Eutha Quay Lambert Switcher

Mrs. Eutha Quay Lambert Switcher, October 26, 1934 – August 8, 2020. Now let’s talk about the dash in the middle. Eutha, as she was known by her family, grew up the Cairo Community with her brothers, Hewell and J.W., along with her sisters Dartha and Selena. Her parents were Govern and Zula Lambert.

Dartha and Hewell liked to pick on Eutha at family gatherings that they had to work in the fields while she helped their mother in the house. But to hear them tell it she spent most of the time listening to “her stories” on the radio. Something she enjoyed almost to her last day.

Growing up Eutha had a lot of friends at school in Holcut and at the New Lebanon Free Will Baptist Church. Church and family life were always very important to Eutha. She made the decision early in life to accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior.

After high school, Eutha went to work at the shirt factory in Rienzi. That is where she met a handsome young man. Edward Switcher and Eutha were married June 3, 1956. After a trip “up north” to make it in the big city, they hightailed it back to Rienzi. After returning to Rienzi they ran the local phone company with Eutha on the switchboard. Her sisters-in-law, Marcell Michaels and Elaine Hollingsworth, helped with the switchboard. Just like in Mayberry they knew all the towns secrets hooking one phone line to another.  Eutha and Edward welcomed their daughter Delta into the world and their little family was complete. Mama became her favorite name.

Mama went on to work like so many in Rienzi at the Wurlitzer plant. There everyone began to call her Quay. Quay made many lifelong friends while working at Wurlitzer that she still held deeply in her heart.  Her and Edward's closest friends were Everett and Bruce Furtick who just lived down the path.  Many fun times were shared with the Furticks and their children.

After living many years in Rienzi, Quay and Edward moved to Iuka where Quay worked at the local shirt factory and began attending Iuka Baptist Church. Quay's favorite part of church was her Sunday School class. She thought so much of her teacher Reba Moyers and what a great friendship they had shared with all her classmates.

Now comes the most important part of the story. Quay received a new name, Grandmother.  Grandmother often said she didn’t know what true happiness was till she held Leslie for the first time then Steven 3 years later. Grandmother was so proud of her grandchildren and now more than ever that they are wonderful adults. Leslie and Steven would be the first to say the unconditional love they received helped them to know how to love unconditionally.

Eutha, Edward always called her Eutha, enjoyed traveling and shopping, shopping, and traveling. Eutha and Edward enjoyed seeing the world from their camper. Plus, it gave Edward somewhere to hang out while she was in the mall. After Edward passed, Eutha began traveling with the Lambert Clan on mountain vacations. Eutha loved to see the sights with her sisters Selena and Dartha while niece Denice told John how to drive.  The whole family went and Eutha enjoyed the laughs, the games, the family dinners, bears at the back door and of course shopping. She also had a running joke with her nephew Keith about how he needed a little “prune juice" before he went to bed.

The last few years have had some difficulties. As we age, we begin to lose family and friends, and Eutha’s health began to decline. Weekly visits to her favorite doctor, Al Flannery, seem to be always on the calendar which always led to a stop at Belk and Cracker Barrel. As we all know she shopped for Christmas all year long.

EQ, as she came to be called on text and Facebook messages, will always be remembered as a true southern lady, with a smile for everyone and laughter on her lips.

Eutha Quay Lambert Switcher was preceded in death by her parents Govern and Zula Lambert; her in-laws, Clarence Switcher and Kathleen Parks; her husband, Edward Switcher; her brothers Hewell and J.W. Lambert; her brothers-in-law, Arvid “Peanut" Smith and Terry Crabb; and her sister-in-law, Lucy Lambert.

Eutha is survived by her daughter, Delta, and son-in-law, Craig Datsis; her grandchildren, Leslie Datsis and Steven Datsis; her sisters, Dartha Smith and Selena Crabb; her sisters-in-law, Barbara Lambert, Marcell Michaels, and Elaine Hollingsworth; a very special family friend, Jon Deeks, who said she had the prettiest Christmas Tree he had ever seen. That statement put Jon on top of her Christmas list. She was also survived by several nieces and nephews, along with their spouses, children, and grandchildren.  Eutha was loved by many family and friends and she will be greatly missed.

A private family service will be held Monday August 10 ^th .

The family ask in lieu of flowers please make a donation to the charity of your choice or do something Eutha Quay would like to do, go out to eat and buy something for your grandchildren.