Henry Flautt: 1933-2023: Community Servant Put Passion Into Everything

Friends and family say Henry Flautt was passionate about whatever he did, including community service, the arts and even duck hunting.

Mr. Flautt, 89, died Sunday at Indywood Glen Personal Care Home in Greenwood, where he had lived for the past several years.

Mr. Flautt was born in Glendora and grew up on his family’s Ten Oaks farm outside Greenwood. He graduated from Greenwood High School and Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, before returning to his hometown.

After farming for a short time, he worked for nearly 30 years as an independent insurance agent.

He was a longtime member and leader in the Episcopal Church of the Nativity and was also active in many community organizations, including Arts for Success, the Museum of the Mississippi Delta, the Greenwood-Leflore County Chamber of Commerce,  Greenwood Little Theatre, the Boy Scouts, and Habitat for Humanity.

The Museum of the Mississippi Delta honored him in 2017 for his contributions to the arts. He used his skills in pottery to make crosses and other items for many people over the years.  

“It’s very gratifying when somebody wants something you create and they say it’s beautiful and they like the way it looks,” he said in a 2012 interview with the Commonwealth.

His son, Dr. Henry Flautt Jr., said his father was “very positive in everything he did” and used a “glass half full” approach to life. Mr. Flautt served as a mentor to his grandchildren and stepgrandchildren and many others and was willing to help people solve their problems, said his son, a physician who practices in Greenwood. 

Among Mr. Flautt’s survivors are two children, four stepchildren, five grandchildren, seven stepgrandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

“He always was a good influence, gave good advice,” Henry Flautt Jr. said. “He was loved by many, many people in the community.”

Mr. Flautt also was part of the group that was instrumental in the construction of the building Greenwood Little Theatre used for many years. 

He loved the outdoors and planted many of the second generation of trees lining Grand Boulevard, his son said.

A spiritual man, Mr. Flautt stayed active in retirement and didn’t complain when his health declined, his son said: “He just lived life to the fullest every day.”

John Doty Porter said he had known Mr. Flautt for more than 40 years and became close friends with him through duck hunting.

Mr. Flautt was more than 20 years older than Porter but was a “happy guy” who remained agile for a long time, Porter said.

“He just had such a passion for duck hunting,” Porter recalled. “He had  passion for everything.”

Porter, a farmer, said Mr. Flautt once asked him to bring some red clay from land Porter rented so that Mr. Flautt could use it to make crosses. The landlords saw the crosses and were impressed that they had come from their land, Porter said.

“Probably hundreds of people have those crosses, and they were beautiful,” Porter said, adding that their style was distinctive: “As soon as you see it, you know it’s his.”

Porter said Mr. Flautt also was devoted to his church, where both men served as wardens.

“He’d do anything for you anytime, and he really enjoyed it when you asked him to do something,” Porter said.

Services for Mr. Flautt will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Episcopal Church of the NATIVITY, with visitation beginning in the parlor at 9:30  a.m.

Henry Flautt

Henry Flautt was a man of many passions. He loved his large family and many friends, the arts, the natural surroundings of the Mississippi Delta and the rich hunting that the region offers. In his pursuit of those passions, he was known and admired for sharing them widely with a kind and generous spirit.

Henry died Sunday, July 2, 2023, at his residence in Greenwood. He was 89.

Throughout his life, Henry was blessed with a positive attitude that attracted legions of friends.

He was a people person who thrived on news about anyone he knew. He always focused on the best in people, and he seized on opportunities to connect people who shared interests.

Frank Henry Flautt was born Nov. 26, 1933, in Glendora. As the second of five children to Thomas Joseph Flautt and Alline Mitchener Flautt, Henry grew up on his family’s Ten Oaks farm on the outskirts of Greenwood. He was an Eagle Scout before graduating from Greenwood High School and Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, and then returned home to marry another Greenwood native, Polly Meek. The couple had two children, Dr. Henry Flautt Jr. (Mary Haley) of Greenwood and Frances Flautt Zook (Jim) of Oxford, before going their separate ways but remained lifelong friends. Henry farmed for a short time before working for nearly 30 years as an independent insurance agent serving the Delta.

Henry married Gayle Stribling Clements and became a beloved father figure to Gayle’s four children and seven grandchildren. The couple enjoyed a life marked by a love for travel and the arts. Through study and much practice, Henry developed an outstanding talent for ceramics. His bowls and Celtic crosses became popular gifts for family and friends who married or had a newborn. His talents and desire to teach others inspired many in the Delta to take up pottery.

When he wasn’t traveling, Henry gave much of his time and talent to the city of Greenwood. He was an instrumental figure behind the Arts for Success program, which gave loyal youth the opportunity to experience the joy of creating art. He planted thousands of trees in and around Greenwood, offering to plant trees up and down Grand Boulevard for any homeowner who wanted them. Diners at Giardina’s can still savor one of Henry’s many legacies with a serving of Uncle Henry’s Duck Gumbo.

