Dauphine Bass

Dauphine Jones Bass, 88, passed away on November 2, 2018, after a brief illness.  Dauphine was born on September 14, 1930 in Carson, Mississippi to Elaine McPhail Jones and Floyd Elmer Jones.  The second of eight children, Dauphine grew up on her parents’ farm where her primary job was helping her mother take care of her younger brothers and sisters.  According to her sister, Patricia, she had such a strong love of learning that her father would at times hide her books so that she would complete her chores.

After graduating as Valedictorian of Carson High School in 1948, Dauphine attended Copiah-Lincoln Junior College and The University of Southern Mississippi.  Upon graduating from Southern, she completed post-graduate studies in Library Science at Louisiana State University.  Dauphine then taught English and served as librarian at Osyka High School in Osyka, Mississippi, and as Assistant Librarian at Hinds Junior College, before accepting a position as Librarian and English Teacher at Brandon High School in 1952.  While at Brandon, she was reintroduced to Brandon’s Head Coach, Wade Bass, who she had met briefly while at Southern.  Dauphine and Wade fell in love, and were married on June 3, 1956 at Dublin Baptist Church near Carson.  Dauphine and Wade were married for over 60 years before his death in 2016.

Dauphine left Brandon High School in 1960 to help Wade establish his new State Farm Insurance Agency.  Until Wade’s retirement from State Farm in 1997, Dauphine worked with her husband in every aspect of running their agency.  Wade said many times that he would never have been able to establish the business without her support and counsel.

Dauphine and Wade loved to travel.  Early in their marriage, they purchased their first pop-up camper, later replaced by travel trailers and motor homes.  Over the years, they traveled to every state in the country, often accompanied by their sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren.  Some of their family’s fondest memories are of camping trips with Mimi and Papaw.

Dauphine’s unwavering faith in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior was the foundation of her life.  She was a woman of prayer, with a knowledge of Scripture that would rival that of many ministers.  She had a familiar, personal relationship with God that was a source of comfort and strength to her family.  When her son, Don, asked her one time if she had ever seen Jesus, she told him that, while she had not seen Him, she knew the sound of His voice.

Known as “Mimi” to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Dauphine loved to share  stories about their activities with her friends.  In her later years, she became a volleyball “expert,” as she followed intently the seasons of the Brandon High School Volleyball team on which her granddaughters, Kate and Jayne, play.

In addition to her work and family activities, Dauphine was a Bible Study leader and Sunday School teacher.  After many years of active service at First Baptist Church Brandon, she became a charter member of Brandon Baptist Church where she was a member of The Margaret Ross Class.  She was also an avid gardener who loved working in her yard.  A self-taught knitter, her blankets became valued possessions to her family and friends.

In addition to her beloved husband, Wade, Dauphine is preceded in death by her grandson, Philip Wade Bass; daughter-in-law, Martha Ware Bass; sister, Myrle Jones Brown; and brothers William Jones, Buster Jones, and Bruce Jones.  She is survived by her sons Wade Davis (David) Bass, IV and wife, Jayne of Dallas, Texas, and Don Lewis Bass and wife, Angela of Brandon; her grandchildren, Nancy Bass Ferry and husband, Richard of Dallas, Fr. Wade Williams Bass of Dallas, James Lewis Bass of Shreveport, Louisiana, Henry Philip Bass of Lincoln, Nebraska, Mary Grace Bass, Katherine Paige Bass, Jayne Hayes Bass, all of Brandon, and great-grandchildren Richard Davis Ferry and Veronica Jayne Ferry.  She is also survived by sisters Patricia Baggett of Fort Myers, Florida, Maggie Prewitt of Atlanta, Georgia, and brother, Charles Jones of Pearl, Mississippi.

The family would like to thank Dr. Scott Gibson for his loving care of Dauphine in the latter years of her life.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 pm on Monday, November 5th at Ott & Lee Funeral Home in Brandon, MS, and from 9:30 to 11:00 am on Tuesday, November 6th at Brandon Baptist Church in Brandon, MS.  A funeral service celebrating her life will be held on Tuesday, November 6th at 11:00 am at Brandon Baptist Church with Dr. Clarence Cooper officiating.  Burial will follow the service at Brandon Memorial Gardens in Brandon, MS.

Gifts in memory of Dauphine’s life may be sent to Brandon Baptist Church Building Fund at 100 Brandon Baptist Drive, Brandon, MS  39042.