Born October 18, 1955 in Franklin County, the daughter of Evans Shorts, Sr. and Olla Shorts, Mildred Whitlock grew up in a close-knit and loving family. From her father she inherited a "real zest for life", from her mother a "passion for mankind". With her brothers and sisters, she shared bonds of devotion, camaraderie and humor. She attended Lillie Mae Bryant Elementary School and graduated from Franklin High School in 1973. Her collegiate years were first at Copiah-Lincoln Junior College in Wesson, MS and then at Jackson State University, Jackson, MS where she received her undergraduate degree, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in 1977 and graduate degree, Master of Business Administration in 1981, and on to various military schools receiving certificates in Administrative Specialist, Personnel Management Specialist, and on to military NCO Academy where she completed high in rank among her peers. She served in the United States Army Reserves over 20 years, retiring in 1996.
After her college years, Mildred worked at Jackson State University, Packard a Division of General Motors, Weyerhaeuser Company, GNB Technologies, Deposit Guaranty National Bank, MobileComm and MCI WorldCOM as Lease Administrator of the Northeast Region including Canada.
As an accomplished military personnel, she was assigned to 3390th USAR School, Jackson, MS, 40th Ordinance Ammo Group, Jackson, MS, 2nd Maneuver Training Command, Jackson, MS and 3rd PERCOM, Jackson, MS.
Mildred Whitlock was known and loved by a wide circle of friends and family who valued her intellect, her honesty, her imagination, her keen awareness of the world about her, her compassion, her openness and tolerance, her sense of humor and her unfailing loyalty.
Mildred was preceded in death by her father, Evan Shorts Sr.; her mother, Olla Mae Bradford Shorts; her husband, M.C. Whitlock; her brothers, James Shorts, Cleveland Shorts, West Shorts, Jessie Shorts, Winfield Shorts, Evans Shorts Jr., Henry Shorts, Werner Shorts, John Clyde Shorts, Rev. Edward Shorts, and Elmore Shorts Sr.; her sister, Olla Mae Shorts-Williams; and her bonus son, Melvin Whitlock.
She is survived by her daughter, Valenthia Bradley (William) of Jackson, Mississippi; her sons, Tyrel Shorts (Nichole), and D'Marcus Whitlock of Jackson, Mississippi; her sister, Dorothy Brown of Omaha, Nebraska; her grandchildren, Mil'Andrea Shorts, Tyrel Shorts Jr, Tyler Shorts, Traeden Shorts, Trace Shorts, Tyson Shorts, Taylor Shorts, and Dallas Whitlock; her bonus sons, Marvin Whitlock of Duncanville, Texas, and James Whitlock of Jackson, Mississippi; her bonus daughters, Sandra Moses of Jackson, Mississippi, Joyce Patterson (Jerald) of Mobile, Alabama, and Debbie Whitlock of Richardson, Texas; 11 Bonus grandchildren; 8 Bonus great grandchildren; and 3 Bonus great-great grandchildren, and a host of extended family.
Serving as pallbearers will be Darius Bradley, Greg Shorts, Brian Nichols, Tyrel Shorts Jr., Tyler Shorts, Traedan Shorts, Tyson Shorts, and Trace Shorts.
