The Hitts of Mississippi and related families

{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\cocoartf1265\cocoascreenfonts1{\fonttbl\f0\fswiss\fcharset0 Helvetica;}{\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;}\pard\tx560\tx1120\tx1680\tx2240\tx2800\tx3360\tx3920\tx4480\tx5040\ tx5600\tx6160\tx6720\pardirnatural\f0\fs24 \cf0 [Obituary as it appeared in the Jackson Clarion Ledger 22-23 Mar 2007, with minor correction] \par \par Lucile Hollingsworth \par \par Lucile Hi tt Hollingsworth, 98, died of congestive heart failure Tuesday, March 20, 2007 at her home in Clinton. Visitation is after 1 p.m. today at the First Baptist Church Clinton's Old Sanctuary. Funeral ser vices will be held at 2 p.m. today at the church with burial to follow in Clinton Cemetery. \par \par Mrs. Hollingsworth was born at Goss in Marion County, MS on July 21, 1908 and moved to Clinto n a year later. She was the eldest daughter of Dr. Joel R. Hitt and Elizabeth Robertson Hitt. Her father was head of the math department at Mississippi College and mayor of Clinton in the late 1920's . \par \par Coming from a family that included four brothers who were widely known as outstanding athletes at Clinton High School and Mississippi College, she was an accomplished athlete herself a nd considered one of the best girls basketball players in Mississippi. Growing up she was given the nickname of "Charley" because she played sports better than most boys. Her nickname stuck with her f or life. \par \par She graduated from Hillman College for Women in Clinton, and was one of the first women to be granted a bachelor's degree from Mississippi College. She taught in public school s after graduation. \par \par Throughout her life she loved playing the piano, and could play by ear without the benefits of lessons, and continued to play daily until just a few years ago. As a t een, she played the piano at "Dr. Epps" drug store soda fountain and entertained the boys from Mississippi College who went there to meet the girls from Hillman College. In the early days of radio, sh e hosted a Sunday afternoon radio program of singing and playing requests of the station's listeners. \par \par She married Jack Hollingsworth, a college classmate from Hollandale, in 1930 and wen t through the hard times of the Great Depression and World War II before returning to Clinton after the war. They became parents of two sons during that time, and moved from the Mississippi Delta, t o the Southern Pines, and Arizona, New Mexico, and California to find ways to earn a living and participate in the war. Following the war, she became active in civic and public school activities in Cl inton. In their later years, she and Jack produced award-winning lawns and flowerbeds at their home in Clinton. \par \par Lucile was preceded in death by her husband, Jack; her son Jack Hollingswo rth, Jr.; her parents, Dr. & Mrs. Joel R. (Elizabeth) Hitt; her brothers, Thomas Stanfield "Dick" (Floyd) Hitt, Bruce O. (Dot) Hitt, James H. Hitt, and Joel R. (Evelyn) Hitt, Jr.; and sisters Flora Hi tt (James) Taylor and Carolyne Hitt (Billy) Priester; and nephews Robert I. Priester and Bruce O. Hitt. \par \par She is survived by her son Joel H. Hollingsworth of Long Beach and Clinton; grands ons Jack "Trey" (June) Hollingsworth, III of Hernando, MS, Christopher Joel (Eliana) Hollingsworth of Cordova, TN, Eric H. (Mary) Hollingsworth of Madison, MS, and John A. (Chastity) Hollingsworth o f Southhaven, MS; granddaughter Michelle Hollingsworth (Mitch) Brewer of Madison, MS; ten great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews Patricia Taylor Whitfield of Mobile, AL, Mary Katheryne Hitt Still o f Jackson, Thomas R. Hitt of Brandon, Rebecca Taylor Nye of Pensacola, FL, Janice Priester Byrne of Natchez, William R. Priester, Jr. of Georgetown, TN, Joel R. Hitt, III of Lawrenceville, GA, Sandr a Hitt Mascagni of Lake Village, AR, Chere Hitt Stegall of Brandon, L. Richard Hitt of Franklin, TN, and James F. Hitt of Jackson; and daughters-in-law Sandra Polk Hollingsworth of Prentiss, MS and Yv onne Hollingsworth of Bartlett, TN. \par \par Lucile's family wishes to thank hospice workers Carmella Harper and Pearl McGowan, and caregivers Yolanda Fraizer, Marcia Purvis, Carol Whitfield, an d other home care workers for their kind and considerate attention to her needs during the last months of her life. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the James Hughes Hitt Memorial Scholar ship Fund at Mississippi College, P.O. 4005, Clinton, MS 39058.}