Ivy Case Hosch, 96, of Tupelo, died on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2011,at the Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo following a brief illness.Services were held at 11 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 3, at the Wright andFerguson Funeral Home on Highland Colony Parkway inRidgeland.

A native of Brookhaven, she was president and valedictorian of theclass of 1932, receiving a scholarship to Newcomb College in NewOrleans. Although she ultimately received bachelor’s and master’sdegrees in both English and social work from Newcomb and Tulane,the family always laughed about her reluctance to begin the firstgrade. Despite the best escort efforts of brother, Houston Case andhis classmate, Louis Decell, each of the first two days of schoolshe fled from Brookhaven Grammar School to the U.S. Post Office,where she found her father’s car and hid, not coming out until hewas too far along his rural mail route to take her back to school.Eventually she gave school a try, which began a lifelong love oflearning with a keen eye for grammar, spelling andliterature.

She taught English at Pearl River Junior College, and then moved toJackson and began a career as a social worker with the MississippiDepartment of Public Welfare, which she held through World War IIand until the birth of her first child. At that time she devotedherself to her family.

She is survived by her sons, Burton B. Hosch Jr, (Patty) of Tupelo,and William E. Hosch of Plano, Texas; by her granddaughters, AnnColter Cheron (Rob) of Alexandria, Va., and Wurth Hosch ofWashington, D.C., by her great-grandchildren, Baynes Cheron andRonan Cheron; and by her brother, Houston Case of Brookhaven.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, Burton B.Hosch, in 2005; by her parents, Lonnie and Cattie Case; by herbrother Harrison Case; and sisters Nell Raabe, Marjorie Alford andBillie Jean Kistenmacher.

Memorials may be sent to Broadmeadow United Methodist Church, ofwhich she was a charter member, at 4419 Broadmeadow Drive, Jackson,MS 39206.