Mildred Lurline Andrews Strickland passed away at Heritage House Nursing Home on July 30, 2024, at the age of 96.  She was the sixth and last child of William Hutcherson "Babe" Andrews and Stella Mary Kelley.  She was their only child born in Vicksburg.  Her siblings were all born in Red Lick, Jefferson County, MS.  Her first marriage was to Leo A. Beyers and produced two daughters, Bobbie and Anne.  Her second marriage was to William Floyd Strickland, Jr. and produced a son, Mark Andrew Strickland.  Her step-children, Stephen and Diane, whom she raised as her own, were loved as much as her biological children.

Lurline graduated from Carr Central High School in the class of 1945.  In later years she took some interior decorating and clothing construction classes at Hinds Community College.  She liked to work crossword puzzles in ink to keep her mind active.  She had read that crossword puzzles would help ward off Alzheimer's.  It worked for her.

She was a member of the Warren County Mississippi Homemaker Volunteers, (home demonstration club), Career Homemakers Club for over 50 years, until they disbanded.  She had wonderful memories of the friendships and the knowledge of canning, sewing, cooking, and crafts.  She held many offices in the organization and won numerous awards.

Lurline was a member of the Church of Christ.  She had her devotional time every morning after her coffee, and gifted her daughters with devotional books so they could do the same.  She enjoyed the Wednesday morning ladies Bible study.  This group of ladies studied together and worked together on many humanitarian projects.

She was predeceased by her parents, William H. and Stella Andrews, her brothers William Earl Andrews and James Ray Andrews, her sisters Lillian Andrews O'Steen, Ethell Annie Andrews, and Edith Andrews McKneely, her son Mark Andrew Strickland, and her husband, W.F. Strickland, Jr.

She is survived by her daughters Bobbie Beyers Edwards, Anne Beyers Sparks, and Diane Strickland Ziegler, her son Stephen Gregory Strickland, 9 grandchildren, numerous great-grandchildren, and nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be Michael B. Edwards, Robert A. Edwards, Payton A. Edwards, Joshua B. Sparks, Lillian Sparks Benson, Alexander W. Benson, and Cary C. Ziegler, Jr.

Rev. Mitchell W. Cochran, pastor of Gibson Memorial United Methodist Church, will officiate.  Lurline was raised in the Gibson Memorial Methodist Church on Washington Street.  When she married W.F. Strickland, Jr., she felt that a wife should attend church with her husband, so she moved her membership to the Church of Christ.

Memorials may be made to a charity of choice.

Services will be at Fisher-Riles Funeral Home, 5000 Indiana Avenue on Friday,  August 2, 2024.  Visitation will be from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. with the funeral at 3:00 p.m.  Burial will be in Greenlawn Gardens Cemetery.