Marquis LaVette James

THE LIFE & LEGACY

Marquis LaVette James, affectionately known to most simply as "Vette," was born on November 25, 1975, to Garcelle and Bobbie Cooper Jones. From the very beginning, Vette had a way of doing things in her own time and in her own way. Her family often joked that she entered this world feet first, ready to hit the ground running - and anyone who knew her would agree that she never really stopped.

Vette accepted Christ at an early age and became a member of Egypt Hill Missionary Baptist Church, a place that remained an important part of her life. Her service to God was never limited to simply occupying a pew. She participated in Sunday School, sang in the Gospel Choir, served with and later directed the Sunshine Choir. Throughout the years, she wore many hats within the church. Over the last sixteen years, she faithfully served in several capacities, including Youth Department President, Pastor's Aide President, Sexton, Kitchen/Food Ministry, and Corresponding Secretary. Whether she was working behind the scenes, feeding somebody, helping the youth, organizing something, or simply making sure what needed to be done got done, Vette served with her whole heart.

Vette attended Crystal Springs High School, graduating a year ahead of schedule in 1993, although she was originally a member of the Class of 1994. Never one to sit still when she could be getting ahead, she earned additional credits through summer dual-enrollment courses at the University of Southern Mississippi. She later attended Alcorn State University, and although her time there was brief, her love for Alcorn was anything but. Vette was head over heels for Alcorn State University and carried that love proudly throughout her life. If you knew Vette, you knew she loved her Alcorn - purple, gold, and all. She was an Alcornite at heart.

Vette received her cosmetology license, although truth be told, she had been doing hair long before a license ever made it official. She started right inside her parents' home, doing hair from her bedroom and, along the way, bleaching more than a little carpet. What began in that bedroom grew into a steady clientele. Many of those customers became longtime clients, and many of those clients became lifelong friends. Her parents believed in her gift and supported her ambitions, eventually having a salon built next door to their home. There, "Essence of Beauty" was born. For Vette, doing hair was never just about hair. It was conversation, laughter, friendship, encouragement, and community.

In 2000, while at New Deal Grocery, Vette met the love of her life, the late Calvin Earl "Chip" James, Jr. She gave him a hard time at first, but eventually gave in - and it became one of the best decisions of her life.

The two married in 2001, and their marriage brought together a family that Vette loved without distinction. Calvin's three daughters, Shaniqua, Aireyonna, and Aironese, became hers, and later their daughters, Taylar and Kiersten, completed their family. There was no "his" and "hers." There were simply five girls.

Together, Calvin and LaVette built a family centered around love, faith, laughter, and togetherness, eventually embracing the phrase that became so special to them: "Blessed by 5." Calvin, La Vette, and their five beautiful daughters exemplified just how beautifully God can bring a family together. Being a mother was one of the greatest joys of Vette's life, but her mothering never stopped with the five girls she raised. Vette simply loved children.

For more than thirteen years, she volunteered and served through the Crystal Springs PTO. The children affectionately knew her as Mrs. James or Momma, and they knew how deeply she loved them. Vette often said that if she had more money, she would have had more children - and anybody who knew her believed her.

Biological child, godchild, play child, school child - it really did not matter to Vette. Any child she came in contact with had a way of becoming like one of her own. If they needed love, encouragement, food, support, or simply somebody in their corner, Vette's heart always seemed to have room.

Vette was truly a woman of many hats and many talents. In addition to her work in cosmetology, the church, and the schools, she had a natural gift for creating beautiful things. She worked in graphic design through Coopers International Screen Printing and Design, while also creating designs of her own. She was well known for her graphic designing, catering, decorating, event planning, and coordinating through "JCO Catering and Design".

If something needed to be designed, decorated, organized, cooked, printed, planned, or simply made beautiful, there was a good chance somebody was calling Vette - and somehow, she usually figured it out.

In March 2025, Vette received the devastating diagnosis of Stage IV colon cancer. She did not allow that diagnosis to define her. Instead, it pushed her to deepen her faith in Christ. Through treatments and difficult days, Vette continued to support her children and family and continued many of her regular duties and tasks whenever she was able. Even when her own body was tired, she was still concerned about the people she loved.

Vette fought hard. She prayed. She praised. And through it all, she continued to trust God. Vette knew that God had her. She prayed and praised Him because she knew that her healing could come.

On Monday, September 7, 2026, surrounded by family and love, God touched Vette with His healing hand and granted her the ultimate healing - one that sickness, pain, cancer, and suffering could never touch again. And we believe that when Vette closed her eyes here, she opened them in the presence of God, reunited with the love of her life, Calvin "Chip" James, her big brother Jimmie "Peanut" Jones, and all of her loved ones who had gone before her.

Vette leaves a lifetime of love and memories to be cherished by her parents, Garcelle and Bobbie Cooper Jones of Crystal Springs, Mississippi; mother-in-law, Peggy (Sylvester) Cottrell; grandmother-in-laws, Hattie Ruth Perkins of Clinton, Mississippi, Birdia Mae James of New Orleans, Louisiana, and Ethal Mae Kendrick of Terry, MS; five daughters, Shaniqua James-Toney, Aireyonna, Aironese, Taylar, and Kiersten James; son-in-law, Robert Shag Toney of Crystal Springs, Mississippi; two grandchildren, Shalani Rose Toney and Bryson Henderson; and niece, Rameka Kiara Jones of Terry, Mississippi.

She also leaves to cherish her memories two uncles, Augustus (Carolyn) Jones of Crystal Springs, Mississippi, and Elijah Cooper of Terry, Mississippi; five aunts, Gwendolyn (Allen) Bell and Rosie Wilkinson of Crystal Springs, Mississippi; Pearlene Nix and Bertha Cooper of Terry, Mississippi; Ollie Browley of Grand Rapids, Michigan; two aunt-in-laws, Linda Harris and Shenita Nix of Terry, MS; five beloved godchildren, Guyeshia Peel of Los Angeles, Demario Sumrall of Byram, Mississippi; Breyona Fields of Terry, Mississippi; Aaliyah Jenkins of Crystal Springs, Mississippi; and T'Nya Christmas of Crystal Springs, Mississippi. She also leaves special cousins, Chris and Connie Jones; her play mom, Cassandra Sampson; her cousins turned sister and brother, Derian and Micca Knox of Clinton, Mississippi; former sister-in-law, Demetrius Jones; along with a host of play children, nieces, nephews, cousins, lifelong friends turned family, and countless others whose lives were made better simply because Vette was a part of them.

To know Vette was to know a woman who loved hard, served faithfully, worked tirelessly, cared deeply, created beautifully, loved children endlessly, cherished her family, loved her Alcorn, and trusted God through it all. Her presence will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her, but her life and legacy will live on through the people she poured herself into. The love she gave, the children she nurtured, the family she helped build, the memories she created, the faith she demonstrated, and the lives she touched will remain until the day we meet again in that great city beyond the clouds.