Zula Eleanor Givan Caperton
Zula Eleanor Givan Caperton, 96, died June 4, 2010, in Plano. She was born Sept. 24, 1913, in Oglala, S.D., on an Indian reservation where her parents Earl and Ethel Givan were school teachers.
She graduated from Carthage High School in Carthage, Miss., where she played basketball and was the salutatorian of the Class of 1932. She graduated from Bowling Green Business School in Bowling Green, Ky., and returned to Carthage where she met her husband of 50 years, Frank M. Caperton.
They lived several places in their beloved Mississippi, including Louisville, Stoneville, Leland, Greenville and Greenwood, before returning to her husband’s hometown, Noxapater, at retirement.
During World War II they lived in Tullahoma and Crossville, Tennessee.
After her husband’s death, she moved to Burnet to be close to her daughters. Her last two years were spent in Plano, where she was cared for by her granddaughter.
She was a busy working mother of three children, and spent 25 years with the Social Security Administration. She was also active in her church and community.
She was especially proud she was a 50-plus year member of the Order of the Eastern Star, where she twice served as the Worthy Grand Matron. She loved her Lord and spent numerous years teaching fourth-grade girls in Sunday school in Greenwood, Miss.
She and her husband were active members of Campers on Mission of the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, helping construct small churches in Wyoming, Oklahoma and Arizona. They established a trust fund with the Mississippi Baptist Convention, the proceeds of which are distributed to small Baptist churches in struggling areas to build churches.
After moving to Burnet at age 83, she volunteered at Seton Highland Lakes Hospital for 10 years, working more than 1,500 hours at the hospital. She always felt you were never too old to give to others. It was her love and service to others that kept her going.
Survivors include daughters Mary Embry and husband Larry of Brenham, and Margaret Sullivan and husband Doug of Burnet; son Frank Caperton Jr. and wife JoAnn of Daphne, Ala.; grandchildren Lawrence Embry and wife Shelley of Dallas, Mark Embry and wife Amanda of Frisco, Douglas Sullivan of Houston and Ellen Smith and husband Kirk of Little Elm; five great-grandchildren with another soon to be born.
In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents; brothers Dean, Neil and Milber Givan; and sisters Mae G. Moon and Dorothy Givan.
A funeral service is 2 p.m. June 8 at First Baptist Church of Burnet and at 2 p.m. June 11 in Noxapater Baptist Church, Noxapater, Miss.
Interment follows at the Mount Carmel Cemetery in Noxapater.
In lieu of flowers contributions may be sent to: Frank and Zula Caperton Trust Fund, c/o The Mississippi Baptist Foundation, P. O. Box 530, Jackson, MS 39205.
This fund is administered through the North American Mission Board to provide building materials for small, needy churches in the United States.
Local arrangements are by Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home, 306 E. Polk. St. in Burnet, (512) 756-2222.