Noel Louise Mayburn

Noel Louise Mayburn, age 88 of Biloxi, MS, passed peacefully in her home surrounded by her loving family on August 8, 2021. She was born in Eudora, MS on December 22, 1932, to Thomas N. Lowery and Emmons B. Lowery (Neff). Louise worked at Gayfers in the credit and loss prevention department for 25 years while also a full-time care giver to multiple elderly family members. Soon after retirement, our mother began her own battle with cancer and dementia. Over the years her selfless devotion to her family went beyond the normal recitals, ballgames, plays, etc. while teaching us by example life’s true calling to care for others. Our mother was an adventurous soul who loved nature and all of God’s creations. She embraced every moment with her grandchildren teaching them all about the Gulf Coast through fishing, crabbing, camping, bike riding and feeding the ducks at Hiller Park. What fun she had dancing and singing “Dance with me Henry” and “Froggie Went a Courting” to her grandbabies and just enjoying the simple pleasures of life. It soon took a village to care for our mother as it was around the clock. Her older granddaughters taking shifts, would give manicures, pedicures, and make filtered snapchats while she watched Fort Night games on the great-grandson’s shift. The younger great grands loved playing with their “Nanny” with balloons, baby dolls, watching cartoons, and brushing her hair to make her “pretty”. Though our mother’s health was failing for the last 10 years, few people knew the extent to which she struggled, and we were blessed to have been able to keep her home. Her joy for life and indomitable spirit kept her pushing through the cruelty of cancer and dementia. As we sat for days watching over her and as her time neared, we reflected on the many lessons she instilled in us about self-sacrifice, generosity, pureness of her spirit, duty, and the rewards of unconditional love. She was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas N. Lowery and Emmons B. Lowery (Neff); her sisters and brothers-in-law Anne Byrd of Savanah, GA and Lucretia and Raymond Lee of Vivian, LA, Kenneth Jones of Terry MS; husbands Robert L. Kirkpatrick, and Jerry L. Mayburn, and most recently her great grandson Ronald R. Bogard III (Whit). She is survived by her sister, Irene “Pooh” Jones; her daughters Suzi (Ronnie) Bogard, Virginia (Gary) Ware, Emi (Butch) Windom; beloved grandchildren Renee Schoerner, Rebecca Bogard, Beau (Katie) Bogard, Lowrey Windom, Jennifer Windom, Elizabeth (Aaron) Broussard, and Alex Ware; her precious great-grandchildren Anna Claire, Braxton, and Brayden Schoerner, Wyatt and Wrenley Kate Bogard, Grace Broussard, and numerous nieces and nephews. Through the support, encouragement, and love of friends and family, our extended village, we never found ourselves alone or without help through the many years of her illness thanks to Jamie Simmons, Phyliss Brooks, Janice Scarborough, and Southern Care Hospice, most especially Brittany, KiKi, and Liz. A family graveside service will be held in Eudora, MS on August 21, 2021. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of MS, P.O. Box 456, Ridgeland, MS 39158. Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home is honored to serve the Mayburn family.