Cover photo for Tina  Wauwesia Nix Lipscomb's Obituary
Tina  Wauwesia Nix Lipscomb Profile Photo

Tina Wauwesia Nix Lipscomb

d. August 26, 2018

Tina Wauwesia Nix Lipscomb

Tina Wauwesia Nix was born at Shaw, Mississippi on August 23, 1921, to the Reverend Pernell Olia Nix and Ola Mae McNemar Nix. Reverend P.O. Nix was a Methodist minister and frequently moved from church to church (called "the route") as was the accepted practice of the time. Tina (affectionately called Wesa, Wes (pronounced Wees) or Wauwesia by friends and family) attended seven different schools between the first and twelfth grades. She was the first of six children, 2 girls and 4 boys. She was very happy being the only girl until her sister Maxine completed their household. She moved to Vancleave, MS, at the age of fifteen, where she completed her high school education. It was there that she met Billie Lipscomb who she eventually married. Their marriage began at the start of WWII, which saw Billie join the service and Tina move with him to Wisconsin and then subsequently back nearer home for the remainder of the war. With the war finally over, their lives together took on some semblance of normalcy. Their family started in the late forties (Sharon (deceased) and David), continued into the fifties (Cheryl and John), and the caboose arrived in 1961 with the birth of Bill. During all the baby boom, Billie went back to school where he completed his studies in Education, and professional life began at a series of high schools (Broom, Purvis) and then eventually to the Perkinston Campus of MGCCC (Yay Perk!). Tina decided to go back to college in the late 1950's. At the time it was fairly unusual for a mother of 3 to head back to college. She began her career as a school teacher at Perkinston Elementary and then on to Bayou View Elementary when the family moved to the Coast. Tina soon became a favorite among students at Bayou View. Children were very proud to say they were in Mrs. Lipscomb's class. She earned the reputation as being caring, fair-minded and strict. She loved teaching and eventually went back to school and earned her Master's degree. Tina was a good listener and an accepting person. She was a soft place to land (most of the time). She was a reader with a capital "R." You could always find a book near her recliner or next to the bed. She read as many books as she could possibly check out and was constantly heading to the library for more. She loved birds. She started out by feeding them in the backyard, but quickly moved on to putting up bluebird boxes, hummingbird feeders and identifying more unusual local and migratory birds. She even took a birding class with Judith Toups, Mississippi's own birding guru. She loved the Great Smoky Mountains. She loved to hike and drive in the park, look at the waterfalls, put her feet in the creeks and dream over the mountain views. She took annual trips there until she was 90 years old. She was an avid walker. She walked 3-5 miles every day with her neighbor, Betty, or her sister (we've already written about her) for 30 years. She cooked the "world’s best gumbo." The heavily guarded secret has been handed down to only a few Lipscombs. Always and I mean "always" cook the okra before adding it to the gumbo. I think her most enduring trait to all us kids ("be nice, chil") was that she loved us. No matter what we did (and David and Bill did a lot), she still loved us. That went for all of us, including the grandchildren and even our four-legged family members. She would say things like "do you think Emily will eat this..." while holding out a cucumber to a furry, yellow dog. All of her grandchildren loved "Maw Maw." She was ever the school teacher, handing out advice and correcting grammar -- "it's lie, not lay" or "quiet, not quite." No matter how many English lessons you received, you realized it was given with love (and a little disdain). Everybody just said "yes ma'am" or "geeeez louise" and kept on going. One of her last English lessons happened just a few weeks ago when she used the word "abolish." When told that "abolish is a pretty big word,” she replied, "I know and I used it correctly." She was lively right up to the end. Wesa was a member of Trinity United Church in Gulfport for 50 years. She was a member of the September Club and of the Quilting Circle. We want to give "special thanks" to Ann (who provided in-home care), and all the staff at Seashore Highlands. You are just superb! In lieu of flowers, please consider a charitable contribution to Seashore Highlands, 12170 Highland Way, Gulfport, MS 39503 We already miss Wesa. We will always miss Wesa. She was a lot of fun. You could sit and have coffee with her (ask Mary) and just visit. She was our mom, sister, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, teacher and friend. Knowing her just made life better. Our family of her survivors are still here and are better for it. Our family: Sister, Maxine Nix, Children: David Lipscomb (Judi), Cheryl Lipscomb Copponex (Shannon), John Lipscomb, Bill Lipscomb (Sherri), Grandchildren: Sharron Lipscomb, David Lipscomb Jr., Michael Copponex (Chrissy), John Copponex, Todd Harlan (Shana), Alicia Steward (Blake), and 7 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, William Lipscomb Jr., a daughter, Sharon Lipscomb, her parents, Reverend and Mrs. P.O Nix, a granddaughter, Stacie Harlan Doyle, and four brothers, Junior, David, Bob, and Lewis Nix. Visitation will be Saturday, September 1, 2018 from 1:00 until 3:00 p.m. at Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, 15th Street, Gulfport. A private family graveside service will follow. View and sign the register book at www.bradfordokeefe.com
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Past Services

Visitation

Saturday, September 1, 2018

1:00 - 3:00 pm

Bradford O'Keefe Funeral Home - 15th Street

1726 15th Street, Gulfport, MS 39501

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