My grandson recommended the person he works with at ESCO as someone good to feature in this column. It was easy to agree and easy to make an appointment with Mr. Daniel Champion, as he happened to be readily available—along with his sweet three-year-old daughter Brinley—one morning last week. I’m glad I caught him when he wasn’t turkey hunting!
Daniel Byron Champion was born March 11, 1983, to Mr. and Mrs. Danny Lynn and Becky Laird Champion. The family lived in the Beulah-Hubbard community where Daniel and his family still reside with their two little girls. Daniel’s sister, Sasya Champion Wilhelm, a first-grade teacher at Newton County Elementary, is married to Steven Wilhelm, from Newton, who also works at ESCO. Their son Taylor, 19, is in the Marines. Their daughter Jordan is in the 8th grade, and daughter Peyton is in the second grade.
Daniel and Sasya’s father, originally from Tupelo, is the son of Rev. J.W. Champion, a Baptist preacher, now deceased, as is their paternal grandmother, Nellie Champion. Daniel’s grandparents were Mr. and Mrs. James Byron and Pauline Laird, who both passed away in 2014. Daniel is very close to his Uncle Junior Laird, who still lives in the area.
Daniel’s father worked for Dictaphone Corporation in Jackson for about 25 years, before taking a position as supervisor over the Medical Transcription Department at Rush Hospital. He retired several years ago. Daniel’s mother, a registered nurse who graduated from Matty Hersee Hospital in Meridian, worked at Laird Hospital for 25 years, at Rush for five or six years, at Choctaw Hospital in Philadelphia for twelve years, and plans to retire next month.
As Daniel grew up, his family were members of Hebron Missionary Baptist Church on Little Rock/Decatur Road. His mother always taught children in Sunday School and on Wednesday nights. He shared, “Mama has something special about her with small children. They are just drawn to her.” His father would teach when needed and cut the grass at the church for about 35 years. Daniel enjoyed working with him on that about 25 years. Around 2010, he started going to Rock Branch Baptist Church because the time of their Sunday evening service fit better with his work schedule. After about six or seven years, when the pastor retired, he went back to Hebron.
The summer between his third and fourth grade year, there was a revival at Hebron, with Rev. Winnie McMahan preaching. He told me, “During the invitation, I was sitting in the row in front of Daddy. I told him when church was over that something had happened to me, and we went and talked to Bro. Winnie. Praise the Lord! The next night my two little best buddies got saved, too.” They were Kyle Chaney and Casey McMahan.
Daniel spoke of his spiritual maturing, “When I got to where the Lord got the priority He should have had all along was when my daughter came along. I was trying to pray for her safety and her life, for Him to protect her and bless her for me. I needed to do what He wanted me to do.” Now Daniel is very aware of his need to be a witness. He said he realizes, “Life is only for a short time, a ‘vapor’ as it’s called in the book of James.”
Young Daniel went to Beulah-Hubbard Elementary for first grade before transferring to Newton County Academy. He told me of two memorable teachers, Mrs. Thrash, his second grade teacher, and his fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Felicia Smith. Daniel graduated from NCA in 2001. In high school, baseball could not compete with his love for hunting. “I enjoyed baseball, but I couldn’t give up hunting. I did it all together with Dad.”
After one year at East Central Community College, he worked for La-Z-Boy two years. He wisely went back to ECCC for one year and graduated in 2005. Daniel then joined the Iron Workers’ Union in Jackson, Mississippi, and worked all over the country erecting buildings. He worked there with his best friend, Matthew Scarborough, until his friend died tragically in 2009.
When he left that position, he was hired on as an order clerk in the ESCO Distribution Center. Later, he went to a Team Leader position, where he worked for five or six years. He decided to go back to being an order clerk, where he felt more comfortable. He said, “I’ve been there twelve years. ESCO has been a good employer for me.” He continued, “Having cows was the first thing I ever knew that I wanted. My papaw, J.B. Laird, had cows.” I asked how many he had, to which he replied, “I have forty mamas, two bulls, and I had seven calves born this week.”
Daniel met his wife Kelli from Philadelphia in 2010. Kelli Bates was born to parents Mr. Jim Bates, who passed away a few years ago, and Mrs. Jane Russell Bates, an art teacher at Neshoba Central. Her father worked several jobs through the years. He was employed by Louisiana Pacific, as well as being manager of the Sonic in Philadelphia, among others. He also sold custom knives he had made from deer antlers at flea markets.
Kelli has two sisters. Her oldest sister Mandy is married to Bart King. They have two adopted children and are both school counselors in Madison High School. Her sister Bonnie is married to Scott Coggins, a Mississippi State Trooper, and they have two daughters. Kelli herself has a son, Caiden Tullos, by a previous marriage. Caiden, 19 years old, works at a La-Z-Boy warehouse in Philadelphia.
Daniel and Kelli dated 3 ½ years before marrying April 18, 2014, at the courthouse in Philadelphia, in a very simple wedding, which was Daniel’s preference. They lived in Kelli’s house for three or four years and have lived in Daniel’s Laird great-grandparents’ house about four years now. His mother and father live next door.
Daniel told of his little girls, saying, “I always wanted cows and a little girl. I knew Halee Byron was a girl since we knew Kelli was pregnant.” Halee was born November 3, 2014, and is now seven years old in the first grade. He told me that her birth changed his relationship to God and his belief that God would hear his prayers and answer. Brinley, whom Daniel keeps every day until he goes to work, was born August 27, 2018. She’s the sweet, well-mannered, three-year-old I mentioned before.
He commented further, “God’s been really good to me, having my parents as long as I have. I enjoy my children, my cows, hunting, ESCO. I know this: my wife is the only one for me. I love my wife dearly. She has such a sweet temperament and has been very good to me and our girls.”
It has been wonderful to meet and learn of Daniel and his life, and to know that my grandson is working with a man who values a close relationship with God and his family.
Live for Jesus! He’s coming soon! You may contact me at lagnesrussell@gmail.com or 601-635-3282.
