Loula Zell Ray

Enterprise Journal McComb,Ms Loula Zell McKay Ray, 75, of Jackson, died Sept. 27, 2003,from injuries sustained in an automobile accident on Interstate 20 East. Her husband of 52 years, Dr. Ovin Caston Ray also died in the accident. Services were 2 p.m. today at Northside Baptist Church in Clinton.Entombment followed in Trinity Mausoleum at Parkway Memorial Cemetery in Ridgeland. Wright & Ferguson Funeral Home in Jackson wasin charge of arrangements. Mrs. Ray was born June 19, 1928, on a farm in the Ellison Ridgecommunity of Winston County. She was the daughter of Robert Samuel McKay and Amanda Eaves McKay. She was a retired librarian. Typical of anyone growing up ona farm in the 1930s and '40s in Mississippi, she did theusual chores of helping with garden, house, flower yard, cotton and corn crops. Besides her work at home, Loula Zell's life centered around school and Ellison Ridge Baptist Church, both major influences on her future. Admiring leaders there, she aspired to go to college to get her master's degree, to become an English teacher, and to do church work. After graduating as valedictorian from Ellison Ridge High School, she attended Clarke Memorial College and graduated with honors. While at Clarke College, she was in the chorus, drama productions, the yearbook and newspaper staffs,as well as working in various departments on campus. She continued her education, graduating from Mississippi College, earning her Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in English and minors in Bible and education in 1949, Mississippi State University, earninga Master of Arts, with a major in education and a minor in English.Mrs. Ray also completed additional studies at the University of Mississippi and Memphis State University. Loula Zell accepteda position at Noxapater, serving as a high school English teacher,grades 10 to 12, a part time librarian, and directing the yearbook and newspaper staffs. While at Noxapater, she met her husband,Ovin Caston Ray, and they married June 10, 1951 and moved to north Mississippi. She accepted a position at Arkabutla High School teaching English, grades 7 to 12, serving as a senior advisorfor the annual department, serving as chorus director and yearbook advisor. After moving to Hernando, Mrs. Ray served as a full time librarian. In 1967, the Ray family moved to Clinton, where she served as head librarian at Clinton High School. While at Clinton,she was chosen president of the Mississippi Association of School Librarians, a division of the Mississippi Education Association.Her responsibilities included planning the program for the annual spring meeting. Mrs. Ray was active in the Baptist church, serving as summer vacation Bible school worker for the Mississippi Baptist Sunday School Board while she was a college student, serving as president of the Hernando Woman's Missionary Unit, conducting and speaking at various local and district meetings. Mrs. Ray also served as temporary choir director at Arkabutla Baptist Church and as a substitute director at Hernando Baptist Church. She taught Sunday School at Arkabutla, Hernando, and Morrison Heights in Clinton.She was currently a member of Northside Baptist Church. After retirement, Loula Zell began research on the family genealogy,and it became her main interest. Survivors include a daughter, Gloria Crittenden and her husband John formerly of McComb, both of Maryville, Tenn.; grandchildren,Kelsey Ray Crittenden and Logan Crittenden; two brothers, Bobby McKay of Louisville and Richard McKay of Preston; and a half sister,Gladys Carr Sullivan of Louisville.