Mary Mildred "Millie" Sims

Mary Mildred “Millie” Hester Sims, 88, of Brandon, Mississippi, passed away on March 11, 2026.

Born on August 7, 1937, in her grandmother’s home in Hamburg, Mississippi, Millie was raised in a loving Christian home where she cherished memories of attending Bible school and revivals with her grandmothers. A standout at Washington High School, where she was voted “Wittiest” by her classmates, she began playing varsity basketball at age twelve. She continued her athletic and academic pursuits at Copiah-Lincoln Community College from 1955 to 1956 before earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Mississippi University for Women in 1958. That same year, she married T.Q. Sims, and together they raised four daughters: Suzanne, Peg, Ellen, and Hester.

Millie devoted her career to serving others with care and diligence. She worked as a bookkeeper at Liberty Mills and International Paper Company, taught third and fourth grade at Sylvarena Baptist Academy, operated the Louin Service Center, and served as a social worker with the Jasper County Welfare Department. Later, she helped shape welfare policy for the State Department of Human Services in Jackson and was a proud member of the team that developed Mississippi’s first electronic benefit transfer (EBT) program. She retired in 2001.

A lifelong woman of deep faith, Millie was known as a devoted prayer warrior who maintained a close personal relationship with her Lord and Savior. She shared her wisdom through storytelling, possessed a joyful laugh, and was remembered as an exceptional cook. She had a green thumb and took great delight in hummingbirds and her beloved flowers, especially orchids, camellias, and hydrangeas. A loyal Mississippi State Bulldogs fan, she also adored her “grand dog” Sophie. Above all, she was a strong and loving mother who cherished her daughters.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Walter Macree Hester, Sr., and Guynell Price Hester; her daughter, Suzanne Sims Vening; and her son-in-law, Jon Clair Saunders.

Millie is survived by her three daughters, Peg Sims Saunders of Ocean Springs, Ellen Sims Meeler (Don) and Hester Sims, both of Brandon; three granddaughters, Amanda Meeler Marshall (Adam) of Brandon, Alison Meeler Langlois (Brandon) of Starkville, and Molly Clair Saunders of Ocean Springs; her brother, Walter M. Hester, Jr. of Springfield, Louisiana; and many dear cousins, nieces, and nephews.