Celia Emmerich, matriarch of newspaper family, dies

JACKSON — Celia Emmerich, the matriarch of the Emmerich newspaper family, died yesterday at her home in Jackson. She was 80.

The family said in a statement that she died of a heart attack.

Celia Emmerich was the widow of former Associated Press board member and ex-Greenwood Commonwealth editor/publisher John Emmerich. John Emmerich died in 1995.

Funeral services are 4 p.m. Monday at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Jackson.

Mrs. Emmerich, a native of Gulfport, moved to Greenwood in 1973 when her husband bought the Commonwealth. She sold advertising, worked in circulation and wrote feature articles.

Mrs. Emmerich was active in Greenwood Little Theatre and established a dropout prevention program at Greenwood schools.

Her son, Wyatt, took over as president of Emmerich Newspapers when his father died. The company has 25 newspapers.