Obit – Mrs. Jo Frances Harris Agnew
Mrs. Jo Frances Harris Agnew, a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and aunt, age 91 of Carthage, passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 23, 2023.
Mrs. Agnew, lovingly known as Ma to many people, was born Jo Frances Harris on December 20, 1931 on Beech Log Road in Norene, Tennessee to Archie Lee and Winnie Harris. She lived on Beech Log Road up until her teen years when she moved to “town,” which was Highway 70 in Watertown. Mrs. Agnew graduated from Watertown High School in 1949. She found her true love when she met Mr. Elmer Kenneth Agnew. They married soon after on April 26, 1950.
They spent their first few years of marriage living in Nashville and Lebanon so that Kenneth wouldn’t have to drive so far to work at Avco. They welcomed their first daughter, Mrs. Deborah Jo Agnew, on February 21, 1952. Soon after, their second daughter, Ms. Sherrie Elaine Hackett, was born on June 1, 1956. They resided in Brush Creek, Tennessee up until they moved to Carthage in the early 1990s.
Mrs. Agnew was a member of the Brush Creek United Methodist Church. She was also a member of the Order of Eastern Star in Alexandria. Kenneth and Jo spent many hours traveling all over Tennessee visiting many chapters of Eastern Star. Mrs. Agnew worked for Mr. James Bass, Attorney and Mr. Jackie Bellar for many years until she retired to take care of great-grandchildren, which by far was Mrs. Agnew’s favorite job. Ma loved to have family over for any occasion, and her home was always open to anyone, including strangers.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Archie and Winnie Harris, along with two brothers, Bobby Harris and Henry Harris, and her daughter, Debbie Fulton.
Surviving Mrs. Agnew is her loving husband of 73 years, Mr. Kenneth Agnew, her daughter, Ms. Sherrie Hackett of Carthage, her son-in-law, Dickie Fulton, her grandchildren Olivia Fulton (Jason) Bush of Elmwood, Brian (Ashlee) Hackett of Carthage, Joseph (Ashleigh) Hackett of Joplin, Missouri, Adam (Mandi) Fulton of Carthage, and Ken (Ashley) Hackett of Hillsboro, her sister Ms. Lynda Sue Simpson of Watertown, and her sister-in-law, Mrs. Jeannette Harris of Watertown. Also surviving Mrs. Agnew are 6 great-grandchildren, Hayden Bush, Cambell Bush, Piper Hackett, Viena Fulton, Harrison Hackett, and Charlotte Hackett.
Funeral Services for Mrs. Agnew were conducted from the Carthage Chapel of Bass Funeral Homes on Wednesday, July 26, 2023 at 1PM with Jane Bass Turner delivering the eulogy and Bro. Tim Frank officiating. Interment followed in the Smith County Memorial Gardens.
The family requests memorials be made to Jordan Hackett Foundation.
BASS of CARTHAGE
