membership in Christ United Methodist Church, where she sang in the choir for several years, United Methodist Women, Shelby County Republican Women, Memphis Women's Club, Laurelwood Garden Club, and Carnival Memphis as a Duchess for the Memphi Society in 1975.
She was known for her gracious style and elegant entertaining. After General Fondren's retirement from the army, she was asked to co-author a book on military protocol. She was able to add "published author" to her list of accomplishments. Evelyn was also a talented singer, gardener, and an expert seamstress. She sewed for her family and friends until shortly before her death.
A committed Christian, she lived out her faith on a daily basis. She loved the Lord with all her heart. She loved and cared for her family and friends while living independently until her death.
She leaves her two children, William Merle Fondren, Jr. (Sondra), and Evelyn Fondren Hammond (Pete), and four grandchildren, William Merle Fondren, III (Melinda), Susan Warmack Fondren, First Lieutenant Michael Andrew Hammond, and Katherine Baird Hammond.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorials be sent to Christ United Methodist Church or the Church Health Center. Visitation is scheduled for 11 a.m.-12 p.m. on Friday, December 27, with a graveside service immediately thereafter at Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery.
Information from www.memorialparkonline.com
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
