Funeral Services for Ms. Brenda Joyce Lee will be 11 a.m. Saturday, June 29, 2019, at the New Rock of Ages Baptist Church at 2944 Letitia St.

Visitation will be Friday, June 28, 2019 at Lakeview Memorial Funeral Home, 2102 Clay St. from 1-7 p.m. with family present from 6 -7 p.m., and Saturdayat the New Rock of Ages Baptist Church from 10 until 10:50 a.m.

Ms. Lee was born April 11, 1951, in Vicksburg.  She is the daughter of the late Mr. Mathew Lee Sr. and Mrs. Lillie Lee.  She accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior at Pleasant Green Baptist Church.

After her father and mother were called home, she was adopted by her aunt (Lillie’s sister) and uncle (Mrs. Lee Anna Connor and Mr. Clarence Joe Connor), and became a member of Rock of Ages Missionary Baptist Church.

Putting her family first and foremost, Ms. Lee was dedicated to improving her life for her son and daughter.  Rising above her circumstances as a single mother, Ms. Lee obtained her GED and then graduated from Southern Technical College.

Ms. Lee began her career after graduating from Southern Technical College as a records clerk with the Mercy Hospital’s Street Clinic. She later worked at the Vicksburg Police Department (VPD) for over 17 years until retirement.

Ms. Lee held several positions with the VPD, first as a dispatcher, in the collections department and retired as a deputy court clerk in the Court Services Department.   

Ms. Lee loved to sing!  She had a beautiful voice and had aspirations of stardom.  She sang in the Rock of Ages MB Church Choir.  She was a member of the female vocal group (Jade), which included vocalists Mrs. Vickie Baker and Mrs. Beverly Prentiss. The ladies released the single “Don’t Take Me for Granted.”  Ms. Lee was also a member of the Projekt Band & Show, led by Mr. Moses Brown.
Ms. Lee’s body was weary, but her soul was powerful! She experienced an illness that eventually rendered her bedridden for the last three and half years of her life. 

Ms. Lee loved being with her family, especially during the summer and Christmas/New Year’s holidays. During her last days on this earth, she was anxious to return home to Vicksburg to be with her sister this summer.

Coincidentally, she passed away suddenly on June 21, 2019, the first day of summer, in Huntsville, Ala., where she lived with her daughter and grandson for over 11 years.    

Ms. Lee is preceded in death by her father, Mr. Mathew Lee Sr.; her mother, Mrs. Lillie Lee; her son, Rogers Mathew Lee; two brothers, Mathew Lee Jr. (sergeant first class, U.S. Army retired) and Mr. Douglas Cardell Lee (U.S. Army veteran); her grandmother, Mrs. Charity Grant Lee; and her adoptive parents/aunt and uncle, Mrs. Lee Anna Connor and Mr. Clarence Joe Connor.
Ms. Lee is survived by one daughter, Gwendolyn Michele Lee (lieutenant colonel, U.S. Army retired) of Madison, Ala.; one grandson, Cameron Roger Lee of Madison, Ala.; two sisters, Mrs. Charity Mae Burnham (Maurice) of Vicksburg and Mrs. Lorraine Smith (Charles, Sr.) of Columbus, Ind.; five nieces, Mrs. Pamela R. Brown (Johnnie Sr.) of Vicksburg, Mrs. Tondia B. Reese (Jason) of Stockbridge, Ga., Mrs. Roxie Palmer (Kenneth) of Richmond, Texas, and Ms. Donna Lee of Quitman; five nephews, Mr. Maurice G. Burnham Jr. of Dallas, Texas, Mr. Mathew ‘Matt’ Lee III of Minneapolis, Minn., Mr. Jason L. Burnham of Indianapolis, Ind., Mr. Charles M. ‘Chaz’ Smith Jr. of Columbus, Ind., and Mr. David C. Smith (Carly) of Greenwood, Ind.

Family, friends and other relatives include the Connor, Brown, Dunmore, Ford/Farrish/Reese, Hunt, Hall, Jones, Prentiss, Tolliver and Smith families.