Josephine Thurmond Childs

Josephine "Aunt Jo" Thurmond Childs, 92, lifelong resident of Tippah County and wife of the late Allen Childs, passed away Monday morning September 19, 2016 at The Christian Care Center in Memphis following a brief illness.
  Funeral Services Celebrating the Life of "Aunt Jo" will be at 2 PM Wednesday, September 21 in The Heritage Chapel of Ripley Funeral Home. Dr. Jack Bennett, pastor of the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, officiating. Burial will be in Lowry United Methodist Church cemetery. The Ripley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
  Mrs. Childs was born March 6, 1924 in Ripley to the late Charles Thompson Thurmond, Sr. and Elizabeth "Lizzy" Lowry Thurmond. In 1944, Josephine married Allen Childs and together they owned and operated Childs Cotton Gin brfore their retirement. Allen and Josephine were married 59 years before his death in 2004.
  Mrs. Childs was passionate about her Christian faith, teaching the young teens Sunday School class for 53 years. At the time of her death, Mrs. Childs was the oldest active member of Mt. Moriah Baptist Church where she had attended for over 75 years. People who knew her will remember her kindness and patience, constantly taking care of others and always smiling.
  "Aunt Jo" was one of those rare souls, who even at the age of 92 wielded such a sharp mind, a strong wit and remarkable memory for all those special details, dates and names from a life well lived. Over the years Aunt Jo won awards for her sewing abilities. A church potluck simply wasn't a potluck unless one of Aunt Jo's coconut or caramel cakes were there. Every year for the past 40 years, in January, she would begin in the book of Genesis and read the Bible in its entirety before the end of the year.
  A visitation for family and friends will be today from 12 noon until 2 pm at The Ripley Funeral Home.
  Mrs. Childs is survived by her niece, Kathy Thurmond Edwards (David) of Memphis, TN. She was preceded in death by her sister, Dorothy Thurmond Fryar and 2 brothers, James Shirley Thurmond and Charles Thompson Thurmond, Jr.

The family request that memorials be sent to Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, c/o Mark Smith, 3710 CR 500, Ripley, MS 38663

The Ripley Funeral Home is honored to serve the Childs Family and invites you to sign the guestbook and share memories.