Obit – Ms. Leah Gillispie Petty

Ms. Leah Gillispie Petty, of the Pleasant Shade community, died on Thursday, August 11, 2022, at the Vanderbilt Wilson Hospital in Lebanon.  She was 54.

She was cremated and a memorial service was conducted on Saturday morning, August 20th, at the East Carthage Missionary Baptist Church with Eld. Rickey Hall officiating.

Born Leah May Gillispie at the former Smith County Memorial Hospital (now Riverview Regional Medical Center) in Carthage on November 7, 1967, six minutes before her twin sister, Lila, she was the daughter of the late William Horace Gillispie, who died July 19, 1995 at the age of 67, and Hazel Louise Bowman Gillispie, who died April 17, 1987 at the age of 48.

On August 19, 1989, she was united in marriage to Larry Rosson Petty, who preceded her in death on January 9, 1997 at the age of 36.

Ms. Petty was a member of the Class of 1986 at Smith County High School.  

She was employed in food service at the Carthage Pizza Hut and most recently in the dietary department of Smith County Health Care.

She had attended the East Carthage Missionary Baptist Church in her youth.

Surviving are two sons, Josh Holliman of Pea Ridge, Adam Elrod & wife, Kelly, of Fort Campbell, KY; two granddaughters, Kinslee Holliman and Ava-May Elrod; step-grandson, Damian Silcox; sisters, Betty Smith & husband, Travis, of Carthage, Barbara Fields & husband, Roger, of Chestnut Mound, Lila Morgan & husband, Ricky, of Lebanon; brothers, William E. Gillispie & wife, Beverly, of Carthage, Wayne Gillispie of Carthage; several nieces and nephews.

SANDERSON of CARTHAGE