Estalene "Esta" Peavler Hayden

On Monday December 16, 2019, Estalene “Esta” Peavler Hayden, passed away peacefully at her home in the Fairport Community of Noxubee County at the age of 84.

Graveside services will be at 11:00 AM Friday December 20 at Bethesda Baptist Church with Rev. Russell Mord, Dr. Mitch Bradshaw and Bro. Allen Dees officiating.   Visitation will be Thursday December 19 from 4PM – 6PM at Cockrell Funeral Home and one hour prior to services at Bethesda Baptist Church. Cockrell Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with arrangements.

Mrs. Hayden was born August 26, 1935 in Lily, KY to the late Leslie Otto Peavler and Vera Winford Peavler.    Raised in Kentucky, Ohio, Texas and Brooksville, Mississippi, she married her husband Bill in 1953 and raised four children on their farm in Fairport.  Esta was best known for her 25 year career with NBC Bank in Brooksville.     While banking was her career, serving others was her life.    She embraced everyone with an open heart and possessed an innate desire to uplift others. From volunteering with church youth to serving the elderly and downtrodden through Contact Helpline for over 40 years, Esta served with a heart for those most in need.     Her sense of adventure and passion for serving others had no international or age boundaries as she spent time building houses in Mexico and loving on the children of Northern Thailand even in her later years.  Her most enduring role was “Memaw” to her grandchildren and their children, who she taught to serve right alongside her.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Bill Hayden and step-mother Lucy Peavler.   She is survived by son William Leslie Hayden (Donna); daughters Gale Hayden, Vera Hayden Taylor (Jim), and Betty Hayden Eaves; a sister Ida Whitaker and step-sister Dixie West, seven grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Robbie Taylor, Andrew Eaves, Jeremy Taylor, Forrest Eaves, Josh Hayden, Robert King, Vic Scott and Kenny Wright.

Honorary pallbearers are Gerald Richardson, Johnny Heard, Robert Fulton, Larry Gentry, John Hayden, Jerry Kinard, Hank Eaves and Bobby Taylor.  Memorials may be made to United Way of Lowndes county, P.O. Box 266, Columbus, MS  39703-0266.