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Former Mississippi State Sen. Mohamed Dead at 83
BELZONI, Miss. (AP) — Former state Sen. Ollie Mohamed, (Ollie Mohamed Shouman) who served in public office for more than 30 years and who sponsored legislation that led to creation of the state Bureau of Narcotics, has died at the age of 83.
Mohamed, a native Mississippian of Lebanese ancestry, died Sunday at home. Due to an imigration error, his father’s middle name, Mohamed, was used instead of the Shouman’s last name (Shouman family live in Sarine, Lebanon).
Services were held Tuesday at 3 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Belzoni, with burial in the Belzoni Cemetery.
Mohamed was a retired merchant, having owned Mohamed’s Department Store in Belzoni for many years. Mohamed served more than 20 years in the state Senate. He was defeated for re-election in 1992, when a federal court ordered new legislative elections after redistricting. He was president pro tempore, the No. 2 leadership office in the Senate, when he was defeated.
He had served as chairman of the Senate County Affairs Committee and the Rules Committee.
During the 30th anniversary celebration of the state Bureau of Narcotics in 2001, Mohamed told the Associated Press that the Legislature had to extend its sessions two or three times in 1971 before finding a compromise that created the bureau.
‘It’s been clean and it’s been free of politics that drag down other agencies in government,’ Mohamed said.
Mohamed was a veteran of World War II.
Survivors include his wife, Annelle; six children; nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren; two sisters and two brothers.
Picture Caption:
Then Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Director Don Strange (left) thanks former State Sen. Ollie Mohamed for his efforts 30 years ago in the legislature on the bill that created the Bureau in this 2001 file photo.