Beth Weems Sellers

A graveside service for Grace “Beth” Weems Sellers will be held Thursday, January 9th,2025 at 11:00 AM at Magnolia Cemetery with the Reverend Andrew Austin McGehee, of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, officiating. Webb & Stephens Funeral Homes is in charge of the arrangements.

Mrs. Sellers died Tuesday, January 7th, 2025, at her home surrounded by her library of cookbooks. She was born June 10th, 1929, in Ponchatoula, Louisiana to Herbert Weems and Zola Crook Weems. Beth came from a musical family. She majored in music at Southeastern Louisiana College in Hammond, Louisiana. She was a member of the Kappa Rho sorority.

Beth met and married William “Bill” Sanford Sellers and they were married 45 years, moving to Meridian in 1956 to continue in the automobile business. Her travels led her to her life of cooking. She studied French cooking with Simone Beck at Peter Kump’s cooking school in New York and she also attended the Cordon Bleu School at the Ritz Hotel in Paris, France. Beth called Rose Beranbaum of New York, President of Cordon Rose, who helped her over the phone, the trick to making chocolate covered leaves. She also took classes on how to make puff pastry from Benne Webb of Jackson. For Christmas Santa Claus was always lucky to get a piece of classic Majolaine at her house. Beth was featured in The Meridian Star and Mississippi Magazine for her cooking. She acquired a library of cookbooks with no cuisine untouched, totaling 1,744 at last count. Her favorite restaurant was Le Grand Vefour-Paris, France.

Beth was a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church since 1956. She was Vice President and President of the “Women of St. Paul’s”, in charge of “Guild of The Christ Child”, group leader, helped with the Episcopal youth and taught Sunday School. Beth was also President of the “Meridian Council of Church Women”.

Beth worked with Gene Damon and Tom Peter to get the Republican Movement started in Meridian. In 1961 she ran for the political office of City Council. She was the first woman in Mississippi to run for office on a Republican ticket and was mentioned in TIME Magazine. She worked on the committee to start the “Glow Fund” in Meridian and was also a member of the “Ole Bridgeless Club”.

Beth is preceded in death by her husband, William “Bill” Sanford Sellers; parents, Herbert Weems and Zola Crook Weems; and a brother, Byard Herbert Weems of Tyler, Texas.

She is survived by her daughter, Dana Sellers Lawyer and her husband, Stephen Garry Lawyer; and by her granddaughter, Brooke Andrea Lawyer.

The family would like to thank Patricia Dean, Beth’s housekeeper of 41 years, for her dedicated work and love.

The family requests memorial be made to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church: 1116 23rd Avenue, Meridian, MS 39301.