Big Maw Maw was the icing on bakery's cakes, cookies

GULFPORT -- Richard Ferrill said his mother, Jeannie Ferrill, loved her family. And with 10 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, Jeannie Ferrill had a lot of family to love.

Jeannie Ferrill died Saturday at 83. Her graveside service was Tuesday.

"The kids called her Big Maw Maw," Richard Ferrill said. "She was a wonderful, wonderful mother. She was the kind of mama like on 'Leave It To Beaver.' She was always there for us."

Jeannie Ferrill worked for more than 35 years at Quality Bakery in Gulfport, where she helped at the counter and iced baked goods such as cookies and brownies. She started working at the bakery in high school and worked there on and off for many years.

"I think I had cookies every night when I was in high school," he said. "She was always bringing something home from the bakery."

Richard Ferrill said his mother also worked at another well-known Gulfport business.

"A lot of people knew her from working at Moses Men's Wear," he said. "But she worked the longest at Quality."

Jeannie Ferrill also loved the King of Rock & Roll.

"Mama collected Elvis memorabilia," her son said. "She had so much stuff that she turned my room into an Elvis shrine after I moved out."

After her family and Elvis, Jeanie Ferrill's other passion was CBS daytime television.

"She loved 'The Young and the Restless' and soap operas," he said. "She called them her 'stories,' and she watched them every day. She wouldn't pay anyone very much attention when her 'stories' were on."

This story was originally published December 2, 2015 at 7:35 PM with the headline "Big Maw Maw was the icing on bakery's cakes, cookies ."