Tessie Thompson

Tessie Thompson

Heaven's golden bells were ringing Friday, Aug. 15, 2008, as the newest angel, Tessie Mae Thompson, 77, arrived. She passed away after a courageous battle at her Scott City home.

Tessie was born in Decatur County, Tenn., June 9, 1931, daughter of Mable Ondeen Turner Mays. She was the granddaughter of Jess Mays, son of Ruben Mays of Waterford, Ireland, and Charles and Sarah Turner.

Tessie married the man that walked in her soul, Richard Lanois Thompson, Sept. 17, 1950, in Corinth, Miss. They had 48 wonderful years together before his death June 19, 1998.

She was an active member of the Church of Christ, recently at West End Church of Christ in Cape Girardeau. She made the world a better place in so many ways, including helping to raise four generations of children; and even at work as a supervisor at a Frito-Lay cookie plant that gave the countryside 24 hours of the fragrance of cookies baking.

Tessie was a gracious loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She saw the best in everyone. She is still loved by all and words cannot express how much she will be missed.

Tessie is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Angela Fay and Larry Joe Holtzhouser; a grandson and granddaughter-in-law, Richard Kevin and Johnna Kaye Potter; two great-grandchildren, Ellie, her purple angel, and Nolan, her good boy, all of Scott City; a granddaughter, Robin Holtzhouser of Little Rock, Ark.; five brothers, Herbert and Christine Mays of Lilbourn, Mo., Edgar and Tonya Mays, Richard Eugene and Sherry Mays and Edward Mays, all of Portageville, Mo., Doug and Susan Mays of St. Peters, Mo.; a sister, Dorothy and Lynn Wagner of Lockport, Ill.; a sister-in-law, Emma Lou Shutt of Saltillo, Tenn.; and a host of family members and friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband and three nephews, Dwight Mays, Ronald Shutt and Richard David Shutt.

Visitation will be from 4:30 to 8 p.m. today at Amick-Burnett Funeral Chapel in Scott City.

The funeral will be at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at West End Church of Christ, with Bob Housby officiating. Burial will follow in Mounds Cemetery at Lilbourn.

Pallbearers will be Herbert Mays, Edgar Mays, Doug Mays, Eugene Mays, Brian Mays and John Stegman. Honorary pallbearers will be Edward Mays, Richard Allen Mays, Lloyd Mays, Dennis Mays, Lance Sipes, John Fourthman and Greg Johnson.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Southeast Hospice, 10 Doctors Park, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63703, or The Family Fund, West End Church of Christ, 328 S. West End Boulevard, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63703.