Dr. Louis Buford Yerger passed away on October 11, 2023, in Madison, Mississippi, surrounded by his family. He was born in Jackson, Mississippi, on December 8, 1934, to Buford and Margaret Yerger. He was educated in Jackson until his family moved to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where he graduated from Hattiesburg High School in 1953. One of his fondest memories was winning the Big 8 Conference Championship in football ending the season with a victory over arch rival Central High School of Jackson, alma mater to many of his lifelong friends.
After studying engineering at Auburn University, he attended the University of Mississippi Medical Center where he pursued his medical degree specializing as an Orthopedic Surgeon. His long tenure at Jackson Bone and Joint and his service at the VA Hospital exemplified his dedication to improving the lives of others.
He later taught at the University of Mississippi Medical Center where his dedication to education was recognized with eight Professor of the Year Awards as well as multiple All-Star Teaching Awards, testaments to his passion for sharing knowledge and nurturing the next generation of medical professionals. His dedication to student education was remarkable. Once, when too ill to come to work, he made a conference call from his home to students in his office so that they could still cover the case studies assigned for that day, walking them step-by-step through his program.
Dr. Yerger's contributions to medicine extended beyond the classroom, earning him a well-deserved place in the Hall of Fame at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine for Outstanding Achievement in Orthopedic Surgery and Rehab. His work extended globally as he undertook multiple mission trips to Ethiopia and Honduras, providing healthcare and compassion to underserved communities.
He was an active member of St. James Episcopal Church where he served as Vestry Member, Senior Warden, Sunday School Teacher and EFM Mentor. He was committed to restorative justice and reconciliation projects in Mississippi and around the world.
A true lifelong learner, Dr. Yerger's pursuit of knowledge transcended his professional life. He continually sought to expand his horizons academically, spiritually, and creatively. His exploration of genealogy resulted in the authorship of books on several families, including the Hinton’s, Bennett’s, Yerger’s, and Catlett’s. His hobbies were many and he never did anything by half measures. A few head of cattle became a herd, a dozen African violets grew to hundreds, bike rides went for miles, and he crocheted untold numbers of scarves for friends and strangers as well as doing wood work on countless jewelry and recipe boxes. Memorable family trips to many beaches, the Salmon Main and Salmon North Fork Rivers in Idaho, and overseas trips to England, Germany, Italy made lasting impressions on his children and extended family.
Dr. Yerger's legacy extends beyond his medical and philanthropic work, as he was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He was preceded in death by his mother, Margaret Hinton Yerger; his father, Buford Yerger; his sisters Margaret Yerger Mallett and Anne Yerger (Charles) Hooker. Buford is survived by his wife of 63 years, Margaret Gay Bennett Yerger, and their four children, Michael Graeme (Beth) Yerger, John Buford (Tina) Yerger, Gay Mallory Yerger, and Liz Yerger (Steve) Fisher; eight grandchildren, three great grandchildren, and his sister Helen Yerger (Bob) Blacklock.
Services will be held Saturday, October 21, at St. James Episcopal Church, Jackson, with visitation at 10:00 am and a Memorial Service at 11:00 am. The interment service will be at The Chapel of the Cross, Madison at 2:00 pm. Memorials can be made to St. James Episcopal Church and to the Mississippi NICA, The National Interscholastic Cycling Association at ww.mississippimtb.org.
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