Lorene Holleman Utz
June 02, 1924 - August 27, 2016
Now in Heaven with her Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, Lorene Holleman Utz passed away unexpectedly and peacefully Saturday morning, August 27, 2016 in Palm Desert, Calif., where she had been living since June of 2011.
Visitation will be Friday Sept. 9 from 5-7 p.m. at Stricklin-King Funeral Home and Saturday Sept. 10 from 1-2:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church.
Funeral Services are Saturday, Sept. 10 at 2:30 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church.
Mrs. Utz was born in Pickens to Jeremiah Holleman of Lumberton, and Mary Jane Henry Holleman of Mt. Dora, Fla. She was Valedictorian of her Camden, Ms graduating class. She married George Hughes Utz (Kosciusko) on June 02, 1947, after graduating from the Jackson Infirmary School of Nursing as a Registered Nurse on April 4, 1945.
She was a long time member of the Yazoo community from June of 1953 to June 2011. She was a very active participant with Ollie Jean Lane (Yazoo County Home Extension Agent) in the Yazoo County Home Demonstration Club.
Her loves and her passions were her family, her church, music, art, and flowers. Always with a smile on her face, serving in her home and in her community. She had a special ministry to others through flowers. She grew them, she arranged them, she shared them with others. She gave a special gift to others by preserving memories; making framed dried flower prints from wedding, funeral, and other special occasion flowers. She shared her talent for flower arranging by making flower arrangements for her church; decorating the foyer of Rick's Memorial Library regularly with a large arrangement (she did this with her dear friend, Ruby King). On Saturday afternoons before Easter, she collected large flowering branches of Dogwood from the woods behind her home, and made huge arrangements for the Yazoo City Easter Sunrise Service. She was active in the Four Seasons Garden Club as program chairman for multiple years, as well as being a flower show participant and flower show judge. She was active in the Yazoo Art Association as President and Program Chairman. She loved creating an interest in the arts.
She really loved working with children. She has been a Brownie Scout Leader. She gave free art lessons in her home to homeschooled children. She got to know and love ( and they loved her back), the children in her church by volunteering in the church nursery regularly for many years. She also volunteered tutoring children with their homework after school in the Yazoo Housing Project. She made some special little friends there, ( this was done with Carol Easterlin and others form her church). She also loved the elderly and the indigent. She visited shut ins and very poor families on a weekly basis for years, sharing the love of Jesus, not as a witness ( these families already knew the gospel), but as a loving servant serving Christ by sharing her time and her kindness with others less fortunate. We know where she is, but those still here can't help but miss her sweetness.
She is survived by daughters Polly Beckman (Lee) of Dallas, Texas and Jane Underdahl (Harvey) of Palm Desert, Calif.; and her grandchildren, George David and Jonathan Utz of Starkville, Becky Utz Sharpe (Will) of Corinth; L.J. Beckman, Wesley Beckman and Mark Beckman of Dallas, Texas and Hughes Underdahl of Palm Desert, Calif.; great-granddaughters, Anna and Mary Sharpe of Corinth; brother, H.W. Holleman (Jackie) of Brandon; and many loving nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, George Utz; her son, George Louis Utz; brothers Otis Holleman (Mattie); Alton Holleman (Margret); Lee Holleman (Robbye); Henry Holleman (Agnes) and Curtis Holleman; and sisters, Pearl Langston (Dalco); Eunice Love (Dale), Mary Hemphill (Maurice), Dora Holleman, Allene Carson (Bob), Jane Marlar (A.B.) and Olivia Williams (James).
Honorary pallbearers are Frank Grey, Leon Hemphill, L.J.Beckman, Wesley Beckman, Mark Beckman, Hughes Underdahl, Will Sharpe, Peas Graeber and Kip Carroll.
She has requested that friends and loved ones bring fresh cut flowers (particularly pink roses) from their yard to decorate the church.
