Louisa "Boots" White Guthrie was born in West Monroe, LA on June 26, 1932. On October 26, 2019, she passed away due to age related health issues.
Boots graduated from Bastrop High School and soon after married Thomas David Guthrie on August 21, 1950.
Boots and Thomas worked at IBM in Dallas, TX for a short before being transferred to Texarkana, TX where Boots became homemaker and mother to their first child, Lenee'.
Thomas and Boots moved to Ruston, LA for Thomas to get his master’s degree at Louisiana Tech. During this time, Boots worked part-time at a flower shop creating beautiful arrangements.
After obtaining his master’s degree, Thomas started working for International Paper Company. As a family, they moved with each promotion: Natchez, MS for one year; back to Thomas’ hometown - Bastrop, LA for three years during which time, their son David was born; Springhill, LA for two and a half years; and finally, Mobile, AL. When David was in middle school Boots applied and got the job as advertising assistant at the Mobile Press Register.
In 1989, while in Mobile they bought a townhouse in Sea Grove Beach, FL where many weekends were spent and eventually became their permanent residence upon her retirement from the Mobile Press Register.
Boots was always active in the United Methodist Church with every move. She was always a member of the United Methodist Women and often held leadership positions. Boots was involved several years in the U.M. Annual Conference. She became a driving force advocating for females to hold Senior Pastor positions and was instrumental as a Lay Leader in bringing the first Senior Pastor to Point Washington UMC. She also supported and participated in many different 'mission' opportunities, including serving as a member of a successful Mission trip to Russia in 1993. Boots loved singing and music, she joined the choir at each church. As a dedicated member, she sang solos, duets, and participated in holiday cantatas.
Boots was a member of Eastern Star and served as Worthy Matron.
Thomas and Boots were on the groundbreaking Habitat for Humanity Board in Walton County. Organizing fund raisers, working on job sites, and spreading the message of 'Habitat' were only a few of their responsibilities.
Boots' love of the beach was tainted with the damage Hurricane Opal brought; she and Thomas relocated to Freeport, FL. After a few years they realized the need to be closer to medical assistance which brought them to Panama City. Even though it is quite a drive they could not let their connection to PWUMC dwindle. After Thomas passed away at Sim's Veteran's Home, Boots no longer felt comfortable in their Panama City home. She moved to Panama City Beach, across the side street from Lenee'. July 2016, Boots moved into Provision Assisted Living, where she was known as 'the Belle of the Ball'.
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