Mrs. Kristie Blount (Monroe) was born in 1945 in Long Beach, California. She attended a performing arts school in Hollywood prior to moving to Hickory, MS to live with her father and finish her education at Hickory High School. She continued dance lessons throughout the years and music and dance were always a part of her life.

Shortly after graduating from high school she met her soul mate Bennie Joe Blount and they were married in 1967 at Hickory Methodist Church. Bennie and Kristie built a home and established a cattle farm in Hickory where Kristie was a very active, hard-working part of helping run the farm. She was also a bookkeeper and assistant for Bennie’s other business ventures.

They had two children, Mark and Laura, both of whom were deeply cherished and raised with love and great pride in their independence and accomplishments. Kristie was close with both of them throughout the years.

Kristie loved gardening, particularly flowers. She was an avid reader, loved artwork and was herself an accomplished painter. She loved to play games (and especially loved winning). She was very fond of travel all over the country and admiring God’s beautiful creations in nature. But she was particularly drawn to visiting the Alabama coast where Bennie and Kristie eventually retired and thrived. Kristie loved spending time with family and friends, especially when there was laughter. She doted on her grandchildren Carson and Caroline so much that she temporarily relocated to California for several years to be an active presence in their young lives.

Kristie passed away in Florida, where she’d recently moved to be closer to Laura. She was preceded in death by her father James Elliot Monroe, mother Sarah Esther Bridges, sister Angela Ashley, and husband Bennie Joe Blount. She is survived by her son Mark Blount (Lisa) of Charlotte NC, daughter Laura Vendetti of Homosassa FL, grandson Carson Blount of Washington DC, and granddaughter Caroline Blount of Raleigh NC. “Grammy” will be sorely missed by us all. 

A graveside memorial will be held on Nov. 14 at 1pm in the Newton County Memorial Gardens.