Recognizing the Life of Sadie J. Holland

Floor Speech

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Mr. KELLY of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I rise today in honor of Sadie J. Holland, who passed away Tuesday, November 24 at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo.

Sadie was born on January 31, 1933 to Joe Thomas and Christine Roebuck Monts. She grew up in the Palmetto community and attended Palmetto and Verona High School. On December 10, 1949, Sadie J. Monts married J.C. Holland and later moved to the Bass/Gandy farm south of Plantersville. Sadie J, J.C., and their six sons dwelled on the renowned ``Sadie J. Farm'' that stretched over 9,000 acres across three north Mississippi counties. In 1966, Sadie and J.C. were named Outstanding Farmers of America, the first Mississippians to earn the title. Her devotion to agriculture was exemplified by founding the first integrated 4H club in the state.

Mrs. Holland dedicated fifty years to public service and continued her family's legacy of egalitarianism. She became the first female school bus driver in the state, and in 1984 she was the first woman elected as Mayor of Nettleton. She relished the opportunity to serve her community, and for nearly two decades she was the Municipal Court administrator for the Tupelo Municipal Court. In 1998 she was elected Lee County Justice Court Judge before retiring just last year. She was a dedicated member of the United Methodist Church and took every opportunity to minister to her community through Holland Funeral Directors. In 2019, she was honored by the Mississippi Legislature for her lifetime of service to Mississippi.

Mrs. Holland is preceded in death by her husband J.C. who passed away in 2016.

She is survived by her sons Billy Joe, Don, Steve, Perry, John, and Jimmy, 21 grandchildren and 37 great-grandchildren.

Sadie J. Holland, the matriarch of a remarkable family, will be deeply missed by all those who had the opportunity to know her.

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