Julia Miller Anderson Holmes passed away on July 17, 2018 at Graceland, at the age of 100; surrounded by love and care. She was born on May15, 1918 to Dabney Benjamin and Julia Sadler Anderson in Pontotoc, Mississippi. She grew up on Main Street in Pontotoc and attended the Chickasaw College classroom through the sixth grade. In 1935, she graduated from Pontotoc High School.
Julia Miller graduated from Belhaven College in Jackson, Mississippi in 1939. She pursued further studies at Peabody Teaching College and taught school in Philadelphia, Mississippi.
On June 12, 1941 she married the handsome Lieutenant William Webster Holmes of Butler, Kentucky in the parlor of her family home. During his military career, she lived in Munich, Germany, as well as Heidelberg and Frankfort. She also lived in Paris, France. In the states, she lived at the Springfield Armory in Springfield, Massachusetts, Ft. Walton Beach, Florida, White Sands Proving Ground, New Mexico, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio, Anniston Ordnance Depot, Anniston, Alabama, and Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama.
While attending Belhaven College she was chosen Miss Belhaven and the May Queen, something that had never happened before or since in the college's history. She was also Miss Pontotoc 1937. However, in those days her parents felt it would be improper for her to compete any further.
In 1964, upon her husband's retirement from the military, they made their home in Pontotoc, MS. She was a member of the 1st Presbyterian Church, a charter member of the Pontotoc Historical Society, a member of the DAR and active with Habitat for Humanity.
She supported her husband in giving the land for the Pontotoc Elementary School and many of the Habitat homes.
She was preceded in death by her husband Colonel W.W. Holmes, an infant son and daughter, and son Peter Anderson Holmes, her brother, Dabney Benjamin Anderson and sisters Grace Lindley Anderson Thompson and Eleanor Anderson Rayburn.
She is survived by her daughter Dr. Cora Lee Holmes (Jim) Waltress, grandsons James Robert (Michelle) Waltress lV of Pontotoc, MS, Jonathan Webster Waltress of Pontotoc, MS, William Colin (Lacasta) Waltress of Brandon, MS and granddaughter Julia Anita Mary Eleanor Waltress of Pontotoc, MS, great grandsons, Rob, William, and Halcyon Waltress of Pontotoc and great granddaughters Orihime and Hannalora of Brandon, MS.
She is also survived by her sisters Sarah (Tay) Gillespie of Pinola, MS, Genevieve (Bebe) Yancey of Mill Valley, California, Roberta Anderson of Water Mill, NY and many nieces and nephews.
Service of Witness to the Resurrection will be held at the 1st Presbyterian Church, Pontotoc, MS on July 25th. Visitation will be from 1-3 p.m. with the service at 3 p.m. followed by a private family graveside service. Browning Funeral Home is honored to assist the family with the arrangements.
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