Aug. 21, 1931 – Aug. 30, 2012

NATCHEZ — Services for Margaret Mills Ward, 81, who died Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012, at her residence, will be at 3 p.m. today at Jefferson Street United Methodist Church wit the Rev. John Kramer officiating.

Burial will follow at the Natchez City Cemetery under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 2 p.m. until service time today at the church.

Mrs. Ward was born Aug. 21, 1931, the daughter of John Albert Mills and Ann Paterson Mills. She attended All Saints Episcopal School in Vicksburg and was one of the first graduates of the newly-formed art department at the University of Mississippi in 1952. That same year, she married E.C. Ward and moved to Mobile, Ala., where he was stationed with the U.S. Air Force. In 1954, they moved to Natchez.

Mrs. Ward was a member of Chi Omega sorority, the Junior Auxiliary, the Natchez Garden Club and Jefferson Street United Methodist Church. In 1984, she was instrumental in helping start the Natchez Community Stewpot and served on its board of directors for a number of years.

Mrs. Ward was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, E.C. Ward; and one infant granddaughter, Angela Ward.

Survivors include four sons, Edwin Coulter Ward III and wife, Lisa, and George Martin Ward and wife, Iva, all of Natchez, John Mills Ward of Memphis, Tenn., and Marion Stanton Ward and wife, Kim, of Jackson; one daughter, Ann Paterson Dalia and husband, Tom, of Atlanta; one niece, Milner Stanton of Memphis; eight grandchildren, Edwin Coulter Ward IV, John Elliot Ward, Rachel Sutherland and husband, Jeremy, Margaret Irvin Ward, Ann Mills Ward, Arden Isabella Dalia, Jean Thomas Dalia and Lindsey Helen Ward; and two great-grandchildren, Caroline Sutherland and Hudson Sutherland.

The family wishes to thank her special caregivers, Monique Clark, Florida Johnson, Estella Knight and Rosie Isaac; and her devoted friend for a number of years, Orelia Clark.

Pallbearers will be Win Ward, John Ward, George Ward, Stan Ward, Tom Dalia and Coulter Ward.

The family requests that memorials be made to the Natchez Community Stewpot.