Ella Lois Townsend, a longtime resident of Lauderdale County, passed away on Saturday, January 25, 2014. Mrs. Townsend was born on November 27, 1918 in Middleton, TN. After graduating from high school in 1936, Mrs. Townsend moved to Florence where she spent the remaining years of her life. In her 95 years, her indomitable spirit and ever present smile won her hundreds of multi-generational friends. She loved well and was well loved in return.
“Ganny Lois” to her family and friends was a resident of Lauderdale Christian Nursing Home for the last two years. Her hobbies were recently limited to working advanced cross word puzzles; playing Bingo three cards at a time; assisting the “old ladies”, most many years her junior, and cheering on her beloved Alabama Crimson Tide and the Atlanta Braves. Even through this period of reduced activity, her international records for most ball games watched, most voter’s hands shaken, and most birthday cards sent, remained intact.
Ganny was an unending source of love, encouragement, and support to her family and a Typhoid Mary of Good Will to everyone she met. Hers was an equal opportunity friendship unrestricted by religion, race, gender, status or age.
Mrs. Townsend was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Robert Townsend, Jr.; daughters, Barbara Hamner and Jeannie Brown; parents, Will and Ella McClintock; brothers, Billy and Frank McClintock; and sister, Annie McClintock.
Visitation will be at Edgemont United Methodist Church, 1330 Eauclaire Avenue, Florence, Tuesday, January 28, 2014 beginning at 12:30 p.m. A Celebration of Life service will follow the visitation at 2:30 p.m., with friend and pastor Chris Montgomery officiating. Burial will be at Tri-Cities Memorial Gardens.
Ganny is survived by a daughter, Sondra Davis; sons, Billy (Kaye), Jack (Carolyn), and Jimbo (Pam); sisters, Gladys Ragan and Josephine McGee; seventeen grandchildren; twenty-one great-grandchildren; nine great-great grandchildren; several beloved nieces, nephews, and legions of friends.
Among those friends are pallbearers, Richard Thigpen, Tris Peck, Joey Hayes, Ray Ezekiel, George Richardson, and Richard Richey. Honorary pallbearers will be Paul Pounders, Randall Liles, and David Wilson.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Edgemont UMC Building Fund or your favorite charity.
The family wishes to thank Lauderdale Christian Nursing Home and staff for treating our precious loved one with such love and dignity. Everyone went above and beyond to make her stay there one of joy and contentment.
