Freda Lee Porter Trott was born in Meridian, MS on October 4, 1930 to Allen and Johnnie Porter.

She graduated from Meridian High School and Meridian Jr. College before going to Mississippi College where she majored in English.

After graduation she worked as secretary at First Baptist Church, Clinton and then went to Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth, TX where she received her MA in Religious Education. It was at the seminary that she met Edward Bruce Trott, the love of her life, who she married on June 5, 1953.

Freda and Ed were commissioned in 1957 as missionaries by the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention to serve in Brazil. They left for Brazil with two small children Debbie (2) and John (4 months) where they would remain for 32 years serving the Lord.

Freda's first 10 years were spent in the city of Aracaju where she had two more children, Mary and Paul. While in Aracaju she served as founding principal of the K-9 Escola Batista (Baptist School). She founded the first G.A. organization in the state, the first state-wide WMU, played the piano for her church, directed the choir and taught Sunday School. All this in a language that she was just learning.

After 10 years in Aracaju, Ed and Freda moved with their family to Campina Grande, Paraiba where Ed served as the Executive Secretary of the Baptist Convention. Freda directed the state-wide Baptist camp dad built, and continued her work with GA's, WMU, and music ministries. She also served as treasurer for her church. All this while homeschooling her 4 children.

10 years later Freda and Ed would be asked to move once again this time to a very impoverished area of the state of Paraiba to develop and run The Living Waters Project. This was the largest World Hunger Relief Project ever for the Foreign Mission Board. Land was purchased and Ed oversaw the irrigation of the land which was divided into sections and given to families in the area. Freda would work the next 12 years primarily with micro-financing projects for women, teaching them new skills, money management and marketing so that they could financially take care of their families. During that time she also opened and ran a school, a social work center, and a free medical clinic. She accomplished all this while she also served as treasurer and procurement officer for the multiple million dollar hunger relief project.

After retiring mom and dad came back to MS where they cared for her parents in the last 10 years of their lives.

ln Jackson, Ed and Freda joined Broadmoor Baptist Church where they served in many capacities from Sunday School teachers, Vacation Bible School leaders, ESL teachers. Later she was a founding member of Grace Baptist Church and then at Woodland Hills Baptist Church where until the last couple of years she continued very active teaching Sunday School and volunteering at Women's prison ministry and Manhattan Nursing Home.

Freda touched and changed so many lives all over the world. Her love and care for others was felt by all those she met.

Freda is survived by four children, Debbie Pierce (Philip), John Trott (Darlene), Mary Nicholas (Tim) and Paul Trott; six grandchildren, Patrick and James Pierce, Cristina Gossage, Jeffrey Johnston, Terry Coburn, and Trey Trott; 5 great grandchildren, Kennedy and Caroline Pierce, Harley Pierce, Charlotte Gossage (who not yet born but loved by her granny), and Liam Bigabo; brother, James Allen Porter (Virginia); and sister, Aileen Johnnie Lee.

In lieu of flowers, gifts in her honor can be made to the Edward Bruce Trott Institute in Pilar, Brazil mailed to 14 Arlington Park, Jackson, MS 39211.