Katherine Searcy Horton

Katherine Maer Searcy Horton, Columbus, Mississippi

Katherine Maer Searcy Horton departed this life 8 December, 2022 at her home in Southside Columbus. She was born May 20, 1927, in Columbus, Miss., to Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Hester Searcy. She was a 1945 graduate of S.D. Lee High School and she completed her education at MSCW, graduating in 1949 with a Bachelor’s degree in Library Science. She was a pioneer elementary school librarian in Columbus Public Schools who also worked as a librarian at the University of Mississippi and the University of South Carolina. Katherine retired from teaching in 1986 after 37 years of service. She was employed as a librarian at Demonstration School, Stokes Beard Elementary and retired from Hunt Junior High School. Mom, Memom, Sis, Cap’n Kat, Katherine played many roles throughout her lifetime. Introducing seventh graders to the Dewey decimal system at Hunt Junior High, and the subsequent students coming to say hello when out shopping or eating, brought Katherine joy, pleased that the students remembered her.

As a devoted mother of four children, her family grew to include six grandchildren, and two great grandchildren. Outside of her immediate family, Katherine was active and had many friends in numerous clubs and civic groups. While in college, she was a member of Alpha Beta Alpha, librarian honor society. She was a lifetime member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church where she was baptized, confirmed, and married. Her great, great grandfather was a founder of the church. She was an active member of Daughters of the King, a prayer ministry of St. Paul’s, serving as past president. She also enjoyed activities through the Cherokee Garden Club, past president, lunch dates with her Columbians friends, and fun times at Laws Shoals with the Tombigbee Stump Jumpers ski club.

Katherine was an educator through the Coast Guard Auxiliary, always adamant about boater safety and wearing a life vest whenever on the Tombigbee River. She served as post commander auxiliary division #86. She was a member of the Pilot Club, Lowndes Pioneer Society, past president, past president of the Columbus Teachers Association, and member of Daughters of the American Revolution.

Katherine was an eloquent historian, teaching her children and grandchildren about her interactions with William Faulkner, while working on Oxford, MS. She told many stories about her life and times in Columbus. Her grandmother owned and edited the Commercial Dispatch before selling it to the Imes family. She proudly owned and lived in the Searcy Home, the Victorian home built by her grandfather, J.T. Searcy. She shared many stories about spending the night there as a child, sleeping on the cool wooden floors, prior to air conditioning.

Katherine was preceded in death by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Reuben Searcy, and her sister, Martha Searcy Rice. She is survived by four children: Vee Ferguson and his wife, Beth, of Columbus, Katherine Kerby and her late husband, Michael, of Columbus, Eleanor Smith, and her husband, Buzzy, of Florence, MS, and Barbara Miles, and her husband, Keith, of Columbus. She leaves to cherish her memory six grandchildren: Harper Ferguson, Denver, CO, John Laws Ferguson (Ashlee), Nashville, TN, Eli Kerby (Kaitlin) Springfield, VA, Katherine Maer Kerby, Nashville, TN, Reuben Smith (Hailey), Florence, MS, and Lilah Searcy Smith, Nashville, TN, and her great grandchildren, Reuben Avery Smith and Lovie Smith, Florence, MS.

Katherine had a special place in her heart for her nephew and nieces, John Rice III, Diane Rice Carter, and Katherine Rice O’Connor, and their spouses and children.

Honorary pallbearers are Danny Williams, Bill Land, Bubba Comer, Allen Kerby, Frank Burris, Randy Burris, Keith Gaskin, Glenn Miller, Ronnie Clayton, Jackie Davis, Mike Miller, Bilbo Davis, Tom Whitaker, Steven Kuykendall, Spencer Waggoner, and Albert “Chance” Laws.

Katherine’s family would like to extend their appreciation for the excellent doctors and caregivers that were instrumental in Katherine’s care through the years, Dr. Christina Collins, Dr. Min Kim, Dr. John King, and others. Caregivers provided through ComForcare and Legacy Hospice allowed Katherine a meaningful, long life, remaining in her family home. Her family would like to thank Janet Rhett, Meka Young, Suzi Cotton, and Traci Hillman, for their loving care and compassion these past months.

Services will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Columbus, MS, on Monday, December 12 th , 2022. Visitation will begin at 10:00 AM, with the service to be observed immediately after at 11:00 AM. This will then be followed by graveside interment at Friendship Cemetery. Memorials may be given to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 318 College Street, Columbus, MS 39701.