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Have you ever felt like part of your life root was jerked up…leaving your mind and heart in a whirl? I suffered this feeling Monday, June 3, 2024. My Aunt Jean Ross, the last of the “Horn” children, died peacefully at age 98. Aunt Jean was not an ordinary 98-year-old lady! She could still carry on a conservation and enlighten anyone on her past. She was the keeper of the “barn” in Pelahatchie where our family continues to gather the last Sunday before Christmas—“The Horn Christmas.”
Jean grew up in the house I now live in as the middle child with a total of 5 siblings. Jean graduated from Magee High School. She attended and was baptized in the First Baptist Church of Magee. She worked in the family business while in high school. (Horn Brothers). Jean never forgot her Magee roots. One of her favorite trips, even in her later years, was to come and sit on the porch at my house. Jean loved her family and her friends. She was a long-time active member of Pelahatchie Baptist Church. In fact, she attended church the morning before she died.
My mother (Mary Ruth), Grace and Jean were close! We visited Jean many times in Pelahatchie. Her brothers, Dr. Gebe Horn and Dr. Paul Horn, were their “pets!” Paul was the baby…and no family member forgot his rank!
As Jean aged, she became more beautiful! Jean’s beauty was not just physical but from the heart…from the eye…from the smile. She made everyone feel welcome and loved.
When my husband Gilbert Fulcher became ill and I was taking care of him at home, I heard someone coming down the short hall to the bedroom. I looked up and thought it was my mama…but it was Jean! She was determined I would feel family love. Her visit brought tears to my eyes and heart because she cared enough to check on me.
Jean was married to Knox Ross for many many years. They had four children:
Barbara, Deborah, Rebecca, and Knox. She owned and managed her own clothing store in Pelahatchie for years. She was quite the business lady! I wish I could tell you the names of all her grandchildren…but I would probably leave someone out! Now, all her grands have lots of babies…our family continues to grow…and I sure can’t name the great-grands!
I will miss you Jean. You were my lifeline to my mama. You insisted we continue to gather each Christmas. You never forgot me! Thank you for being a precious aunt who loved others completely. Her smiling face would light up a room…and of course, our hearts.
You leave a legacy of love, laughter, kindness, and honesty. You will forever be in my heart.
Jean Horn Ross of Pelahatchie, MS
Jean Horn Ross, 98, passed away on Mon. June 3, 2024 at St. Dominic Hospital in Jackson, MS. Visitation will be on Sat. June 8, 2024 from 9:30am-11am at Pelahatchie Baptist Church in Pelahatchie, MS. Funeral Services are 11am on Sat. June 8, 2024 at Pelahatchie Baptist Church with burial to follow in the Pelahatchie Cemetery. Ott & Lee Funeral Home in Brandon, MS is handling arrangements.
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Sue, your article about Jean was so beautifully written. I shared the same feelings. She had that positive and loving outlook always that her mother, our grandmother, instilled in her children.