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Mrs. Etta Floyd celebrated her 90th birthday surrounded by family at a party held in her honor and hosted by her daughter, Rita Purser, at Bedford Care Center, where Mrs. Floyd has been a resident since May 18. Mrs. Floyd was born June 19, 1925, to Walter C. and Pearlie (Brown) Walker, and was a child of the depression, which affected her outlook on life.
Delighting everyone at the celebration with her wit and sassiness, Etta was in great spirits, showing off by wearing a new hat given to her as a birthday gift. Attending her birthday celebration were children, Rita and Gene Purser of Star; granddaughter Kim (Purser) and her husband Joe Germany, with the apple of Etta’s eye, her 6 year old great-grandson Luke Germany, all of Star; grandson Chad Purser with his wife, Stephanie, and Etta’s great-grandchildren, Emily and Ethan Purser, all of Slidell, Louisiana; nephews, Jay Wesbrooks of Magee, who is also her pastor, and Gary Walker with his wife, Katherine, of Mendenhall; granddaughter Selina Prichard with her husband, Brian Prichard, and Etta’s great-grandchildren, Kenneth Nolan and Kyle Prichard, all of Mendenhall; and grandson, Ian Floyd and his wife, Claire Floyd. Ian and Claire are expecting their first child in July, who they are naming Walker James Floyd in honor of Etta’s Walker heritage and Claire’s father.
Etta is known for her kind, generous spirit, as well as her independence, having been widowed when she was 48. Mrs. Floyd worked at the first Hudson’s store in Magee, when it was located on Main Street. She later worked at Magnetec in the coil winding department and retired from there in 1987. She has a green thumb and loves working in her beautiful yard, among nature. She has many talents, including quilting and song writing. Some of the songs she has written over the years is “Raised by Amazing Grace,” which she wrote while thinking of her Uncle Bowers Hankins rocking his and her Aunt Esther Hankins’ children and singing “Amazing Grace” as he rocked them. She wrote “Mama’s Place of Prayer” in recognition of the prayer life of her mother, Pearlie Walker, and while remembering a story about her grandfather, Joseph Buchanan Walker, and his habit, after working in the fields, of going to a particular place in the woods, at the edge of the fields, and thanking God for his family and the blessings of that day. “Mama, Don’t Forget” was written after the loss of her youngest child, Craig Floyd, who died in 1991. She wrote “Help Me Talk to Jesus” with her son, Howard Floyd, Jr., who was also a songwriter and who died in September of 2014.
Pictured are (top row) Joe Germany, Selina F. Prichard, Chad Purser, Ethan Purser, Kenneth Nolan, Stephanie Purser, Brian Prichard, Kim Purser Germany, Gene Purser, Rita Purser, Gary Walker and Jay Wesbrooks,(bottom) Emily Purser, Etta Floyd, Luke Germany & Kyle Prichard. Not pictured are Ian and Claire Floyd.
