Funeral services for Janice Brown Bagley of Collins will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, July 28, 2025, at Wade Funeral Home, 401 Main St. in Collins. Mrs. Bagley, 87, passed away from this life surrounded by her daughters on Tuesday, July 22, 2025, at Azalea Gardens Nursing Center in Wiggins.

The Rev. Jimmy Stewart of First Baptist Church in Gulfport will officiate. Visitation will be held prior to the service at 10:30 a.m., and interment will be at the Double Churches Cemetery in Bassfield.

Wade Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Serving as pallbearers are Johnny Edwards, Eugene Champagne, Daniel Bagley, Cameron McPhail, Parker McPhail and Sean Fourney.

Janice Leona Brown was born Aug. 5, 1937, in Columbia to Margaret Coker Brown and the late Marvin Brown, who was killed in an accident just weeks before his daughter was born. As a young girl, Janice became the first person in the area to be treated with the new "miracle drug" penicillin for a ruptured appendix.

Later, her family would grow and blossom with the addition of a stepfather, two brothers and four sisters, with whom she would stay very close.

Janice became member of East Columbia Baptist Church after accepting Christ at an early age. She graduated from Columbia High School in 1955, winning one of the senior awards for perfect attendance. She went on to work at New Orleans Furniture Manufacturing Co. in Columbia, where future sister-in-law Dean Bagley Daughdrill introduced her to Worth Bagley of Collins. Worth and Janice were married on Dec. 27, 1962, in Columbia just as his U.S. Army Reserve unit was called to active duty at Fort Rucker in Alabama.

On January 28, 1964, the couple welcomed twin baby girls to their home in Hattiesburg. Later they moved to Collins, where Mrs. Bagley worked in clerical and banking roles at businesses in the area including Fortenberry Lumber Co., State Farm Insurance Co., Mount Olive Bank/Sunburst Bank, Covington County Bank and the Covington County Tax Assessor's Office.

She was a wonderful cook, known for her delicious chocolate pie, deviled eggs, chicken and dumplings, and cornbread dressing. She and Worth, who were married for 55 years, loved nothing more than entertaining their grandchildren in their backyard swimming pool.

Mrs. Bagley was preceded in death by her father, Marvin Brown; her mother and stepfather, Margaret C. Lee and Frank M. Lee Sr.; a brother, Tommy Lee, and her husband, Worth Bagley.

Her memory will forever be cherished by her daughters, Connie Richardson (Randy) of Gulfport and Carol McPhail (Kent) of Mobile, Alabama; a brother, Frank M. Lee Jr. (Carolyn) of Laurel; four sisters, Martha Hutchins, Sammie Champagne (Eugene), Mary Edwards (Johnny) and Sara Watts (Vernon), all of Columbia.

Her legacy will live on through her five grandchildren, Meredith McPhail Fourney (Sean) of Charleston, South Carolina; Cameron McPhail, Claire Richardson and Julia Richardson, all of Birmingham, Alabama, and Parker McPhail of Los Angeles, California. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank special caregivers Detria Walker of Gulfport and Shirley Foy of Mobile. They also wish to highlight the compassionate care provided by nurses and staff at Azalea Gardens Nursing Center, especially Yvette, Christle, Tanna, Sydney, Mikayla and Dawn.

For those seeking an alternative to flowers, the family suggests a charitable contribution in her memory to the Alzheimer's Association at www.alz.org.