Rita Twiner

On May 24, 2025, Rita Twiner lost a long hard-fought battle with leukemia. Born December 20, 1946, to the late CL Jennings and the late Mary Rose Jennings, she spent the majority of her life in Cleveland, MS. For the past 25 years she was a resident of Brandon MS. Rita graduated from Cleveland High School in 1965 and continued her education at Delta State University. She worked in purchasing at Baxter Healthcare for over 20 years prior to moving to Brandon, where she was the Director of Purchasing for the MS Dept of Corrections. Ultimately her favorite job was Uber driver for her grandchildren.

Rita was a selfless person that touched the lives of everyone she met. She was known for her big heart, strength and her love for laughter. The greatest loves of her life were her grandchildren Brileigh Paige and Chase Welch of Brandon. Rita was the glue that kept her family together and the North Star they looked to for direction. She is preceeded in death by her parents and her husband of 43 years Bobby Twiner. She leaves behind her daughters Kelly Crocker (DeAnne) of Bartlett, TN; Leigh-Ann Welch (Brian) of Brandon, and grandchildren Brileigh Paige and Chase Welch of Brandon. Rita also leaves behind her siter Rose Clark and brother Cecil Jennings both of Jackson, MS.

She loved big and in return was loved by many. To say that her presence will be missed is an understatement. Funeral services will be Thursday May 29th at Ray Funeral Home in Cleveland, MS. Visitation from 12:00-1:00 with service at 1:00. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to Children’s of Mississippi (Batson Hospital) or the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The family would also like to give a heartfelt thank you to everyone from the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at UMMC for their care and support.