Houston Hardy

Jennings Houston Hardy, age 89, passed away on October 12, 2023, at Baptist Memorial Hospital, Golden Triangle, in Columbus, Mississippi.  A graveside service will be held at the Jennings Cemetery also known as the Hardy Family Cemetery on Monday, October 16th at 2:00pm.  A Celebration of Life gathering will be held at Magowah Gun & Country Club following the graveside service.  Family and friends are welcome to attend the graveside as well as the Celebration of Life gathering.

Houston was born in Columbus, MS on April 9, 1934.  He was the only child of Jennings Collier Hardy and Fannie Mae Houston Hardy.  He grew up in Columbus and attended S.D. Lee High School.  After graduation, he attended Mississippi State University and was graduated with a degree in Animal Husbandry.  During college, while dating Betsy Butchee who had been his sweetheart “since birth”, Houston was a colorful member of the Kappa Alpha fraternity.

On October 6, 1956, Houston married Betsy and together they left Columbus as Houston began his service in the US Air Force.  Over the next several years, they travelled and lived across the US, enjoying life and making long lasting friendships wherever they went.

In June of 1959, they returned to Columbus where Houston began his employment with Lamar Life and later, Swoope Insurance Agency, which he later owned.  Houston and Betsy made their home on the family farm and never moved again.  Over the 63 years of their marriage, Houston was a profound “people person” who enjoyed fishing, hunting, wild storytelling, multiple “well thought out” practical jokes, selling insurance and the joys and woes of soybean and cattle  farming on the Breezy Valley Plantation.

Every year, in the fall, Houston and Betsy enjoyed cheering on their beloved MSU bulldogs (which was nearly as tiring as the farm), however, tailgating with beloved friends and family more than made up for the performance of the football team.  Together they also enjoyed years of entertaining guests and traveling abroad to many countries and continents including South Africa, England, Greece, Spain, Italy and many others.

Houston was a member of Columbus First United Methodist Church and a member of the Fran Ivy Sunday School class which was comprised of so many dear friends.  He was also a dedicated member of the Columbus Kiwanis Club and later the Columbus Rotary Club for many years.

Houston was preceded in death by his parents, Jennings and Fannie Mae Houston Hardy and his wife, Betsy Butchee Hardy.   He is survived by his children, Beth Hardy Duff (Paul) of Madison, MS and Mark Hardy (Charlotte) of Columbus, MS.  He is also survived by three grandchildren, Jason Duff (Christina) of Madison, MS and Collier Hardy, (fiancee, Tanner Dolan) of Columbus, MS and Carlton Hardy of Columbus, MS and one great grandchild, Caleb Michael Duff of Madison, MS.

The family wishes to thank everyone who had a hand in caring for Houston over the past several years, for their loving support, dedication and devotion.

Pallbearers will be Marc Amos, Mark Hardy, Cooper Callaway, Ben Shelton, Tanner Dolan and Tom Jackson.  Honorary pallbearers will be Gene Smith, Mike Batson, Harold Clark, Billy Phillips, T.L. Phillips, Howard Sharp, Will Hardy, Carter Hutchins, Si Thomas and Mack Howard.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Catch A Dream Foundation (catchadream.org) or St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.