Julie Battaile, 84

Julianne (“Julie”) Cecilia Sawyer Battaile of Saltillo, Mississippi died on August 12, 2022 at North
Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. Her family was by her side. She was 84 years of age.
She was born June 5, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois to the late Dr. and Mrs. Preston Walker Sawyer (Catherine
Santschi). She was raised in Kankakee, Illinois with her late sister, Nancy Sue. Julie graduated from St.
Patrick’s High School in Kankakee and attended her freshman year at Lawrence University in Appleton,
Wisconsin where she was initiated into the Kappa Delta Sorority. She transferred to Marquette
University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she received her bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 1959.
There she met Andrew Chandler Battaile, whom she married in 1960. Julie and Andrew had two
children, Julianne Battaile Goodwin (Jim) of Belden, Mississippi and Andrew Chandler Battaile, Jr. of
Alexandria, Virginia.
Over the course of her married life, Julie lived in Lansing, Michigan; Arlington, Virginia; Beaumont,
Texas; Memphis, Tennessee; and the Tupelo, Mississippi area. She pursued a master’s degree in library
science at the University of Memphis. Professionally she was affiliated with Renasant Bank and Mighty
Mart, Inc. She was a member of the Mutual Culture Club and the Tupelo Running Club.
Among her activities were hiking, needlework, travel, running, tennis, and reading, especially Southern
writers.
Julie would often say that the three most important things to her were her faith, her family and her local
library. She invested untold time and energy in each of these.
Julie was especially involved at St. James Parish, Tupelo, and St. Christopher’s Parish, Pontotoc,
Mississippi. For decades she provided religious instruction to youth and to adults. With her husband
Andrew she began the Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament program at St. James. Julie
brought Holy Eucharist to those who could not attend Mass. She felt strongly about visiting the sick and
the elderly.
Many years were spent as a volunteer for the Lee County Public Library. Her efforts started with the
bookmobile when she lived in Tupelo in the 1960s. When the family returned to Tupelo in the 1970s,
Julie resumed her work on behalf of the library. She was an active member of the Friends of the Library,
serving on the Board from 1993 – 2010 and again from 2013 – 2017. She was appointed to the Lee
Itawamba Library System Administrative Board of Trustees, serving 2010-2013, and was elected Chair in
2012. In 2017 she was the recipient of the Helen Foster Award for Literary Advocacy and Support.
In addition to her surviving husband of 62 years and her children, she was immensely proud of her
grandchildren, Anne Goodwin McGregor (Andy) of Saltillo, and John Goodwin (fiancée Madeline Mills) of
Memphis, Tennessee. She was thrilled at the birth of her great granddaughter Amelia Kay McGregor in
2021.
Visitation will be held at Pegues Funeral Home, 535 West Jefferson Street, Tupelo, Thursday, August 18
from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, and on Friday, August 19 at 10:00 am at St. James Catholic Church, 1911
North Gloster Street, Tupelo. A funeral Mass will be held at St. James at 11:00 am, followed by a
reception. A burial will follow at Tupelo Memorial Park.
Pallbearers will be Max Edwards, John Goodwin, James Hayes, Andy McGregor, Pete Poland, Billy
Schaefer, Jeff Tomlinson and Kent Townsend.
In lieu of flowers, it is requested that memorial gifts be made to St. James Catholic Church of Tupelo, or
to the Friends of the Lee County Library.