Jo Ann (Dawkins) Thompson

Jo Ann Dawkins Thompson, longtime resident of the LaGrange Community and wife of Hal H. Thompson, Sr., died Friday morning, August 5, 2011 at the Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis where she had been a patient for 16 weeks. She was 72 years of age and died following an extended illness.

Services of Remembrance for Mrs. Thompson were conducted at 4 P.M. Sunday, August 7th at the Morris Chapel Baptist Church in Somerville with Rev. John Ed Watkins, pastor of the church, officiating. Interment followed in the LaGrange Cemetery. Arrangements were provided by Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes and Cremation Center – Main Chapel of Somerville.

Mrs. Thompson was born December 21, 1938, the daughter of Essie Pearl Click Dawkins and the late James Luther Dawkins. She received her education in the Tennessee Public School System and was married February 21, 1965 to Hal H. Thompson, Sr., well known retired Fayette County plumber, who survives.

Mrs. Thompson was a lifelong resident of the LaGrange and Grand Junction Communities and was a devoted member of the Morris Chapel Baptist Church in Somerville. She was a homemaker throughout her life and will be remembered as a family oriented person who enjoyed gospel music, shopping for her family and hummingbirds.

In addition to her husband, Mrs. Thompson is survived by her daughter, Karen Watkins (Jerry) of LaGrange, TN; her three sons, Randy Gaither (Michelle) of Rossville, TN, Hal Thompson, Jr. of LaGrange, TN, James L. “Busby” Thompson (Diane) of LaGrange, TN; her mother, Essie Pearl Dawkins of LaGrange, TN; her sister, Carolyn Tacker of Grand Junction, TN; her brother, Charles Dawkins of Grand Junction, TN; 10 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren.

Those honored to serve as pallbearers were Jerry Watkins, Nicholas Thompson, Brandon Staggs, Aaron Dewitt, Josh Thompson and Zachary Watkins. Christopher Thompson served as an honorary pallbearer.

The family requests that memorials be directed to Morris Chapel Baptist Church, 475 Feathers Chapel  Dr., Somerville, TN 38068 or to the Fayette County or Hardeman County Chapters of the American Heart Association.