Mary Ella Biggs

Mary Ella Biggs, devoted wife and mother, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 23rd with her loving family at her side.
Born in Shreveport, LA to Jack and Willie Burke, Mary Ella grew up in Hattiesburg, MS where she attended Hattiesburg High School and was a member of the Dusty Club and her special group of friends ""The Big 10"". Mary Ella reigned as queen of Zeus Carnival Association of Hattiesburg. She attended Sophie Newcomb College in New Orleans where she was a Chi Omega and served on the Homecoming Court. While teaching in New Orleans she met the love of her life, Huntley. After their marriage, they moved to Nashville where Mary Ella taught school and Huntley worked on his PhD at Vanderbilt which included a year's sojourn in Buenas Aires for the young couple.
Mary Ella and Huntley shared many adventures as they lived in various parts of the country including starting their family while living in Fort Collins, CO, living abroad in Tehran, Iran and ultimately settling in Gulfport where they put down roots in 1981.
After raising their children and sending them off to college, Mary Ella went back to school herself earning a Specialist Certification from USM. She spent a short time teaching at Jeff Davis Jr. College and Fernwood Middle School. Always the grammarian, Mary Ella would never hesitate to explain the difference in ""lay and lie"" or remind you not to end your sentences in prepositions.
She was an avid tennis player for many years. She was a dedicated walker, averaging 4 miles a day. Mary Ella loved to travel with Huntley as they circled the globe, adventuring throughout the United States, Africa, Italy, Scotland and many other locations.
Mary Ella loved her church and participated in many church activities especially women's ministries, hospital visitations and HOPE Cancer Outreach. She taught many women's Bible studies, children's Sunday school and then the Asbury adult class for years. Many other groups and organizations benefited from her generous volunteer efforts.
Mary Ella was preceded in death by her parents Jack F. Burke and Willie Warren Burke. She is survived by her husband of almost 50 years Huntley, her daughter Leigh Anne, of Long Beach, her son Huntley, Jr. and his wife Debra and beloved grandchildren, Sydney and Thomas, all of Gulfport; her brother Jack F. Burke, Jr., his wife Janet, of Hattiesburg, nephews Jack Burke and Allen Burke, of Atlanta, and a large extended family.
The family would like to thank the doctors and medical staff at Memorial Hospital who cared for Mary Ella during her fight against cancer, especially Dr. Davidson, Dr. Varner and Carrie.
Visitation will be held on Friday, June 27, 2014 at Trinity United Methodist Church, Gulfport, from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. in the church sanctuary. Funeral services will follow at 11:00 a.m.
Burial will be at Floral Hills Memorial Gardens.
RIEMANN FAMILY FUNERAL HOME, 11280 Three Rivers Road, Gulfport is serving the family, and memories may be shared at www.riemannfamily.com.
In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer donations to Trinity United Methodist Church Memorial Fund, 5007 Lawson Ave., Gulfport, MS 39507 or The Pink Heart Funds, 5095 Beatline Road, Long Beach, MS 39560.