By By Kelly Quackenbush/The Meridian Star
Jan. 24, 2001
Dr. William Apperson was remembered Tuesday by friends and family as a man of conscience who practiced the same commitment to community service and racial harmony he preached.
Apperson, 70, died Monday, Jan. 22, 2001, at Riley Hospital. Visitation is scheduled today from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at First Christian Church. Funeral services will be held Thursday at 11 a.m. at the church.
Born in Graves County, Ky., Apperson moved to Meridian in 1962, becoming pastor of First Christian Church.
A graduate of Transylvania University in Lexington, Ky., he served as an ordained member of the local clergy for more than 40 years, and continued to serve in an interim capacity for area churches after his retirement in 1995.
Apperson was active in the civil rights movement of the sixties, serving as a member of the Committee of Conscience and working to heal racial divisions in Meridian and elsewhere in Mississippi.
While he served the Christian faith, Apperson's devotion to religious pursuits and intellectual curiosity had a certain non-denominational appeal.
Apperson served as president of the Teen Learning Center for more than 25 years and initiated the annual Kentucky Ham Meal. He was a member of the administrative committee of the Christian Church Disciples of Christ and served on the general board of Christian Churches.
He held membership and positions of leadership in the Rotary Club, Meridian Symphony League, Chamber of Commerce, Girl Scout Council, Lung Association and Festival of Fine Arts. He also served on the board of the directors at Kings Daughters and Sons Rest Home.
He and his wife, JoAnn Hewlett Apperson, shared 49 years of marriage. In addition to their two daughters, Ann and Amy, other survivors include six grandchildren.
Kelly Quackenbush is a staff writer for The Meridian Star.