Mary Lou Cathey

View Funeral Webcast Mary Lou Sawyer Cathey, 93, retired Maury County School teacher, died Monday, October 12, 2015 at her residence on Darden Place. Funeral service will be conducted Sunday at 2:00 P.M. at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home with Rev. Tommy Vann officiating. Burial will follow in Cedar Hill Cemetery. The family will visit with friends Sunday from 1:00 - 2:00 P.M. at the funeral home. The family suggests memorials to Cedar Hill Cemetery, c/o Doug Garner, 3524 Hampshire Pike, Mt. Pleasant, TN 38474. Condolences may be extended online at www.oakesandnichols.com. A native of Prescott, Arkansas, she was the daughter of the late Louis Sawyer and Ruth Gordon Sawyer. On December 28, 1950 she married Cecil Blair Cathey who preceded her in death December 23, 2002. Mrs. Cathey earned her Masters Degree at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where she was a member of Phi Mu Sorority. She completed her graduate work at University of Tennessee and Peabody. Her teaching career spanned over thirty years with the majority of that time teaching fourth grade at Baker Elementary School. She was a member of First United Methodist Church of Columbia. Survivors include her son, William Blair Cathey of Columbia; brother, Gordon (Jean) Sawyer of Gainesville, Georgia; brother-in-law, Roy (Martha) Cathey of Columbia; sister-in-law, Jane Cheatham of Franklin; nephews, Louis Sawyer of Atlanta, Georgia; Edwin Sawyer and Robin Sawyer, both of Gainesville, Georgia; Michael Cheatham of Franklin; Gary Cheatham of Nashville; Kenneth Cathey of Columbia; and nieces, Cathey Ann Mason of Franklin; Dawn Crunk of Murfreesboro. Family and friends will serve as pallbearers.