Judith Kay Rodgers Rudder, 66, died peacefully Thursday, March 13, 2014, surrounded by her children, two of her siblings and staff of the Medical Center Hospice Unit at the North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Memorial Funeral Home. A Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated Monday, March 17, 2014 at 10 a.m. at Annunciation Catholic Church with Father Robert Dore, celebrant. Visitation in the church atrium will begin at 9 a.m. Following her wishes, Mrs. Rudder was cremated, and her ashes will be interred later at Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Florence, Ala., where her parents are buried.
One of nine children of the late John and Rose Maxson Rodgers, Mrs. Rudder was born June 28, 1947 in South Bend, Ind. She grew up in Muscle Shoals, Ala. where she graduated from high school. She then attended Shoals Community College and received her LPN degree. She worked as an LPN for over 20 years in hospitals and nursing homes. Her last nursing assignment was at Magnolia Manor in Columbus. She was a member of Annunciation Catholic Church and was a delegate and member of the Lowndes County Republican Women. She enjoyed painting and compiling scrapbooks.
She was predeceased by three sisters, Sharon Greene, JoAnne Rodgers and Rosemary Fountain; a brother, Bob Rodgers and her parents.
She is survived by her children Sheri Lipsey (Jeff), Karon J. “Jeni” Davis and Kelly J. Tippett, and her granddaughters Jessica Davis and Rhodes Lipsey, all of Columbus. She is also survived by three brothers, John Rodgers (Charlotte) of Gray, Tenn., Terry Rodgers (Mary) of Cleveland, Tenn. and Raymond Rodgers (Gail) of Columbus; sister, Sandra Doyle (David) of Jackson, Tenn., and numerous nieces and nephews.
Honorary pallbearers will be members of the St. Marguerite Bunko Group.
Memorials may be made to Friends of Annunciation Catholic Church, 823 College Street, Columbus, Miss. 39701
