E. S. Furr Rev.

1922 - 2013

Rev. E. S. Furr

Tupelo

Tupelo, Mississippi-- Reverend Esta Stanley "ES" Furr, 90, reluctant war hero, faithful servant of the Lord, devoted family man, died May 25, 2013, at Northeast Mississippi Medical Center after a short illness. ES, born September 15, 1922, in Aberdeen, Mississippi, was the second of four boys born to Dr. Esta and Lottie Hansell Furr. ES graduated from Ole Miss in 1944. His diploma was sent to Fort Benning, Georgia, by Railway Express, since he was called to military service for World War II before graduation, as were two of his brothers.

ES always said that the Army, with its loud and tough discipline, did not fit his personality. Nevertheless, he proudly served his country, and was sent overseas as an Army Infantry Private First Class. He saw his first combat in November 1944. On January 22, 1945, ES displayed extraordinary bravery during the battle for Colmar, France, and was wounded in the right leg. His actions during that battle earned him the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.

After the war and working for the Middle Tennessee Tuberlosis Association, ES answered the call to ministry and attended and graduated from the Chandler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, in 1951. During seminary, in 1950, he married Ruth Hunter Allen of Tennessee. They remained married and devoted to one another until Ruth's death in 2006.

ES was ordained as a United Methodist minister and served churches in Vardaman, Belmont, Calhoun City, Ripley, Booneville, Lexington and Corinth. He also served as the Tupelo District Superintendent and the Director of the North Mississippi Conference Council on Ministries in Grenada. He "retired" in 1988 but continued his ministry until the end of his life.

ES believed in "active" faithfulness and spent his life serving others. During different periods of his ministry, he was involved in Habitat for Humanity, serving as the warehouse manager supplying furniture to the needy. He tirelessly served meals to the home-bound with Meals on Wheels. He was a founding member of Kairos, in Mississippi, a prison ministry, and lovingly tended to the spiritual and even physical needs of prisoners, both while they were incarcerated and after their release. He never gave up on people, believing that all things are possible through God, working through people. He was active in various Twelve Step programs, serving as chaplain for several treatment centers. He was involved for many years in programs advocating better treatment for mental health. He was active in the Methodist Walk to Emmaus. He supported many causes aimed at eradicating world hunger.

ES was physically active and enjoyed jogging and working out with his buddies (the "Water Boys") at the Wellness Center until a late age. He was a long-time member of the Luncheon Civitan Club and rarely missed a meeting. He moved to Traceway Manor in 2006 and enjoyed living in the community setting at the Manor, Mitchell Center, and finally at the Greenhouses.

Although ES was a Christian minister, he accepted and loved those of all faiths. He was active early in the civil rights movement, quietly (and sometimes loudly) urging acceptance and equal legal rights for all persons, regardless of race or ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, or economic circumstances. He proudly claimed to be a "yellow dog Democrat," long after such designation was popular in Mississippi, or anywhere. He loved his Republican friends and family and hoped they would one day see the light. He probably never voted for a Republican, the only possible exception being his Sunday School friend Jack Reed for Mississippi Governor. But, he would not admit even voting for Jack, though he loved him.

The month before he died, the Tupelo District Board of Laity honored ES for his lifetime of service to the Methodist Church and Christianity in general. He attended the award service with his family and was touched and uplifted by the last sermon he ever heard, which was preached by Reverend James E. Swanson, Sr., Bishop of the United Methodist Church in Mississippi.



ES loved his family and was a wonderful and devoted husband and Dad. He was predeceased by his wife, Ruth, and his brothers, William Frazier Furr, Marion Hansell Furr (and his wife Pearl), and Dr. Richard Theron Furr. He is survived by his son Stanley Allen Furr of Tupelo, and his wife Lynda Rowland Furr; and his daughter, Anna Furr Dexter of Ridgeland, and her husband Cecil Terry Dexter. He is survived by two step-grandchildren, Darla Frison (Tremaine) and Jamie Wallis, and six step-great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Rosemary Furr of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, fifteen nieces and nephews, and many great nieces and nephews.

As his last act of giving, ES donated his body to the University Medical Center. He was pleased that he could participate after his death in teaching and training those who would someday care and tend to those suffering from illnesses. He would also be pleased that his buddy, Steve Holland, was beaten out of the cost of a regularly priced funeral, including a VA issued grave marker. A celebration of life service will be held at the First United Methodist Church in Tupelo, Mississippi, at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, 2013. Visitation will be in the Gathering Room from 10:00 a.m. until the service at 2 p.m. Honorary pallbearers are all United Methodist ministers and members of the Kairos/Emmaus Walk community.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Millsaps College, for a scholarship in memory of E. S. & Ruth Allen Furr, 1701 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39210; to Helping Hands, (a food and clothing organization for those in need), First United Methodist Church, P. O. Box 854, Tupelo, MS 38802; to the Kairos Prison Ministry of Mississippi, P. O. Box 6, Stoneville, MS 38776; or to a favorite charity. Holland Funeral Directors, Tupelo Chapel is assisting the family with arrangements. Condolences may be e mailed to hollandfuneraldirectors@comcast.net