Bessie Lewis, 81
October 18, 1943 – January 18, 2025
OKOLONA — Miss Bessie Lewis crossed over to Glory Land on Saturday morning, January 18, 2025 after three years of declining health. Bessie was born in the Shake Rag neighborhood of Chickasaw County on October 18, 1943, the oldest of three girls born to the late Alvie Lenzy “Rabbit” Lewis and Emma Pauline Summers Lewis. Bessie lived her entire life in her beloved Chickasaw County where she made many friends over her lifetime and became one of the biggest cheerleaders of Okolona. Known far and wide, Bessie lived a lively life on the Lewis homestead on the DeMoville Farm where she held forth as a master gardener, a cook “on a wood stove” of extraordinary talents and caretaker of her parents all their lives especially toward their deaths in 1993 for her mother and 1994 for her dad, Rabbit, with whom she loved to roam the woods hunting and fishing. Bessie was known for putting up pear and fig preserves and squash relish giving them to her family and friends over the years. Bessie could do anything with her hands: Chop wood, keep her yard up and building fires to clean the rubbish. A trip to downtown Okolona was a treat for her and she was known far and wide by the townspeople. A longtime member of Mount Olive Baptist Church, Bessie loved her Lord and pledged her faith in Him at an early age. She could fire a gun and made aprons and quilts especially the last three years she has lived at River Place in Amory. She loved playing bingo with fellow residents. Bessie lived in tough times but kept her independence, outspokenness and “Bessie” habits of “telling it like it is” right up to the end. She will forever be enshrined in the minds of the people of Chickasaw County.
A service celebrating her life will take place at 3 PM Monday, January 20, 2025 at Boone’s Chapel United Methodist Church south of Okolona with the pastor of Mount Olive Baptist Church, Bro. Dempsey Rowland officiating. Private burial will follow in the Lewis family plot in Boone’s Chapel Cemetery. Visitation will begin at 1 PM on Monday at the church and will continue until service time. Holland Funeral Directors-Okolona is honored to share this unique time of celebrating Bessie’s life with family and friends.
Bessie is survived by her two surviving sisters, Helen Lewis Carnathan (Junior, deceased) and Octa Lewis Patrick (Gene) all of Mantachie; her nieces and nephews, and a host of cousins and friends everywhere. She was preceded in death by her parents and an older baby brother.
Please follow the funeral home link above for further information, or to send online condolences or memorial gifts.
