Ora Long

We called her Wee Wee, but her name was Ora V Long. Like her distinctive moniker, she defied an ordinary life and chose one of more colorful pursuits.
Ora, the first of Herbert and Ida Mae Long's six children, was born on September 16, 1927 and grew up in Jones County, MS. She set about what appeared to be a mission to become the most indomitable (stubborn) woman east of the Mississippi River.
When polio struck, she powered back to full health. When Hurricane Camille devastated her beloved Gulf Coast home in 1969, she forged a tremendous lifelong friendship with another indestructible (stubborn) young nurse anesthetist, Tommie Thompson, who lost her home to the storm. They cleared a jungle spot of land on the highest riverfront lot in Woolmarket and set up shop in a trailer, followed by construction of the enduring domicile they shared while fishing, nursing, fishing, partying, boating and fishing, most notably with friends Irwin, Hedy, Charlotte and Emily. After four decades of smoking, Ora quit the habit, cold turkey, with the onset of COPD. She suffered a milieu of ailments over the years that would have stopped a lesser gal dead in her tracks, yet she was unstoppable (stubborn). If anyone has more successfully and artfully given hardship the "finger," we seriously doubt it.
Ora served the United States as a flight nurse, achieving rank as Captain in military service and in her efforts to enjoy all that the South Pacific has to offer. She cultivated a deep and abiding dislike of all things coconut and pineapple while stationed in Hawaii, along with multiple commendations for her work tending patients within the roaring bowels of transport planes from Japan to the mainland.
Ora watched every New Orleans Saints game since their inception in 1966. She religiously (stubbornly) cheered and cussed them, through the Archie Manning years, the tumultuous seasons of the "Ain'ts" and the miraculous Morten Anderson, into that unforgettable Super Bowl win in 2010 when Ora erupted into a display of joy so spectacular, the Earth seemed to halt its spinning.
To say she was one-of-a-kind does not do justice to the quality of her generosity, the ferocity of her spirit or her wicked sense of humor. There remain among us those seemingly indestructible heroes determined "to dream the impossible dream," but none will ever embody the beloved mix of salt, vinegar, heart and Miller Light (or Coors Light, or Busch or Old Milwaukee or...) that was our Wee Wee.
After Hurricane Katrina, when cell phones and power lines failed and our world seemed irrevocably destroyed, Ora and Tommie were found sitting on their expansive back porch, patiently (stubbornly) enjoying a refreshing beverage and assessing the fallout from a brutal storm that took younger, stronger lives less than a mile down the street.
If you knew Ora, you never forgot her. She epitomized true grit and the kind of woman who refused a backseat to anyone. She lived life by her design, which largely fell within the parameters of her boundless love of friends and family, beer, casinos, the Saints and her wondrous surroundings on the beautiful Biloxi River. Ora left that home for the final time on January 19, 2019 at the age of 91 and change.
Though death has taken her physical presence, those who know the indefatigable (stubborn) Ora, understand her passing only lends her the capability of living untethered, without the restraints she fought all her days. As described in "High Flight," by John Gillespy Magee, Jr. posted prominently near her kitchen door, she has "slipped the surly bonds of Earth" and no doubt flown as high as she needed to touch "the face of God." Most certainly, she will take advantage of that heavenly proximity to request that the Saints win the Super Bowl again-not that she'll take "no" for an answer.
Ora was preceded in death by her parents, Herbert and Ida Long; sisters, Ruth "Jackie" Bush, Bobbie Townsend, and Eddie Lee Browning; and brothers, Quincy Long and Ronald "Ronnie" Long.
She is survived by one brother, H.J. Long of Ellisville, MS; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Her remaining family and countless friends ask that you honor her passing with a charitable donation of time, money or both to the cause you feel speaks most strongly to God's instruction to simply love one another. Or, put $20 on the Saints to win, win, WIN.
The family wholeheartedly thanks Judy and Esther for their continuous and loving care.
Internment will take place during a private service at Biloxi National Cemetery in Biloxi, MS.
RIEMANN FAMILY FUNERAL HOME, 19130 Commission Rd. Long Beach is serving the family. An online obituary may be viewed, and memories and photos shared at www.riemannfamily.com