Individual Details

Death

OXFORD - Edna Lee Avent Shellabarger, 91, died Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008, at the Green Houses at Traceway Retirement Center in Tupelo. She was born Sept. 22, 1916, in Oxford, She was a graduate of University High and attended Whitworth College in Brookhaven and the University of Mississippi, where she was a member of the Kappa Delta sorority. She was crowned Miss Oxford in 1936. She was married to R.E. "Rusty" Shellabarger, who died in 1967. She worked at the Charleston (S.C.) Navy Yard during World War II, then returned home and worked in the J.D. Williams Library and the Air Force ROTC at Ole Miss. In 1971 she was elected to the first of four terms as Lafayette County Circuit Clerk, and for many years was a member and Sunday school teacher at First Baptist Church in Oxford. Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 22, at Waller Funeral Home Chapel with the Rev. Eric Hankins officiating. Burial will follow in St. Peter's Cemetery. Survivors includeher children, LeeMyrlShellabarger McKenzie (Danny) of Tupelo, R.E. "Buzzy" Shellabarger Jr. (Judi) of Memphis and Sally Avent Shellabarger Worsham (Danny) of Oxford; grandchildren, Andrew Maxwell McKenzie (Kim) of Columbus, Ga., Matthew Adam Shellabarger (Chaderlee) of Memphis, Carra Kathleen McKenzie of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Hayley Catherine Shellabarger Ferguson (Adam) of Memphis; and one great-granddaughter, Hannah Grace McKenzie of Columbus, Ga. She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents, John Edward and Carra Lee Furr Avent; and two brothers, John Edward "Sally" Avent and Benjamen Wesley Avent. Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home. Memorial donations be made to the charity of the donor's choice.