The GOWDY Family
in Mississippi
Obituaries from Blue Mountain Newspapers
SOUTHERN SENTINEL, October 7, 1948
JESSE GOWDY
Blue Mountain, Miss., Oct. 4 - Services for W. Jesse Gowdy of Blue Mountain were held Monday afternoon from Lowrey Memorial Baptist Church. The Rev. Clifford Smyly, his pastor, conducted the funeral. Burial was in Blue Mountain Cemetery where his only son the late Grady Gowdy, Memphis florist, was buried last February. Mr. Gowdy who was featured in a special article recently by A. G. Weems of The Commercial Appeal, died quietly in his home here Saturday evening after a brief illness. He was still shaving and cutting hair the very last week of his life, though he had been absent from his ship a good deal of time for several days. His death removes a landmark from Blue Mountain where he was barber and a philosopher for more than forty years.
W. Jesse Gowdy was born near Blue Mountain, Oct. 11, 1872. His father was James K. Gowdy. His mother was Rachel Ann Jernigan. Bother were pioneer families of this section. He attended the public schools of the neighborhood. He married Miss Etna Jackson, Daughter of the late Prof. W. J. and Amanda Elizabeth Plummer Jackson, Nov. 12, 1898. He was making plans or celebration of their Golden Wedding Anniversary next month. Mr. Gowdy was a Baptist and was one of the most active members of the Men's Bible Class meeting each Sunday morning down at the local railway station.
Moving to Blue Mountain from the Gowdy farm, he opene a local barber shop more than forty years ago, attracting a unique patronage and entertained his customers by his bits of shrewd philosophy while he shaved and cut their hair. Student of Mississippi Heights Academy from all over the tri-state remember him and his optimism and his rare commonsense.
He leaves his wife and the following daughters, Mrs. Frank Cockerham and Mrs. Aubrey Travel of Memphis, and Mrs. Gene Beck of Atlanta, Ga., a granddaughter, Miss Arbara Ann Gowdy, two brothers, A. E. Gowdy of Blue Mountain and Algy Gowdy of Memphis and three sisters, Mrs. Percy Jones of Memphis, Mrs. Annie G. Floyd of California and Mrs. Sam Howell of Texas.
The active pallbearers were Mayor Sam L. Godwin, W. Norton Guyton, Ed C. Hardin, Albert J. Guyton, Emmtt Adams, Quitman Hardin and Perrin Holmes Guyton.
Jesse Gowdy has meant much to this neighborhood. He has been a good barber. Better than that, has been a good man. His sunny disposition has made his barbershop a pleasant place to visit and he has always been eager to reach out a helping hand.
A year ago, Jesse Gowdy was the youngest man for his years in Blue Mountain. He retained sound health of body and mind till the last of his long and useful life. Our families have been neighbors and friends for three or four generations. Blue Mountain has lost a faithful man of affairs. It will be hard to find another to take his place. Other barbers will be available, but Jesse Gowdy was more than a barber. His own family of course, will miss him most; but all of us will miss him and all of us join in genuine, heartfelt sympathy for his wife, his children, his one granddaughter, his brothers and sisters and all of his relatives and friends. Rest to his gallant spirit. Peace to his friendly heart.
The McBride Funeral Home had charge of funeral arrangements - By David E. Guyton