Jack Harold Hollis of Jellico, age 94, passed away peacefully at his home, December 2, 2016.

Funeral services will be held Sunday, December 4 at 2:00 PM at Winslett Chapel Church on County Road #9 with Rev. John D. Reese, III officiating. Burial ceremony will be at Jellico Community Cemetery immediately following. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to; Winslett Chapel Methodist Church, 396 S. County Road 9, Newton, AL 36352.

The only child of Espy Hollis and Stella Maude (“Lofie”) Reynolds Hollis, Jack was born on February 15, 1922 and was a lifelong resident of the Jellico community. Jack spent much of his childhood at the Brannon Stand Mercantile with his cousin Clarence Hollis and his aunt and uncle, Emmett and Dovie Hollis.

Jack attended high school at Wicksburg where he was an accomplished athlete. As legend has it, he is the only person to have ever hit a baseball over the school house and across the road. After graduating from Wicksburg as Valedictorian, he married Doris Merle Snell. Shortly after, Merle and Jack welcomed their first daughter, Jacqueline Sylvia. Jack joined the Army Air Forces in 1944 where he earned both a World War II Victory Medal and an American Service Medal. Once honorably discharged from the Army in 1946, Jack returned to Jellico where he began his farming career with his father. Jack attributed his successful beginnings in farming to his Uncle Emmett’s expert advice.

In 1947, Merle and Jack celebrated the birth of their second daughter, Sandra.

As the family grew, Jack took a break from farming and joined Jim Walter Homes where he was in sales and marketing. After a few years, the love of the land drew Jack back to farming.

Jack was preceded in death by his parents and his wife of more than 60 years, Merle Snell.

Jack is survived by his two daughters, Sylvia Hollis (Charles) Harrison and Sandra Hollis (Bill) Kellner; his beloved niece, Mary Killingsworth (Butch) Drew; his grandchildren, Robert Clark (“Trey”) Rudder III (Andrea), Leigh Rudder (Willis) Dobbs, and Jared Matthew Paul (Kelley); and his great grandchildren, Sarah Rudder, Jennifer Rudder, Jack Dobbs and Hollis Dobbs.

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