- Date Of Birth: December 12, 1918
- Date Of Death: January 7, 2008
- State: Illinois
Elijah Sims, 89, of Jacksonville, died Jan. 7, 2008, at Jacksonville Convalescent Center.
He was born Dec. 12, 1918, in Crenshaw, MS., the son of Lessie Sims. He married Lottie Crawford in 1944 in Marks Miss. and she survives.
He is also survived by three sons and four daughters, Willie L. (wife, Roxanne) Sims of Malden, Missouri, Willie (husband, James) Turner of Jacksonville, Leevater Pope of Chicago, Elijah (wife, Jautassa) Sims, Jr. of Como, Mississippi, Robert (wife, Meronica) Sims of Chicago, Ruthie Parker of Chicago and Babby (husband, Jimmy) Nelson of Chicago; twenty-nine grandchildren; sixty-three great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one grandson, Antonio Sims; two great-granddaughters, LaKeysha Rattler and one in infancy; two brothers, Lamar and Warren Thomas; and one sister, Mozean Davis.
Mr. Sims was a Deputy Sheriff in Panola County, Mississippi and also drove a bus for the school district in Panola County. He was a Member and Deacon of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Crenshaw, Mississippi. Mr. Sims was also a member of the Crenshaw Masonic Lodge. In 1998 he moved to Jacksonville, joining Mt. Emory Baptist Church.