The Museum of the Mississippi Delta honored Henry in 2017 for his many contributions to the local arts scene. He was also involved in the Greenwood-Leflore Chamber of Commerce, Greenwood Little Theatre, the Boy Scouts, and Habitat for Humanity. He was a longtime member and leader in the Episcopal Church of the Nativity.

In addition, Henry loved to share the natural beauty of the Delta with family and visitors through duck hunting. He cherished the chance to introduce the challenge of the hunt to his grandchildren, whom he rewarded for bagging a duck with a little hit of peach schnapps. He enjoyed nothing more than to climb in his pickup and cruise the back roads of the Delta while enjoying a leisurely visit with family or friends who rode along.

Henry is survived by his two children; four stepchildren, Cathy Clements Bailey (Clinton), Susan Clements Chick (Jim) and Ann Clements Carter (Bobby), all of Memphis, and H. Ganes Clements of Greenwood; two brothers, Tom Flautt of Cincinnati and Jimmy Flautt of Brandon; a sister, Joanne Flautt Branham of Greenwood; an uncle, Frank Mitchener of Sumner; five grandchildren, Mary Steele Flautt Mock of Savannah, Texas, Katherine Flautt Russell of Jackson, Suzanne Alline Flautt of Jackson, James Randolph “Jack” Zook III of Austin, Texas, and Henry McWillie Zook of Oxford; seven stepgrandchildren, Henry Clements Bailey, Clifton Clements Odom, Irene Annelle Bailey, Charles Stribling Odom, Andrew Clements Odom, Matthew Ganes Clements and William Stribling Clements; and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by Gayle and his brother, Pat Flautt of Dallas.

Services will be held this Saturday, July 8, at the Episcopal Church of the NATIVITY in Greenwood at 11 a.m. A visitation will precede the service in the church parlor starting at 9:30 a.m.

Memorials can be directed to Delta Wildlife or Boy Scout Troop 200 in Greenwood by contributing to @boyscoutstroop200 on Venmo.

Norma Rochie Whittington Lawes

Norma Rochie Whittington Lawes, Ph.D., 88, of Greenwood died on May 3, 2023, at St Dominic’s Hospital in Jackson. 

Dr. Lawes was born in Centreville and raised in Waxhaw. She graduated from Gunnison High School in 1951 at the age of 16. She graduated from Mississippi State College for Women with a Bachelor of Arts in 1955 and from Delta State University with a Master of Arts in 1978, and in 1984, at age 49, she graduated from The University of Mississippi with a Doctor of Philosophy degree. 

Rochie dedicated her life to teaching. While still a student, she taught patients at the TB sanitarium. After college, she taught programming for IBM for several years. Later in life, she taught English in the Cleveland Public Schools and also served as an adjunct instructor in the English department at Mississippi Delta Community College. Following her retirement, Dr. Lawes taught mathematics as an adjunct instructor for Mississippi Delta Community College.

She is survived by son Philip Lawes and his wife, Kimberly Lawes, of Greenwood; daughters Carole Lawes Sawada and her husband, George Sawada, of Birmingham, Alabama, and  Sally Lawes of San Diego; grandchildren Jackson Garrett of Birmingham and  Jacob Lawes of Greenwood; and sisters Betty Whittington Mullens of Nashville, Tennessee, and Nona Whittington Tindall of Atlanta. 

Services will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Episcopal Church of the NATIVITY in Greenwood. Fr. Don Chancellor will officiate. Interment will follow in  Shelby Cemetery in Shelby. Visitation will be from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Episcopal Church of the NATIVITY.

Pallbearers will be Jacob Lawes, Jackson Garrett, George Sawada, Seth Wheatley, Lee Tindall, Whit Tindall and Bobby VanDevender.

Memorials may be made to the Shelby Cemetery Association, The Episcopal Church of The NATIVITY or a charity of the donor’s choice.

Greenwood Delta Funeral Home (www.greenwooddeltafh.com) is in charge of arrangements.

Bridge To The Past: Card Game Pays Tribute To Beloved Player

A game almost two years in the making took place Monday afternoon at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity in memory of James Harold Middleton. 

Middleton, a Winona native who died in 2021, taught or influenced the majority of about two dozen people who gathered to play bridge, said Liz Mounger, who also learned from Middleton. 

James Tullos, who lives in Brandon but knew Middleton, said he was asked after Middleton’s death if he would organize a game of duplicate bridge in Middleton’s honor since that was Middleton’s game. 

“One of the things that makes duplicate bridge special is the relationships it builds,” he said. “There are people playing from all walks of life.”

Middleton’s widow, Gloria Middleton, also played in Monday’s game. 

“It’s very meaningful for me,” she said, “This is the first time I’ve been back since my husband’s death, and it’s been good to see old friends and play bridge again.”

