Mary Louise Hart

Mrs. Mary Louise Hart, 96, passed away at her niece Deborah and Greg Duncan’s residence near Brooksville, MS on July 2, 2010. A graveside service will be held on Monday, July 5 at 2:00 P.M. at Woodlawn Cemetery in Columbia, MS. with Bro. Greg Duncan officiating. There will be no public visitation. The family requests NO FLOWERS, PLEASE. Please make any memorials to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of American 332 8th Ave, 7th floor, New York, N.Y. 10001 or to a missions need at your local place of worship. Cockrell Funeral Home of Macon, MS and Colonial Chapel Funeral Home of Columbia, MS are in charge of arrangements.
Mrs. Hart was born in Richton, MS to the late Joseph Austin and Pearl Williford Odom. She attended local schools and graduated from the University of Tennessee. She married Warren Hart of Sandy Hook. She was a Registered Nurse who worked at the Marion County Health Department and retired from Dr. Ratliff’s office in Columbia. She was a member of First Baptist Church of Columbia where she was very active in church life, being involved in WMU, building committees, teaching and other areas of ministry over the years. Mrs. Hart enjoyed cross-stitching and needlepoint. She and Mr. Hart never had children of their own, but were “parents” to many. They established several scholarships at Mississippi Baptist Foundation and at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Their legacy of generosity toward ministry students, friends, and family will long be remembered. Mr. Hart preceded his wife in death as did her parents. Also preceding her in death were six sisters: Fannie Pearl, Lillian Burgess, Ethelyn Myrick, Jane Walley, Josephine Smith and Bobbie Hendry as well as two brothers: Joseph Austin Odom, Jr., and Charles Owen Odom. She is survived by one sister: Mrs. Elizabeth Ann Jeffcoats of Richton, MS and many nieces and nephews.