Ennis Jefferson (E.J.) Hurdle, Jr.

Ennis Jefferson “E.J.” Hurdle, Jr., age 85, resident of Collierville, Tennessee and husband of Elizabeth Hurdle, departed this life Tuesday morning, March 5, 2019 at the National HealthCare Center in Somerville.

Funeral Services for Mr. Hurdle were held at 1 P.M. Friday, March 8, 2019 at Collierville United Methodist Church. The officiating ministers will be Rev. Randy Stacy and Dr. David Atkinson. Interment followed in the Friendship Cemetery at Moscow. Arrangements were provided by Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes & Cremation Center – Main Chapel in Somerville.

E.J. was born September 25, 1933 in Slayden, Mississippi, the son of Ennis Jefferson Hurdle, Sr. and Johnnie Kate Williamson Hurdle. He moved with his family at an early age to Fayette County, was a graduate of Fayette County High School and attended Mississippi State University. He served his country in the United States Navy as a ship machinist. Using his God-given gift of machinery design, in 1969, E.J. opened Hurdle Machine Works, Inc. in Moscow, Tennessee and was the Founder, President and Head of Engineering for over 45 years. He was a member of Collierville United Methodist Church and enjoyed fishing, shooting, hunting, and traveling.

Mr. Hurdle is survived by his wife who he married August of 2003, Elizabeth Jemison Saunders Hurdle of Collierville, TN; two sons, Jefferson Logan Hurdle (April) of Rossville, TN, John Harvey Hurdle (Laine) of Rossville, TN; his stepdaughter, Sissy Dowdle of Somerville, TN; two stepsons, Frank Saunders of Memphis, TN, Barry Saunders (Karen) of Birmingham, AL; eleven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister, Sylvia Charlene Hurdle.

Those honored to serve as pallbearers were Richard Allen, Shelton Wilder, Tony Hooper, Steve Howell, John Pollard and Chuck Logan. Honorary pallbearers were Bill McKinney, Tom Allen, Doris Jean Howell, Tom Wood and Arnold Smith.

The family requests that memorials be directed to Collierville United Methodist Church, 454 W. Poplar Avenue, Collierville, TN 38017.

To view the history of Hurdle Machine Works, Inc., please visit www.HurdleMachineWorks.com/history.html .