Mary Lockridge

Mary Estelle McHaffey Lockridge
Verona, MS


Mary Estelle McHaffey Lockridge, 87, passed away Sunday, November 5th after a long illness. She was born at her grandmother's home in Auburn, MS on May 27th, 1919. She attended the East Tupelo Elementary School and graduated from Verona High School. Mary, together with her mother Lilla, was a Charter Member of the East Heights Baptist Church founded in 1931. In 1938, after graduating from business school in Tupelo, she moved to Selma, Alabama as the secretary to the Regional Manager of the Life and Casualty Insurance Company. There she met and married the love of her life, Victor Earl Lockridge. They resided in Selma, raising two sons there. Mary became the Church Secretary at the First Christian Church in about 1956 where she remained until the founding of the Meadowview Christian Church where she also served as the first secretary. During her years of association with the Christian Churches in Selma she also worked for Mr. Otey Crisman as secretary in both his golf putter company and his music instrument company. The family can recall many occasions where she was called on to prepare bulletins associated with Otey's work as a lay minister where Mary especially enjoyed his leadership during old time church revivals. Mary was a past member of the Pilot Club of Selma and considered that membership to be an honor, giving up her participation only when she and Victor moved back to Verona where she could better care for her ailing husband. On returning to Verona, Mary and Victor became active in the Verona Christian Church and many of her closest associations remain within that loving congregation. In the years since Victor passed away in 1997 Mary tried to stay as active as possible but eventually had to give up housekeeping due to issues of health. She established herself as a resident at the Traceway Manor Retirement Community where she remained until this week. She was especially fond of the staff and residents there. Her struggles with health related issues brought out the best elements of her strong personal will and determination to continue life. She and the family credit Dr. Ricky Parker for much of her success in fending off her many ailments for as long as she did.

Services will be held at 1:30 PM Thursday, November 9th at The Jefferson Street Chapel of W.E. Pegues in Tupelo. The Reverend Ed Knox, of Germantown, TN will preside. Brother Thom Perry will address those attending on behalf of the congregation of the Verona Christian Church. A viewing will be held Thursday morning from 11 AM until 1 PM at the funeral home with the memorial service held immediately following. Afterwards there will be a brief graveside ceremony at the Lee Memorial Gardens in Verona. Following that the congregation at the Verona Christian Church will host family and friends for an evening meal in the fellowship hall. Pallbearers will be George Partlow, Larry Burt, David Long, Joe McKinney, Bobby Williams, and Jack McKinney.

Survivors include her sons, James Earl Lockridge of Reno, NV, and William Eugene Lockridge of Mint Hill, NC, and her grandchildren James Edgar Lockridge, Micaela Louise Bensko, Mary Marguerite Lockridge, Constance Jane Lockridge, William Parker Lockridge, and great grandchildren McKenzie Brazina, Joseph James Brazina, Cassie Mae Bensko, Emma Jane Bensko, and Sophie St. John-Lockridge, and her sister-in-law Mary (Mrs. Gardner) McHaffey, her nephews George Partlow James McHaffey, and William McHaffey, together with nieces Judy McHaffey Furnish, Dianne Partlow Worthy, Karen Partlow, and Becky Whitehorn..

Mary is preceded in passing by her husband Victor, and her parents Clabe Price McHaffey and Lilla Ozilla Gardner McHaffey, and a nephew, John McHaffey. She is the last of their four children having previously lost her two brothers Gardner and Malcolm and her sister Rosa Beth. Mary has many relatives and ancestors spread throughout the northeast Mississippi region having had family resident here since the early 1800's.