Verna Joe Nelson, Jr.

Verna Joe Nelson, Jr., 76, of Hazlehurst, died Wednesday, May 29, 2013.

Services will be held Saturday, June 1, at 11 a.m. at St. James Missionary Baptist Church with interment in Hazlehurst City Cemetery. House of Peoples Funeral Home is in charge of services.

Mr. Nelson was born Dec. 8, 1936, in Hazlehurst, to Verna Joe and Earnestine Nelson, Sr. He attended Parrish High School, graduating in 1956, then entered Alcorn State University in the fall of 1957, graduating with a B.S. degree in 1961.He later attended Jackson State Univeristy in 1976 and earned his M.S. in 1977. Mr. Nelson taught school at Mixon Junior High School, Utica, and Hazlehurst City School District for 43 years before retiring without missing a single day of work.

He was an active member of St. James M. B. Church, involved as a Sunday school teacher, superintendent, analyst, finance director, chairman of deacons, and much more.
Survivors include: wife, Alberta C. Nelson; children, Verna Joe Nelson, III and Kecia Vernette Nelson Hooker; grandsons, Marcus Hooker and Joseph C. Nelson; two other sons, Willie Murray and wife Christie and children, Kameron, Kendall, and Christian, of Quantico, VA, and Marvin P. Davis of Hazlehurst; brother, Billy Joe Swinney of Omaha, NE; sisters, Sue Swinney of Dallas, TX and Peggy Swinney of Hazlehurst.