Katie Lois Townsend, age 68, a homemaker, died at Baptist Memorial Hospital on Saturday, February 4, 2012. She was born on September 15, 1943 in Water Valley, MS to the late Nelson Joe and Hattie Lewis Harris. Katie was a production worker for a number of years at Big Yank Corporation in Water Valley, MS. Her home church was Pine Grove Baptist Church in Water Valley and she served as a missionary and on the Mother Board at Oak Grove CME and Jordan Chapel Methodist Church in Oxford, MS. Katie enjoyed cooking, tending to her flowers, sewing and scrap booking and she dearly loved her grandchildren.
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at Seven Oaks Funeral Home in Water Valley, MS. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 2:00 PM in the Henry Chapel of Seven Oaks with Rev. Adam Tyson officiating. Burial will be in the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Water Valley, MS with Montrel Daniels, Danny Caldwell, Orlando Rucker, Leon Harris, Tyrone Harris, and Russell Phillips serving as pallbearers.
She is survived by her husband of fifty years, James Robert Townsend of Water Valley; three daughters, Sandra Fay Daniels (Eugene), Ann Denise Townsend and Casey Rena Townsend (Shannon); two sons, James Lewis Townsend (Vanessa) and Danny Earl Townsend (Sabrina) all of Water Valley, MS; four sisters, Susie Bain (Benny) of St. Louis, MO, Vera May Harris of Water Valley, MS, Lillian Gail Wise (Grover) of Oakland, MS and Brenda Joyce Story of St. Louis, MO; eight brothers, Joe Earl Harris, Levo Harris (Marie), Harvey Lynn Harris, Ike Harris (Jeanette), Jimmy Harris (Cynthia),, Sherman Harris (Eva) all of Water Valley, MS, Wayne Harris (Ruby) of Pope, MS and Billy Harris (Viola) of Coffeeville, MS; fourteen grandchildren and four great-grandchildren