Ida Frances Davis

Ida Frances Porter Davis, 85, died Nov. 1, 2006, at Baptist 
Memorial Hospital-Golden Triangle in Columbus. Services 
will be Wednesday at 11 a.m. at Zion Gate MB Church in 
Columbus with Dr. James A. Boyd officiating. Visitation is 
today from 3 to 8 p.m. at Carter's Funeral Services in 
Columbus with the family greeting friends from 6 to 8 p.m. 

Mrs. Davis was born Oct. 3, 1921, in Lowndes County to 
the late Lou Albert Egnew and the late Tom Porter Sr. 
She was a member of Zion Gate Missionary Baptist Church
where she was a Sunday school teacher, choir member and 
member of the Missionary Society. She taught in the Baptist 
Training Union and organized the first Pastors Aid club. She 
attended Lowndes County schools and graduated from Union 
Academy. She received her bachelor's degree from Tougaloo 
College and master's degree from Mississippi University for 
Women. She was an educator, teaching at Concord Elementary 
School, Mitchell Memorial Elementary School and Sale 
Elementary School. 

She was actively involved in many civic organizations, including: 
Helping Hands, Contact Crisis Help Line, United Way, Our 
Brothers Keepers Ministries and the ACT Center for handicapped 
adults. Upon retirement, she became active with the Retired Senior 
Volunteer Program. She received numerous awards and honors, 
including: RSVP Outstanding Service Award, Alpha Kappa 
Alpha Sorority Outstanding Community Service Award, Sojourner 
Truth Award from the Black Business Women Association, and 
she was a recipent of Four-Who Cares Award from WCBI 
Television Station. 

She was a Girl Scout Leader and she organized 
a help club in her community to lend guidance and discipline to the
neighborhood youth. 

In addition to her parents, she is preceded in 
death by her husband, Walter E. Davis; and son, William Frances 
Route. 

She is survived by daughter, the Rev. Brenda K. Davis of 
New York City and Alisha D. Davis of Columbus; one grandson; 
three great-grandsons; sisters, Annie Phelums of Pomona, Calif., 
and Ruby Harrison and Carolyn Egnew, both of Columbus. 
Roderick Edwards, Jason Brooks, Ken Wilson, John Smith, 
Ron Deloach, Ben Salley and Robert Holmes will serve as pallbearers.