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Mar. 29, 1933 – Mar. 1, 2020

NATCHEZ — Services for William James Browning, 86, of Natchez, who died Mar. 1, 2020, at Rapides Regional Medical Center in Alexandria, will be at 2 p.m., Friday, Mar. 6, at Trinity Episcopal Church in Natchez with the Rev. Ken Ritter officiating.

Burial will follow at the Natchez City Cemetery under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 1 p.m. until service time Friday in the Church Parish Hall.

William was born on Mar. 29, 1933, in Natchez. He was the son of Lester Layne Browning Sr. and Effie Elmira Lees Browning. He attended school in the Natchez Public School System. He was a graduate of the National Hardwood Lumber Association in Memphis, Tennessee. He was retired from the United States Naval Reserve with 22 years of service. He retired from J M Jones Lumber Co. after working for 47 years. He was a past Board of Director of the Hardwood Manufacturing Association and past President and Secretary-Treasurer of the Southwestern Hardwood Manufacturers Club. He was a lifelong member of Trinity Episcopal Church.

William was preceded in death by his wife, Myrna Lois Gentsch Browning after 58 years of marriage; his parents; a brother, Lester L. Browning Jr.; and a sister, Carol A. Browning Preisman.

He is survived by his wife, Sissy Eidt Browning; a son, William A “Billy” Browning and his wife, Grace, of Petal, Mississippi; a daughter, Melodie F. Browning of Natchez; a stepdaughter, Margaret E. Monger and her husband, Trip, of Germantown, Tennessee; three stepsons, Michael Eidt and his wife, Megan, of Tupelo, Mississippi, Wray Eidt and wife, Jennifer, of Franklin, Tennessee, and Duke Eidt and wife, Kate, of London, England UK; 11 grandchildren and step-grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be sent to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee or the Natchez-Adams County Humane Society.
Pallbearers will be Will Browning, Patrick Browning, Jay Stewart, Michael Eidt, Wray Eidt and Duke Eidt. Honorary pallbearers are Richard Landry, Forrest Byrd, Douglas Aarons, Vernon Richards, Lee Jones, Howard Jones, Kim Garrett, Wilma Partrige, Virginia Clayton, Eli Washington and members of the Southwestern Hardwood Manufacturers Club.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at lairdfh.com.