Mildred Louise Dale Sibley

Published 9:03 am Thursday, September 12, 2024

Mildred Louise Dale Sibley passed away on Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024, at the Jefferson Davis Community Hospital Extended Care Facility.  A graveside service will be arranged at a later date at the Whitesand Baptist Church Cemetery.

Mildred Louise Dale was born on June 5, 1933 in Prentiss to her parents Urns Bond Dale and Icye Jane Polk Dale.

She had one younger brother Gerald Rankin (“Jerry Boy”) and a younger sister Bonnie.

She grew up on the family farm located on HWY-13 north of Prentiss, where her mother ran a small store.

She, along with her sister Bonnie, helped her parents care for their disabled brother “Jerry Boy”, work the farm and run the store.

Mildred attended Prentiss High School and she was a Drum Majorette in the marching band.

After graduation from high school, Mildred went to college at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, where she was a member of the Kappa Delta Sorority, Beta Sigma Chapter.

She graduated from USM in 1955 with a Bachelor’s degree and moved to Shreveport, Louisiana.  She later moved to Lakeland, Florida where she married Henry A. Sibley Jr in 1956 and started a family with the birth of their son Hank.

The couple subsequently moved back to Shreveport in 1960 and had two daughters, Jane and Jennifer.  They moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1964 and Mildred began a career as a High School teacher for the East Baton Rouge Parish School District.

She also served as the President of the Kappa Delta Sorority Alumni Association at LSU.  Mildred and her husband Henry divorced in 1970 and she raised their three children alone in Baton Rouge.

Mildred moved back her hometown of Prentiss in 2007 and ultimately resided at the Jefferson Davis Community Hospital Extended Care Facility for the final three years of her life.

She loved staff of the JDCH-ECF and they filled the final years of her life with compassion and love in return.

During her lifetime, Mildred was known as a very outgoing person, who “never met a stranger.”  She was proud of her family members and her family heritage in the State of Mississippi.  She left a positive family legacy behind in her wake.

Mildred was preceded in death by her father Urns Bond Dale, mother Icye Jane Polk Dale, brother Gerald Rankin “Jerry Boy” Dale and her daughter Jane Elizabeth Sibley.

Mildred is survived by her sister Bonnie Dale Battle (husband Mike) of Birmingham, Alabama, son Hank Sibley (wife Carrie) of Athens, Texas and daughter Jennifer Blackburn of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.   She is also survived by seven grandchildren, Kacie Sibley Holliman (husband Dustin) of Palestine, Texas, Jamie Sibley King (husband Jeremy) of Lufkin, Texas, Courtney Sibley Lopez (husband Augi) of Palestine, Texas,  Damon Blackburn of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Brandon Blackburn of Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Katy Marrs Williams (husband Kelly) of Dallas, Texas.  She has eight great-grandchildren, who all reside in Texas:  Mason Holliman, Elijah Beltran, Sawyer King, Avery Holliman, Caleb Lopez, Beckett King, Vernon “Gage” Holliman, Holden King and Agustin Lopez III.

Donations may be made in memory of Mildred Dale Sibley to Whitesand Baptist Church, 159 Whitesand Church Road, Prentiss, MS  39475, 601-792-4962.