Lola Knight Cates

Lola Knight Cates

Amory - Lola Nanette Knight Cates, 66, finished her work here on earth, reunited with her son and began her new life in Heaven on Wednesday, April 26, 2023. She was born on February 8, 1957, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, to the late L.C. Knight and Eleanor Ann Ballard Knight.

Lola moved to Monroe County when she was a teenager and graduated a proud Seminole, from Smithville High School with the class of 1975. She had a servant’s heart and loved caring for others. Her passion led her to a career path in nursing. Initially she worked as a Nurse’s Aide, then an LPN at Gilmore Hospital. Striving for excellence, she went back to school and got her Registered Nurse certification from the Mississippi University of Women. For many years, she cared for members of our community at Gilmore Hospital and she made many wonderful friendships during her career. She loved being a nurse and she was a hardworking loyal employee.

She was blessed by God with three children during her lifetime as well as a close family. A couple of her best friends were her sister Debbie and cousin Volinda. Lola was a character and had many great personality quirks. She was calm, dry witted, a jokester, a straight shooter who was sassy and sarcastic at times. Once you met her, you loved her and shortly thereafter, you always expected her to be running late. The swimming group at Gilmore was another group that she held dear to her and she had a blast being with them.

Despite the struggles in her life and the loss she encountered, her faith in God kept her strong. She knew He was her rock in hard times and she was a prayer warrior. Her church family at Meadowood meant the world to her and she enjoyed being part of her Sunday school class. At one time she knitted 50hats for children in Africa. In her down time, she liked to spend time being a “Lovie” to her grandson Greyson, cooking and baking, especially baking her awesome caramel cake. She made candles and pottery and tracked her family’s genealogy back many generations. She loved 70’s music and Christian music and enjoying traveling, finding new recipes to cook and new crafts to make.

An all-around wonderful woman, her servant heart blessed many people through the years. She gave that comforting smile that put her patients at ease and the loving arms for her family to run to. She is in the presence of the mighty Physician, right where a nurse would want to be, and she has been totally healed. Until we meet again Lola.

She is survived by her daughters, Lauren Cates, Amory, and Natalie Nash (John), Amory; grandson, Greyson Nash, Amory; sister, Debbie Lay (John), Smithville; brother, Lee Knight (Judy), Greenwood Springs, MS; nieces and nephews, Heather Hathcote (John), Laken Knight, Jacob Knight, John Michael Lay (Jennifer); special friend, Terry James Cates.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her son, Daniel James Cates.
A Celebration of Life Service with a Nurse’s Honors will be held on Saturday, April 29, 2023, at 11:00 am at Meadowood Baptist Church, Amory, MS with Dr. Lloyd Sweatt and Bro. Mike Tucker officiating. Burial will follow in Haughton Memorial Park with pallbearers being John Nash, John Lay, John Hathcote, Jeffrey Elsasser, Jacob Knight, and David Cates.

Visitation for family and friends will be held at E. E. Pickle Funeral Home in Amory on Friday, April 28, 2023 from 5pm until 8pm.

Donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association and Global Connections.