Jerry Norton Stutts

Jerry Norton Stutts Cox Funeral Home Bastrop, Louisiana BONITA, LA. Jerry Norton Stutts, 69, of Bonita, Louisiana died on June 10, 2010 after a prolonged battle with lung cancer. He leaves behind Nancy, his wife of 41 years; two sons and their wives, Jason and Tessa and Justin and Jessica; and five grandchildren, Miller, Emma, Davis, Tucker, and Gentry. Jerry was born November 6, 1940 in Manila, Arkansas to Zollan Stutts and Glodeen Norton Stutts. A graduate of Arkansas State University, Jerry married Nancy Miller on May 31, 1969. After several years in the banking industry he returned to his farm roots in Bonita. Jerry served as a founding member and then General Manager of Morehouse Gin & Elevator in Mer Rouge, but his heart remained in farming. For the next 30 years, Jerry devoted himself to full-time farming. Jerry was innovative in his farming practices and he had the ability to help others to see the big picture which allowed him to resolve many farming problems through the years. Jerry passed his love of farming to his boys, Jason and Justin, and they are now the third generation to farm this wonderful land passed down by their granddaddy, Zollan. Along with his farming interests, Jerry served as a board member for the Morehouse Gin & Elevator and Louisiana Cotton Warehouses in Mer Rouge, Planter's Oil Mill in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Hibernia Bank of Bastrop, Morehouse General Hospital, and a charter board member of AgriSolutions since its inception in 1972. Jerry loved horses and took special pleasure in riding his favorite Fox Trotter, "Stuttson." It pleased him so when several grandchildren took an interest in riding. Jerry also dearly loved music and he was a gifted singer. He had a wonderful bass voice and he greatly enjoyed singing with the Barbershoppers of Monroe, the Reily Methodist Church group of Collinston, and the quartet at his church, First Baptist Church of Bastrop. In addition to his wife, sons, and grandchildren, Jerry leaves behind his mother, Glodeen Norton Stutts, his sister Carolyn Stutts Smith and her husband Larry; a niece, Paige Martin and her husband Andrew; a nephew, Blaine Smith; numerous cousins and a host of loving friends considered as family. The family will receive friends Saturday, June 12, 2010 from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Cox Funeral Home, Bastrop. Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m. Sunday, June 13th at the First Baptist Church of Bastrop with the Reverend Jim Ingram and Dr. L.H. McCollough officiating. Interment will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Cox Funeral Home. Serving as pallbearers will be Fred Bourland, Noel Geib, Tommy Gregory, Allen Lash, William T. Lee, Nicky Stutts, Derrell Thomas, and Terry Williams. Honorary pallbearers are Clark Green and Dick Revels. The family wishes to thank the nurses and staff of Premier Hospice, Dr. Ed Kim, and Dr. Scott Barron. Also special thanks for the faithfulness and care of Dena Hawthorne and the loyalty of longtime employees Robert Hobbs and Fay Coleman. For those who wish the family suggest memorials be made to the Christian Life Fellowship, P.O. Box 335, Mer Rouge, LA. 71261 or First Baptist Church, 620 East Madison, Bastrop, LA. 71220. Online condolences for the family can be made at www.coxfuneral.com.