Mikell Edwards “Mike” Vance, 85, passed away on April 30, 2020 at her home in Starkville.
Ms. Vance was born to Lena Allen Edwards and Wallace Burke Edwards, Sr. in Marshall, Texas in 1934. She is survived by her husband, Stuart P. Vance, and children, Lisa Knight (Mrs. Duane) of Sevierville, TN, Shannon Smith (Mrs. Geoff) of Denver, CO, and two stepsons, Glenn Stephen Vance of Carrboro, NC, and Alan S. Vance (Joy) of Orlando, FL, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren; and a brother, Wallace Burke Edwards of Faribault, MN, and a sister, Sharon (Mrs. Don) Hare of Colorado Springs, CO.
While living in Atlanta she met Stuart and moved to Starkville in 1973. After Stuart’s retirement from the furniture industry, they purchased an Express Personnel franchise in Starkville. She managed the business at a time when they furnished some 1000 employees to Navistar when MRAP vehicles were manufactured in West Point, MS and rushed to Iraq in order to save soldiers lives that were being lost because of IED bombs.
Mikell was an avid tennis player, active in civic affairs, and a Girl Scout Troop Leader. She served as Lay Eucharistic Minister at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Starkville and was a member of the Emmaus Community.
Although she was not a member of Rotary, “Mike” assisted with the Rotary International program of polio immunization in India and Egypt. She was a recipient of the Rotary Humanitarian Award presented by the Rotary District and the “Service Above Self Award” by the Starkville Rotary Club for work on this project. She was a Paul Harris Fellow and a Rotary Benefactor. In 2014, “Mike” was awarded the “Rotarian Wife of the Year Award” by Rotary International, an award limited to 100 ladies out of some 1,200,000 Rotary members wives world-wide.
A private family burial service will be held at the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Starkville with the Rev. Walton Jones, Episcopal Rector, presiding. A memorial service will follow at some time in the future.
The family would like to express their thanks and appreciation to her caregiver, Chastity Pate and Associates for their love, patience, and kindness to “Miss Mike”, and to Kindred Hospice for their service.
Welch Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Memorials may be directed to your local Alzheimer’s Assoc. office or to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
