Mrs. Janelle Hough

March 20, 1939 - May 20, 2020

Marilyn Janelle Thompson Hough was born March 20, 1939, in Bloomburg, Texas to William Otis and Tessie Lee Thompson, and went to her heavenly home on May 20, 2020 in Carthage, Texas. While in High School, she was pianist for the Bloomburg Lions Club. She graduated from Bloomburg High School in Cass County in 1957 and attended Panola College where she maintained a 3.75 GPA. In 1992, she was certified by the Texas Board of Tax Professional Examiners as a Registered Texas Assessor/Collector. A devoted Christian, Janelle was a member of Central Baptist Church. She was a staunch dyed-in-the-wool Texan, through and through, birth till death. Janelle worked for several years arranging flowers at Lynch’s florist. She married Joe Hough on December 17, 1976 at Central Baptist, Carthage. From 1976 until 1996, she worked in the Panola County Tax Office, retiring as Chief Deputy. Subsequently, she served as Tax Collector for Elysian Fields ISD and Beckville ISD for an additional eight years before retiring. She was a gifted musician and artist, playing piano and organ at Southside Baptist and painting numerous pictures for home decorating and for family members. She was a member of the Q.M. Martin Art Society. Janelle enjoyed all kinds of music, cruising, traveling, camping, snow skiing, hiking and doing research on her family tree. She was life-member of the Panola County Historical Association and served on the Panola County Historical Commission. She was a choir member at both Southside and Central Baptist Churches. In 1988, Janelle wanted to hike the Grand Canyon. Her husband and friends, the Fowlers, finished the 22 mile hike, but Janelle went into a coma and was evacuated by nine rangers. At the hospital in Flagstaff, AZ, she had an out-of-body experience, but she saw her mother standing alone, so she returned. In their travels, the Houghs carried both their mothers, separately, to 48 states, visiting every capitol. Janelle loved to visit the Amish country in the fall in Shipshewana, IN and Berlin, OH. In the spring she liked the jewelry shows in Tucson, AZ. Janelle participated in church mission trips to Kansas, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Spain. In 2000, she completed training in teaching techniques for teaching English as a Foreign Language at Baylor University. Unlike her type A husband, Janelle was more of a behind the scenes servant. At church functions, she was usually in the kitchen with her hands in the dishwater. Janelle was preceded in death by her father, Otis Thompson; mother, Tessie Thompson; brother, William Ray Thompson; and a great-grandchild, Christian Stone. She is survived by her devoted husband of almost 44 years, Joe Hough of Carthage; daughter, Sherry Barrington Jones of Carthage; daughter, Lisa Barrington Hoekwater and husband Jon of Kingsbury; step-son, Billy Joe Hough and wife Lisa of Broken Bow, OK; step-daughter, Helen Kaye Wilbanks and husband Matt of Arlington. Grandchildren: Casey Marie Wilkerson, Brandi Blanchard, Cody Hough, Emily Wilbanks, B.J. Jones, Justin Lofland, Joseph G. Hough, Megan Hebert, Madison Wilbanks, and Taylor Jones; twelve great-grandchildren; numerous other relatives and a host of friends. Funeral services will be at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, May 27, 2020, at Central Baptist Church with Dr. Monty Pierce and Rev. Austin Dameron officiating. Burial will follow in Restland Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Hawthorn Funeral Home. Visitation for family and friends will be Tuesday, May 26, 2020 from 4 – 7:00 p.m. at Hawthorn Funeral Home. The family suggests memorials to Mission Carthage P.O. Box 1208, Carthage, Texas 75633 or Footprints in the Sand Monument, 808 Ray Street, Carthage, Texas 75633.