Paul’s oldest brother, Russell Eugene Shows, born on October 22, 1919, in Batesville, Mississippi, and attended high school throughout his fourth year. In 1934, he married Frances Barlow at age fifteen. He worked as an operator on a farm. He registered for the draft on July 1, 1919. At the time of registration, he was 5’11”, 160 pounds. He was described as having a light complexion, brown hair, and gray eyes. At this time, he was also working in Biloxi as a carpenter. Using his construction skills, Russell served in World War II in the 13th Naval Construction Battalion, Seabees, in the US Navy.
In 1947, he was living in Jackson, Mississippi, and was working as a carpenter. For sixty years, he worked as a Sunday School teacher at First Baptist Church of Florence and accompanied them on mission trips to help build churches across the country. He and Frances had one daughter, Suzanna Harris. He retired from the postal service after working for more than thirty years. After Frances’s death in 1999, he married Kathleen Morgan Ballard. He passed away on February 1, 2014, and is buried in Florence Cemetery in Florence, Mississippi with his first wife, Frances. Frances Barlow was born to Wiley G Barlow and Ella Jane Steen Barlow, who had six other children, Henry, Leroy, Craig, Ester, Enda, and Grace. Her family lived and worked on a farm. She attended school up to the fourth year of high school at Harrisville High School. She and Russell married on June 25, 1939. She passed away on September 24, 1999. Kathleen Morgan Ballard was born to Jesse C. and Ardell Ballard in 1923. She worked at Deposit Guaranty Bank and was a long-time member of both McDowell Road Baptist Church and First Baptist Church of Florence. Her first husband was Hubert E. Morgan, with whom she had Carolyn, Don, Monica, and Kathy. He fought in the U.S. Air Force in World War II. He passed away of Alzheimer’s disease on February 19, 1999. She passed away on October 14, 2012, and is buried with her first husband. |
Paul’s second oldest sibling and only sister, Carrie Frances Shows, was born on August 27, 1921. The highest grade she completed in school was her fourth year of high school. Her life was made interesting by her six brothers, who often teased and played jokes on her. A favorite story is when her eldest brother, Russell, was told to clean mud off of her when they were toddlers, so he did it with flour and eggs. She married Burkett Ozell Jones. In 1943, she was living in Jacksonville, Florida. After, she and her family moved to Florence, Mississippi.
Burkett Ozell Jones was born to his Joda Alfred and Patience V. Jones on April 24, 1922. His father died when he was six, so he lived with his mother and stepfather for most of his life. Burkett served in World War I from 1917 to 1919 and on the Pacific front in the US Navy in World War II. When he registered for the World War I draft, he was living in Texas and was described as having black hair and brown eyes. He passed away on January 9, 1997, and is buried in Florence Cemetery in Florence, Mississippi. Carrie was a member of Florence’s First Baptist Church from July 1944 to her death. For many years, she served as the Sunday School Secretary, and was known to look forward to her class every week. She held a job at Bradshaw Grocery and Zayre’s Department Store. Twice, she won Florence’s Yard of the Month competition. She and Burkett had five children: Bob Jones, Martha Ludke, Donald Eugene Jones, John Edward Jones, and Betty Jo Harrell. She passed away in Florence, Mississippi, on August 9, 2013.
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Paul’s third oldest sibling and second oldest brother, Everett Lafayette Shows Jr. was named after their father. He was born September 15, 1923, in West Attala, Mississippi. The highest grade he completed was the third year of high school. He enlisted in the US Army on February 19, 1943, at Camp Shelby, Mississippi. At that time, he was working as a farm hand and was 71” and 154 pounds.
He was married to Betty Joyce Kuhn. He was living in Crystal Springs, Mississippi, when he passed away of heart failure on August 20, 1997. He is buried in Harmony Cemetery, in Crystal Springs, Copiah County, Mississippi. Betty Joyce Shows was born December 5, 1932, to Percy and Victoria Kuhn. She was had six siblings, Virginia Elizabeth Adamson, William M. Kuhn, Paul Steve Kuhn, Percy F. Kuhn, Mildred Gaddy, and Marie Robinson. Her mother and father were married at fifteen and sixteen, respectively. Her father attended school until third grade, and worked as a teacher in the junk industry, a truck driver, and machinist. Her mother was a homemaker and later worked as a saleslady at a grocery store. When she was seven, she had attended up to second grade. She and Paul had two children, Rusty and Gerry. She was living in Crystal Springs when she passed away on February 1, 2010. |
Paul’s first younger brother, Jack Dempsey Shows, was born March 27, 1930, in Florence, Mississippi. Growing up, he attended school. Jack was a veteran of the US Air Force. At 29, he was still living with his parents and his brothers Paul, Wayne, and Rex. He married Lavada Butler and had three children: Jimmy Shows, Timmy Shows, and Debbie Shows, later Debbie Rutz.
He was a veteran of the United States Air Force. He lived in Florence, Mississippi, his entire life and worked with Mid State Construction and retired as a supervisor. He also spent sixty years in the carpenters’ union. He passed away on Jun 30, 2009, and is buried in Florence Cemetery in Florence, Mississippi. Lavada Butler was born in 1936 to R B Butler and Odis Butler. Her father worked as a farmer and never went to school, and her mother did not work, but completed up to the fourth grade. She and Jack married on March 25, 1960. |
Paul’s second younger brother, Robert Wayne Shows, was born May 31, 1931. As a child, he attended school. He married Doris (Dot) Lanell Furlow in 1954 and had two children with her: Brenda Taylor and Michael Shows. Robert was raised alongside his siblings on a dairy farm, worked at the Florence Phone Company, and finally ran a gas station.
After retirement in 1991, he served on the Southwest Rankin Water Board. During his retirement he was known to prioritize his family. He would fish with his son and grandsons. He traveled across Europe and the United States and loved to camp. He rode in the Dixie National trail rides and took his mules on frequent rides. Robert was known to love beekeeping, and spent many hours on his porch talking to friends. He passed away September 14, 2012. He is buried in Florence Cemetery. Dorothy “Dot” Lanell Furlow was born to Frank Herring Furlow and Ona Louise Fields McCoard on August 6, 1936. She had two sisters, Agnes Ingram and May June Furlow. She was on the South West Rankin Water Association board and worked at Bancorpsouth for 35 years. |
Paul’s youngest sibling, James Rex Shows, was born January 19, 1933, in Florence, Mississippi. As a child, he attended school. When he was seventeen, he worked as a farm helper on his family’s farm without getting paid. He enlisted into the US Army on November 2, 1953, and was discharged August 16, 1955. Eventually, he married Margie Shows, with whom he had three children. A son’s name was Martin Shows, and a daughter’s was Shauna Joyce Shows. On September 18, 1982, Shauna married Mark Darrell Eaves. He worked as a dairy farmer. He passed away February 22, 2001.
Marjorie “Margie” Louise Lewis was born January 10, 1936, to Thomas M. Lewis and Maggie L. Lewis. She had two siblings, Mary E. Lewis and Joseph Lewis. She passed away on February 28, 2014. |