GDG- Margie Riddle Bearss

[Ginny Gage]

We receive Digests, so I assume this has already been posted, but in case it
hasn¹t:

>From the Washington Post Obituary.



BEARSS - MARGIE RIDDLE BEARSS

Brandon, MS and Arlington, VA, MARGIE RIDDLE BEARSS, 80, died Saturday,
October 7, 2006 at St. Dominic Hospital, Jackson, MS following a lengthy
illness. Burial will be private. Baldwin-Lee Funeral Home, Pearl, MS is
handling arrangements. The daughter of Ralph Caswell Riddle and Mattie Reid
Riddle, she was born October 22, 1925 and grew up in Brandon. She was a
fourth-generation member of Bethel Baptist Church. After graduating from
Hinds Junior College and Blue Mountain College, she taught English in
Goodman and Lexington. In 1958, she marrried Edwin Bearss, Historian of the
Vicksburg Military Park. In 1966, they moved to Arlington, VA.



She had a lifelong love of books, poetry and Civil War history. She helped
recover, preserve and catalog artifacts from the Union Ironclad Cairo. She
designed and constructed the exhibits at the Grand Gulf Military Park. Her
books include Sherman's Forgotten Campaign (1987) and, with her dear friend,
Rebecca Drake, two collections of Champion Hill documents, My Dear Wife
(2005) and Darwina's Diary (2OO6). While living in Arlington, she was
elected to membership in the National Military Collectors and Historians and
named Fellow for her work pertaining to the USS Cairo and Grand Gulf Park.



Survivors include husband, Edwin Bearss of Arlington, VA; daughter, Sara
Bearss of Richmond, VA; sons, Edwin Bearss, Jr. and his wife, Annika Bearss,
son, Michael Bearss, all of Columbus, GA; daughter, Jenny Bearss and sons
Todd and Andy Olmsted, all of Brandon, MS.



Memorials may be sent to The Civil War Preservation Trust.


Lew and Ginny Gage