At 104 - Oldest native dies Monday

Green County's oldest native, Malissia "Lissie" Margaret Milby Bloyd, died Monday at the McDowell Skilled Nursing Facility in Greensburg after an illnes of about six weeks. She celebrated her 104th birthday on March 18 [1985].
Mrs. Bloyd lived most of her life on the farm near Summersville where she was born, and had been a member of Brush Creek Baptist Church for 98 years, making her the oldest living member.

Her children recalled that Mrs. Bloyd attended the Perkins School on the Hudgins Highway, enrolling around 1887. She walked to school each day from the farm where she was raised, carrying her lunch.

When she was 16 years old, Mrs. Bloyd married Joe Nathan Bloyd. Her children said their mother cooked on a wood stove and carried water about 300 yards, heating it in a large iron kettle.

Mrs. Bloyd enjoyed good health all of her life until she became ill in February. Prior to that she never took any kind of medication before she was 65 years old.

Each spring she bought a new dress, bonnet and apron with money she had saved from selling eggs. Her children said they looked forward to the weekends because she baked a cake every weekend.

One of the saddest times in her life was when two of her infant sons died in less than 24 hours of each other.
When she celebrated her 103rd birthday last year, she received a letter of congratulations from President Ronald Reagan.

Malissia "Lissie" Margaret Milby Bloyd, daughter of the late Elam Milby and Nancy Ellen Cantrell Milby was born March 18, 1881 in Green County and departed this life at 3:05 a.m. Tuesday, April 2, 1985 in the Jane Todd Crawford Memorial Hospital in Greensburg. She was 104 years and 15 days of age.

She had made a profession of faith in Christ and was a member of the Brush Creek Baptist Church at the time of her death. Mrs. Bloyd had attended this church for 98 years of her life.

She united in marriage to Joe Nathan Bloyd on September 15, 1907, [NOTE - The correct year of marriage was 1898] who preceded her in death on March 3, 1955. To this union was born 10 sons and 2 daughters: Mrs. Josie Cissell, Garnett Bloyd, Bronston Bloyd all of Summersville; Mrs. Lois Curry and Ira Bloyd both of Hodgenville; and E. J. Bloyd of Macon, Georgia. David, William, Homer, and Earl Bloyd preceded their mother in death. Harry Bloyd preceded his mother in death in 1955; Ethel Durrett in 1978 and Walter Bloyd preceded his mother in death in 1980. Mrs. Bloyd is also survived by 19 grandchildren, 27 great-grandchildren, and 29 great-grandchildren along with a host of relatives and friends.

The remains are at the Cowherd and Parrott Funeral Home where funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Thursday, April 4, with burial in the Perkins Cemetery. Rev. Ottis Skaggs and Rev. Ancil Durrett will be officiating.

[Provided by Carolyn Scott]