Edith Lynn "Bertie" Via

Edith Lynn "Bertie" (Leitch) Via March 18, 1941 – June 16, 2026 Edith Lynn (Leitch) Via, known to many simply as "Bertie," passed peacefully into the arms of Jesus in the early morning hours of June 16, 2026. To the hundreds of children whose lives she touched, she was known by an even dearer name: "Mama Bertie."

Services will be held Saturday June 20, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at Beersheba Cumberland Presbyterian Church with Pastor Justin Gifford officiating; burial will follow at the church cemetery. Visitation will be held Friday June 19, 2026 from 5 until 7 at Memorial Funeral Home, 716 2nd Ave N. 

Bertie was born in March 1941 in Falling Springs, Virginia, to Edith (Loving) Leitch and Powell Murray Leitch. At a bus stop in Covington, Virginia, she met the love of her life and husband of 45 years, Gordon F. Via. 

In 1975, Gordon, a papermill worker, and Bertie, a homemaker in the mountains of Virginia, heard a clear call from God. They sold what they had, packed up their four children, left family and friends behind, and relocated to Columbus, Mississippi, to begin a new life at Palmer Home for Children — a Christian home for children in need. Over the course of their 30 years at Palmer Home, Gordon and Bertie became surrogate parents to hundreds of children who needed a loving home and a chance to thrive. The Vias poured themselves into each one as if they were their own. Those children grew up to become fathers and mothers, pastors, business owners, police officers, bankers, healthcare professionals, and community leaders. Bertie's heart stayed close to Palmer's campus. 

In addition to being mother to many, she managed the kitchen; in doing so, she fed far more than bodies. She fed hearts and souls, building community one meal at a time throughout Columbus. She was also an active member of Beersheba Cumberland Presbyterian Church, participating in their Women’s Group, Bible studies and ministries, and singing in the choir. 

Right up until the end, she remained mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother to many; always with time for a talk and the kind of wisdom that only a well-lived life can offer. 

Left to cherish Bertie's memory are her children: Gordon Via Jr. (Julie), Lucy Harris (Don), Beckie Fuller (Hal), Margaret Baugh (Daniel), Kathy Brady, and Amy Welch (Anthony) — along with countless others who were blessed to call her Mama. She is survived by eight grandchildren: Robert Ward (Jessica), Jeremy Ward (Cheyenne), Bethany Harris-Heard (Bo), David Via (Meagan), Webster Baugh IV, Laura Mackebon (William), and Addison Harrison; seven precious great-grandchildren: Avery Jane, Madi, Ryleigh, Evelyn, Kimber,Autumn Bloom, and Scarlett Blossom; and her , beloved brother, Marshall Leitch. Edith Lynn Leitch Via is preceded in death by her husband, Gordon F. Via Sr., her parents, Powell and Edith Leitch, brothers Pookie and Bobbie Leitch, and her sister Carolyn Read Painter.

 Mama Bertie is in her heavenly home now, and the love she gave so freely will echo through generations yet to come. "She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. Her children rise up and call her blessed." — Proverbs 31:25-26, 28