Cathryn Virginia Holt Austin, 95, of Fair Play, Texas passed away Saturday, November 27, 2021, in Carthage, TX. A funeral service for Cathryn will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 4, 2021, at the Jimerson-Lipsey Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. Viktor Roudkovski and Dr. J.T. Ramsey officiating. Terry Holland will deliver the eulogy. Burial will follow at the historic Waldrop Cemetery. A visitation will be held from 1-2 p.m. on Saturday at the funeral home prior to the service.

Pallbearers will be Randy Barron, Ross Barron, Devin Barron, Austin McRae, Colby Ramsey, Doug Duncan, Brownie Browning, and Bryan Murff. Honorary pallbearers will be Pat Browning, James H. Browning, Lowell Denton, Lloyd Adams, Rick McRae, Paul Brightwell, Andy Nutt, Mickey Browning, and James Jones.

Cathryn is survived by her daughter, Donna Austin Marler, of Fair Play and her son, Dennis Don Austin and wife Becky of Beckville. She is also survived by two nephews and two nieces, Lowell Denton and wife Cindy of San Antonio, Lloyd Denton and wife Nurtac of Munich Germany, Laura Hill of McQueeney, and Frances Taylor of Darien, GA.  In addition, Cathryn is survived by five great-nieces, four-great nephews, numerous relatives and longtime friends, including Cazell Tooker of Houston, Vonne Walton of Chico and Linda Harris of Fair Play. She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Truett Austin; a sister, Augusta Brown; two brothers, David and Chester Holt; and her brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Frank and Dottie Denton.

Cathryn was born June 15, 1926, in Carthage, to Emma Georgia Florence Welch Holt and Amos David Holt. Cathryn graduated from Carthage High School in 1944, which was known as one of the "War Years Classes."  Her first job after graduation was assistant manager of Perry Brothers 5 and 10 Cent Store in Carthage. During the first oil and gas boom in Panola County in the late 1940's, Cathryn worked for Elliott and Waldron Abstract Company which was in the Old Panola County Courthouse on the Square in Carthage. Cathryn married Dennis Truett Austin (whose birthday was also June 15 although he was 4 years older) on October 22,1949 and moved to the Austin Farm in Fair Play. Truett and Cathryn enjoyed square dancing travelling all over Texas and the South attending dances. They celebrated 53 years of marriage before his death in 2004. After staying at home to raise her children until Don was in third grade, Cathryn returned to the work force as manager of The Pool Insurance Agency for 10 years. She retired after working for Mike Parker in the Panola County Assistant District Attorney's Office for two years.

After several years of retirement, Cathryn realized she enjoyed working outside the home and began work as a substitute teacher in Gary ISD, Tatum ISD and the Baker-Koonce School in Carthage. She kept extremely busy as a substitute teacher and worked almost daily during each school year. She retired again at age 75.

Cathryn has been a member of Fair Play Baptist Church since 1949. She taught children in Sunday School at Fair Play Baptist for over 30 years.  She served as WMU President at the church for more than 25 years. She enjoyed supporting mission work as well as sending greeting cards to church members and neighbors in the community.

She dearly loved her two children and was still cooking their favorite "meat pies" and "butter puffs" at age 95. She loved to sew and made infant receiving blankets by hand that she donated to the Panola County Child Protective Services Rainbow Room and The Rusk-Panola County Children's Advocacy Center.

In lieu of flowers, Cathryn requests donations be made to Fair Play Baptist Church for use in worldwide mission work. Donations may be mailed to Beth McRae, Treasurer, Fair Play Baptist Church, 130 County Road 278, Carthage, TX 75633

A guestbook may be signed online at www.jimerson-lipsey.com .

Click on the video below to view Ms. Austin's Funeral Service