House Resolution 98

A RESOLUTION HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF MRS. DELL DICKINS SCOPER, AND EXPRESSING DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HER FAMILY AND FRIENDS UPON HER PASSING.

WHEREAS, it is written in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the Heaven," and as such, on Thursday, January 5, 2023, the immaculate author and finisher of our soul's destiny summoned the mortal presence of dearly beloved, Mrs. Dell Dickins Scoper, to eternal rest, rendering great sorrow and loss to her family, friends and community; and

WHEREAS, born September 10, 1934, to Mr. John W. Dickins and Mrs. Ruth Thompson Dickins, in Leland, Mississippi, Mrs. Scoper was an outstanding student, becoming the 1952 valedictorian of Leland High School, and during that time she was a member of the Delta Debutante Club; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Scoper matriculated to Mississippi College (MC) as a third generation legacy, following the footsteps of her father, Mr. John W. Dickins, and grandfather, Dr. William B. Dickins, and while there, she was an outstanding leader at MC, serving in numerous positions, such as an officer in student government, member of the debate team and editor of the MC Literary Magazine; and

WHEREAS, an avid tennis player on the MC college team, Mrs. Scoper also taught tennis during the summers at Camp Gulf Park on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, which is where she met her husband of 58 years, Senator Vincent Gradie Scoper, Jr., on the tennis court, as he was then ranked #1 on the Mississippi State University Tennis Team, and the match evidently went well; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Scoper graduated Magna Cum Laude from Mississippi College in 1956, and she was later inducted into the MC Hall of Fame, was President of the Mississippi College National Alumni Association, and more recently, endowed the Mississippi College Dickins — Scoper Baseball Stadium in honor of her father and grandfather who were star baseball players at MC; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Scoper and Senator Scoper were married in 1956, and made Laurel, Mississippi, their permanent home in 1960, and she hit the ground running in Laurel, becoming active at her church, community organizations, the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and as Senator Scoper's campaign manager; and

WHEREAS, as Senator Scoper's campaign manager, Mrs. Scoper organized door-to-door campaigns that were instrumental for winning elections that kept her husband in office for 40 years, and they never lost an election, and with her tremendous passion for politics, she was the Vice-Chair of the Jones County Republican Party, President of the Jones County Federation of Republican Women and she remained active in politics her entire life; and

WHEREAS, in the 1980s, Mrs. Scoper was the first woman to serve on the Economic Development Authority (EDA) of Jones County Board of Directors, and remained active on the board for many years, and she was instrumental in starting Leadership Jones County, co-chairing the first Leadership class in 1990 and remained active with this initiative for decades; and

WHEREAS, as serving on building committees was her area of expertise, Mrs. Scoper was the Chair of the Building Committee for the Camp Garaywa Adult Lodge, Chair of the Committee to restore the United Way and Red Cross Headquarters in downtown Laurel, and a member of the building committee for the Family Life Center at First Baptist Church; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Scoper also served as President and as Campaign Chair of the United Way of the Pine Belt Region, President of the Laurel Community Concert Association, Vice President of Women in the Arts in Mississippi, President of the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art (LRMA) Guild, President of the LRMA Docents, President of the Bay Flower Garden Club, and President of the Three Arts Literary Club; and

WHEREAS, as a lifetime member of the Laurel Junior Auxiliary, Mrs. Scoper was honored to be the recipient of the 2002 Laurel Junior Auxiliary Humanitarian Award, and she was also the recipient of the Service to Mankind Award from the Sertoma Club of Laurel; and

WHEREAS, of all of Mrs. Scoper's community service, her true love was the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), and after years of service, she rose to the rank of Chaplain General of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, which is the third highest office of the National Society; and

WHEREAS, early on, Mrs. Scoper was an active member of the local Nahula Chapter of the DAR and soon became the Regent of this chapter, and she was the State Regent for the Mississippi DAR from 1998 through 2001, and after chairing the fund-raising committee and directing the building program, the highlight of her tenure as State Regent was the dedication of the Scoper-Love Carriage House on the grounds of Rosalie Mansion in Natchez, Mississippi, and she was soon elected as a Vice President General of the National Society, and finally as the Chaplain General of the NSDAR in 2004, and she served many years on the Board of Trustees of the Kate Duncan Smith DAR School in Alabama as an appointee of the President General, NSDAR, and she had remained active in the DAR on a local, statewide and national level; and

WHEREAS, in addition to the DAR, she was a member of The Order of the First Families of Mississippi, The Order of the First Families of Virginia, The Jamestowne Society, The Daughters of the War of 1812, The Colonial Dames XVII Century, and the Colonial Dames of American Chapter XV; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Scoper's greatest passion was her faith and spreading the Gospel message through work at her church and other faith-based organizations and was a student of the Bible, a gifted teacher, and taught Sunday School continuously for 64 years, and one of her greatest honors was to have her Sunday School class at First Baptist Church Laurel named the "Dell Scoper Ladies Sunday School Class" after she stepped down from teaching just a few years ago; and

WHEREAS, at First Baptist Church Laurel, Mrs. Scoper was always active in the Women's Missionary Union (WMU) and served on the Mississippi State WMU Executive Board, and she also served on the Mississippi Baptist Convention Board, as well as the Executive Committee of this board, and on a statewide level, she served as the Inaugural Chair of the Baptist Women's World Day of Prayer, and in 1988, she was the Chair of the First Baptist Church Centennial Committee; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Scoper will always be remembered as a person of deep faith that guided her commitment to service to others, and her enthusiasm was contagious as she rose to leadership roles in her church, community organizations, political campaigns, and especially the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution; and

WHEREAS, outside of her own public service and aspirations, Mrs. Scoper was a dedicated wife and mother, and was always proud of the accomplishments of her late husband, Senator Vincent Scoper, and her two children, Dr. Stephen Vincent Scoper and Cynthia Scoper Folmar; and

WHEREAS, though she has traversed the river of life to reunite with those who answered God's summons to life eternal and now beckon her arrival to the celestial shores of Heaven's grandeur, the legacy of Mrs. Scoper's indelible imprint upon our lives will continue to refresh the hearts and fond memories of her loved ones, including her children, Stephen Vincent Scoper, MD, and Cynthia D. Scoper Folmar; sister, Dorothy Dickins O'Neill; six grandchildren, Elizabeth Scoper Heiss, Julia B. Scoper, Gradie G. Folmar, Stokes S. Folmar, Laurel D. Folmar, Tatum Folmar Brown; two great-grandchildren: Charles Folmar and Nicolas Folmar; seven nephews and nieces: John D. O'Neill, Jennifer O. Brammell, Scott G. Scoper, Genie Scoper Howard, Kristin Scoper Hopper, Wendy Scoper O'Connor and Shannon Scoper Keute; and a host of other relatives and dear friends; and

WHEREAS, Mrs. Scoper will forever be loved, cherished and missed by all who knew her, and since it is written in 2 Corinthians 5:8, that to be "absent from the body is to be present with the Lord," her family and friends can find peace and comfort during this difficult time; and

WHEREAS, a genuine and lovely lady of exceptional character, Mrs. Scoper's outstanding legacy will continue for generations to come, and precious memories of time spent with her will hopefully continue to provide warmth, peace and comfort to her loved ones; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to recognize and honor the lives of exceptional Mississippians, especially those such as Mrs. Scoper, a wonderful lady whose life's light illuminated the path of hope for all she encountered along this earthly sojourn:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby honor the life and legacy of Mrs. Dell Dickins Scoper, and express deepest sympathy to her family and friends upon her passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the family of Mrs. Dell Dickins Scoper, and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.