Miriam Elaine Culpepper Cunningham

Mrs. Miriam Elaine Culpepper Cunningham, 80,  of Meridian passed away Friday, March 28, 2025 at Baptist Anderson Regional Medical Center after a brief illness.

She was a longtime resident of Bailey, Mississippi before recently moving to the Aldersgate Retirement Community in Meridian.  She attended Center Hill High School, graduated from West Lauderdale High School and attended East Mississippi Junior College.  After college she was employed with South Central Bell / AT&T for many years.  Before retiring, she worked at Van Zyverden, Inc. cultivating her love for plants and flowers.

Mrs. Cunningham attended Poplar Springs Drive Baptist Church literally her entire life, becoming a church member at age 10 when she accepted Christ as her personal Savior.  She enjoyed working with the PSDBC Homebound ministry, Bereavement ministry and WMU along with various other church ministries over the years.

Mrs. Cunningham enjoyed traveling, playing cards and all kinds of games.  She could work jigsaw puzzles quickly and did word searches in her spare time.  She also especially enjoyed her Diet Cokes, Poptarts and Hallmark Christmas movies.

She is survived by her twin brother Milford Wayne Culpepper of Columbus, brother Gary Culpepper (Rhonda) of Brandon; nieces Susan Akin of Madison, Caron Byrd of Columbus, Gwen Wornall and Morgan Ward of Brandon, and Julie Shook of Petal; nephews Byron Culpepper of Pelham, AL and Michael Lang of Decatur; as well as several great nieces and great nephews.

She is preceded in death by her husband Robert W. Cunningham, her father Byron Milford Culpepper and her mother Miriam Swain Culpepper.

Pallbearers are:  Byron Culpepper, Tommy Swain, Johnny Wornall, Jeremy Ward, and Michael Lang. Honorary pallbearers are Ron Barham and Ray Etheridge.

Although she loved beautiful flowers, Elaine requested in lieu of flowers that donations be made in her memory to Gideons International, Meridian West Gideon Camp, P. O. Box 708, Meridian, MS  39301 or to Poplar Springs Drive Baptist Church, 4032 Poplar Springs Drive, Meridian, MS 39305.

Funeral services will be held Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at 11:00 AM at Robert Barham Family Funeral Home with Rev. James Ruffin and Rev. Jerry Roberson officiating. Interment will follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens.  Visitation will be from 9:00 to 10:45 AM at the funeral home prior to funeral services.

Online condolences may be expressed at robertbarhamffh.com.