South MS family, friends bid emotional goodbye to 6-year-old Gracelynn Vick
They came mostly dressed in purple, to honor the life of a Mississippi girl who, in six short years, filled the world with boundless joy, energy, and love.
Gracelynn Vick, a kindergartner at Saucier Elementary School, died in what authorities believe was a tragic accident on April 13 — the same day she went missing on her family’s farm on F. Taylor Road in Saucier. Her family had asked mourners to wear purple if possible, because it was the little girl’s favorite color.
The blonde-headed beauty, with an “infectious giggle and fearless curiosity,” went missing at Gracelynn Heritage Farms in Saucier, the same grounds where she spent most of her childhood frolicking with cousins, friends and family.
Her greatest joy came from the time she spent with her doting mother, Vickie Lynn (Wedgeworth) Hutcherson. The two paired up routinely as a team to go around the farm feeding the animals Gracelynn adored.
On Monday, whole families filled a room at Riemann Family Funeral Home in Gulfport to honor the child whose life came to an end just over a week before. Parents and children wept together, their heads bowed out of respect for the grieving family and loved ones.
Child, 6, had an adventurous spirit
At the funeral service, those who eulogized her remembered her as that barefoot little girl who, given a stick, some rocks, dirt, something to climb on, and the woods, would have a joy-filled day.
She was also that fun-loving little girl who’d swipe some of her mamma’s spices and take them outside to whip something up in the dirt as a makeshift meal that, of course, no one actually ate.
And that feisty little spitfire with a love of adventure, and that same child who could try to find a fun way to get you back if you made her mad.
That’s precisely the kind of thing her mother, Vickie, got to experience firsthand.
There was that day Gracelynn’s mama made her mad, so her daughter grabbed a bucket of her mother’s screws, nuts and bolts and buried them on the farm, then drafted a map for her mom to try to find them.
And she was the same little gem whose death has left those who knew and loved her in unspeakable mourning.
The Rev. Stephen Spiers, of Apostolic Tabernacle of Refuge, honored the little girl who brightened up Sunday school classes and brought much joy to those around her.
But, he reminded those there to honor her Monday that some come into our lives that we have the opportunity to rejoice and have that kind of light that burns bright in this world, and Gracelynn was one of them.
“Sad to say, not all lights burn forever,” the Rev. Spiers said.
The pastor urged mourners not to worry about finding the right words of comfort for Gracelynn’s family, but instead encouraged them to offer a shoulder to cry on, because sometimes that is the best thing that can be provided to people experiencing a type of grief that others have never known.
A bright light that’s lost
Despite their great loss, Gracie’s family is holding on to memories of the free-spirited child with a big heart and a love for adventure.
At Saucier Elementary, teachers and classmates thought of Gracelynn as a fun-loving child with an “infectious giggle” that filled her kindergarten classroom with joy, bringing smiles to her classmates and friends as she approached her activities there with enthusiasm and wonder.
When Gracelynn wasn’t spending time with her family, she filled her days with fun playdates with her Aunt Jackie, her beloved cousin, or her best friend, Birdeeleigh.
She turned ordinary moments into cherished memories, and her unique love for garlic in her green beans is a memory the family will hold on to forever.
Though her life was short, the family described it as “a beautiful tapestry woven with love, adventure, and memories that will be treasured forever.”
As the funeral procession made its way from Gulfport to the Wedgeworth family cemetery, just a brief walk through the woods from the family farm, mourners stopped to pay their respects.
Purple balloons and pink ribbons adorned street signs, mailboxes, and so much more.
Her family made sure she had one last journey through the woods she loved so much as pallbearers led the coffin through on a pathway to her final resting place.
Gracelynn is the last of three children her mother has lost over the years.
Gracelynn’s older sister, Victoria Hutcherson, 13, died in a car crash in March 2024.
Their older brother, Larry Hunt, died at the age of 18 after a long-time medical condition.
This story was originally published April 21, 2025 at 2:44 PM.
