Mr. Daniel Ross Jr., 78, died Wednesday evening, March 18, 2015, at his home in rural Jefferson Davis County. Services for Mr. Ross were held on Tuesday, March 24, at Mt. Zion MB Church, with Pastor Ozell White officiating. Interment was in the Mt. Zion Church Cemetery, with Laird Mortuary in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Ross was the son of the late Daniel Ross Sr. and the late Lizzie Mae Barnes Ross of the Mt. Zion community of Jefferson Davis County. At an early age, he joined the Mt. Zion Church and remained a faithful member until he moved to California to pursue his livelihood. After relocating back to Prentiss he reunited with the Mt. Zion Church, and remained a member until his death. Mr. Ross attended Mt. Zion School and worked with his father as a farmer until he moved to California, where he worked as a crane operator for Alabama Pipe Company.

In 1975, Mr. Ross moved his family back to Mississippi and was employed by Duncan and Rogers for a number of years, until he retired to care for his ailing father until his death. Mr. Ross returned to work, after the death of his father, as a custodian at Prentiss High School, retiring in 2006 from his final employment.

In 1958, Mr. Ross met and married the late former Mattie Bell Hooker Ross, and to this union five wonderful children were born.

Mr. Ross’ survivors include one daughter, Kelley Ross (Teddy) Brown of Prentiss; four sons, Michael (Frances) Ross, Marcus (Mary) Ross, both of New Hebron, Rickey Ross of Prentiss, and Daniel Ross III of Gulfport; two brothers, Clarence Ross of Chicago, IL, and Kenneth Ross of Los Angeles, CA; four sisters, Edna (Allen) Muldrow, Pearl (P.M.) Fountain, all of Chicago, Earnestine Williams of Phoenix, AZ, and Eva (Ronald) Fraction of St. Louis, MO; 11 grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.