Myrtle Fryou Lechner

Myrtle Fryou Lechner of Biloxi, peacefully passed away Thursday, February 9, 2017. Myrtle would have celebrated her 100th birthday on March 11, 2017. She was a proud, lifelong Biloxian who loved sharing stories with her family and friends, especially the ones about her upbringing on Point Cadet. One of her favorite stories was how she swam back and forth to Deer Island. Myrtle attended Howard II Elementary School and at an early age worked at Mavar’s Seafood Factory and also worked as a waitress at East End Restaurant. Later, she became a talented seamstress at E.R. Moore Garment Factory. Always an ambitious and hard working woman, Myrtle became a successful rental property owner until she finally decided to relax. You could always find her in her well-kept yard or enjoying her lifetime passion, crocheting. Our family is so blessed to have pieces of her beautiful crochet work to cherish. We will truly miss our beloved mother and grandmother. Her precious smile and gentle nature will always be with us. She is preceded in death by her husband, Ralph F. Lechner; her parents, Sidney and Maggie Fryou; 4 brothers; 3 sisters; and her great-grandson, Joshua Premeaux. Myrtle’s survivors include her loving sons and daughters-in-law, Ralph (Sherry) Lechner of Vancleave, Ronald (Mary Lea) Lechner, Gary (Patsy) Lechner and Phil (Mary) Lechner, all of Biloxi; her grandchildren, Kim (Max) Milam, Daren Lechner, Ronika Dorcik, Ronald ( Paige) Lechner, Jr., Hope Gilson, Trisha Gutierrez, Gary Lechner, Jr., Phil (Amy) Lechner, Jr., Jeffrey (Lindsay) Lechner, Rusty (Alisha) Lechner and Katie (Timmy) Kennedy; 20 great-grandchildren; 3 great-great-grandchildren; her brother, Charles Fryou of Wiggins; and a special niece, Birdie Mae Nell of St. Martin. The family would like to express their deepest gratitude to Greenbriar Nursing Home and Gentiva Hospice for their loving care and compassion for our Mama. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. Visitation will be held Sunday, February 12, 2017 from 6 pm until 8 pm and on Monday, February 13, 2017 from 10 am until 11 am followed by an 11 am funeral service all at the Howard Avenue Chapel of Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Biloxi National Cemetery.