Memorial services were held at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 21, 2025, at Stafford’s on Main in Drew for Jackie Lee LaMastus, 95, of Gore Springs, loving daddy and granddaddy, who died peacefully at his residence on Friday, Sept. 12, surrounded by family and friends. Visitation was held from 2 p.m. until service time on Sunday, Sept. 21.
Jackie was born on Dec. 10, 1929, in Minter City, the son of the late Ruby Manning LaMastus and the late Birdie Halvin LaMastus. As with many families in the years following the Depression, his mother had to move many times to find work. In 1945, he came to Drew to spend the summer with his uncle. He loved Drew and decided he would stay. Several families in the Drew area gave him shelter and work. Mr. Pete Cummins made a deal with Daddy. He would take him in and provide him work if he would go back to school and play football. Rumor has it he was a tough player.
In August following graduation, Jackie joined the 106th Combat Engineers of Mississippi Army National Guard at the beginning of the Korean War. They were mobilized to Camp McCoy, Wis. The day his battalion deployed to Korea, Daddy was hospitalized with double pneumonia.
Jackie married his beloved wife and our mother, Louise “Diddy” Viner, on Nov. 21, 1951. A fellow soldier from Chicago, Ill., was a milliner and as a gift for Daddy, he fashioned Mama’s hat for their wedding. Mama was six months older than Daddy and he would tease her about marrying an older woman. There was a long standing disagreement about who asked whom for their first date. Daddy always claimed Mama asked John Mims to ask him to go dancing with their group. Mama said Daddy begged John Mims to ask her to go out with him. Two memories that never changed: Their first date started with Daddy helping Mama finish chopping cotton, and she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
Daddy served 41 years in the National Guard and Active Guard and Reserves. He quickly rose through the ranks and was hired in 1961, to work full-time as battalion administrator and First Sergeant, a position he held until the late 1970s when he became a recruiter. He was always a top recruiter and won an award that was presented at a formal event in Washington, D.C. While he felt honored, it was not something he boasted about. Mama sang his praises when recounting how many service stripes she sewed on his dress blues.
The first armory Jackie supervised was directly across from Drew High School and the courtyard where students gathered after lunch. Seizing an opportunity, he started a concession stand and used the money to provide extras for his troops. Never one to sit still, Daddy often worked multiple jobs. In the fall, he would work at a cotton gin after his regular day ended. He was an active member of the Drew Lions Club and served as president. When they retired to Gore Springs, he became active in the Gore Springs Community Club.
A lifelong Green Bay Packers fan, Jackie loved football. There wasn’t another sport other than hunting and fishing that he loved more. Daddy was also a dyed-in-the-wool Mississippi State fan. The only time he cheered against Mississippi State was when Archie was playing at Ole Miss.
After retiring, Jackie’s year revolved around crappie fishing, deer hunting, driving his tractor, growing and selling peas, and football. Relaxing was the 15 minutes that he would take to drink a Coke and eat Nabs.
Daddy’s family was everything to him. He often spent weekends taking us to Grenada Lake or supervising teenagers after home football games. He got great pleasure in pulling pranks on us. He simply adored his children, grandchildren and his great grandchildren.
In addition to his parents, his wife, Louise “Diddy;” his first son, Jackie Lee LaMastus Jr.; his brothers, Everett LaMastus and Halvin LaMastus; his sister- and brother-in-law, Alice Juareen LaMastus and Earl J. Helmbreck, and niece, Alice Helmbreck Dewson, preceded Jackie in death.
Survivors include, his daughters, Jackie “Missy” LaMastus of Flowood and Jeri Lynda Thompson and his beloved son-in-law, Tommy, of Drew; his grandchildren, Strehle Thompson (Ashley) of Ruleville, Claire Anne Kapaun of Flowood, Ali E. Stockstill (Trace) of Cleveland, and C. Alexandra Kapaun of Hattiesburg, and five great grandchildren, Karlee Thompson, Ella Gray Stockstill, Ava Kate Stockstill, Halsey Thompson and Wyatt Eubanks.
In addition to family, Daddy’s last years were made better by Jean Golliday and Bill Bailey. Jean has been a mainstay for 30-plus years. She took great care of both Mama and Daddy throughout those three decades. Daddy met Bill Bailey when he started growing peas. Bill and Daddy had great fun swapping stories and jokes. Bill made Daddy’s last years so much better just by visiting with him regularly. Jean and Bill are our family.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to Wounded Warriors https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org or “Magnolia Messenger,” P.O. Box 1578, Kosciusko, MS, 39090 or www.Magnoliamessengermag.com
Online condolence can be expressed to the family at www.williamsandlord.com
Williams & Lord Funeral Home in Greenwood was in charge of arrangements.
