L. J. Gay

L.J. Gay, age 86 of Cave City died Saturday, March 20, 2010 at the White River Medical Center in Batesville. He was born August 13, 1923 at Poughkeepsie, Arkansas to Joseph Elbert and Maxie Lee (McCracken) Gay. He was a U. S. Army veteran of WWII and served two tours in the Civilian Conservation Corps camps. He was a retired minister having pastored many churches including Maxville Missionary Baptist Church and Ring's Chapel Missioinary Baptist Church. He was a member of the Corinth Missionary Baptist Church at Grange.He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Mary Katherine 'Tootsie' Gay and three brothers, Loren Gay, Alden Gay and an infant brother.Survivors include two sons and daughter-in-law, Bobby Joe and Mary Gay of Cave City and Elbert Lee Gay of Strawberry; two daughters and sons-in-law, Sharon Kay and Gerald Palmer of Cave City and Kathy Ann and Randy Huskey of Batesville; three sisters, Wreathel Wilkerson, Elline Davis and Sybil Girtman of Cave City, nine grandchildren, twenty-seven great grandchildren, two great-great children, several nieces and nephews and a host of other relatives and friends.Funeral services will begin Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. at the First Missionary Baptist Church in Cave City with Bro. Mike Hoggard, Bro. Dennis Gay and Bro. Jason Palmer officiating. Burial will follow in the Milligan Campground Cemetery located near Strawberry with arrangements by Qualls Funeral Home of Cave City.Visitation will be Monday, March 22, 2010 from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. at the First Missionary Baptist Church in Cave City.Pallbearers will be Travis Hoggard, Roger Gay, Tim Palmer, Ryan Palmer, Dalton Palmer, Lane Gay and Levi Watts.Honoary pallbearers are Samuel Hoggard, Colby Hoggard and Eli Hoggard.