Willis H. Burgess

Willis Hughy Burgess, 82, died Thursday, January 8, 2009, at River Oaks Hospital, Flowood.
Visitation is 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. today at Baldwin-Lee Funeral Home in Pearl. Funeral services will follow at 3:00 p.m. in the funeral home chapel with burial in Floral Hills Memory Gardens.
Mr. Burgess was a member of Eastside Baptist Church where he was a past deacon. He was a member of John P. Byrd Masonic Lodge No. 629 in Pearl where served as secretary for 32 years; Pearl Chapter No. 384 O.E.S.; and the Scottish Rite. A veteran of the U.S Army, he served in Germany and France during WWII and received the Bronze Star. He was a retired auditor for the MS State Tax Commission and was employed by Baldwin-Lee Funeral Home as a funeral director/embalmer for over 16 years.
Mr. Burgess was preceded in death by his parents, Albert and Dicie Burgess; son, Simeon Aaron Nix; brothers, Grady Burgess, Earl Burgess and Wilson Burgess; and sisters, Myrtle Byrd, Mollie Vanderslice and Jessie Welch.
Survivors include his wife of more than 60 years, Iva Gray Burgess of Pearl; daughter, Patricia Dalton and husband, Bob of Pearl; daughter-in-law, Beth Nix of Valrico, FL; brother, Clayton Burgess of Petal; sisters, Flora Smith of Richton, Elsie Skipper and husband, Marvin of Semmes, AL and Bessie Walley and husband, C.J. of Richton; grandchildren, Jason Crider and wife, Leslie, Andrew Dalton, Bre'Ana Nix and Sterling Nix; and great-grandson and namesake, Elijah Willis Crider.