Joe Clement Douglass

Joe Clement Douglass died surrounded by loving family and friends on July 26, 2017 at Baptist Memorial Hospital. Fu neral services will be held at First United Methodist Church, on Saturday, July 29, 2017 at 11 :00 am with the Rev. Jimmy Criddle and Ref. Anne Russell Bradley officiating. Burial will follow at Friendship Cemetery. Visitation will be held in the church Fellowship Hall one hour prior to the services. Memorial Funer al Home and Crematory is in charge of arrange ments.

He was born on Saturday, October 7, 1933, in Columbus, Mississippi, to the late Dr. William L. Douglass and Mary Killian Douglass. He grad uated from S.D. Lee High School in 1951. He graduated from Mississippi State College in 1955 with a degree in agriculture and animal science . At Mississippi State he was a member of the Kappa Alpha Fraternity, Alpha Zeta Honorary Agrictulure Fraternity, and the agriculture judging team. He was a member of the ROTC class of 1955. After graduation he served in the United States States Air Force and was in the USAF Reserves until August 1967 when he was honorably dis charged with the rank of Captain. He was the owner of Douglass Farms in Lowndes County and had farming and timber interest in Sumter and Choctaw Counties in Alabama. He was an avid hunter and fisherman. He enjoyed the outdoors and the nature around him.

He was an active life- long member of First United Methodist Church, having served on the Adminnistrative Board and a member of the Lewis Fellowship Sunday School Class, where he had served as President. He was a founding member of Thursday Morning Em maus Group at First United Methodist Church, Keenagers and United Methodist Men. He was a member of the North Mississippi Emmaus Community , Magowah Gun Club, former member of Lake Norris Fishing Club, Mississippi Soybean Growers, Mississippi Forestry Association, Mi ssissippi Cattlemen’s Assoication, National Feder- ation of Soybean Producers, Alabama Forestry Association, and National Conversation Feder ation. He was a supporter of MSU athletics and enjoyed a great relationship with the MSU Bulldog club.

He leaves his beloved wife,Rita Douglass and one son, Billy Douglass of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and his “like a daughter” Kelly Hayes and her husband Jack, and their daughter, Emily Hayes Holley, whom he adored, and her husband Hamp Holley. He also leaves two very special ex tended families, those of Billy and Bud Phillips.

Pallbearers will be Billy Phillips, Bud Phillips, Howard Fisackerly, B.A. Atkins, Jimmy Wilder, Houston Hardy, George Boyd, Ron Locke, Ollie Wilkes, and Dr. Jack Reed. Honorary Pallbearers will be Dr. Brett Brown, Dr. Steve Porter, Dr. Walt Starr, Dr. Dan Bennett, Dr. Albert Laws, Ar thur Miller, Jeff Caldwell and the Lewis Fellow ship Sunday School Class.

A special thank you is extended to Kinder Home Health employees, George Seabrooks, Trish Cox, Jonie Prescott, Alexi Pementer and Shawanda Young, and to Baptist Hospice Care nurses Robbie Sprouse, Carley Kemp and assistants Ty Lucious and Ter sa Martin and to his faithful caregivers Robbie Butler and Mary Golden.

Memorials may be made to First United Meth odist Church, P.O. Box 32, Columbus, MS 39703 .