Funeral services for Jerry Sheldon Nations will be on Sunday, November 6, 2022, at Fair River Baptist Church in Brookhaven, MS, at 4:00 PM with burial to follow in the church cemetery. Bro. Woody Rimes will be officiating the services with Brookhaven Funeral Home in charge of arrangements. Visitation will be at Fair River Baptist Church on Sunday, November 6, 2022, from 2:00 PM until 4:00 PM.

Mr. Jerry Sheldon Nations was born on December 26, 1936. He was the oldest son of Sheldon and Aileen Fugler Nations. He died November 4, 2022 at home on Nations Lane, Brookhaven, MS. He was preceded in death by his parents, his in-laws Clinton and Martell Byrd and his brother Harold Nations. He was married 63 years to Shirley Byrd Nations. He was the father of three daughters, Rhonda Rayborn (Mitch), Tanza Brown (Eric) and Laura Keith (Robert). He was a grandfather, known as PAPA to Jerrod Rayborn (Carrie), Clayton Brown, Lauren Taylor Hall (Jordan), Austin Keith, Evan Keith, Hudson Massey, Joshua Brown, and Caleb Brown. He had one great granddaughter, Sara Mitchell Rayborn.

Jerry Nations graduated from Fair Oak Springs School where he was elected Mr. Fair Oak Springs and most handsome. He loved his classmates and teachers at Fair Oak Springs and was faithful to attend the Fair Oaks Springs reunions for years after the school closed. As a teenager, he worked selling gravel to the county then was paid during the summer to spread it out by hand and shovel on rural roads throughout East Lincoln. His gravel pit job gave him spending money while in high school. He played high school basketball for Coach Hugh V. Britt. He was named to the All-Lincoln County team and went on to play basketball at Co-Lin for Coach Alton Ricks. Coach Ricks and Jerry stayed in touch and were friends until his death.

Jerry believed that cousins make the best friends. His beautiful girl cousins cooked him pies and helped with his school work. He enjoyed hours and hours hunting, fishing, playing cards and farming with his boy cousins. When he got married, he chose his cousins to stand with him as his groomsmen. He met his wife Shirley at Co-lin. They got married and soon moved to Natchez, MS where they started their family. Jerry worked Armstrong Tire Company for twenty years. He was named to numerous all-tournament teams as a pitcher in MENS fast-pitch softball. Tournament softball took him to most of the southern states where he became known as an unhittable pitcher. At 85 years old, he could still name off the starting lineup and the position that each man played. Jerry loved that all three of his daughters loved sports. He gave them lots of advice and encouragement. As parents, Jerry and Shirley taught the girls to swim, fish, waterski, took them snow skiing and camping. They taught them to compete, be good sports and to be a good team player. While in Natchez, the Nations family attended Parkway Baptist Church.

After retiring, the Nations family moved to Brookhaven. They built a house on family land, joined Fair River Baptist Church and became stockholders in Brookhaven Academy. Jerry started farming soybeans and corn in a commercial capacity. He was soon named Farmer of the Year. He was an avid coffee drinker. He enjoyed watching his daughters win basketball games. In the early eighties the Nations girls were a part of many Lady Cougar State championships and one overall title. For years after his daughters were grown and gone, Jerry Nations could still be found attending and loving Lady Cougar basketball and softball games.

Jerry Nations was large in statue but could be caught shedding tears while watching "Little House on the Prairie". He was tender hearted and very giving. Borrow his tools but bring them back. If one word had to be picked to describe him, friend would be a good one. Thanks to all of you for being one too!

In lieu of flowers the family has asked for donations to be given to Fair River Baptist Church.

The family would like to give a special thanks to Dr. Joseph Moak, Deaconess Home Care of Brookhaven, and to Yolanda Beard, Morgan Thames and Melissia Dixon of Fresenius Home Dialysis of Brookhaven.