Funeral services for Mrs. Gladys Pepper Richardson will be on Saturday, May 27, 2017, at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Brookhaven, MS at 11:00 AM with burial to follow in the Church Cemetery. Bro. Kent Cochran will officiate the services with Brookhaven Funeral Home in charge of the arrangements. Visitation will be at Pleasant Grove on Saturday, May 27, 2017, from 9:00 AM until 11:00 AM.

Gladys was a precious woman who loved God. She was a devoted wife, mother, sister, Aunt, Grandmother, Great Grandmother, Great-Great Grandmother, and friend.

Gladys was born on December 19, 1922, in Brookhaven, Mississippi, to Van and Josie Mae Pepper. She was married to Mr. Howard Richardson for 59 years before his death in 1999. Gladys was a member of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, of which she had achieved the amazing status of being the oldest member. Her faith kept her strong and this strength she passed on to her family. "We do not have a promise of tomorrow" was one of her favorite sayings and she tried to live each day as if it were her last. She was always kind, sweet, helpful, and prayed each day for a long list of family, friends and people in need.

Gladys is preceded in death by her beloved husband, Howard; mother and father, Josie Mae and Van Horton Pepper; brothers, Thomas L. Pepper, James Horton Pepper, Marlin Pepper and Jerry Pepper; sisters, Dorothy Brooks and Wilma Porter.

Gladys is survived by her two sisters, Ruth Newman and Josie Wright , and sister-in-laws, Bonnie Pepper, Verna Richardson, and Shirley Richardson Iosue. Her children are Virginia Richardson Rushing and husband, the late Oscar Rushing of Brookhaven, Mississippi; Jeanette Richardson Travis of Meadville, Mississippi; son, Clyde Richardson and wife, Peggy Mulkey Richardson of Gautier, Mississippi, and Rebecca Richardson Owens and husband Hal A.(Tony) Owens of Bakersfield, CA. She is, also, survived by grandchildren, Veronica Rushing Edmonds, Bryan Rushing, Kim Travis Bryan, Trevor Travis, Shauna Travis Zeigler, Sharman Richardson, Justin Richardson, Jeremy Richardson, Chad Mulkey, Christie Owens Chapman, and Samantha Owens Purdy. Her great grandchildren are Justin Smith, Brandon Rushing, Austin Edmonds, Dylan Case, Harley Kate Zeigler, Adyn Cummings, Garrett Bryan, Addison Bryan, Matthew Weaver, Christopher Travis, Bailey Travis, William Travis, Brittney Frantom, Hailey Fischer, Lyndsay Posey, Morganne Chapman, Mason Chapman, Benjamin Purdy, Harper Purdy, Alayna Richardson, Jessica Hall, Kara Hiers, and Darcy Alford. Gladys was, also, blessed with great great grandchildren, Graelyn Rushing, Amerie and Amelia Travis, Lennon and Summer Mulkey, Sadie Frantom, Chloe Fedler, Lillian Gilbert, Delilah Hall, and Grace Hall. Gladys had many wonderful nieces and nephews that were like her children and she loved them all dearly.

The family would like to express our sincere gratitude to the doctors and the amazing staff at Deaconess Hospice and the church members of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church.