Mr. Ralph L. Hathorn, 92, died Thursday, July 26, 2012, at his home in Louisville. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, July 28th, at First United Methodist Church, with Rev. Mike Childs and Rev. Benjamin Pittman officiating. Visitation will be Friday at First United Methodist Church from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Interment will be in Memorial Park Cemetery. Porter Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Hathorn was born July 1, 1920 in Louisville, MS. He was a 1938 graduate of Louisville High School, a graduate of East Central Junior College, and graduated from Mississippi State University in 1947, with a B. A. degree in Business Administration. He served 4 ½ years in the U. S. Air Force during World War II, and discharged with the grade of Master Sergeant in 1945. He owned and operated Hathorn’s Grocery on Main Street in Louisville for 30 years, from 1948 till 1978. He was elected to the Board of Aldermen for one year in 1964, and for a four year term in 1965. He was then elected Mayor of Louisville in 1969, and went on to serve five terms as Mayor. He was member and past president of Louisville Businessmen’s Club, Winston County Farm Bureau, Louisville Shrine Club, member and past commander of the American Legion, was past president of the Winston County Miss. State University Alumni Assn. He served on the board of directors of the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District, and was nominated as one of the top ten laureates of Mississippi, for bringing and locating new industry in his city. He served on the executive Committee of the Mississippi Municipal Association for five years. He was a member of First United Methodist Church, where he was president of the Ed Livingston Sunday School Class.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Tenie and Milton H. Hathorn; a brother, J. Hoy Hathorn; and two sisters, Grace Bricker and Helen Baker.
He is survived by his wife, Mildred Yarbrough Hathorn of Louisville; a daughter, Sara Claire Green of Madison, MS; two sons, Ronnie (Vicky) Hathorn of Louisville, and William B. (Teresa) Hathorn of Brandon, MS; five grandchildren, Kim Pitts, Brad Hathorn, Kyla Sanford, Lindsey Carr, and Matt Green; and eight great grandchildren.
Pallbearers are Brad Hathorn, Barry Pitts, Corey Hancock, Michael Ming, Don Dickerson, Ricky Hartness, Jerry Fulcher, and Chad Fulcher.
Memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church, P. O. Box 523, Louisville, MS, 39339; or Hope Hollow Ministries, Camp for Disabled Children and Adults with Disabilities, P. O. Box 2247, Madison, MS, 39130.