Frances Louise Rutledge

She was born on November 17, 1927 at McCondy in Chickasaw County, Mississippi. She was the daughter of John Pryor Lawson, Sr. and Laura Huffman Lawson. She was born on her grandparent’s farm in a two room log cabin, the second child of seven in this sharecropping family. In 1941 the family moved to a farm at Forrest Hill, Tennessee in Shelby County and continued sharecropping. She attended Germantown High School and graduated in 1946.

A wartime romance began during World War II and in 1945 she married a U.S. Navy veteran, Francis Leland “Red” Rutledge of Collierville. They shared a loving partnership for 54 plus years and were devoted to one another. They raised four children together and returned to Collierville in 1962 where she has resided since. She was preceded in death by her husband on February 10, 2000.

Mrs. Rutledge was also preceded in death by her parents, a baby sister, Marion Virginia Lawson, her brothers and their spouses, John Pryor Lawson, Jr (Wilma), James Monroe Lawson (Ann)) and Larry Andrew Lawson (Cynthia) and Esther, wife of Eddie Lawson and Lindsay Hughes, husband of Jean Lawson Hughes.

She is survived by her children, Nita Rutledge of Counce, TN, Dan Rutledge (Kitty) of Collierville, TN, Cheryl Rutledge Hoyer (Ronnie) of Joplin, MO and Russell Rutledge (Cindi) of Rossville, TN; her grandchildren and their spouses, Christy Vaughn Miller (Kie) of Cowley, WY, Curt Vaughn (Megan) of Collierville, TN, Taylor Rutledge Corum (Andrew) Denver, CO, Raghan Rutledge Thorn (Zack) of Collierville, TN, Stephen Hoyer (Misty) of FL, Chadd Hoyer (Charity) of Hernando, MS, Jeremy Hoyer (Ashley) of Joplin, MO and Laura Hoyer May (Jim) of Hernando, MS; her siblings, Eddie Lawson (Evelyn) of Arkansas and Jean Lawson Hughes of Holly Springs, MS. She is also survived by 17 great-grandchildren, 3 great-great-grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was a member of Parkway Village Christian Church in Memphis, TN since 1960 and a devout Christian. Services will be held at Collierville Funeral Home, 3863 Bailey Station Road, Collierville on Thursday December 18, 2025 with private family viewing 9:00–10:00 AM, public visitation from 10:00–11:00 AM and services at 11:00 AM at the funeral home, graveside services will follow at Magnolia Cemetery in Collierville. The family requests memorials be sent to your charity of choice.