‘Whatever You Did for the Least of These’: Christopher Wayne Breckenridge laid to rest

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — Christopher ‘Wayne’ Breckenridge, born Jan. 4, 1975, was laid to rest Friday morning in a simple pine coffin adorned with a spray of red roses and an American flag. He passed away on April 23, 2025.

Ernie Hall, manager of the River City Rescue Mission, officiated the service. The service was attended by a small gathering of people who had come to know Wayne, alongside both Vicksburg Police Chief Penny Jones and Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace.

In February, Wayne was diagnosed with pneumonia, and it was discovered that his lung cancer had spread into his bones and spine. With no permanent address and subfreezing temperatures, Jordan and Stacy Hartley, along with Chief Penny Jones and others, were able to secure a hotel room, food, and basic necessities for him while more permanent housing and medical treatment could be provided.

Wayne had claimed he was a combat medic in the U.S. Navy and was discharged around 2005. The plan was to get his DD214 and seek assistance through the VA. After being admitted to the hospital for what would be his final stay, he confided to Stacy that while he had enlisted, he left before completing his full term.

“Wayne was an epileptic but chose not to tell them when he signed up because he wanted out of the life he grew up in,” Stacy said. “It was well after he joined he started having seizures again, and it was found that he had seizures before he [enlisted]. So he could walk away or take a dishonorable discharge, so he walked away. From that moment on, he chose not to go back home or even to his home state and live that life again.”

Over Wayne and Stacy’s time together, he shared stories of his life prior to his arrival in Vicksburg that Stacy would only describe as “horrible.” According to her, the only family Wayne kept in contact with was his mother, who passed away in March of 2024.

Wayne was a well-known fixture in the Walmart shopping plaza over the years. Stacy first met Wayne outside the Dollar Tree around 2017 when he showed her grandson a magic trick. After that, she would frequently check in on him, and after his initial cancer diagnosis, began taking him to and from doctor’s visits and getting his medication.

“The only thing he ever asked of me was a cup of coffee,” Stacy said.

During the graveside service, Ernie Hall closed with a fitting quote from Matthew 25:40 (NIV): “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'”

Although Wayne had no permanent address, Vicksburg was his home, and the city looked out for one of their own.