Dorothy Marie Townsend

Dorothy Marie Townsend, age 90 of Fayette, departed this life on Saturday, June 25, 2022, following a lengthy illness. Services will be Thursday, June 30, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. at Bethel Baptist Church with Bro. Bill Sullivan and Bro. Billy Carl Sullivan officiating. Visitation will be Wednesday, June 29, 2022, from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. at Norwood-Wyatt Chapel Funeral Home. The body will lie in state 30 minutes prior to the service at Bethel Baptist Church. Burial will follow the service in the church cemetery. Mrs. Townsend was born January 15, 1932, at Avery, Texas, the third of five children, born to Earnest Wilton Bellotte and Nillie Mae Meadows. She graduated from Avery High School and attended East Texas Baptist College in Marshall, Texas where in Spanish class she met her future husband, CJ Townsend. He asked for her hand in marriage on their third date and she accepted without hesitation. They were married June 8, 1952, at Oil City, Louisiana. Throughout their 67 years of marriage, Mrs. Townsend was a shining example of a pastors wife. Her love and devotion to God and her husband was unconditional. She used her God given talents to serve whenever possible; teaching Sunday School leading WMU, singing and playing the piano/organ. Her fingers danced among the keys to gracefully produce any hymn she had ever heard, without ever having a single lesson. She was a substitute teacher in various public schools and worked factory jobs when necessary to help her husband provide for their four children. Mrs. Townsend was preceded in death by her husband, Rev. CJ Townsend; parents, Earnest Wilton Bellotte and Nillie Mae Meadows; brothers, Wilton Leo Bellotte and Verbie Gay Bellotte; sister, Nillie Earnestine Bellotte Anderson. She is survived by one brother, Daniel Vannoy Bellotte of Maud, TX; one sister-in-law, Hallie Marie Nichols Bellotte of Bosier City, LA; four children, Harold Townsend (Nancy) of Jackson, AL, Sharon Townsend of Pell City, AL, Cecilia Benton (Curtis) of Fayette, and John Townsend of Colfax, LA; seven grandchildren, Keith Townsend (Kristi) of Moss Point, MS, Scott Townsend (Ashley) of Dallas, TX, Jennifer Capers (Adam) of Jackson, AL, Jami Seagraves (Chris) of Alabaster, AL, Jeremy Benton of Fayette, Lindsay Nichols (Brandon) of Cleveland, MS and Cody Benton of Fayette, AL; fourteen great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Pallbearers are Keith Townsend, Scott Townsend, Jeremy Benton, Cody Benton, Chris Seagraves and Brandon Nichols. Honorary pallbearers are the Alabama Hospice Care of Jasper, Elvira McCrary and Adam Capers. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Eye Foundation Hospital in Birmingham, AL.