Mary Lou Erikson Conner

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Mrs. Mary Lou Erikson Conner, 84, passed away Wednesday, November 1, 2023, at her home in Oxford, MS. The funeral will be Friday, November 3, 2023, at 11:00 A.M. at Yellow Leaf Baptist Church with Rev. David Ard officiating. Visitation will be held prior to the service beginning at 9:30 A.M. Burial will follow the service in Yellow Leaf Cemetery.

Mary Lou was born on February 28, 1939, to the late Mayme Hayles and Rudolph Erikson. She retired from The University of Mississippi where she worked as Assistant to the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs for 35 years. A beloved and devout member of Yellow Leaf Baptist Church, Mary Lou was an ever-present pillar of love, support, and willingness to serve. For over 40 years, she worked in the church kitchen, lovingly preparing meals for Wednesday night dinners. Her sense of community and desire to serve others did not stop at the church doors. Mary Lou volunteered often with Stronger Together Oxford, and looked for any opportunity she could to help others in her community. Each election, she volunteered as the box carrier, handling this important task with integrity and pride. She loved tending to her yard, especially mowing the grass. When the day’s work was done, you could find Mary Lou unwinding on her back porch, listening to the birds and enjoying the gentle breeze, with her favorite music playing in the background. Most of all, she was a loving and devoted mother and grandmother to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Mary Lou counted herself incredibly blessed to have such precious time with her beloved family. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, John Frank Conner; her daughter, Deborah Gail Conner; sister, Ann Taylor; and brother, Wayne Erikson.

Mary Lou is survived by her daughter, Donna Conner Howell and her husband, Frank of Oxford, MS and Tina Marie Conner Brennan of Oxford, MS; six grandchildren, Erik Conner, Nicole Howell, Blake Brennan, Maci McGregor, Brooklyn Logan, and Frank Howell IV; fifteen great-grandchildren; and three great-great-grandchildren.

Expressions of sympathy or memorial contributions in Mary Lou’s memory may be made to Yellow Leaf Baptist Church, 50 County Road 435, Oxford, Mississippi 38655.