COVID-19 killed this Mississippi couple married 50 years. They died holding hands.
A Long Beach couple was holding hands when they died Wednesday of COVID-19, according to their obituary.
Jerry Austin Williamson, and his wife, Frances Jewel Bond, both 72, had been married for 50 years.
Born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Jerry Williamson served in the U.S. Navy until his retirement as a public works supervisor at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Gulfport.
Frances Williamson was a native of Wiggins. She served in the medical field until her retirement as a phlebotomist, or healthcare professional trained to draw blood from patients.
They were members of North Long Beach Baptist Church, where he was a deacon and she was on the flower committee.
They are survived by their two children, Delora Demaris Williamson Ingerson and Jerry Austin Williamson II, along with other relatives.
A private service will be held Monday, though friends are invited to watch a live-stream of the service at 10 Monday. To access the live-stream, go to their obituary at riemannfamily.com at the time the service is set to start.
Interment will follow at a later date at Biloxi National Cemetery along with a public memorial service.
This story was originally published April 3, 2020 at 3:56 PM.
