Mr. John Stephen Purcell

Mr. John S. Purcell, 70 of Wiggins, passed away at his home Sunday morning. John was born June 21, 1946 in Moline, IL, the 1st of 3 children to George Jr. and Elizabeth Purcell. He would grow up in Moline with his grandparents, George Sr. & Laura Purcell, along the banks of the Mississippi River. He enjoyed the outdoors and fishing as a young man, and graduated from Moline HS in 1963. Fresh out of high school, John joined the United States Marine Corps, serving his country in the Vietnam war. After his discharge, he opened a small leather shop in Moline, which would be the first of a couple of business ventures for him. The family would move to California in the mid 70s, where John worked in construction, and for OSHA for some time. He returned to the quad-city area in the mid 80s, and founded Bullseye Gunworks. John would travel the country for many years thereafter, attending gun shows and expanding his knowledge of gunsmithing. Later in life, he would found "Keep Kids Safe" while in Biloxi, MS, a non-profit identification card program designed for the safety of kids. Through it, John provided ID cards for thousands of children, and many still carry those cards today as adults. John retired to Stone county several years ago, where he focused on his hobbies of hunting, fishing, photography, and woodworking. He enjoyed being out around people, and often sold satsumas in the Wiggins area. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, VFW Post 8890, the North American Fish & Wildlife Assoc., and even had his PGA card. John will be sadly missed by all whos' life he touched. He is survived by his 2 sons, Joshua K. Purcell of Murfreesboro, TN, and Jason P. Purcell of Gulfport, MS; his siblings, brothers Jim Purcell of Milwaukee, WI, and David Purcell, sisters Julie Cable of Auberry, CA, and Carla Cable of Ojai, CA; his former wife, Cyndi Purcell of Rock Island, IL; some nieces and nephews, his beloved 4-legged companion, Lumpy, and countless friends and acquaintances across the country. He was preceded by his parents, George Jr. and Elizabeth Purcell, and his beloved grandparents, George Sr. and Laura Purcell. His wishes were to be cremated, and returned to the Rock Island Arsenal National Cemetery, which his family is honoring. Prior to that, an "open house" memorial celebration for John will be held at his home, located at 111 Flint Creek Road, Wiggins, MS 39577, on Saturday, March 11th. His sons Joshua and Jason welcome friends, neighbors, and acquaintances to come by and remember his life. Trinity Funeral Services is honored to assist the Purcell family, and asks that you keep them lifted up in prayer during this difficult time.