Kemp Bush

Kemp Bush, 92, of 279 Springhill Rd passed away Saturday, January 21, 2023 at Covington County Hospital. Visitation will be held from 5 until 8 p.m. Thursday at Memory Chapel Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, January 27, at Lebanon Baptist Church in Jones County with burial at Springhill Cemetery. The Rev. Ken Riley and the Rev. Harold Floyd will officiate. Born in Jones County on December 18, 1930, Kemp was the youngest child of the late Cicero Gaines and Lizzie Bush. He served stateside in the Air Force during the Korean Conflict and later in the Army where he was stationed in Germany and El Paso, TX. He was a lifelong and faithful member of Lebanon Baptist Church. After working many years at Masonite Corporation, a major strike motivated Kemp to work on the farm full time, building 2 chicken houses and raising cattle and hogs. He had worked honey bees as a hobby for years but then figured out how to turn his hobby into a commercial honey bee operation. Working with bees allowed Kemp and Doris to make frequent trips to Wisconsin and to live there several summers raising bees, harvesting honey, and making new friends. A farmer never retires. Kemp enjoyed helping people learn how to raise bees. What he really enjoyed was going fishing and taking others with him. He particularly liked fishing in Fitler Lake, the Mississippi River, and saltwater fishing near Venice, LA and staying in his “condo”. If he wasn’t fishing, he was talking about going fishing or eating fish! In addition to his parents, Kemp was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Doris Parker Bush, his wife of 4 years, MaeRee Thompson Bush; 7 brothers and sisters (Margret, Berneice, Maxie, Mazie, Meredith, Conwee, Libby) and granddaughter Kara Grace Boleware. Kemp is survived by his son Danny (Sarah) Bush and daughter Susan (Mitch) Boleware; grandchildren, Adam (Sandy) Bush, Amanda (Trey) Warnock, Ashley (Andrew) Wroth, Andrew Bush, and Kyle (Caroline) Boleware; great grandchildren (Caroline, Elijah, Paul, Daniel Kemp, Violet, and soon to be baby boy Boleware); numerous nephews and nieces and his sweetheart, Violet Holifield. The family wishes to thank all the many people who have visited him over the past few years during his declining health. We would like to say a special thank you to the members of Lebanon Baptist Church and the many nurses for their love, tenderness, and care. These words sum up his life: optimistic, faithful, hardworking, fisherman, husband, father, friend. To sign the online guest book, visit www.memorychapellaurel.com.

Kemp Bush

December 18, 1930 - January 21, 2023