Julia Frances Embrey Respess was born in the Greenleaf Community of Tate County, Mississippi, on September 4, 1927, to the late Jessie Mae Bailey Embrey (1902-1982) and William Francis Embrey (1878-1963). She passed away on November 20, 2017, at the North Delta Hospice House in Southaven, Mississippi after a two week battle with pneumonia.
On September 22, 1945, she married Ralph Gillespie Respess, Sr. They had three children, Ralph, Jr.(1948), Gwen(1952), and Karl(1958).
In the early 50's, she worked as a printer's assistant alongside her husband, who was a printer at the Whitehaven Press in Memphis, TN. After the birth of Karl, she left work to devote her life to raising her children. She went back to work in 1970, at the W. T. Grant Department Store located in Southaven, MS. She remained there until its closure in 1975. Then, in 1977, whe went to work for DeSoto County Schools as a bookkeeper for the cafeteria at Walls Elementary School. She remained there until she retired in 1999.
In 2006, she was diagnosed with CLL, a chronic leukemia. This did not slow her down, and she continued to stay active, with only periodic monitoring of her white blood cells. In 2012, she fell and broke her hip. She spent ten weeks at the Senatobia Convalescent Center for physical therapy rehab. She never fully regained her health after the broken hip. In February, 2017, she suffered with double pneumonia. After a week in Baptist-DeSoto Hospital, she was transferred to DeSoto Healthcare for physical therapy to regain her strength. She remained there until the end of May, 2017. During that summer, she seemed to be her old self, though getting more feeble. It became more difficult for her to move about with her walker. On September 4, 2017, she celebrated her 90th birthday. In late October, 2017, she developed a bad cold, which later, turned into pneumonia. On November 6, 2017, she was again hospitalized. Treatment progressed, but she later took a turn for the worst. On November 11, she was transferred to ICU. Doctors told the family that she would not get better. She was then admitted to North Delta Hospice House on November 13, 2017. Her daughter, Gwen, stayed with her every day, and her son,Karl,
stayed every night. She slipped away quietly,at 3:20am, on November 20, 2017.
On September 22, 1945, she married Ralph Gillespie Respess, Sr. They had three children, Ralph, Jr.(1948), Gwen(1952), and Karl(1958).
In the early 50's, she worked as a printer's assistant alongside her husband, who was a printer at the Whitehaven Press in Memphis, TN. After the birth of Karl, she left work to devote her life to raising her children. She went back to work in 1970, at the W. T. Grant Department Store located in Southaven, MS. She remained there until its closure in 1975. Then, in 1977, whe went to work for DeSoto County Schools as a bookkeeper for the cafeteria at Walls Elementary School. She remained there until she retired in 1999.
In 2006, she was diagnosed with CLL, a chronic leukemia. This did not slow her down, and she continued to stay active, with only periodic monitoring of her white blood cells. In 2012, she fell and broke her hip. She spent ten weeks at the Senatobia Convalescent Center for physical therapy rehab. She never fully regained her health after the broken hip. In February, 2017, she suffered with double pneumonia. After a week in Baptist-DeSoto Hospital, she was transferred to DeSoto Healthcare for physical therapy to regain her strength. She remained there until the end of May, 2017. During that summer, she seemed to be her old self, though getting more feeble. It became more difficult for her to move about with her walker. On September 4, 2017, she celebrated her 90th birthday. In late October, 2017, she developed a bad cold, which later, turned into pneumonia. On November 6, 2017, she was again hospitalized. Treatment progressed, but she later took a turn for the worst. On November 11, she was transferred to ICU. Doctors told the family that she would not get better. She was then admitted to North Delta Hospice House on November 13, 2017. Her daughter, Gwen, stayed with her every day, and her son,Karl,
stayed every night. She slipped away quietly,at 3:20am, on November 20, 2017.
Julia Frances Embrey Respess was born in the Greenleaf Community of Tate County, Mississippi, on September 4, 1927, to the late Jessie Mae Bailey Embrey (1902-1982) and William Francis Embrey (1878-1963). She passed away on November 20, 2017, at the North Delta Hospice House in Southaven, Mississippi after a two week battle with pneumonia.
On September 22, 1945, she married Ralph Gillespie Respess, Sr. They had three children, Ralph, Jr.(1948), Gwen(1952), and Karl(1958).
In the early 50's, she worked as a printer's assistant alongside her husband, who was a printer at the Whitehaven Press in Memphis, TN. After the birth of Karl, she left work to devote her life to raising her children. She went back to work in 1970, at the W. T. Grant Department Store located in Southaven, MS. She remained there until its closure in 1975. Then, in 1977, whe went to work for DeSoto County Schools as a bookkeeper for the cafeteria at Walls Elementary School. She remained there until she retired in 1999.
In 2006, she was diagnosed with CLL, a chronic leukemia. This did not slow her down, and she continued to stay active, with only periodic monitoring of her white blood cells. In 2012, she fell and broke her hip. She spent ten weeks at the Senatobia Convalescent Center for physical therapy rehab. She never fully regained her health after the broken hip. In February, 2017, she suffered with double pneumonia. After a week in Baptist-DeSoto Hospital, she was transferred to DeSoto Healthcare for physical therapy to regain her strength. She remained there until the end of May, 2017. During that summer, she seemed to be her old self, though getting more feeble. It became more difficult for her to move about with her walker. On September 4, 2017, she celebrated her 90th birthday. In late October, 2017, she developed a bad cold, which later, turned into pneumonia. On November 6, 2017, she was again hospitalized. Treatment progressed, but she later took a turn for the worst. On November 11, she was transferred to ICU. Doctors told the family that she would not get better. She was then admitted to North Delta Hospice House on November 13, 2017. Her daughter, Gwen, stayed with her every day, and her son,Karl,
stayed every night. She slipped away quietly,at 3:20am, on November 20, 2017.
On September 22, 1945, she married Ralph Gillespie Respess, Sr. They had three children, Ralph, Jr.(1948), Gwen(1952), and Karl(1958).
In the early 50's, she worked as a printer's assistant alongside her husband, who was a printer at the Whitehaven Press in Memphis, TN. After the birth of Karl, she left work to devote her life to raising her children. She went back to work in 1970, at the W. T. Grant Department Store located in Southaven, MS. She remained there until its closure in 1975. Then, in 1977, whe went to work for DeSoto County Schools as a bookkeeper for the cafeteria at Walls Elementary School. She remained there until she retired in 1999.
In 2006, she was diagnosed with CLL, a chronic leukemia. This did not slow her down, and she continued to stay active, with only periodic monitoring of her white blood cells. In 2012, she fell and broke her hip. She spent ten weeks at the Senatobia Convalescent Center for physical therapy rehab. She never fully regained her health after the broken hip. In February, 2017, she suffered with double pneumonia. After a week in Baptist-DeSoto Hospital, she was transferred to DeSoto Healthcare for physical therapy to regain her strength. She remained there until the end of May, 2017. During that summer, she seemed to be her old self, though getting more feeble. It became more difficult for her to move about with her walker. On September 4, 2017, she celebrated her 90th birthday. In late October, 2017, she developed a bad cold, which later, turned into pneumonia. On November 6, 2017, she was again hospitalized. Treatment progressed, but she later took a turn for the worst. On November 11, she was transferred to ICU. Doctors told the family that she would not get better. She was then admitted to North Delta Hospice House on November 13, 2017. Her daughter, Gwen, stayed with her every day, and her son,Karl,
stayed every night. She slipped away quietly,at 3:20am, on November 20, 2017.
