Doris Marie Bondurant

Doris Marie Bell Bondurant, 93, a resident of Hickman, KY. died on Sunday, March 15, 2015 at her home. She was born on June 20, 1921, the only child of Hoyt Dowel Bell and Flora Amy Ragsdale Bell and grew up in Obion County and later Union City, TN. She was a highly regarded athlete and captain of the well-known 1938 champion Dixie High School basketball team and graduated in 1939 as class valedictorian and senior president. She attended the University of Tennessee at Martin where she was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and graduated from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville in 1943 where she had been selected as a top campus beauty. For several years, she taught school in Obion County, TN. In 1947, she married Hickman, KY attorney John C. Bondurant who served for over 40 years as Mayor of Hickman, Fulton County Judge, Circuit Judge and then Senior Judge of the First Judicial Circuit. During this time, she briefly taught school at Hickman Elementary Jr and Fulton County High Schools, actively participated in local organizations including the Hickman Woman’s Club, where she served as president, and was a long time member of the First Baptist Church of Hickman. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 60 years and is survived by three daughters, Ann Whipple (Jim Whipple deceased) of Hickman and Conway, AR, Amb. Amy Bondurant (David Dunn) of Washington, DC, Lucy Wilson (Max Wilson) of Hickman; three grandchildren, Dr. Melanie Foley Smith (Dr. Scott Smith) of Conway AR, John Max Wilson of Davis, CA, David Bondurant Dunn of Charleston, SC; and two great grandchildren, Avery and Ainsley Smith, of Conway, AR. Services will be held at the First Baptist Church in Hickman on Sunday, March 15, 2015 at 12:30 P.M. and visitation from 12:00 P.M. until service time. Burial will follow the service at the Hickman Cemetery. Officiating will be Brother Tom Quimby assisted by Mrs. Bondurant’s nephew Rev. John Porter of Centerville, TN. Pallbearers will be her sons-in-law, grandson-in-law, grandsons and her cousin, Larry Myatt. Honorary pallbearers are Sarah Wilson, Pat Ray, Lesa Workman, Contrina Avery, Patty Crawell, and Joseph Gilbert and her dear friends in the community. In lieu of flowers, family is asking that contributions go to the First Baptist Church, PO Box 8, Hickman, Ky. 42050. The family wishes to give their profound thanks to the wonderful caregivers for Mrs. Bondurant whose efforts will never be forgotten.