A private burial was held for Doris Jean Hollinger on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2014. The family hosted a church and community-wide open house at the Hollinger home on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2014. Franklin Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Hollinger, 84, died Sunday, Dec. 7, 2014, at Franklin County Memorial Hospital surrounded by family members. She was born on Jan. 7, 1930, in McComb to Mr. and Mrs. Gordon M. Wilkinson Sr. (Maggie Lee Williams Wilkinson).

Mrs. Hollinger grew up in Bude and graduated from Wesson High School, where she played piano for the jazz band and was selected “Most Beautiful” her senior year. Her plans to attend nursing school changed when she became the wife of Lynn Shepard Hollinger on Jan. 9, 1948. The couple enjoyed 62 years of marriage and six children were born into their family.

Mrs. Hollinger was asked to play the piano for the Meadville United Methodist Church on the first Sunday she was back from her honeymoon. She continued to contribute her musical gifts for worship services, choir specials, weddings and funerals, not only at church but all over Franklin County, for 66 years. She loved children and kept the church nursery during Sunday School for more than fifty years. She also served on various committees and was an original member of both the Jolly Elders and the Heavenly Stitchers.

She was one of the best cooks in the county and gained notoriety for her pound cake, pimento cheese and chicken spaghetti at the Hollinger’s Deli during its years of operation from 1988-1997. Even before this, however, Mrs. Hollinger single-handedly cooked all of the chicken spaghetti for the first several years of the Bude Christmas Parade Luncheon. Additionally, she enjoyed helping plan and prepare the lunches for the church’s Holy Week noontime services each spring. Her contributions to covered-dish church meals remain unsurpassed.

Mrs. Hollinger was an accomplished seamstress, but her favorite handwork was knitting and crocheting and teaching others the same. Several of her granddaughters learned to knit by her side. She enjoyed making a variety of gifts for those she loved, most recently baby blankets, “cocoons,” hats and booties for her great-grandchildren and great-great-niece and nephew.

Much like the virtuous woman spoken of in Proverbs 31, Mrs. Hollinger was a wise, trustworthy, honorable, industrious, talented, kind, generous, hospitable and loving woman of faith. She loved God and spent her life selflessly giving His love to others in practical ways. She is remembered as a faithful wife, devoted mother, trusted friend and our beloved “NaNa”.

Preceding her in death were her husband of 62 years, Lynn S. Hollinger; parents, Gordon M. and Maggie Lee Wilkinson; brother, Gordon M. Wilkinson Jr.; sister, Iva Nell Wilkinson Hunt; granddaughters, Angela Joy Kimbrough and Emily Parker Kimbrough.

Survivors are her three sons, Fred Hollinger of Cary, North Carolina, Bruce Hollinger (Leigh) of Nashville, Tennessee, and Mark Hollinger of Tucker, Georgia; three daughters, Doris Lynn, also known as Susie (Bob) Kimbrough, and Jean Shepard Hollinger, all of Meadville, and Joni Lee (Carey) Smith of Brookhaven; 11 grandchildren, Holli Lynn Kimbrough (Pascal) Bizarro, Lindsay Alexander, also known as Allin (Katie) Kimbrough, John Robert Kimbrough, Anna Grace Kimbrough (Nathan) Shideler, Savannah Lynn Boles, Bonni Renee Boles (Jess Rempel), Bradley Shepard (Jess) Hollinger, Sarah Elizabeth Hollinger (Nick) Pearson, Fred Prentiss Smith, Maggie Lynn Smith, Madison Fielding Smith; four-plus great-grandchildren, Parker Benjamin Bizarro, Annabella Elise Bizarro, Lilah Elaine Kimbrough, Sofia LeighAnne Pearson, and Emily Joy Shideler, expected Dec 31, 2014; and a host of beloved nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, great-great nieces, great-great nephew and cousins.

Memorials may be made to Meadville United Methodist Church, PO Box 548, Meadville, MS 39653.

“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life. She worketh willingly with her hands…. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land…. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her…. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.” (Verses selected from Proverbs 31.)