Mrs. Fannie H. Peeples passed away Saturday, Jan. 31, 2009, at River Region Medical Center. She was 95.

Mrs. Peeples was born in Simpson County on Jan. 31, 1914. She had lived in Vicksburg since 1946. She and her husband owned and operated Hill City Oil Co. until retirement. She was a member of the First Baptist Church of Vicksburg, and she belonged to the Lydia Sunday school Class. She was a past director of the Board of Directors of Merchants National Bank and later of the advisory board of BancorpSouth.

Mrs. Peeples completed high school at Terry, attended Hinds Junior College and graduated from Draughon’s Business College in Jackson. She had made a remarkable contribution through her activities in the local, state and national garden club organizations. She had served as president of the Vicksburg Council of Garden Clubs, the Garden Clubs of Mississippi Inc. and was in charge of all the arrangements when the National Council of State Garden Clubs met in convention here in our state. She also served as national chairman.

She was a Master flower show judge and also a serving member of the Green Hills Garden Club. Her picture is one of others on the mural sponsored by the Vicksburg Garden Club of Mississippi, the Planters Hall mural located at the Riverfront Park in downtown Vicksburg.

She achieved life membership in the Junior Auxiliary of Vicksburg. She had inspired many hundreds of children by her many articles and books written on junior gardening.  Her handbook on gardening is used all over the United States. She had also spoken on this subject at the State Conventions in Tennessee, Florida, North Carolina, Kansas and Texas.

Activities in other local causes included work with Heart Fund, March of Dimes, United Fund, Chamber of Commerce, Salvation Army and Jaycees. She was selected by Vicksburg Business and Professional Women’s Club as “Woman of Achievement” in 1965. In 1969, she was selected by the state group as “Woman of Achievement” in Mississippi. In 1973, she was selected as one of 18 “Beautiful Activists” in Mississippi.

In her busy life, her church held a prominent place. She had been president of her local Woman’s Missionary Union and also served as district president, an office that entailed serving as a state board member. 

In 1973, Mississippi College described Mrs. Peeples as a warmhearted Christian whose goal had been to serve her fellow man in whatever way the Lord led. With this, Mississippi College proudly conferred the Service to Humanity Award.

Mrs. Peeples is survived by her son, Jimmy Pittinger of Madison; two grandchildren, Sandi Pittinger of Ridgeland and Christopher Pittinger of Madison; three nephews, Sam Peeples of Jackson, Terry Peeples of Hopkinsville, Ky., and Vernon Peeples of Houston, Texas; and two cousins, Elizabeth Steen of Pass Christian and Bill Steen of Mobile, Ala. She is also survived by her caregivers, Mary Marshall, Celeste Fuller and Janette Wash. She was preceded in death by her dear husband, Sam Peeples.

Visitation will be Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2009, from 10 a.m. until noon at First Baptist Church of Vicksburg. Services will be held at 12 noon Tuesday at the church, officiated by Dr. John G. McCall, Dr. Larry Cox, Dr. Matt Buckles and the Rev. Justin Peters. Interment will be at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Tom Hill, Durwood Tadlock, Bill Libbey, Richard Knox, Gerald Hasselman, Mike Chaney, Charles Crowder and Doug Hassell.

Honorary pallbearers will be Terry Peeples, Vernon Sam, Richard Treadway and Bill Steen.

Memorials may be made to the First Baptist Church John G. McCall Scholarship Fund, 1607 Cherry St., Vicksburg, MS 39180.