Rebecca (Celsor) Hollandsworth

Rebecca Celsor Hollandsworth, age 107, passed away April 5, 2026 and a graveside service was held April 7, 2026 in Woodbury, TN. She was born in Logan County, Kentucky on February 19, 1919, and was the daughter of the late Whitney Lamont Celsor and Viola Rebecca Herndon Celsor.

She attended Stevenson Chapel School, a one-room schoolhouse she walked to nearby. She graduated from Gordonsville High School in 1937, the only girl in a class of five and the valedictorian. She was a member of New Union Baptist Church, The National Society of Washington Family Descendants, and The Daughters of the American Revolution. In 1943, she set out for Bowling Green, Kentucky, where she worked at the Ken-Rad Company making bulbs for walkie-talkies during the war. When her time there ended in 1947, she returned home and worked at Young’s Department Store, Williams Department Store, and Kroger until they closed in 1966. She married Garnett Lyne in 1948. Their marriage lasted only five years until his passing in 1953. In 1959, she married Samuel (S.T.) Hollandsworth. Their marriage spanned almost forty-nine years until his passing in 2008.

Rebecca expressed her love in simple but deeply meaningful ways. She was always thinking of others, often showing up at a neighbor’s door with warm homemade bread, a jam cake at Christmastime, or fresh produce from her garden. She was a gifted seamstress, creating beautiful clothing, quilts, embroidered pieces, and hand-hooked rugs. A lifelong learner with a curious and active mind, she pursued new interests well into her later years. Just before her 100th birthday, she attended a class on grafting trees and proudly planted her grafted apple and peach trees in her yard. Her heart was always happiest outside, whether she was working in the garden, tending the land, or simply enjoying the place she loved most: the farm. Hard work, a positive spirit, and an unwaveringly hopeful outlook carried her through every season of her life. Her gentle nature, loving heart, and thoughtful spirit touched everyone around her. She leaves behind memories that will be treasured always and a legacy of kindness that will live on in all who loved her.

She is survived by her daughter, Martha (Mitch) Snyder, TN  and her brother Edward Celsor, KY, as well as, numerous nieces and nephews. 

Woodbury Funeral Home, 615-563-2311 was in charge of her arrangements.