Hermia Jane Isbell Haynes

Hermia Jane Isbell Haynes, age 95, a lifelong Methodist and a member of Christ United Methodist Church, Memphis, Tennessee died Thursday, December 1, 2016 at Irvine, California. Funeral services were held at Christ United Methodist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, December 13, 2016. Burial followed the funeral service at Magnolia Cemetery in Collierville, Tennessee. The Reverend Dallas Pfeiffer officiated. Collierville Funeral Home assisted the family.

Mrs. Haynes, a businesswoman, farmer, writer and church archivist was born March 24, 1921 in Collierville, Tennessee and spent her life there until December, 1967 when she moved to Memphis. In 1998 she moved to Regent’s Point, a retirement village in Irvine, California, to be near her youngest daughter and family.

She was predeceased by her parents, Elizabeth Blackwell Finger Isbell and Benjamin Barton Isbell, and also by her brother, First Lieutenant Benjamin Barton Isbell, Jr. who was killed en route home when his plane crashed into the Bay of Salerno near Amalfi, Italy after his active duty in the India-China-Burma Theatre in World War II.

A graduate of Collierville High School in 1939, Mrs. Haynes was Salutatorian and Senior Class Treasurer. She was a member of Sigma Kappa Sigma, a high school social sorority in Memphis, Tennessee. After attending Stephens College, Columbia, Missouri for one year, she married in 1940 the late Albert Ford Haynes, Jr. who became a university professor. After their three children were grown, she returned to college to complete her education, graduating magna cum laude from Memphis State University (now University of Memphis).

At Memphis State Mrs. Haynes earned thirty semester hours by examination without attending classes, and also was a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Kappa Delta Pi and Mensa. In the summer of 1970, she attended the University of Reading, Reading, England where she earned college credit toward her degree. Throughout her college years, she tutored students, seventh grade through college levels.

A writer and Faulkner scholar, Mrs. Haynes published numerous articles in academic journals. In addition she wrote two books on the background of the Nobel Prize novelist, William Faulkner. Her books were titled William Faulkner: His Lafayette County Heritage: Lands, Houses and Businesses, Oxford, Mississippi; and William Faulkner: His Tippah County Heritage: Lands, Houses, and Businesses, Ripley, Mississippi. Both of these books provide a reference work for the exact and actual location of the Falkner/Faulkner extensive ownership of lands, houses and businesses through three generations, and the books are used by libraries and by the Faulkner coterie of scholars for literary reference and research. Mrs. Haynes also did free-lance editing of a number of other books and publications.

She was a member of the West Tennessee Historical Society; Tippah County Mississippi Historical and Genealogical Society; and The Memphis Conference United Methodist Historical Society. She was a life member since 1965 of the Methodist Woman’s Society of Christian Service, now re-named The United Methodist Women of the United Methodist Church.

As Chair of the History and Records Committee of Christ United Methodist Church, Memphis, Tennessee, she reorganized the historical church records and initiated the process for transferring the church records to microfilm and later to computer disks. She also wrote the specifications for the organization and building of the church archives located at Christ United Methodist Church. In addition, Mrs. Haynes was a lay delegate for five years from Christ United Methodist to the Memphis Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Mrs. Haynes had a lifetime interest in growing roses and often enjoyed giving them to other people. She also managed her family farm on Bailey Station Road in Collierville for over 60 years.

She is survived by her son, Barton F. Haynes, M.D. (Caroline Peterson Haynes, M.D., Ph.D.) of Durham, North Carolina; two daughters, Elizabeth Finger Haynes Burnett, Ed.D. (George Redding Burnett) of Columbia, South Carolina, Mary Ford Haynes Gardner (George Denton Gardner) of Murphy, Texas; grandchildren: Charlotte Jane Haynes of New York City, New York, Megan Elizabeth Gardner Sanders of Wylie, Texas, Captain Andrew George Burnett, USA, (Ashley Revell Burnett) of Kailua, Hawaii, Mary Lauren Gardner Trombley (Alan Jacob Trombley) of Reston, Virginia, Benjamin Barton Haynes (Elise Nicole Mariner) of Denver, Colorado, Kimberley Jane Gardner Saroni (Daniel Saroni) of Dallas, Texas, Laura Louise Haynes (Alex Owen Miller, fiancé) of New York City, New York; great-grandchildren: Hannah Elizabeth Sanders, Nathan Robert Sanders., Meredith Olivia Trombley, James Alan Trombley, Claire Elizabeth Trombley, Sophia Ashley Snowden, Andrew George Burnett, Jr.

Memorials may be made to Christ United Methodist Church, 4488 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38117.