Mr. Middleton became active in playing duplicate bridge after he retired as state director of the U.S. Social Security Administration. He along with Joseph Dehmer of Jackson attended more than 88 tournaments all over the country. Mr. Middleton attained the rank of Silver Life Master and was renowned for his ability to teach the game.

Dr. Mike Carter, a retired ear, nose and throat doctor who was  Middleton’s bridge partner for over 30 years, used to travel with Middleton all over the country to play the game. 

“They’d just go off to Gatlinburg for a week, and I remember one time, James got tired and went to bed, and Mike just found another partner,” said Mounger, who was at Carter’s table. 

Tullos said the social nature of bridge is what makes the game and gathering special. Greenwood’s Duplicate Bridge Club has brought people together since the early decades of the 1900s but almost ceased to exist in the 1990s until Mary McNeil, who was 80 at the time, reorganized and directed the club. 

The club’s challenge, then, is similar to the problem Wes Clemons, one of the players, said bridge clubs in general are facing now: how to attract younger members. 

“There are a lot of different reasons people play,” he said. “For example, it’s mentally stimulating and provides a social outlet — I think that’s why most of us that are here like to play — and studies show that it may help prevent Alzheimer’s as we age. But the decline in the population of bridge players is a challenge because people who play bridge tend to be of a certain generation,” he said. 

Good Friday Pilgrimage Set

The community is invited to walk with local churches Friday along a pilgrimage through downtown Greenwood in recognition of Good Friday. 

The Rev. Don Chancellor, the rector at the Episcopal Church of the Nativity, has been working with other area churches to  organize the event, which will begin at 1 p.m. Friday in front of the Episcopal church. 

“Because this was a normal practice for me, I thought I’d invite others,” he said. “We’re all looking for a way to show visible unity, and we’re hoping it can be an opportunity — and, hopefully, a tradition — where Christians can at least come together publically in both our sinfulness and faithfulness.” 

He said he has had informal discussions over the last several weeks with the Rev. Ruth McKinney of Wesley United Methodist Church, Dr. Montrell Greene of Sycamore Street Church of Christ, the Rev. Scott Wright of St. John’s United Methodist Church and others about the pilgrimage.

The walk will follow the Stations of the Cross, a traditional Good Friday practice established in the early church. 

The 14 stations along the pilgrimage follow the story of the passion of Christ, beginning when he is condemned to die and ending when he is laid in his tomb. 

Each stop will offer a chance for those present to pray and meditate in preparation for Easter Sunday. Chancellor said the pilgrimage fills in the time in between those stations and allows those who participate to reflect on the actions represented and “live in the tension” of the finality of the last station. 

“What this does for us spiritually is to allow us to stare with some clarity at the sacrifices made on our behalf and think about what the world could have been like without the resurrection,” he explained. 

Chancellor said he expected several churches to participate but did not know how many people would make the pilgrimage. 

“My hope is that, by coming together and walking the way of Christ together, we will be helped in seeing each other in a context that promotes unity,” he said. 

If it rains, the Stations of the Cross most likely will be set up in the Episcopal Church of the Nativity, but Chancellor is hopeful that it can proceed outdoors. “The great thing about it being outside is that it allows you to take the time to reflect, as you walk, on the process,” he said. 

Choir Corner: Healy Willan and Missa de Sancta Maria Magdalena

David Williamson, Organist and Choirmaster

By David Williamson

Some of you have noticed that we switched service music, or the Ordinary of the Mass, for Advent. We will continue with it through the Christmas season, including the late service on Christmas Eve, when we substitute the Gloria in Excelsis for the Kyrie. (According to the rubrics, the Gloria is not said or sung in Advent or Lent.). The setting is the glorious 1928 Missa de Sancta Maria Magdalena by Healy Willan 1880-1968.)

Willan was born and educated in England and moved to Canada in 1913. He composed and taught at the Royal Conservatory and earned enough from his composition royalties to leave the more prominent St Paul’s Bloor Street in 1921 for the smaller St. Mary Magdalene, which was High Church. The mass setting was named for the church. A former rector’s wife grew up in that parish, and when her family visited, I asked about his time there. He paid for the music budget by charging his singers!

In his sacred compositions, he was of that generation influenced by both the high church movement and looking back at earlier styles of music from pre-Baroque to plainsong chant.

His limericks were said to be wonderful! He’s famously quoted as saying he was “English by birth, Canadian by adoption, Irish by extraction, and Scotch by absorption.” He was the Dean of Canadian composers and was commissioned to write an anthem for the 1953 Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. In 1989, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother unveiled a plaque in his memory at the church.

We have a few pieces in the choir library and sang his Advent anthem, “ Rejoice O Jerusalem, behold thy King Cometh,” on the first Sunday of Advent. I probably play more hymn-based voluntaries by him than any other composer.

In The Hymnal 1940, this setting was the Second Service and was the most frequently used service music in most congregations. If you’re not as familiar with this setting, there are several YouTube videos of it.