Joyce Sowell

Marian Joyce Sowell

Ridgeland

Marian "Joyce" Sowell went to be with the Lord on January 10, 2013 at the age of 82. Funeral services will be on January 15, 10:00 AM at Wright and Ferguson Funeral Home on Highland Colony Drive in Madison with visitation one hour prior. Graveside services will be held the same day in the Kosciusko City Cemetery at 2:30 PM.

Joyce was born in Kosciusko, MS. She received her education at Holmes Junior College and her Master's Degree in Library Science from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA.

Ms. Sowell had a short tenure working for the library in the City of Corinth, MS before moving on to Mobile, AL. Joyce was a long term resident of Mobile before moving to the Jackson area three years ago. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Mobile, Alabama where she was active in both Sunday School and Woman's Missionary Union. Joyce loved her church and the many friends she had there. She worked for the Mobile Public Library System for 30 plus years at various branches. Joyce also enjoyed traveling in Europe and across the United States researching family genealogy. Ms. Sowell was very involved in the Mobile Public Library System and helped to endow a branch there in 2000. She had the privilege of being photographed with former first lady, Laura Bush, for her work in the field of library science. Her love of reading and learning was something she passed on to her nieces, nephews and their children. She will always be loved for this and for herself.

She was preceded in death by her parents, George O. and Mildred Sowell and by her sister, Martha Ellen Utley. She is survived by her brother, George A. Sowell (Katherine) of Madison, MS; nephews, Michael and Jonathan Sowell of Madison and Robert(Tammy) and Merrill(Kathy) Utley of Thibodaux, LA; Nieces, Holland Utley of Yonkers, NY and Judith Sowell of Madison; Great nieces Elise(Kenneth)Mejia, and their son Elijah, Alyssa Utley, Miranda(Matthew) Neil all of Thibodaux, LA.; Great niece, Elizabeth(Jon) Henneke and sons, Nathan and Liam all of Daphne, AL. Online guestbook www.wrightferguson.com