Funeral services with military honors for Mr. Jerry W. Broome were held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2017, at Greens Creek Baptist Church.

Mr. Broome, 80, died Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017, in Jackson. Rev. Bob Burge and Rev. Everett Broome officiated and burial was in the Greens Creek Cemetery. Saulters Moore Funeral Home was in charge of all arrangements.

Pallbearers were Travis Bass, Willie Dyess, Ricky Barrett, Anthony Stuart,and Lewis Stuart. Honorary pallbearers were Albert Tisdale, Mike Tisdale, Al Hudson, Ben Hudson, Sam Hudson, Heath Williams, Donald Martin, Daniel Martin, Michael Martin, Marty Copeland, Ronnie Copeland and James Roberts.

Jerry Warren Broome was born on May 19, 1937, in Carson to Johnny Warren Broome and Webbie Batton Broome. Mr. Broome was a veteran of the Mississippi National Guard. He was a member of the Mt. Carmel #453 Masonic Lodge, the Eastern Star and American Legion Post 61 in Sumrall. Mr. Broome was retired from Pioneer Aerospace, where he continued to serve as a consultant. He was a member of Greens Creek Baptist Church.

Mr. Broome was preceded in death by his mother and father; two sisters, Bobbie Jean Tisdale and Gloria Tisdale; and one brother, Jimmy Broome.

He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Barbara Martin Broome of Carson; one son, Jeffery Broome (Sarah) of Prentiss; one daughter, Stephanie Elaine Broome Cheaney of Ames, Iowa; five grandchildren, Joshua Broome, Justin Broome, Jonathan Broome, Sean Cheaney, and Katherine Alanna Cheaney; one sister, Ann Hudson of Hattiesburg; 13 nephews; nine nieces; as and a host of other relatives and friends.

Online condolences and a guest registry are available at www.saultersmoorefuneralhome.com.

Who would have thought that a guy that finished Carson High School in 1956 would have fingerprints on Mars today. That person is Jerry Warren Broome.

After finishing school he worked on the farm. He became a truck driver for Lipseys Gin and Lipsey Feed and Seed store. He worked as a mechanic for Edward Hyman Manufacturing Co. Later he moved to New Hebron Manufacture Garment Company in New Hebron for Mr. Stevenson. Next, he worked for Mr. W.T. Lipsey Ginning (cotton) in Prentiss when he was called to be a manager of Lula Cotton Processing in Lula. In his offseason, he directed the last cotton gin at Parchman with the help of prisoners for Continental Mess Gordon Gin out of Memphis, Tennessee.

In April of 1965, he married Barbara Martin, who was one of the last students of Carson School when consolidation took place. She went to Bassfield High School in 1957, where she finished in 1962.

In January 1966, Jerry was looking for work close to home. He applied at St. Regis Paper Company, a paper mill in the area. He went to the Mississippi employment office and they sent him on a trip to Columbia because they had a job for him at Pioneer Recovery System which opened in 1933 and was known as the old Reliance Plant making parachutes. They interviewed him for a position as a carpenter’s helper and he started the next morning working 16-hour shifts.

He was promoted to carpenter and then later a mechanic assistant, head mechanic, mill wright and then over all the maintenance. He earned college credits during the years at work.

He retired after 37 years with Pioneer Aerospace in 2001as his health failed him due to cancer.

Jerry recovered from surgery and became free of cancer.

Making parachutes was a work of pleasure. The picture of the largest parachute ever made is in a picture of the largest curtain that was made to hang across the Grand Canyon. He was involved with the project. It was the news of the day. It appeared on the 6 p.m. news and by the time the news was over at 6:30 p.m., it had blown down.

The landing of the Rover on Mars in the last three years was made safely in part due to Jerry’s work on the machine that cut the lines to the length needed to attach the parachute to the cargo. It took 240 lines one and a half miles long each to fit the gear of the parachute. It took three Rover projects to get the project completed.

It was a great pleasure for him to work for Pioneer Aerospace in Columbia. He would have spent his last working days at Stennis Space Center in Picayune if his health hadn’t failed him.

He has a son, Jeffrey, who was valedictorian of his Bassfield High School class in 1984. He is married and has three sons, Joshua, Justin and Jonathan. He has a daughter, Stephanie Elaine, who was valedictorian of her Bassfield High School class in 1989. She has a daughter, Katie, and a son, Sean.

Jerry also served his country by being in the Mississippi National Guard from 1956-1966. He was a faithful servant.