Ernest Little Hill

The retired owner/manager of Macon MS Shell Food Mart, Ernest L. Hill, passed away Friday, July 31, 2020.  A lifelong resident of Noxubee County, Ernest was 80 years old.  He was devoted to his God, his family, to his beloved Brooksville United Methodist Church, and to his community and county.

His private memorial graveside service was held Monday, August 3, 2020 at Brooksville Cemetery, with his Pastor Kathy Brackett officiating.  Memorials May be made to Brooksville United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 164 Brooksville, MS 39739.  Cockrell Funeral home is honored to be trusted with the arrangements.

Ernest was born To Earnest Arnold and Mattie Ben Little Hill on January 22, 1940 in Cochran AL in the huge snow of 1940.  Mr Arnold would say he chilled firewood all day so he could burn it up all night to keep the baby and mama warm.

In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his sister, Mary Pauline Hill Murphy.

He was a huge presence at the Macon Shell Food Mart.  He held down the Coca Cola cooler at lunch, elbows on top stretching his back and caught up on everyone who passed through the deli line.  He often bragged about having the best fried chicken in the surrounding area, and he truly did.  That chicken was delicious.  People drove long distances just for his fried chicken and pulled pork BBQ and fried catfish.  He loved to work and whatever job he had he did his very best to be the best at that job, always the fierce competitor.

He spent most of his working years in retail sales, first with Ruel Ewing Gulf  Service Station, Dixie Farm Supply, Rex M Murff Insurance Agency, Profit-Planners Warehouse (his own high quality Moorman Cattle Feed distributorship), Professional Geophysics, (oil seismic exploration aka doodlebugging).   He ran two crews of forty men in and around Arkansas, Presley Oil Soak, and then landed at Macon Texaco in 1989.  He remained dedicated to that store 26 years.  He retired in 2015 after major back surgery.

He felt his family was his greatest accomplishment   In 1965, he married Patricia Jewell Murff Hill who survives him.  Their children and their grands and greats are their greatest blessings. They have two children: Anndra Jewell Hill Barrett (Rick) and Ernest L Hill, Jr., “Ernie” (Christy). Along with his wife and children, he is also survived by a sister, Elizabeth Ann Hill Hankins, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

With deep roots in the Cooksville-Paulette community, he grew up on Circle M Ranch and the Zach Brooks Ranch where he worked hard.   From an early age, he helped his parents with his sibling sisters while his parents both worked.  He attended the one room school house at Cooksville where his job was to go really early and stoke and build the fire so all students and one teacher would be comfortable.  His other job was picking cotton and helping at the gin and working in the company store. He worked hard his entire life.  He loved school and sports in the Macon School.  He was a quick study and made very good marks.  He lived so far out of town with no transportation to get home after all four sports that his coaches would take him all the way home to Circle M after practice just so he could play.  During Friday night lights, he would stay in town for the game and catch a ride at 4:00 a.m. on the milk wagon all the way back out to Circle M where he started his Saturday’s work day.  He rode the pastures and tended the fences and was taught to hunt by a gentle Black man named “Ott” - thus his dad’s nickname for him.  Pat’s dad asked Ernest one time after they were married did he want him to call him “Ott the Pot or Ern the Churn”.  So Ott he became known in Brooksville.  In 1958 his family moved to Brooksville to the famous Thompson House (the haunted one). Some of his favorite tales came from living in that house.  His dad changed jobs to Kentland Ranch mechanic and they moved to east Main Street Brooksville.  He attended East MS Jr College, aka Scooba Tech where he majored in ping pong, tennis and girls.  He drove the school bus from Brooksville school to Macon and then on to Scooba.  He always had a job and worked hard. He could repair anything; his daddy taught him well. Later in the December season of his life, it frustrated him greatly that his hands couldn’t do what he wanted them to do.

In 1963 he met Pat and they married three years later.  He could often be heard saying,“ I chased her three years until she caught me.”  He always had an answer for everything. His favorite hobby was team roping and he did this fiercely!  His most treasured memories were of team roping and the competing it allowed later in his life.   Another sport he loved was water-skiing; he couldn’t swim a lick but that didn’t stop him.   Two life belts worked well.

He served on many civic boards, Land O’ Lakes, Central Academy, was a member of the Brooksville Rotary Club, achieved many awards selling insurance and served his church faithfully.  He attended the Walk to Emmaus in July, 2000 - the turning point of his life on earth.  He will be missed greatly.  He was such a large presence in so many lives.