Josephine Horn Lee

Josephine Horn Lee, age 91, went to her heavenly home Saturday morning, October 7, 2023. Jo, as she was commonly called, was born in Kinder, LA on February 13, 1932.  Her parents were Carroll O’Connor Horn and Thelma Gunter Horn.  The Horn family moved to Minden when Jo was 10 years old.  She accepted Christ as her personal Savior at 10 years old and joined First Baptist Church of Minden.  She is one of the only remaining members of FBC Minden with relatives who were charter members of the church.  Her great, great-grandfather, Rowland Horn, was a charter member.

Josephine married Harvey Lee, the love of her life, in 1948.  They had a marriage of 57 years together before Harvey’s passing in 2005.  Jo was a stay-at-home mom.  She and Harvey had four children: Bruce Lee, Alan Lee, Rickey Lee, and Lisa Lee Griffie.

Jo and Harvey bought a home in 1953.  She lived there for 70 years until her passing on Saturday. As a bit of history, the Lee home was built in 1903 as the first parsonage for First Baptist Church of Minden.  It was bought and moved to its present location to make room for the Central Fire Station in Minden, located on Pearl Street across from the U.S. Post Office.

Jo was an excellent cook.  She had a love for music and was an excellent pianist.   She loved crocheting, working jigsaw puzzles, watching her boys play baseball, going to shows in Branson, Missouri, and spending time with her grandbabies, great-grandbabies, and great, great-grandbabies.  She poured her life into her family.

Josephine is proceeded in death by her parents, C.O. and Thelma Horn; her husband, Harvey Lee; her sisters, Christine Horn Hughes and Connie Horn Miller; her brother, Carroll O’Connor (Buck) Horn, Jr.; and her daughter-in-law, Marilyn Smithey Lee. She is survived by her sister, Doris Jean Horn Lary; her children, Bruce Lee, Alan Lee (Marcia), Rickey Lee (Barbara), and Lisa Lee Griffie (Bobby).  She is also survived by eight grandchildren: Eric Lee (Amy), Kolby Lee (Amy), Kourtney Lee Fogleman (Trey), Greg Lee (Angel), Gretchan Lee Lary (John), Jeff Lee (Jennifer), Daniel Lee (Amber), and Matthew Wilson (Chancy), along with 18 great-grandchildren, and four great, great- grandchildren.

Visitation for Josephine will be Wednesday, October 11, 2023, from 5-8 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home in Minden.  The funeral service will be held Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 10 a.m. at First Baptist Church Minden.  Bro. Leland Crawford and Bro. John Lary will be officiating.   Pallbearers will be her grandsons and honorary pallbearers are her great-grandsons.  Her burial will be in The Gardens of Memory Cemetery in Minden.

We would like to thank the caretakers who helped care for Jo for many months: Barbara, Tina, Lucille, and Delores.  We would also like to thank Town and Country Nursing Home and Passage Hospice Care for all they provided. 

Josephine and Harvey donated to the Louisiana Baptist Children’s Home for years.  Anyone wishing to make donations in her memory, please make them to the Children’s Home, First Baptist Church Minden, or to the charity of your choice.