Mrs. Betty Joan Gordon Brand, 85, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 at North Mississippi Medical Center in Amory, Mississippi. She was born in Woodland, Mississippi on November 25, 1934 to Augustus Evans Gordon and Lottie Magee Gordon.
She dedicated her life to serving Christ, her family, and her community. She graduated from Woodland High School in 1952 and attended MSCW, graduating in 1956. After earning her degree, she taught school at Woodland and Houston for twenty-five years, including bookkeeping, typing, middle school English, and second grade. She believed that teaching was a calling from God, and she showed this through loving and caring for each student.
However, teaching school was only one of her many roles. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, who loved taking care of her family. An outstanding cook, one of her greatest joys was preparing a hot meal to be shared around the table. She was a gracious caregiver to many family members and friends, including faithfully caring for her husband of 62 years in the last years of his life. A lifelong member of First Baptist Church, she taught Sunday School and served on many committees.
In addition to cooking, she had many different hobbies. She traveled the country with her husband in their motorhome, including taking two cross-country trips to Alaska. She loved being outdoors and spent many hours fishing in the Country Club pond and watching birds from her back porch. Rarely losing, she enjoyed playing bridge with her friends and all types of card games and dominoes with her family. She enjoyed watching sports, including attending many Mississippi State football and basketball games.
Funeral Services will be held at Houston First Baptist Church on Saturday, September 26, 2020 at 11:00 A.M. with Dr. Daniel Heeringa officiating.
Visitation will be on Saturday, September 26, 2020 at Houston First Baptist Church in Houston from 10:00 A.M.- 11:00 A.M.
Burial will be held at Houston City Cemetery in Houston, Mississippi.
Houston Funeral Home will be in charge of the arrangements.
Mrs. Brand is survived by two children—Betsy Brand Hurst; Dr. Woodrow Wilson Brand, III and his wife, Mindy; four grandchildren—Katie Wolter Deakins and her husband, Kyle; Gus Gordon Brand and his wife, Hallie; Charles William Brand; Robert Lee Brand; and two great-grandsons—Jackson and Weston Deakins. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law—Ann Brand Colbert and her husband, Thomas, and Nancy Brand Montgomery.
Mrs. Brand is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Judge Woodrow Wilson Brand, Jr; her parents; her brother, Jim Gordon, and his wife Judy; and her son-in-law Michael Hurst.
Pallbearers will be Gus Brand, Will Brand, Lee Brand, Kyle Deakins, Patrick Gordon, and Jesse Garner.
In lieu of flowers, Memorials may be made to:
Hispaniola Mountain Ministry
6530 Dogwood Parkway
Jackson, MS 39213
**The family has asked that a mask MUST be worn at all times during the services for Mrs. Brand at the Funeral Service. Please bring your mask. If you do not have one, Houston Funeral Home will provide you with one. We also ask that you practice 6ft social distancing and refrain from personal contact due to Covid- 19 exposure. **
Online condolences may be left on the Tribute Wall at www.houstonfuneralhomems.com
