Leona Marshall

Leona Bradford Marshall was born on April 18, 1931, to Charles Gordon Bradford and Daisy Mills Bradford. She was born the middle of nine children in the midst of the Great Depression. They all struggled to survive as they grew up around Dixie, Georgia. She graduated from Dixie School in 1948. Mrs. Marshall “Squeak”, as she was known to her family, had fond memories of playing basketball in Dixie where she vividly remembered the game that she was responsible for 18 of the 29 scored points. It was said by many people who knew high school athletics at the time that she was the best girl's basketball player they had ever seen. She loved basketball.

Soon after she graduated, they moved north of Quitman, to what is now Jackson Road where she met Melvin Marshall. They were married and had 20 wonderful years together. She was a farm wife who kept house along with helping work hogs, grinding feed, driving a tractor, pulling weeds and had two boys along the way. 

Her husband died when she was 38 years old, leaving her with two teenage boys. She never had a regular job, but she soon became a bookkeeper and a paperwork processer for Ward Peanut Company. Then, she spent 17 years as bookkeeper for Harley-Mitchell Hardware before becoming the bookkeeper for her son’s machine shop business where she worked until she was 90. Up until her last few days, she would drive to town on Saturday, buy groceries, and cook a highly anticipated Sunday dinner for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She was the last of her brothers and sisters. She is survived by her two sons: Kenneth (LaVie) Marshall and Gerald (Barbara) Marshall; her grandchildren: Nichole (JR) Chandler, Cameron (Maggie) Marshall, Logan (Jeremy) Erikson, Stacy, Daniel and Santana Marshall along with her 11 great grandchildren: Dylan, Bradyn, Cailee, Ryker, Gracie, Marshall, Piper, Grady, Asher, Maisie, Alastair. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, her bothers Tom, Jake, Charles, and C.G. Bradford, and her sisters Lois Dukes, Louise Huffmaster, Lorraine (Oopie) Jones and Lillian (Jitter) Harnage. She was a member of Morrison Baptist Church where she will be laid to rest beside her husband, Melvin.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 22, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. at Morrison Baptist Church with Rev. Tommy Bussey, and Rev. Steve Shierling officiating. Interment will follow in the church cemetery. The family will be receiving friends Friday evening, April 21, 2023 from 6-8 p.m. at Maxwell - Purvis Funeral Home.

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