Lewie Rector

Lewie Rector
Lewie Rector, of Morton, departed this life on June 11 at Scott Regional Hospital. He had been in ill health for most of this year. He was a native Tennesseean, born in Mineral Springs, near Jasper, the son of the late Eugene and Kate Rector.
He is survived by his wife, Ann; his son Richard Lewis Rector, of Petal; his daughter Denice (Keith) Boutwell, of Forest; two sisters, Alice Harris of Chattanooga, TN; Jeanie Brackett (Bill), of Houston, TX; one brother, Mack, of Chattanooga; three grandchildren, Seth Rector, of Pensacola, FL; Jordan (Lance) LeCompte, of Petal; and John Owen (Leeann) Boutwell, of Clinton; two great-grandchildren, Lily and Lennon LeCompte, of Petal; and several nieces and nephews.
Lewie and Ann met in Philadelphia where he was a surveyor for the TVA. They were married six weeks later. They would have celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in August.
They “locked” eyes in the Benwalt Hotel restaurant and the rest is history. When he told her his crew was being transferred, she replied, “You're not going without me.”
They followed the surveying crew for nearly four years. It was time then for Ricky to enter nursery school, Ann's daddy built them a house in Philadelphia. Of course, by then Ann was pregnant with another son, Steven, who was stillborn, one week before the due date.
Shortly before Ricky was to enter first grade they settled in Forest where Lewie worked for his brother-in-law John Bondurant at Automotive Wholesale.
It wasn't long before John decided that Lewie could do better for himself in Morton at the Morton Motor Company. He was in his element selling cars; this career lasted 40 years, ending at Rogers-Davis in Brandon.
During the time he was working in Morton, Denice came along and they built a house on Fourth Avenue where Ann still resides.
Lewie was a Sunday School teacher at the Church of Christ, first teaching the young people, then the adult class. He was a faithful attendant until his health deteriorated.
He enjoyed people coming in to visit him, as his only way to get around was by a power chair. He developed post-polio syndrome in his 70's and it really took a toll on his health in his late 80's.
He struggled to attend his grandson Owen's wedding on May 2. All of his family was at the house for his 90th birthday. He loved his family dearly and his wife, telling her everyday that he loved her.
He would still sing songs to her like he did when they first met – like “Met the Girl I Love in a Town Way Down in Dixie.”
He wanted to become a millionaire and give his wife and children all they wanted, but in reality, he gave them all they needed, his love.
A memorial service for Lewie was held at 3 p.m. On Tuesday, June 16, in the chapel at Wolfe