Gladys Odell Poe Blair

Gladys Odell Poe Blair was born in her childhood home in Duck Hill, MS to Walter Tully Poe and Lottie Lou Ransom Poe on January 28, 1932.  She graduated from Lloyd T. Binford High School in Duck Hill, MS in 1952 and married later that year to Elder William Edward Blair.  She joined Mt. Pisgah Primitive Baptist Church at an early age and remained a faithful and joyful member of the Primitive Baptist church all her life.  She attended Austin Peay University in Clarksville, TN where she earned a Teacher Certificate degree in education in 1966.   She worked as a librarian in a bookmobile in the Clarksville, TN area until 1968 when she moved with her husband Edward, daughter Laura and son Paul to Woodstown, NJ, where she later had another son James.  She remained in New Jersey until her husband died in 1981, when she moved back to Columbus, MS where she owned and operated a plant nursery and worked in a floral shop.  She moved to Milan, TN in 2014 and lived there until she departed this life on March 14^th, 2022 at NHC Nursing Facility.

Gladys was the wife of the late Elder William Edward Blair of Hamilton, MS and was a faithful and supportive pastor’s wife.  Her gracious, sweet spirit was evident to all who had any contact with her.  She was preceded in death by her mother, Lottie Lou Ransom Poe, her father, Walter Tully Poe, her husband of 29 years, Elder William Edward Blair, and her siblings: Rachel Poe, Billy Poe, June Blakely, George Poe, Mary Ellen Long, Elder Jim Poe.  She is survived by two siblings, Elder Bobby Poe of Memphis, TN, and Susie Robinson (James) of Duck Hill, MS, her daughter, Laura Brewer (63) and her husband Roland of Hamilton, MS and her sons, Paul Blair (54) and his wife Sonia of Cedar Grove, TN, and James Blair (52) and his wife Patti of Columbus, MS.  Her grandchildren include Dane Morgridge (Lisa) of East Norriton, PA, Donald Morgridge of Colmar, PA, Kelson Brewer of Hamilton, MS, Hannah Stewart (Colton) of Milan, TN, Drew Blair (Erica) of Hixson, TN, Casey Blair of Columbus, MS, Will Blair of Columbus, MS, Paul Blair (Kayla) of Muscle Shoals, AL.  Her great-grandchildren include Marcus Morgridge (18), Jonathan Morgridge (17), Andrew Morgridge (16), Amanda Morgridge (14), Ryan Morgridge (17), Alexis Blair (13), Layla Blair (2), and Porter Stewart (1), as well as a host of extended family members.

Funeral services will be held Friday, March 18 at 12:00 p.m. at Mt. Pisgah Primitive Baptist Church in Duck Hill with burial following in the church cemetery. Elder Paul Blair and Elder Craig Blair will officiate the service. Pallbearers will be Casey Blair, Paul Blair, Drew Blair, Kelson Brewer, Colton Stewart, and Kaden Adams.

Visitation will be Friday, March 18 from 10:00 a.m. until service time at 12:00 p.m. at Mt. Pisgah Primitive Baptist Church.