Hernando Joe Caperton died May 16, 2019 at MS Baptist Hospital in Jackson after a brief illness. Joe was born to John Albert Caperton and Lillie Mae Moody Caperton on April 2, 1929 in Winston County. He was named after his two grandfathers, Hernando Desoto Caperton and Joe Moody, both of pioneer families who settled in Winston County in the 1830’s and 1850’s.
Joe grew up in Louisville and lived most of his life there graduating from Louisville High School and later attending Coyne Electrical School in Chicago, Illinois. In 1951, he joined 104 other men in Company G, 155th Infantry Regiment, 31st Dixie Division who departed Louisville, Mississippi in mid-January by train and convoy to Fort Jackson, South Carolina to support the war effort during the Korean Conflict. Following the end of his active duty, he returned to Louisville and remained in the National Guard for twenty years. During that time he used his training at Coyne and opened a television repair shop, which he operated after hours and on weekends while he was still working full-time at the guard.
Later, Joe opened Joe’s TV Service, a TV and appliance dealership and repair shop on North Court Avenue which he operated until his retirement.
In those years he lived in Louisville, he was active for 40 years with the volunteer fire department and served many of those years as the Fire Chief. During that time the volunteer firemen were successful in getting the city to establish the volunteer fire department as a full time operation and hire a full time chief. It was then that the fire department building was built on N Court Street. Upon his retirement from the fire department, he was named to honorary status.
He moved to Union, MS and lived there until he went to the VA Nursing Home. He made many new and lasting friendships there.
In 1948 he married Abbie Jean Capps who was the mother of his children. In 1989 he married Mary Dean Majure. Both predeceased him.
Joe had three children, Randy Caperton, Lynn Caperton and Mary Ann Caperton. He was predeceased by his daughter Lynn Caperton Graham. He was also predeceased by his two brothers Tommy Caperton and Billy Sullivan. He is survived by his daughter Mary Ann Chatham (Bill) of Pearl, MS, his son Randy Caperton of Jackson, MS, his step-daughter Tanya Majure Jordan (Mike), Kennesaw,GA, his sister Cora Lynn Campbell of Vicksburg, MS; and very close First Cousins, Carolyn Caperton Mills, and Bobbie Jean Triplett of Louisville. He is also survived by the joys of his life, five grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
For the past ten years, after breaking his hip at age 79, he has been at home at the MS State Veterans Home in Kosciusko, where he has received outstanding care and love by the staff there. Without their love and care, the family could not have survived these years. The staff have become like his extended family and many have expressed their fond memories of “The Mayor” which the staff called him. They also have described him as the official greeter at the Nursing Home because he loved to sit out front and talk with all those who came to visit.
Visitation will be from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. this Sunday afternoon May 19th at Porter Funeral Home in Louisville, MS. The family will hold private interment at Louisville Memorial Park after the visitation.
The family requests that those who want to make a memorial in lieu of flowers may send a check to the MS State Veterans Home to defray extra expenses for those veterans who are on limited income. Joe believed that one of the highest accomplishments in his life was that of having served his country and being a Veteran.
