Hazel Branch Latture

On Tuesday, January 22, 2019, Hazel Branch Latture, passed away at the age of 92. A native of Attala County, Mississippi, Hazel was born on September 28, 1926 to William Thomas Branch and Clara Burrell Branch. She served in the United States Cadet Corps during World War II when she graduated from the University of Tennessee School of Nursing. Following graduation, Hazel worked for the Veterans Administration at Kennedy General Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1946, Hazel's life changed at a dance for the University of Tennessee Medical School. It was there she first laid eyes on the love of her life, Jim Latture. Awestruck by her infectious personality and glowing beauty, Jim told Hazel if she moved down to Oxford, Mississippi, where he was in pharmacy school at the University of Mississippi, he'd marry her. "When I saw her, it was like a light went off, and I knew," Jim recalled thinking. "This was it." Hazel laughed it off, but a year later, the two were married. When Jim graduated from Ole Miss in 1949, they moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas. That's where Hazel started her greatest career, raising four wonderful daughters. While handling all of the duties of raising four girls, she still found ways to be very active in the Hot Springs community – Grand Avenue United Methodist Church, Girl Scouts, Y Teens, Debutante Sponsor, Salvation Army Auxiliary, Forum Club, Garden Club, Mary Martha Circle, P.E.O. and Pi Beta Phi among others. Hazel was also a co-owner of Jim's Pharmacy on Albert Pike in Hot Springs for 40 years. She was predeceased by her parents, her sister, Sue Branch Lipe, and her brothers, Fred Branch, William Branch, Arnold Ellis Branch and Howard Lipsey Branch. Hazel is survived by her husband of 71 years, James Sidney Latture Jr., daughters, Ann Latture Atkinson (Jack) of Denver, Colorado, Jamie Latture Collier (Danny) of Frisco, Texas, Carol Latture Graham (Rob) of Little Rock, and Cindy Latture Harris of Little Rock; grandchildren, Crichton Latture Atkinson (Joel Clark) of Madison, Connecticut, Mary Catherine Collier Latham (Bill) of Southaven, Mississippi, Margaret Ann Collier Knutson (Grant) of Madison, Mississippi, David Latture Collier (Lauren) of Northlake, Texas, Sidney Latture Leasure of Little Rock, Amanda Michelle Graham of Little Rock, Bradley Caroline Graham of Little Rock, and Michael D. Greer, Jr. (Whitney) of Tupelo, Mississippi; great-grandchildren, William James and Andrew Daniel Latham of Southaven, Mississippi, Grant Owen Knutson, III of Madison, Mississippi and Elin Olivia Greer of Tupelo, Mississippi; honorary daughters, Suzy Lipe Thames of Magee, Mississippi, and Beth Holt Tripp of Shelbyville, Kentucky. A celebration of Hazel's life will be held at Grand Avenue United Methodist Church in Hot Springs on Thursday, January 24, 2019 at 2 p.m. Visitation will begin at 1 p.m. at the church. Pallbearers are Michael Greer, David Collier, Bill Latham, Grant Knutson, Charles Wise and Phillip Dickson. Honorary pallbearers are Jack Atkinson, Danny Collier, Rob Graham, Joel Clark, Charles Branch, Frederick (Frodie) Branch, Ellis Ray Branch, Burt Latture, Elliott McVey and Doug Babet. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Grand Avenue United Methodist Church. Guests may register at www.caruth-hale.com.