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Note: June 9, 1923 Letter from the law office of William Stell, Russellville, AL to:
Mrs. Ozella Burruss, Corinth, Miss.
Dear Madam:
I have been unable to do anything whatsoever with your land matter, and from what I can find out I do not feel it is worth while to attempt to do so. If you can get some other lawyer to handle same it will be alright with me.
Your truly,
Wm. Stell
(We speculate this was over the land belonging to her father, J.C. Tittle, who moved back to AL after he remarried his cousin.)
Alcorn Co. school children West Corinth School district
parent: Mrs. Ozella Burrows
Children: Grace age 12
Charles age 14 Ruby age 8 According to Aunt Grace Burress Batavia, Ozella was badly mistreated by her father especially after the death of her mother. She claimed Ozella attended her mother's funeral and was badly beaten.
Some of the younger children were taken in by grandparents after Julia's death, but only until they were a few years old and they were returned to their father. Apparently Ozella was responsible for caring for her siblings, washing, cooking, etc. Her stepmother didn't like any of the children and didn't want them around.
Ozella was playing outside one day and her step-mother called her in and told her to take a bath and put on her best dress. She was taken to Booneville, Prentiss Co., MS by her father and met at the courthouse by Rubin Burress and his mother, Samantha Emaline Burress. They were taken inside and married. Ozella was terrified since she was so young. An aunt spent the night with them on their wedding night and slept between them. Aunt Grace was under the impression that Ozella and Rube were not courting or in love but that this was an arranged marriage.
Ozella was a Baptist but wasn't able to actively attend church due to being left home without transportation. Later in life Ozella and some of the children joined Gurley's Pentecostal Church and attended some. Aunt Grace says Ozella really wanted to preach, but this wasn't allowed in the Pentecostal Church, so Ozella made her children listen to her preach and she could quote Scripture for hours!
Mrs. Bearden said Ozella was a very sweet woman who was a little insecure. She says she was fun to be around, always complimentary to others. She was a very good cook but always thought everyone else was a better cook. Mrs. Bearden said she had a wonderful laugh. Ozella would visit Alice Bearden for weekly visits. Ruth and William Bearden were newlyweds. Ruth would cook meals and Ozella made her feel good because she'd brag on Ruth's cooking!
Ozella was sick for many years with Alzheimers. She lived with her daughter, Ruby Burress Jackson and her husband, G.B. Jackson, until her death.
1930 Alcorn Co., MS census
Beat 1 supervisors dist. 3 enumberations dist. 2 sheet 5A household 91-100
BURRESS Ozella V. head rents 47 widowed age 14 when married
Alice dau. age 19
Charlie A. son age 17
Grace dau. age 13
Ruby dau. age 9?
McPeters Funeral Home Records page 173
Ozella Viola Burress Sutherland
March 8, 1880 Tish. Co., MS
Oct. 11, 1962, Glen, MS
pulmonary conjestion
husband: Wyatt Sutherland died 1954
son: Elmer Burress
father: Jimmie Tittle born MS
mother: Julia Hopkins born MS
burial: Piney Grove Cem., Rienzi, MS
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