M. L. (Fitzhugh) Burnside

M L Fitzhugh Burnside, 89, passed away peacefully at Season’s Assisted Living in Canton, Mississippi on December 15, 2024. M L was born on March 2, 1935 in Rankin County, MS to Lillian Harrell Fitzhugh and Clarence Fitzhugh. At an early age her family moved to Canton, MS where she resided until her passing. Visitation will be held Wednesday, December 18 from 5 pm to 7 pm at Breeland Funeral Home. Funeral service will be held Thursday, December 19 at 2 pm at First Church of Canton with a brief visitation at 1 pm.

M L attended Canton High School. She married Shelby D. Burnside, Sr on January 16, 1951 and together they had three children. She worked many jobs in the Canton area but during her time at Dairy Queen, Fas Pak, and Camp Bratton Green, she made a positive impact on the lives of many young people. She was a great wife, mom and grandmother, and she was a great witness for the Lord. She was an active member of St. John’s United Methodist Church where she was a children’s Sunday school teacher and later joined First United Methodist Church of Canton. She was a great friend to many, was loved by many and will definitely be missed.

She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband along with her brother, Randall Fitzhugh, sister, Billie Jean Warrell and brother in law, Louis Warrell, daughter, Shirley Burnside Cummins and son in law Walter C. Cummins, and son, Shelby D. Burnside, Jr. She is survived by her daughter, Nancy Burnside Taylor (Earl), daughter in law, Margo Applewhite Burnside, and grandchildren Anthony Acy (Jo Ann), Alison Acy Spivey (Danny), Angela Cummins Parrott (Justin), Walter C. Cummins, Jr. (Stephanie), Caroline Cummins, Shelby D. Burnside, III, Rock Foster (Andrea), and Waye Foster (Kim), and a host of great grandchildren and great great grandchildren.

Special thank you to Vicki King and Ada Powell, and all the caregivers at Season’s Assisted Living for their many years of love and care, physical therapists, Matthew Woodruff and Chord Robinson with CenterWell Home Health, and the staff with Compassas.

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